That was the takeaway from the kickoff to CinemaCon, the exhibition industry confab that began Monday in Las Vegas.
Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis and Yelmo Cines CEO Fernando Evole tried to accentuate the positive as they rhapsodized about the magic of a shared cinematic experience in their keynote addresses to theater owners as part of CinemaCon’s “International Day.”
2 comments:
The idea that theater is losing the younger generations to modern technology is actually a legitimate concern of mine. It is just a fact of modern day life that we are attached at the hip to our cell phones, iPads, laptops, and all of the other technology that we use on a daily basis. It is almost like they are our Siamese twin in some ways. However, I really do believe that the younger generation probably makes up some of the best audiences theaters have ever seen. The is because unlike adults, kids are not afraid to let go and use their imagination to really make the magic happen. I think the solution to this problem to get the parents to see the benefits of bringing their child to the theater. Theatrical productions are long and quite pricey, so I can see where they would turn away parents. Nevertheless, I believe that we can convince them that their child will benefit from seeing a show than sitting on the couch playing that Elmo video game.
I can't stand it when people whine about how young people are ruining the world. The world is full of people who gripe and moan about how the younger generation has no sense of culture, are self centered, and have to have things spoon fed to them. It is repetitive, dull, and frankly hypocritical. Yes, the world young people live in now is different than the one occupied 20 years ago. I would be more worried if it wasn't. However, while I too worry about the state of theatre, the problem isn't that the audience isn't right for the theatre. The problem is that the theatre isn't right for the audience. People change. Culture changes. The art created 200 years ago, or even 20 years ago isn't necessary applicable or even relevant now. That doesn't mean the death of culture. This means that culture will continue to grow and evolve. It is self-satisfied and close-minded to assume the the greatest art has already been created. While we can respect what has been done in the past, it is ridiculous to assume that it has relevance to modern life. This is not to say that old works are not good, but to use them as a barometer to find exactly how depraved the youth are is unfair. If you want young people at the theatre, make theatre that speaks their language. If you don't know that language, hire someone who does. If people don't connect to your work, find out who the people are. Whining that the new generation doesn't understand your work doesn't fix anything.
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