The Film Industry Converges with the Internet: Beneficial or Detrimental

Some individuals consider the Internet to be one of the greatest inventions of our time. Their reasoning is due to the positive outcomes that have come with this such as connecting people around the world and aiding in education, research, new, etc. Specifically, in relation to the film industry, the Internet has provided positive and negative outcomes. The Internet allows for consumers to download films illegally, which lowers ticket sales and profit. At the same time, the Internet has become an essential tool for rising filmmakers and has also helped movie industries to advertise new films for little to no cost. Overall, it is a two-sided argument of whether the film industry’s convergence with the Internet has been helpful or detrimental.

Before diving into the pros and cons of the Internet in relation to the film industry, one should understand a brief evolution of movie distribution in history. Before the convenience of being able to watch movies in our homes, films were shown at movie palaces. These palaces were “full-time single screen movie theaters that provided a more hospitable movie going environment” (Campbell, Fabos & Martin, p. 247). The first movie palace opened in 1914 and following that, mid-city movie theaters became popular. These theaters were “built in convenient locations near urban mass transit stations to attract business of the urban and suburban middle class” (Campbell et al., p. 247). As technology advanced, the videocassette appeared in the 1970s. This invention decreased movie theater ticket sales, as people were now able to rent movies and watch them in the comfort of their own homes. However, technology continued to progress and eventually, the film industry converged with the Internet. With this ...

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