There are so many "rules" for choosing seats in the cinema? Where is the best place to sit?

Have you ever encountered a situation where you have chosen the movie, showtime and time you want to watch, but before placing an order, you look at the crowded seat map and don't know how to choose? For people with choice phobia, this is simply a nightmare. To solve this problem, we need to understand some knowledge first.

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According to the theory of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, the angle of sight between the two sides of the screen should be at least 36 degrees to ensure that the picture fills the audience's field of vision. At the same time, in order to prevent excessive pressure on our necks, the angle between the sight line looking at the top of the big screen and our horizontal sight line should be less than 35 degrees.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, the quality of the viewing experience is also related to the physiological characteristics of human senses. For example, the central visual area of ​​the human eye has a higher resolution, so the viewing position is too close or too far from the screen will affect the visual effect. In addition, the human ear's perception of sound is also directional, so the theater's sound system needs to transmit the sound to the audience's position to obtain the best sound effect. The best auditory experience position is two-thirds between the theater's projection window and the screen. Combining all the above data, the position that adapts to our auditory and visual satisfaction is 9 to 10 rows.

However, the above data only applies to 2D movies. For 3D movies, the screen brightness will drop by 30% to 40% after wearing glasses. 3D glasses can project different images to the left and right eyes respectively, giving the audience a sense of space and depth. This technology is based on human visual perception of depth and head movement tracking. Therefore, when watching 3D movies, it is best to choose a position halfway between the screen and the projection port.

In addition, the viewing experience in an IMAX theater is also different from that in an ordinary theater. The screen in an IMAX theater is usually convex or curved. Based on the principles of human vision and sound perception, the best position is one-third to one-half of the front of the screen. Secondly, choose a position at an appropriate height from the screen so that the eyes can see the entire screen, but not too high or too low. The sound propagation effect in an IMAX theater is three-dimensional. Therefore, the position closest to the center of the screen and the central sound source can obtain the best sound effect.

IMAX theaters usually have more spacious seats than regular theaters, but if you are smaller, you may feel uncomfortable sitting in a too spacious seat. In addition, IMAX theaters are usually colder than regular theaters, so when choosing a seat, choose a seat that is relatively far from the air-conditioning outlet, or wear a coat to keep warm.

If you still don't know how to choose, here's a tip: choose five or six for a small theater, seven or eight for a medium theater, and ninety or ten for a large theater. Of course, the most important thing is that everyone abides by the theater's rules, doesn't secretly film or record, makes loud noises, or disturbs others, so that every audience can enjoy a better viewing experience and create a better viewing environment.

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project (Creation and Cultivation). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Meet Jupiter Science Writer

Reviewer: Jiang Yang, deputy chief physician of ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital