Experiencing Cinema : Participatory Film Cultures, Immersive Media and the Experience Economy

Film is often conceived as a medium that is watched rather than experienced. Existing studies of film audiences, and of media reception more broadly, have revealed the complexity of viewing practices and cultures surrounding cinema-going and its exhibition spaces. Experiencing Cinema offers the first in-depth study of participant engagement with a range of experiential media forms derived from cinema culture. From sing-a-long screenings to theatrical extravaganzas, a broad spectrum of alternative film-going practices and immersive spaces are explored and analysed in this original audience study. Moving from intimate community gatherings to blockbuster urban venues, from isolated farmhouses to Olympic stadia, Experiencing Cinema considers the lure and value of these popular events. Often attracting a diverse, intergenerational range of participants, from early-adopter urban hipsters to DIY rural communities, the growing demand for participatory cinema within the contemporary marketplace is analysed alongside broader debates circulating around the move away from traditional tiered seating and increased audience mobility and the de-centring of the film text. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgements Introduction: Experience, immersion and participation Part One: Live cinema, pop-up media and the experience economy Chapter 1: Immersive cinema-going andthe pop-up economy Chapter 2: Virtual reality and immersive technologies Chapter 3: Live installation art and participatory cultures Part Two: Participatory cultures of resistance and the alternative experience economy Chapter 4: Experiential cinema in a rural context Chapter 5: Cinephile activism and rituals of resistance Chapter 6: Cosplay, crossplay and immersive identities Conclusions: The experiential turn in cinema Appendices Bibliography Index Introduction -- Chapter 1: Immersive Cinema-going and the Pop-up Economy -- Chapter 2: Virtual Reality and Immersive Technologies -- Chapter 3: Live Installation Art and Participatory Cultures -- Chapter 4: Experiential Cinema in a Rural Context -- Chapter 5: Cinephile Activism & Rituals of Resistance -- Chapter 6: Cosplay, Crossplay & Immersive Identities Index