Opinion: Pandemic has forever changed the film industry

For myriad industries, it’s been said the coronavirus pandemic has sped up technology innovations by a period of years in just a short time frame.

The film industry is definitely one of those, and with new conveniences born of the pandemic, it’s going to be difficult or impossible to go back to how it was before COVID-19 came into the picture.

The change had been brewing before the pandemic began.

As televisions have increased in size and quality and projectors have improved with each generation, the at-home movie experience has become a more popular – and highly convenient – way to view films. You’re free to chat with your friends at your leisure, and pausing for a bathroom break is simple. Add in the ever-growing popularity of streaming and the less-expensive cost – no tickets needed and food that isn’t overly marked up – and you can see why this viewing experience might be preferable to attending a theater.

With many movie theaters closed for months amid the pandemic, Hollywood has responded in a new way that is revolutionary for the industry: same-day theatrical and streaming releases.

Much more than larger TVs, this change is one that likely will pose a permanent threat to the theater industry.

Essentially, same-day streaming releases remove the last barrier to entry for the home-theater experience. Previously, consumers were beholden to theaters. Sure, you could wait a couple months until new releases came out on DVD, but by then, you missed the hype train altogether. That person at the office who can’t help but discuss new movie details already has taken some of the magic away.

But not anymore.

Disney films like “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Cruella” got streaming releases alongside theatrical debuts. It’s important to note that with Disney, streaming of those films came with an extra cost beyond just a subscription to Disney+ that essentially acted as ticketed entry.

That strategy appears to have hit a snag when Scarlett Johansson sued the company, claiming her contract guaranteed a theater-only release for “Black Widow” and that she lost out on potential profits because the movie also got a streaming debut simultaneously. That setback caused the company in September to move its remaining slate of films to theater-only debuts for the remainder of the year.

But it felt reactionary to the whims of the industry, and not necessarily consumer demand.

Simply put, filmgoers now have experienced the magic that is same-day streaming releases. There’s no putting that genie back in the bottle, as much as some might want to.

A question to be asked is whether same-day streaming will be a death knell for theaters.

Yes and no. Let’s look at Amazon as an example. E-commerce certainly has put a damper on in-person retailers, but those that remain and prosper offer an experience that cannot be attained through Amazon.

Consider, for example, creative murals commissioned by businesses that create an Instagram-worthy moment for consumers. That’s unique to that business, and it’s difficult to replicate that experience digitally.

Theaters must be the same way if they want to remain relevant. A major player in experiential theatergoing is Alamo Drafthouse, which goes above and beyond what a theater typically has provided in the past. Full meals served right to your seat mid-movie, along with old film clips before the previews begin, are some of the examples of what a theater can do to differentiate itself from a consumer’s couch. It’s a sign of the times, and theaters simply must adjust. The couch is one heck of a competitor.

While industries tend to fear change, consumers ultimately dictate the end product. It’s a new day in the film industry, and consumers stand to benefit.

What the industry looks like in a decade will be an experience worth watching.

Springfield Business Journal Digital Editor Geoff Pickle can be reached at gpickle@sbj.net.