Big screen lockdown: The pandemic’s effect on the film industry

The saying “social distancing” is one we’ve all become very familiar with, especially since the lockdown began. It doesn’t look like it will be leaving us any time soon. This means that it’s going to be a while before we’re able to catch the latest movie at our local cinema, but for many of the smaller movie houses, this temporary closure could become a permanent one.

Cinemas

Most of the major cinema houses in South Africa have been experiencing stable numbers of attendance these past few years, mainly due to the introduction of 4D movie-going experiences and the refurbishment of older cinema complexes; they’ve been able to keep moviegoers interested despite the lure of Netflix and Showmax.

Yet, as it currently stands, South African cineplexes have been closed since 24 March and this extended shutdown could end up changing our movie-going experience, even if only in the short term. Many of the big Hollywood studios like Paramount, Universal and Disney have decided to postpone the release dates of their movies to recoup some of the money they’ve spent on production and marketing. Here are some of the movies that have been delayed:

• A Quiet Place: Part II
• Mulan,
• Minions: The Rise of Gru
• No Time To Die
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• Black Widow along with other MCU releases
• The New Mutants
• Scoob!
• Spiral
• Artemis Fowl
• Free Guy
• Candyman

For other releases, studios have decided that a VOD (Video On Demand) release would be best. This lets customers enjoy the latest movies at home, instead of waiting for them to premiere at cinemas. Unfortunately for us, many of these are only available in Canada and the United States, but with the use of a VPN, you can easily rent them on Amazon Prime, Google Play and VUDU. Here are some of the movies you can already enjoy from the comfort of your couch.

• The Invisible Man
• Trolls World Tour
• Emma.
• The Hunt
• Bloodshot
• Onward
• Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) 

This is an unprecedented move for the film industry and could very well be what saves the major studios, but the smaller ones might not be able to weather the storm as easily. Only time will tell which approach is best and whether or not companies will be able to adapt.

Drive-in theaters

The popularity of drive-ins has been steadily declining ever since the 60s, but with our new norm of social distancing, it might be the exact solution needed for the movie industry to continue forward.

Many of us can’t wait for things to return to normal, but even once lockdown ends, we’ll still be restricted in terms of which activities we can partake in. As cinemas fall under the umbrella of entertainment, it might still be a while before you can slurp that slushy or indulge in that aromatic popcorn.

Drive-ins might just be the perfect solution to the problem. Unlike the close interactions you have at a regular movie house, the drive-in provides you with the opportunity to enjoy a good movie while maintaining social distancing, all from the comfort and safety of your car.

In the United States, there are still several small drive-ins that have remained operational despite the outbreak of the pandemic, providing at least some relief for the employees that would otherwise have been left without an income.

Other countries such as Germany and South Korea have had a substantial spike in the sale of drive-in tickets. Two of the year-round drive-in theatres in Germany have been able to keep each screening fully booked ever since the lockdown started in March and the bookings continue to pour in.

Frank Peciak, Manager of Autokino Essen, one of these year-round drive-ins was quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter what we show, people just want to get out and watch a movie.”

Despite being fully booked, they remain hyper-vigilant and believe that safety comes first. Even though their lot can accommodate 1000 cars, they limit it to 250 to comply with social distancing regulations. They also scan all tickets through closed windows to limit people’s interactions.

According to Heiko Desch, operator of numerous theatres in Germany, authorities were initially worried about the health risks, but so far they haven’t had any issues. They run a hands-free operation and people are only allowed to leave their cars to visit the restroom.

Cine 80 in South Korea has also seen an increase of around 20% in their ticket sales for the 170 car drive-in.

Owner Seong-soo Kim mentioned that they’ve managed to survive since the outbreak and was quoted saying, “People feel the drive-ins are a safer option to enjoy their cultural life.”

Currently, all the drive-ins around South Africa are closed, but once the lockdown ends and restrictions begin to lift, drive-ins might be the exact form of entertainment people need.

This content has been created as part of our freelancer relief programme. We are supporting journalists and freelance writers impacted by the economic slowdown caused by #lockdownlife.

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