What are the Top 10 Most Significant Movie Developments of the Past Decade?
The biggest one is what you are logged onto right now
I just received a press release from a PR firm representing Hollywood.com with what they have determined to be the "Top 10 Most Significant Movie Developments of the Past Decade" and it's an interesting list to ponder and outside of a couple of the selections I agree with most all of it. However, it is quite obvious the biggest influence over the last decade has been the Internet, but before adding any more comments, here's the list as determined by Hollywood.com:
- The evolution of social media (Twitter, blogs) to propel box office numbers
- The advancement of Computer-Generated Imaging
- The rise of 3D films and IMAX theaters
- The creation of Netflix, as well as the ability to download movies before they are available on DVD or Blu-Ray
- The launch of online ticket sales
- The major influx of movies based on comics
- Fantasy books made into major feature films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Harry Potter
- The surge in piracy (Remember the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leak?)
- The rise of the Fanboy and nerd culture as movies targeted this influential demo
- The development of High Definition technology and Blu-Ray
While the first major movie news blogs/websites started in the mid-'90s with Ain't It Cool News beginning in 1996 and Dark Horizons in 1997, the last decade certainly brought a much larger number of commenters into the fold. However, I wouldn't say they have propelled box-office numbers as much as they have had an effect on the films studios focus on, but I guess one affects the other. Either way, I can't argue the effect they have had on movies in general and it's a category well-deserving of the #1 spot.
The advancement of CGI is definitely notable if not occasionally annoying, but the third slot going to "the rise of 3D films and IMAX theaters" seems more of a gimmick people are going to realize sooner rather than later. It's one of the items on this list I would say doesn't belong.
Netflix and online movie rentals and watching is certainly a big deal and could potentially become the absolute future. Will we all decide to one day stop owning physical copies of movies and enjoy them only in digital form? For the most part it's happened to music, why not movies? I'm sure they can figure out a way to turn DVD/Blu-ray software into one downloadable program so we can still get special features and the like without having to purchase a shiny disc. When will it happen? Will it be the #1 item on the next best of the decade list ten years from now?
The launch of online ticket sales is another item on this list that seems to exist solely due to Movietickets.com and Fandango.com being particularly capable in overloading people's inboxes with email press releases citing this number and that number. I don't think this has had an impact on the industry whatsoever as much as it is simply a matter of convenience.
The idea of fantasy novels being made into movies is hardly a new idea, but I guess you could say the emphasis on franchising and marketing of these bigscreen adaptations is significant with the likes of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and most recently Twilight. This one also has a lot to do with #1, and the growing voice the fans of these franchises have online.
The surge in piracy is significant, sure, but it's only an inevitable significance due to advancements in technology. Piracy has been around forever but the Internet has just made it easier.
At #9 is "The rise of the Fanboy and nerd culture as movies targeted this influential demo." Again, like #6, this sort of goes hand-in-hand with #1 considering this is the audience visiting and discussing movies on social media and blogs, it's not as if this hasn't been the target demographic all along. Now they just have much more specified tastes.
I already started discussing #10 with #4. Sure, we now have Blu-ray technology and I love it, but how long will it be around. Considering Blu-ray discs are more like computer software than ever before doesn't it makes sense too look at the future of films in digital form only as highly possible. I mean, these releases now come with digital copies of their own. Granted it's standard definition DVD-quality (or maybe less) copies, but that just tells me they can make all of it digital and just aren't doing it to make more money at the moment.
Consider the fact Blu-ray.com is reporting revenue from Blu-ray software sales during the week ended November 24 was a record $69.06 million, up 224.04% from the same week in 2008. This growth more than offsets the fall in DVD revenue, which was down 7.89% year-on-year. Packaged media as a whole was up 1.02%. Look at that folks, you did it! The movie studios are now 1.02% richer than they were one year ago and you made it happen. Perhaps those downloadable copies aren't in the near future after all.
What do you think? Anything on this list you disagree with? Anything you would add?
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Brad, I disagree with regards to online sales. For everyday movie ticket buying, sure it's just a convenience. But when the online option allows for advanced tickets -sometimes weeks before traditional box office sales- for blockbuster movies, I can't help but think it contributes to heavily front loading box office numbers.
That Bay-ian 'event' culture which allows movies to make ridiculous amounts of money before proper word of mouth dilutes the gotta-see-it hysteria.
Great article.
@Brad: you left one thing off your list (although it does relate to comic-book films), the rise of the sequel. While the 1980s and 90's were no strangers to the idea (Star Wars, Star Trek, Rocky, Rambo, Dirty Harry, Superman, Batman, Indiana Jones); the 2000's took the idea and ran with it. Now, every year the highest grossing films are sequels, prequels, threequels or reimaginings (Batman Begins, Star Trek).
While the trend has given the world many memorable films (X2, Star Trek, The Dark Knight, Blade 2) it has also muddled the multiplexes with unoriginal and less-than-inspired films.
I strongly agree with you Brad regarding the future of digital movies and eventually making blu-ray/DVD into 1 downloadable program. With the introduction of XBOX 360's Project Natal (a hands-free add-on to the XBOX 360which allows controller free gaming and access to movies), Playstation 3 and Blu-Ray players, more and more households have their home theater setup linked up to the internet because of all the extra features you get with those systems. I definetly believe soon we will definetly be able to get all the specs and features of blu-ray movies without owning a disc and simply buying it through downloads. It's too convenient to ignore.
@The Jackal: It's not my list, but I agree franchising has become a major component of studio decision making.
Ehm, Rise of the Remake should be on here. Too many films are receiving remakes in this decade. King Kong, Red Dawn, a Gremlins remake was mentioned earlier this well but I don't know if that is still alive. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Jurassic Park remake or JAWS remake next, God knows they can't write anything new.
@DustinM: I'm not sure I agree this is a significant factor this decade considering they have been doing remakes forever. Using one of your examples, King Kong was first remade in 1976.
@Brad: I just looked it up on http://www.boxofficemojo.com. From 1980-89 only 16% of the Top 25 highest grossing films were franchise films; from 1990-1999 that percentage would hold constant at 16%. However, from 2000-09 over 37% of the Top 25 highest grossing films were franchise pictures.
With the high number of franchise films out there these days, one has to wonder: how high will that percentage be from 2010-19 – 50%, more? I for one long for the day when franchises no longer dominate the multiplex…
It's more like the rise of the re-imagining or the reboot, and that is highly significant since studios found a way to breath life into a franchise by just starting over. (Casino Royale, Batman Begins, horror movie reboots) Did this happen much or even at all before the aughts? Sequels aren't new but this concept is certainly going to grow in the future. Perhaps in the 2020's, we'll see the rise of the relaunch of the rebooted franchise.
I would just add something (which could certainly be a branch-off of social media) about the influence of early word on a film, particularly festival darlings such as Precious or Up in the Air. It's incredible how people see a film and immediately think "Oscar" or "best of the year" when it's still months until the movie is released. I think that some of these early opinions do tend to influence other bloggers and possibly even film critics to a degree. People are so anxious to get their word out there that they often compromise a genuine opinion in the process.
Downloadable copies: SUCK.
Why? Because it's such crap to be like, "Hey, look at the movies I have," and then make my friends crouch over my laptop monitor. That may work for someone who isn't all that into movies, but I want hard copies of all my movies so that people can see a clear representation of what I own.
Two items I want to comment on:
#3 The rise of 3D films and IMAX theaters.
I agree with Brad that this doesn't really belong, but perhaps the rise of digital cinema does. D-cinema makes 3-D practical. Nearly all the new IMAX screens are digital IMAX (or IMAX lite as its detractors call it). It also is having a bigger effect on distributors and exhibitors than on us the viewing public. D-cinema allows for special event presentations; some of these theaters show live Opera from the Met in New York every couple of weeks. Also, in some theaters, the management can much more easily move poor performers to a smaller auditorium and vice versa.
5. The launch of online ticket sales
This does not really belong. The fanatics have always bought tickets in advance even if they had to stand on line at the theater box office. Online sales only increased a trend that already existed. For example, in 1993, I was living in New York, so I called Moviefone and purchased opening night tickets to Jurassic Park at the Ziegfeld with my credit card. Any time I see more the 3 people in line at the box office, I walk up to the credit card kiosk and purchase my tickets there. At least there at the theater I don't have to pay the $1.00 or $1.25 surcharge that Fandango and Movietickets.com are charging.
#11 Doubling the price of all concession stand items.
@JM:
We're talking about a future program capable of giving blu-ray type, actual real quality downloads, and not some DIVX rips.
I think advance ticket sales have significantly cut down on spillover. When was the last time you saw someone not get into their movie and see something else? But I suppose that's a relatively minor change. People theorized that The Blind Side benefited from spillover from New Moon, but the numbers did not bear this out.
A major market developement has been the amount of competition movies must face. This is the main reason studios push for a strong opening weekend. Because another movie is coming out next week to cut you off at the knees. Especially in summer. Of course, it's only possible because of a larger overall movie market, but it's major because it has changed industry behavior.
As a new owner of Blu-ray I cannot put in words how much the visual excellence provided by these disc enhances films.