Is The $16 Movie Ticket Worth It?

June 20, 2024June 21, 2024 ~ kiratay9 ~ Leave a comment

by Kira Taylor
Woodward Academy

Imagine this: A new movie that you have been waiting on for months comes out today on both Netflix and the movie theaters. Are you buying a ticket to the cinema, or are you chilling in bed with your dog and watching it at home?

It seems that nowadays, more people are choosing the latter option and it is upsetting those who adore the magic of the cinema.

CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, encourages watching movies outside of the cinema. Even saying that big blockbuster movies would be enjoyed just as much on streaming as in the theaters.

Because of the effects of the global pandemic, less and less people have been wanting to enjoy new movies in the movie theaters and are instead choosing to save money, and watch movies at home instead.

55 year old Atlanta police officer, Michael Porter, used to go to the movies almost weekly as a young adult, but now he finds himself never compelled enough to drive to the cinema.

“I just don’t think that the movies they make now make me want to go,” Porter says.

Many believe that movies simply aren’t worth it anymore. Given that before the pandemic, there were so many box office hits such as Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” and many iconic Star Wars movies. Now, it is hard to feel excitement for movies now in comparison.

Not only are people not going for this reason, but there is the aspect of money involved too. People are no longer willing to spend money on overpriced movie tickets.

“After Covid, the thought of paying almost $20 to go to the movies when I could just watch it at home is incredibly unappealing,” Porter says.

Even with the many downsides of going to the cinema nowadays, the experience of watching a film in HD on a 50 foot screen is incomparable.

“The crowd, the atmosphere and the experience will turn a film into an experience,” says Daniel McCall, a 17 year old film lover advocating for the importance of cinemas.

Many of the most iconic movies to ever grace a screen have been so special to many people because of the experience they had with it in the cinema.

Christopher Nolan’s 2023 box office hit, “Oppenheimer” for example, is a film that many have fond experiences with in the cinema. The film contains incredible shots and a captivating score that can only be fully experienced on the big screen, according to Nolan.

McCall recollects many movies that he watched at home during the pandemic that he wishes he had the privilege to watch at his local cinema.

“The magic of film stopped when the world did,” McCall says, referring to the global pandemic.

Even though movie theaters are notoriously overpriced and the quality of movies are seemingly at a decline in the past decade, the experience of the cinema is something that should be forever cherished.

“The experience of the cinema is priceless,” McCall says.

From Paper to Plasma

June 19, 2024June 19, 2024 ~ kiratay9 ~ Leave a comment

Many people have no idea that some of the most creative, and impactful filmmakers who make magic on the big screen started off as writers and critics who made magic on paper. Averi Caldwell, a 22-year-old graduate student at the University of Georgia, plans to contribute to this unique career pipeline.

Ever since the eighth grade, Caldwell has held an interest in Journalism, overall finding a “love for [her]self after journalism.”

Caldwell has had a successful early career in writing and journalism, with her experience writing for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and InfUSion Magazine. Over the years, though, Caldwell has discovered an interest in a different kind of storytelling.

With a love for movies and long stories, she said she has found an “appreciation for visual journalism and the ways that good writing impacts the way that things are taken in visually,” and now aspires to be a documentary filmmaker.

While the two career choices of being a journalist and a filmmaker may seem drastically different, the two are connected. Many successful filmmakers started out as writers and journalists.

Peter Bogdanovich, director of ‘70s box office hits such as “The Last Picture” and “Paper Moon” is a riveting example. Bogdanovich started off as a film critic and writer for Film Culture and Esquire magazines. Years later, he moved on to creating films due to a deep passion for translating his creativity onto the big screen, leading him into an entire new world of accomplishments.

Caldwell shares this same passion, and explains her sudden appeal to moving on to visual journalism by claiming that “documentary filmmaking is a great way to get audiences closer to the story and subjects”.

Ever since her professor in her first video class introduced her to the world of filmmaking, she feels more inspired by the audience of an everyday film viewer rather than the audience of a typical New York Times reader.

“It’s easier to put a quote to a face and feel a human connection,” Caldwell says.

Kira Taylor Biography

June 17, 2024June 18, 2024 ~ kiratay9 ~ Leave a comment

Hi, My name is Kira Taylor and I am a rising senior at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA! Before I came to Woodward Academy in seventh grade, I went to Osborne Middle School which is closer to my hometown, Dacula, Georgia. I have had a major passion for photography and imaging ever since I was around 11 years old and would love to explore it more in college either as a major or just a hobby. I wanted to participate in this Multimedia Journalism course because I am interested in majoring in photojournalism in college next year. I would love to find a way to incorporate my passion for capturing life through images in my professional work. Some colleges I am interested in as of right now are New York University, Spelman College and Georgia Institute of Technology.

In school I participate in many clubs and fun extracurricular activities. I am currently the president of my school’s art club, and a social media manager for my school’s black student union. During my sophomore year, I began a literary arts magazine entitled “Silent Voices” where I allowed my peers at schools to share their talents with either art, poetry or writing. Every year, the yearbook team at my school and I collect either anonymous or identified work from students and publish them to the magazine for the school to share and enjoy. I also participate in theatre at my school with my friends. This year I shared the stage with them when we preformed our adaptation of “Legally Blonde” in February.

Photography is my main focus at the moment when it comes to a career or college. During all four years of high school, I have taken regular to advanced film photography classes. I was first introduced to the basics of the darkroom my freshman year and have since made it my own by engaging in many multimedia and alternative projects. I am less familiar with digital photography and editing, but am more than open to learning more about it in college. This summer, I have begun a film photography course for middle schoolers through Horizons Atlanta where I teach kids around the Atlanta area who may not have access to film cameras or a darkroom to be introduced to the creative space that means so much to me. It is a major passion of mine to share the opportunity I am fortunate enough to have with others.

Some of my other major passions and interests include music and film. Some of my favorite artists include Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean and Devonté Hynes. I have never been to a concert, but it is a dream of mine to go to one and take pictures for social media or an article. My passion for film and movies is also extremely prominent in my life. I do not make films, but watching them is one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoy going on Letterboxd and sharing my opinions on films and engaging with my friends. Some of my favorite films include Pixar’s “Ratatouille” and Gaspar Noé’s “Climax.”