Is the television experience really that much better?
It really is hard to decide what I enjoy better when it comes to movies and television. Whilst on one hand, movies can be unique, concise experiences that have great graphics and great sound quality, when experienced in the theater, television series have the advantage of being more in depth, and having more time to develop characters, and show everybody’s side, not just the main character.
All these ideas are discussed in the essay, Story or Spectacle? Why Television is Better than the Movies by David Charpentier. He does make a good claim when he brings up the importance of character development, and how a story is that much more effective if we can sympathize with the characters in the film or show. (313) Of course, a longer running time also allows producers to create a character that is more complex, giving us a bigger scope the universe the writers created.
However, for me, watching T.V. shows or movies isn’t something I do by myself. It’s a big inconvenience for me when something is more than a few hours long, as I don’t have the time to afford to watch them. Generally, when it comes to T.V. shows, I get bored with trying to watch it religiously and am unable to continue if I’m watching by myself. That’s where I enjoy movies more. There’s something so engaging about going to see a movie with my friends, where we can all buy popcorn, and laugh about jokes or things that happened together. I also enjoy the large format of the movie and the great surround sound. There is something so intimate about enjoying it together. I appreciate it because it is so much easier for me to enjoy a movie with other people. The problem these days is to find something really worth watching, as movies have become quite predictable. But finding a movie that I really enjoyed thoroughly is one of my favorite things. It is incomparable.
(img_src: https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/04/the-future-is-transcendent-a-review-of-her/)
I agree that watching a movie at the movie theaters is more fun than watching it online or through Netflix because you get to enjoy the movie experience. However, many people have transitioned to online and in home experiences because it is more convenient. Great post!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I understand your problem completely! I never have the time or commitment to sit through shows or movies sometimes. Its odd, but I actually enjoy shows or movies more when they are light-hearted, fast, and hold no emotional trauma so that I could just relax. There are very rare movies that have that, but nearly every sitcom episode is like that.
I agree! There is so much time and money needed to just watch a movie today. And then when it comes to the other option which are television shows, It is also time consuming but in much bigger ways than a movie. To watch a show or to start watching a new one, you must first commit to it and have the constant need to keep up with it. Although television shows require a lot of time, I prefer watching shows rather than a movie since one gets to really understand the whole plot and understand all the characters in it.
ReplyDelete