Bored Panda contacted Dr. Michael W. Boyce, a Professor of English and Film Studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg, Canada and a host of a podcast about fans and fan cultures “Geek 4” to learn more about films and our fascination with them.
Throughout his career, Michael W. Boyce has offered a diverse range of literature and film-related courses. Among the subjects he has taught are Film History, British Film, Television Studies, Film Adaptation, Film Noir, and more. Scroll down to learn more about movies and the film industry!
Movies have been a popular form of entertainment for a long time already, captivating audiences with their plot, personages, and visual effects. While the experience of watching a movie can be enjoyable, many viewers find themselves still thinking about the film long after the credits have rolled. In fact, some people may become so engaged in a movie that they feel the need to seek out more information and details online, from fan theories to behind-the-scenes trivia. Michael W. Boyce thinks that there are several factors at play with this. “First, there's the increased accessibility to movies through streaming platforms. Since the pandemic, more studios are releasing new titles to theatres and streaming at the same time. They don't have to wait six months for the title to be released on home video. It's right there. Also, people can just watch more when they don't have to leave their homes and drive to their local theatre. People in smaller markets don't have to wait for smaller movies to make their way to a theatre in their area.
Second, with the explosion of social media and memes, ‘word of mouth’ travels so much faster. People are more aware of the new, hot movies as they're getting real-time reactions; they're seeing and sharing memes. And it has become so much easier to access information about the movies and the stars who make them. If you liked Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), for example, in mere minutes, you can download Frank Herbert's novel to your e-reader, access David Lynch's 1984 version, read rumors about the sequel, follow the stars' social media accounts, and connect with thousands of other fans who liked it as much as you did.”
With the advent of new technologies, nowadays people can access a vast range of films from around the world without having to put in much effort. In light of this, it's worth considering whether the rise of digital media has transformed the ways that audiences interact with and interpret movies. According to Michael W. Boyce, digital and online media have changed so much about how we consume movies and television. “When I was a kid, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, if you wanted to watch a movie after it was done in the theatres, you had to wait for it to come out on VHS. You'd watch it on a mostly square television (4:3) and at a pretty awful resolution. For most of us, the sound was whatever came out of your TV's speakers."
"Nowadays, most people can replicate theatre-quality look and sound at home. And with streaming, you're not relying on your local video store to stock tapes. With a few accounts, you can access a huge number of titles. People don't have to scour video stores to find hard-to-find titles. If you like a particular actor or director or type of movie, you can find most other connected movies without much effort. This increased accessibility to titles and the superior technology means fans of movies can rewatch their favorite titles as much as they want. They can zoom in, go frame-by-frame to scan the background for visual treats and Easter eggs.”
