An experience theatre? How different will that be? Will it be any different at all?
Most theatres have been concentrating and improving upon their sound systems; resulting in Dolby Digital, IHX, etc; but thats it. Even improvement in visual effects of a movie has not gone beyond 3D effect/IMAX. How about thinking beyond sound? Beyond just depth of vision? How about enriching the feeling, the experience?
This idea came to me about six years ago after watching ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ a coupla times. The movie has many scenes that can be felt. Now what do I mean by ‘felt’? Take the scene of Valentine’s Day celebrations. I think the audience would have enjoyed a lot more with heart shaped balloons floating around in auditorium and an artificial moonlight falling upon them; wouldn’t they? And not to forget the confetti being showered on them. Similarly, the climax scene where a stage show is being played; the smoke, fire torches on screen could be produced in the theatre to improve the effect.( A similar but very limited effect is obtained in some theatres when the screen and sidewalls of the auditorium are lit by glowing bulbs on playing of some marriage/item songs.)
Now every movie has such scenes which are created by using so many props and set items. If we could use same/similar props and items in the auditorium, I think that will enrich the experience of the audience (In fact same props that were used in the production can be used in the auditorium).
But I know its not easy! What is needed is a detailed working out of such enliveable scenes; the props, items, atmosphere required for the special scenes and, above all, a mechanism to ensure that the auditorium’s atmosphere metamorphises from one experience to another without stopping the flow of the movie. (Before all that, what is needed is filtering out from the plethora of movies, those few movies that can be enlivened, that the audience would like to experience. ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ is one, ‘Titanic’ is another.) And I know that it is NOT a one man’s job. It has to be delivered by a team of experts – a task force. But nevertheless its a thing I would really like to do.
