Q7 By Jessica

Question7: What are some of reasons for the decline of cinema? How many cinemas did there use to be in Brighton?

Answer:

The number of cinemas is impacted by the cinema attendance. The decrease of cinema attendance is the major reason for the decline of cinema.

One reason for the decline is plain economics. The cost of a movie ticket is increasing, far faster than inflation. So the movie theater is becoming less affordable. In June 2010 American Pulse survey, BIGresearch reported that 72% of Americans now consider watching movies at the cinema as too expensive.

But there is anothere underlying root cause, even more significant for the declining box office, the growth of consumer digital electronics and technology, including the Internet, what people will call digital tschnology.What digital technology has brought audiences is easy and cheap(or even free)access to multiple forms of entertainment at-home and on their mobile device. This concludes films and video. Audience can now view movies in the comfortable of their homes on big screen high definition television that have gotten very affordable. Viewing movies is not limited to audiences' home TV. Audiences can watch from anywhere on their computer, iPad or hand held device. Digital technology allows entertainment to reach audiences instantly, at any time and any place, with little effort and cost, including often for free. And for the easy access and low cost, they will trade off on quality. Watching a streaming film on a TV, smart phone or iPad is certainly not the same experience as watching the same film in the movie theatre. But it is sure rates higher in what people call convenience (cheap and easy).

There used to be four cinemas in Brighton.

The List of Useful Resources about Question7:

Book: 

[1] John Sparaos. The Decline of the Cinema. London: George Allen & Unwin     Ltd,1962.
[2] Harper, Sue. British Cinema of the 1950s: the decline of deference. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.