Movies vs. TV Shows By: Chimere Eziama

In recent years, the art TV and Film have undergone a huge shift. While films have

traditionally been viewed as the pinnacle of storytelling in a compact form, television has evolved from a series of chiches, into high-quality, binge-worthy productions that rival the depth and sophistication of feature films. With the rise of streaming services, audiences have to choose between the immersive experience of a movie and the extended storytelling of a TV show.

Hillgrove Junior, Reign Fleming, says, “I need the action immediately. And in movies, I like them, because they actually do just get to the action.” Some shows can go on for years releasing episode after episode. “You do not need 13 seasons.” (Fleming) After years of watching the same charters in the same setting, at some point it becomes boring, Reign talks about this saying, “You're making [the characters] bland, because there's no nothing else better that's happening.” Lately, there has been a large rise in the amount of sequels or remakes being produced. The nostalgia or unfinished stories often pulls people back. “Since you've already made this connection with the characters in the previous movie, then you're gonna want to see what happens to them in the next one.” (Fleming) Though it is great to see some favorite characters again or see their stories grow, the sheer lack of original ideas makes it repetitive. Reign thinks this happens because, “Everyone has run out of good ideas. …This is why people just keep making the same home alone movies, even though we're done.”

A Senior at Hillgrove, Andyl Dani, talks about tv shows. “I stopped when I get almost to the end, because I don't want it to end. And that's when a TV show, for me, is good.” Shows give audiences way more content over a large amount of time. Reality TV shows can go on for decades and still keep people interested. Survivor, a wilderness-themed competition show, still has 8.4m viewers on Paramount+ in its 46th season according to The Futon Critic. Some grievances towards movies could be the amount of advertisements now laced into the fibers of

the plot.“Recently, where there was Godzilla X Kong, and I saw a car, and it was so obviously a product placement.” (Dani).

James Sylvester, a Junior at Hillgrove, talks about his experience with film saying, “I'm a filmmaker myself, so I have a special appreciation for it.” Being intertwined with the filmmaking process gives a deeper understanding to the art of film. James says he feels, “people are more focused on what makes them money, rather than the art itself.” Movies don’t have the luxury of looking at present statistics to see what people will like in the future. “I think it's because with movies, you just need one person to have faith in and distribute it. But with TV shows it's a bunch of seasons, and so you'll have to have someone try to figure out if people continue to like it.” (Sylvester) Movies and TV shows are created with the same goal, to put something out there for people to see. But, as goals change and revenue drops the quantity of work becomes more important than that quality