CINEMA SPACES

The concept of cinema was not just invented overnight by just a single person. This notion was invented through replication and slight variations each time. In 1891, an invention discovered by the Edison Company allowed only a single person at a time to view moving images, and 4 years later, the Lumière brothers developed this to a point where moving images were able to be showed to an audience. This continued through different people throughout the years, up until we get to where we are now – with colour and sound.

Torsten Hägerstrand uses the concept of the 3 constraints of space and time to explain how our human activities are often controlled by limitations.

The first constraint is capability – can we get there? Capability constraints include the biological necessities of an individual such as sleeping and eating, as well as our own personal limitations. Coupling constraints – can we get there at the right time? Coupling constraints include human agendas and whether or not, our schedules allow us to have time for certain activities. Authority constraints – are we allowed to be here? Authority constraints are the general rules and laws placed onto us, including time and place of access.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve gone out to the cinemas even though there have been several movies I’ve been waiting to watch. As a full time student with an overwhelming amount of assignments who is also working as a casual and continuously playing sports, I must say it is quite difficult to find time, let alone being able to match up schedules with a few friends. Along with my time allocated to my biological needs, it was also difficult for me to find time to go to the cinemas while doing all my co-curricular activities at the same time as it is physically impossible to be in two or more places at once. Furthermore, there are also times when the cinemas are closed or when movie times are full. This also plays a part in determining which movie we can watch and whether it was worth going to the movies.

Lately, Netflix have been coming out with a lot of great movies. I recently watched the new release of “To All the Boy I’ve Loved Before” and even though this wasn’t experienced in a big theatre filled with the smell of popcorn and a loud sound system, it didn’t take anything away from my experience.

As new innovations on the internet rise, it allows us to enjoy films and television series in the comfort of our own homes. Despite this, it hasn’t completely diminished the idea of going to the cinemas. According to Screen Australia, the attendance of going to the cinemas has actually increased rather than decreasing. It will be very exciting to see these statistics in a few years and how the future of cinemas will look like.

– G