The young have a leg up in the digital world. They have grown up in the “digital age” and can swim effortlessly through its turbulent waters. Their smartphones and tablets are their viewing platform of choice, and they instinctively know how this stuff works, what’s trending, and what’s not.

But before all of this started, we lived in a different age. It was a time of linear viewing when everyone watched what TV stations thought we should watch, at the exact time they thought we should watch it. That must seem prehistoric now — and perhaps even a little spooky — to those who’ve always been able to make on-demand viewing choices. Binge-watching an entire series was impractical not so long ago.

But when the new tech changes already on the horizon arrive will those who’ve grown up in the digital age feel equally as lost? Technology like AI is moving so quickly it’s doubtful any cohort will ever feel up to date again; we’ll all be as bemused as one another.

Keeping steady in the coming swirl of change

It’s best to think of the digital age as a transitional stage that will constantly morph into something not seen before. And it’s perfectly reasonable to argue that in the coming swirl of change, cinema’s established continuity is its biggest asset. You can trust the movies to deliver — the same way you always could.

This is an art form that has been culturally reinventing itself for 130 years and advancing technically for just as long. Pure laser projection like the Christie^® CP4455-RGB now means picture quality and size that can’t be achieved by any other means. Delivering HFR movies in 4K at 120 frames per second on screens up to 35 meters wide (114 feet), there’s no motion blur and no artifacts. Just a hugely heightened sense of realism and immersion you won’t find anywhere but inside a cinema.

Crossing every generational divide

And cinema doesn’t need you to be tech-savvy, or connected, or to own a home full of expensive equipment. It just needs you to show up, buy the popcorn, and sit down. It’s seen generations come and go, from 1920s flappers to 2020 gamers, and entertained them all. There’s a certainty and reliability to cinema that crosses every generational divide and most cultural ones, too. There’s little indication this will change; AI may alter the way content is created and perhaps how stories are told, but the fundamentals of cinema won’t alter. The movies are the movies — as compelling when you’re 14 as when you’re 94.