The first Tuesday of every month is ‘Movie Club’ night for my Mum and her group of eight friends. The evening symbolises a social get-together, an opportunity for all to catch up, relax and enjoy the viewing of a recent release. A few days prior, a restaurant is picked to go to before the screening and the group collectively chooses a film to view.
One particular movie-going experience my Mum vividly recalls is watching the drama/ history film, ‘The Promise’ , starring Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon at Event Cinemas, Miranda.
Throughout my conversation with my Mum, I considered the logistics of cinema attendance and applied Torsten Hagerstrand’s conceptual framework of time and geography. Hagerstrand highlights three categories of limitations within one’s daily activities; capability, coupling and authority.
Capability constraints refer to “…the limitations on human movement due to physical or biological factors” (Corbett 2001). In order for my Mum’s ‘Movie Club’ to attend a film, two people in the group offered to carpool everyone to Miranda, which was only a 10 minute drive from the furthest house. In this instance, there were no foreseeable capability limitations, as the group pre-planned transportation, setting aside time to enjoy dinner beforehand.
Hagerstrand outlines coupling as “…the need to be in one particular place for a given length of time, often in interaction with other people” (Corbett 2001). When asking my Mum about why ‘Movie Club’ is confined to a Tuesday night, she explained it was the only night all eight members were free from other commitments, which in their favour, happens to be ‘Cheap Tuesday’. However, due to the limited showing times of ‘The Promise’, the only suitable feature time was at 8:30pm. The movie ran for just over 2 hours, to which my Mum recalled, “I was definitely nodding off by the end” (Ritchie 2018, pers. comm., 20 August).
Lastly, an authority constraint is an “…area that is controlled by certain people or institutions that set limits on its access to particular individuals or groups” (Corbett 2001). My Mum recalls authority constraints were not strictly enforced on this evening, perhaps due to the late session. The group had no issue viewing the ‘PG’ film and were able to walk straight in as there were only two staff members working in the candy bar. My Mum details her group of eight were the only people viewing the 8:30pm film, whereby they were able to choose their own seats and talk amongst themselves.
“It was as though we had our own private screening”
Upon my Mum’s recent movie experience, she was extremely surprised with the limited attendance, enthusiasm and atmosphere presented at the cinemas. She details, “It doesn’t feel that long ago I was taking you and your Brother in the school holidays to see a film, excitement lingered as we waited in long cues for candy and our tickets to be checked” (Ritchie 2018, pers. comm., 20 August).
Despite a 14% decline in cinema admissions, I believe the social experience of attending the movies is irreplaceable, as it is an emotional encounter (Di Rosso 2015). For me, similar to my Mum, going to the movies includes a dinner out and then being able to solely focus on the film. At times it can be scary and tense, to which I often express emotions that I would not otherwise if I were watching on a small screen at home.
However, the cinema industry is bleeding as more young Australians are using streaming powerhouses such as Netflix and “…new content platforms, including social media outlets like Facebook to access video” (Screen Australia 2018). In turn, I believe the shift of place and consumer media consumption from traditional movie experiences is derived from the following limitations; affordability, convenience and comfort.
From this conversation, my Mum and I both agreed it is imperative cinemas are creative in their efforts to fill seats and stay up to date with ever-changing food trends, providing more than just the standard popcorn and drink. For my Mum and I, both who are gluten intolerant, we believe offering additional dietary choices may potentially attract a wider audience and increase attendance.
Brittany
Reference List
Built n.d., Event Cinemas, image, Built, viewed 20 August 2018, <http://www.built.com.au/projects/Event-Cinemas>.
Corbett, J 2001, ‘Torsten Hagerstrand: Time Geography’, CSISS Classics: Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science, viewed 20 August 2018, <https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2t75b8sj#author>.
Di Rosso, J 2015, ‘A new golden age: how cinemas are surviving in the age of Netflix’, ABC, 9 April, viewed 20 August 2018, <http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/finalcut/are-cinemas-dying/6377650>.
Movieclips Trailers 2016, The Promise Official Trailer 1 (2016) – Christian Bale Movie, online video, YouTube, viewed 20 August 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwut1DUXaZc>.
Ritchie, J 2018, interview, 19 August.
Screen Australia 2018, ‘Report released: Australian trends in online and on demand viewing’, media release, Screen Australia, viewed 20 August 2018, <https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2018/02-27-report-australian-trends-online-on-demand>.
Screen Australia 2015, Australian audiences are watching online, infographic by Anthony Calvert, viewed 20 August 2018, <https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/infographics/australian-audiences-are-watching-online>.
Snoonian, M 2016, Film Thrills, image, Film Thrills viewed 20 August 2018, <http://filmthrills.com/proposed-screening-room-streaming-technology-divides-hollywood-terrified-theaters/>.
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