If you’re a moviegoer, you might have noticed that more and more big-time cinemas have been closing down. This has affected massive companies like AMC and smaller household names like the Alamo movie theatre in Texas. It’s no wonder that we have seen an enormous decrease in moviegoing following the surge in popularity of streamers during the COVID pandemic. Still, many people are going to movie theatres, but they’re going to independent ones. This might seem like a contradiction to many people, but there are very real reasons as to why independent cinemas are surging while the massive theatres are suffering.

One key factor is maintenance; independent cinemas often take better care of their spaces, ensuring a cleaner and more inviting experience for guests. Keeping pests at bay is an essential part of that, and many rely on trusted solutions like those from thanos home to maintain a pest-free environment without the use of harsh chemicals. Let’s take a look at the current state of moviegoing and what we could see over the next few years in this industry.

Program

One of the big drafts for many smaller movie theatres, of course, is the fact that they have unique movie schedules that usually are unique to their theatre. This means that many people get the opportunity to see older movies in the theatre for the first time, especially younger people who weren’t around when these movies came out. So, it’s no wonder that many people are drawn to this kind of movie theatre, especially if they are cinephiles who are more interested in older cinema than they are in the current state of the movie industry. You can follow your favorite independent cinema on social media to see what movie they might be scheduling in the coming weeks or even months.

Special Events

One of the great draws of independent movie theatres often is that they can book very special events. Whether that means having an all-day showing of all three of the Lord of the Rings movies, or presenting local talents’ movies on the big screens. There are also very great opportunities where you can see showings of your favorite movie accompanied with discussions with directors or actors that were involved in the making of said movie. For example, the Alamo Draft House has been able to book the director of American Psycho for two hours of discussion after a viewing in the theatre. These kinds of events are usually more easily booked in smaller movie theatres than they are in big chains like AMC.

Building Community

The reality is that if you visit a massive movie theater with multiple screens, you’ll likely see them dominated by superhero films or major blockbusters. However, smaller independent cinemas must carefully curate their screenings to cater to their audiences. While they may not showcase the latest Hollywood spectacles, they have the unique advantage of offering movie schedules tailored to local demand. This is where building a strong community becomes essential. Independent theaters thrive by directly engaging with nearby residents and loyal moviegoers. Many use social media to conduct polls and gather input, ensuring their film selections align with what their audience wants to see. Just like other businesses, independent cinemas succeed by fostering a dedicated following and creating a space where film enthusiasts feel valued.

Price

One of the great benefits of independent cinemas is that they do not have to kick up any of their profit to a big company that is investing in their location. So, what this means is that the price of admission can be lower since all the money goes either to the movie theater or to the company that sold them the rights to show that movie. Independent cinemas being independent rather than part of a big chain also allows them to offer very different snacks and drinks, which can often be at lower prices than those of bigger cinemas. This is currently a great thing considering that many people don’t have the spending power that they used to, only a few years ago, meaning that it is way more efficient for them to spend their money locally in independent cinemas.

Keeping Money in the Local Economy

In the grand scheme of things, this is very important that many consumers might not think about. But the reality of course is that if you spend money at your independent cinema in your hometown, all the money that is spent there will of course be reinvested in the cinema itself as well as the community surrounding it. That much cannot be said if you spend money at big chain cinemas, considering that a lot of their money goes back to their home offices, which often are in different states, sometimes even in different countries. So, you can see that encouraging your local semis is not only the best way to keep it going but also is a great way to make your local economy thrive. This way you get the best of both worlds while also being able to see your favorite movies on the big screen.

There are very few of us out there that can say that we didn’t suffer because of the global pandemic. If you are a business owner, you likely suffered. If you are someone that worked in entertainment, you definitely suffered and if you are someone that works in hospitality then you also likely suffered.

Covid made it near impossible for any of us to be able to work, which put us all at extreme economic strain and uncertainty of our future.

Now that Covid is starting to become more manageable, there have been improvements in certain sectors of the working world, and governments all around the world are trying to financially support businesses that suffered because of Covid.

However, while most people are being catered to following covid, there are a group of people that have seemed to be forgotten. I am of course referring to students. While many of us were forced to work from home because we could not go to work, students all around the world were unable to go to school and partake in formal education. These children were arguably neglected throughout the pandemic and they were not considered to be a priority. Do many people argue that covid has actually set our children back academically, but is this the case?

Rules Concerning Exams

One of the biggest ways that children in education have been set back because of covid is through examinations. In the past, there was a very typical routine when it came to exams. The children would be given a portion of the year that they would use for learning the course content. They would then be given some time to revise this content and sit mock exams before the real ones.

However, this has completely changed this year. First of all, children are not taking any in-person exams at all. To be able to complete an exam, you need to put hundreds of students in a hall, which is a guaranteed way to spread covid. For this reason, a lot of educational boards all around the world decided to skip the exams altogether.

They instead gave out results based on what the student’s predicted grades for the year were and what it looked as though they were going to get. Not only did the lack of exams mean a lack of revision and studying for the children, but it also meant that a lot of students were given unfair results.

Predicted grades are usually calculated at the start of the year and they do not take into account any progression or hard work someone may have put into improving their grades. This means that a lot of people that worked hard to improve their grades ended up with poor results and were unable to go to university or the college that they wanted to go to, which was unfair on them and showed just how much the educational system failed our children during a lockdown.

No Face to Face Teaching

Going into school just wasn’t an option during the lockdown period. We were asked only to leave the house for emergencies and school simply wasn’t an emergency. This was especially the case in dense cities like NYC, where it would be very easy for children to spread covid among each other.

Many schools decided that they would be hosting classes on Zoom throughout the pandemic. However, this way of learning didn’t work for everyone and a lot of students struggled to keep up with the content and this made their grades suffer.

Students that were really hit by the changes to the teaching system were children going for more prestigious schools, such as law schools, that have higher entry grades. Right now there are students out there that are getting ready to sit their LSATs with nowhere near enough preparation. If you can relate to this, then I would recommend that you find an LSAT tutor in NYC as they will be able to offer the support and advice that you may not have received from your school in the last year.

We hope that the grading system changes to reflect what students have been through for the last two years, otherwise, a lot of intelligent children are going to miss out on higher education.