Right from the evolution of movies, technology has been an essential factor in the growth and transformation of the movie business, and our ways of consuming movies. Starting from the addition of colors in the movie and the introduction of sound in the film to digital filming and projection, new advancements have always been on the increase and have set a new trend in movie making. Today, technologies like VR, AR, as well as streaming services and artificial intelligence, are again revolutionizing both the production and the reception of the films.
The most drastic technological change that has taken place in recent past is the advent of streaming by service providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu etc. In their nature, streaming services have had a revolutionary impact on the distribution landscape and the availability of films across the international markets. It has also impacted production as they fund and procure content depending on the viewership statistics. Streaming giants like Netflix are believed to have invested more than $17 billion in content in 2021 which has led to production records in the film business.
Streaming
Streaming has also introduced new types of viewership such as marathon watching and has created pressure in the theater market. Although the communal experience of movie watching is a key ingredient in tent-pole event movies, streaming provides the luxury of time and option. Platforms are also solving the access problem; for example Netflix has addressable to over 70 million households in India alone—a market that could not be reliably served continually through physical distribution. Combine fast growth in the global markets, and it is apparent that the streaming will remain a significant part of the movies industry in the future.
On the production side, CGI and VFX growth have significantly increased the range of what one can achieve on screen. Whether it is the de-aging of characters in various Marvel movies or going on a voyage to surreal fantasy worlds of Avatar, these Help Visual effects to make imagined or fictional stories come to reality and much more in an unmatched manner. Technology in motion capture has also helped depict creatures in a more realistic and natural way to give better and new animated movies that impacted Rango. With ever-improving CGI, constraints and expenses have been eliminated—allowing artfulness on a larger scale and scope.
As for dimension and scale, virtual reality is opening doors. VR can give the audience a chance to be placed into the movie worlds, and be immersed in those environments for the duration of the stories, rather then just linger in front of the screen. They also provide a feel of personalized experiences through the use of interactive storylines. There are movies such as Horror films like Mismatch and animated features like BattleScar that have shown purposeful use of VR technology. Some of the issues have been addressed, and there is a possibility that VR will soon allow for fully embodied cinematically unique and personal experience—revolutionary for the concept of escapism.
Similarly, augmented reality where digital information is overlay onto the real world (as seen in Snapchat filters) can be creatively used in film-making. For example, it is possible to make fictitious objects or characters appear in any real world place; the audience gets notifications when their favorite movie hero ‘arrives’. Such gimmicks can help generate more discovery while simultaneously using smartly the mobile devices that are already in our hands. Bluetooth beacons that are giving context relevant signals to AR apps may turn waiting areas into teaser pre-show experiences!
AI
AI is also making things interesting through features like ‘deepfake’, which can produce new footage by inserting or replacing faces or speech into videos. If abused, it raises concern; however, it does enable actors to ‘reprisal’ roles in other movies and presents new opportunities such as depicting historical characters through futuristic reconstructed faces. Responsible innovation, in this vein, might make such synthetic media seem quite natural. In addition to deepfakes, AI may enable scenes synthesized with machine learning upon user’s directions, examples of what can be called “infinite film engines”.
However, it is worth admitting that another widely recognizable instance of language technology is already actively helping with the expansion of access—automatic captioning and translating for international viewers. Netflix’s “Hermes” subtitling test produces subtitles in as many languages as needed using the machine translation tool swiftly. Another aspect of language and dubbing productivity that can be enhanced through the use of automated lip-syncing is also available. The advancement of language AI to increase global content availability at a faster pace could also enhance streaming platform development and encourage the evolution of film markets across the globe.
Other future uses comprise a blend of some of the technologies discussed hitherto. Just imagine that you do not only select the movie and formats and related experiences the movie delivers you on the fly — such as highly responsive haptic VR chairs or environmental overlays that the emotion tracking smartwear detects your real time reactions to! External biofeedback could potentially enable films to re-balance or re-adjust themselves in the ways that are not possible while they are being watched. The same data could also be used to establish psychographic segments for prescriptive purposes to design unique experiences that would be expected to appeal to people based on their affective temperament.
However, it can also have negative impacts, such as the bubble effect where we are only presented with information similar to what we already think. Moreover, this radical use of CGI poses questions of truth and reality on the participants or viewers of the media product. Other issues such as addiction that originates from business model motivated engagement approaches will have to be addressed through ethical codes as more entertainment is offered in immersive fashion. However, proper implementation of the innovations highlighted here might lead to record-breaking levels of captivation together with choice and accessibility on an individual’s level historically.
As a matter of fact, the distribution of movies has always acted as an effective means of presenting unique and influential stories that transform culture and society for the better across the world. Innovated prudently, thereby, there are increased prospects of boosting motion pictures’ ageless potential of capturing the imagination of society, building bridges, changing perceptions and pulling people together in ways that transcend the boundaries of diversity.
Conclusion
The movie world without doubt is located in an interesting phase of disruptive disruption. The streaming platforms have already opened up the market from fixed theatres to mobile devices and smart TVs in the world. AR and VR are anticipated to deliver even greater immersion by not only converting viewers into viewing subjects but as subjects that are part of scenes, while trends such as interactive story telling and emotion aware personalization could both reach new heights of engagement sooner rather than later. Of course, such methods as motion capture, deepfakes, or hyper-realistic CGI are also causing concerns if misused. But alongside ethically positive advancement, narrative creativity and cinematic style could yet reach heights of artistic representation that would be worthy of the freest imaginations. If previous film-tech is anything to go by, then there is potential that emerging one may bring change and impact on culture and society that cannot be imagined at the moment. It extends to the point where TV programs and series can influence or even alter social trends and the very nature of humanity.