Put down the remote control and go to the cinema. This is the truth behind the rise of cinema chains.

When the Internet connects living rooms, every family's living room seems to be able to become a home theater. According to data, the current micro-projector home theater has defeated ordinary TVs in entering Chinese family living rooms. With the addition of TV boxes and the Internet, watching blockbusters at home seems to be much more affordable than going to the cinema.

On the other hand, this year China has surpassed Japan to become the world's second largest film market, second only to the United States, with Chinese box office revenue reaching $2.7 billion, a 36% surge from the previous year. What is attracting audiences to step out of their living rooms and into the cinema?

Audiences begin to pursue viewing speed

The first reason is that people are no longer satisfied with watching movies on computers. With the strengthening of copyright protection, the latest movies can no longer be seen online immediately, and you have to wait at least half a year before you can watch them in your home theater.

In this era of rapid information flow, people always like new things and dislike old things, as if they are afraid of being abandoned. No one wants to discuss old things from half a year ago - even things from half a month ago are considered "old". In other words, it is no longer pretentious to get movie resources from the Internet. Now Chinese theaters are striving to release movies at the same time as the rest of the world, just to gain time difference.

Unparalleled audio-visual enjoyment

Now the business development of movie theaters has become diversified, and the sources of collection are not limited to box office revenue. Films, advertisements, beverages and food... movie theaters can fully support themselves. With the rise of group buying, movie ticket prices have fallen. In recent years, people's income has increased, and watching a few movies a month does not bring financial pressure. "When you are full, you will think about sex." People are willing to pay a little money to enjoy the comfortable and good atmosphere and environment of the movie theater to satisfy higher-level spiritual pursuits.

The movie-watching habits of Chinese audiences changed after the release of Avatar in 2010. Going to the movies is not just a part of family entertainment, but has gradually become a more high-end activity. Simply put, the level of going to the movies has become higher. However, going to the movies is not something that is forced to show off. When watching movies becomes a part of life, it means that the Chinese film market is beginning to mature, just like North America now.

The need for capital operation

Good movie-watching habits will naturally bring good box office. With box office guarantees, producers will dare to invest in making films, and theaters will be able to buy high-quality films. This virtuous cycle will drive the entire film industry to flourish.

Here we have to mention the operation of capital. The basic film theory textbook says that when the economy is down, the film business will definitely boom. The hottest golden age in Hollywood history was the Great Depression; in the 1970s during the oil crisis, Hong Kong and Taiwan films rose. The prosperity of movies and cinemas is inseparable from investment. But if we say that the prosperity of Chinese movies is due to the economic downturn, it is probably a bit unreasonable. Because the film industry must reach a basic popular state before the situation of "economic downturn and booming movies" can occur.

Chinese film is in the process of development and growth. It is going from nothing to something, from the beginning to the heyday. With the legislation of the Film Law, the quota of imported films has been relaxed. It is an inevitable process for social development that movies have become mainstream entertainment. The reason why people are willing to go to the cinema to watch movies is actually the inevitable result of social, economic and cultural development.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.