For years now, we’ve been going to fancy theatres and cinemas with better and better quality videos, Dolby Digital or even better audio, great snacks to eat while we watch and seats that we can comfortably relax in.
Rewind to the time when movies had just begun to be screened. There would be a huge screen (well as big as they could make them then), and a bunch of people who had gathered to watch the new technological marvel.
The one thing that hasn’t changed since then was the importance that was always given to the ambiance that surrounded us when we sat there watching the movie. Movies have always been about capturing us and transporting us into a new world. And theatres and cinemas always focused on making this experience as engaging and fun as they could for us.
Until recently, I had never thought too much into why we did this. I always assumed that this was simply because cinema, for us, is a hobby. And why would you do something if it wasn’t fun? And of course, the better the experience, the more we go, and of course, priority over the competitors.
About a month ago, a new film starring one of the leading stars in India came out, and of course, theatres were booked to the very last seat.
Let me clarify here. For me, going to the theatre is definitely about that experience. I don’t go simply because I like the actor or the director or the story or any one factor. Instead, I love the experience of sitting with your near and dear (or alone), watching a good movie that you can enjoy and laugh in while you get transported to this other world.
So as I was saying, with not too many tickets available, I chose to book the tickets for our group in one of the older theatres in town that I had in fact not visited in quite a while. At the end of the show, despite the film being everything I expected and wanted, I did not enjoy the experience.
The screen clarity was worse than on TV or my laptop screen. I was seated in a looooooong room with mosquitoes and lights even after the movie had started playing. I was surrounded by people who shouted at every scene (don’t get me wrong, I like cheering in the theatre but not throughout the movie) and I was seated in a chair that was the opposite of comfortable.
Sadly, at the end of the day, I realized that through the experience, I was unable to enjoy the experience or concentrate on the film or have fun.
I learned that for life, ambiance plays a huge role. Whether you’re watching a movie, or reading a book, or I suppose, anything you normally enjoy doing. How and where we do it is a huge factor that largely influences our experience doing what we’re doing, even if we love doing it.
So don’t settle. Do it your way. And, Enjoy!
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