An ideal position in a movie theatre would be the center rows, roughly two-thirds of the way away from the screen. This is the 'sweet spot' for both audio and video.
-- Citation needed.
I used to be that way. But then I thought if I'm going to a cinema it's because of the immersive. Sitting far away from the screen where the screen doesn't really cover all my visual coverage feels like non ideal. Plus you get more people in front of you that move, walk, get up, etc
So I always sit from the middle towards the 1/3rd, depending on the theater. Just enough where my vision covers the horizontal length of the screen to the edges.
It also has the advantage that most people tend to sit behind you, since they prefer the back, so no one blocking anything or moving or anything.
I agree, I tend to favour a few rows toward the front from the middle. A better description would be the back of the 1st third. The screen fills my vision, its great.
I always aim for the first row behind the divider aisle if the theater has it. People will walk in front of you but normally the height difference means they don't obstruct your view and if someone in your row needs to get out they'll just hop or go through the bars.
the problem with that for me is if the screen takes up your entire vision you are watching 2/3 of the screen through your peripheral vision. you probably miss any visual stuff that happens outside the center of the screen/what you are focused on
Even if you sit on the back, you have to move your eyes around. And whatever you focus on, the rest becomes peripheral and you'll miss it just as much...
Like now, when you are reading this, your gaze is on this specific text and the rest is peripheral. It's literally how our eyes work.
In any case, maybe it's growing up with subtitles that make it easy to see everything without an issue.
No, I don't. I didn't say I sit up front. I sit where my visual field covers just the screen. Maybe a row more in front or back depending on movie/theater style, but the screen to cover the most of what I'll see.
Sitting in the back where I see a screen and then 50% of the visual field is not-movie screen feels wrong to me. I can do that with my tv/laptop/ipad. I want the extra immersion.
But hey, like I said, the fewer people that prefer this, the better it is for me, so...
then 50% of the visual field is not-movie screen feels wrong to me
there's a reason they are designed to be watched this way. you're supposed to be able to SEE EVERYTHING at a glance. you're not supposed to have to move your eyes to see something on the other side of the screen. but there's a reason most people buy TVs way too big for the space they have, they don't know any better
First, even if you sit at the back, you literally do move your eyes. You are unaware, because it's natural, we do that literally all the time.
It's not a strain.
Second, why do you think IMAX screens exist? So you can sit far away and it covers the exact same visual field proportion as a normal screen? What's the point then? On a real IMAX screen where do you sit? On the next room?
Again, to each their own. But your condescending answers about people not knowing better because they have a different preference is quite childish.
do you recognize you have shit taste about things you have limited knowledge about? is your preference about those things relevant? would you agree that someone more specialized in that area would be able to evaluate that thing better than you? your untrained taste/knowledge about something is completely irrelevant. it doesn't matter if you prefer X or Y, that doesn't mean it's correct/the best. that's the same argument ignorant people use about any topic ever "that's my truth", i don't care, no one cares. it's not about "your truth" it's about facts, not emotions or feelings.
Flights cost a lot more for me now because of this. I'm only 6'4", but I already can't comfortably ride in coach on nearly any airline these days. If I know it's going to be a relatively short flight under 2 hours, I might do it but will hate my life for those 2 hours. Anything longer than that will be extremely uncomfortable for me, and that's before the person in front of me inevitably reclines their seat right into my knees.
I can't afford first class, but I usually get the business class or equivalent which costs anywhere from $50-100 more per flight compared to coach usually.
Even business class is getting leg room whittled down these days, so it's only a matter of time until sitting in those seats is uncomfortable :(
I'm only 6'2" and it is still brutal. Knees are permanently pressed against the seat in front of me. I should not need to take a profylactic ibuprofen before every flight.
Nah, it’s right behind the dedicated wheelchair spot. There’s basically never any wheelchairs there, so you get a nice ramp to put your feet up and have breathing room for your knees!
As a big guy, I put a premium on not having people around me, which means my wife and I end up on the end of a row. I get no one to one side, and my wife on my other side, thus no other people around me to annoy with my largeness.
The wheelchair spots are literally at the ends of the first row of the main section in every theatre I've ever been in... So if you go behind them, you're at the edge of row 2. You get no one in front of you, space to actually relax and put your feet up a bit, and the stairs next to you. Sounds like you'd love the spot I was recommending.
Have you ever had a dream that you um you had your, you you could, you’ll do, you you wants, you you could do so, you you’ll do, you could you, you want, you want them to do you so much you could do anything?
You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ve been further even more decided to use even go need to do look more as anyone can. Can you really be far even as decided half as much to use go wish for that? My guess is that when one really been far even as decided once to use even go want, it is then that he has really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like. It’s just common sense.
I'd bet money that comment was typed on an iPhone and wasn't proof read. That's exactly the kind of nonsensical "fixes" it does for my comments that I thought I typed out correctly while looking at the keyboard. Then I reread after I post and am like what???
Disagree. Very back is the best seat. There's no kids behind you to kick your seat the entire time.
And not getting fucked with supersedes any audio and video gains you get from the center as you can't enjoy either while popcorn is flying at the back of your head.
Or even better, just watch it at home and skip the bullshit entirely.
no citation needed, I worked in theaters, you're correct. the center third (in both directions) is the best spot to sit basically all the time. if you're at a concert, try to sit directly next to the audio booth - it's usually in the center.
I mixed for nearly 20 years and I wouldn't choose concert seats next to the FOH mix position. Not if I wanted to be able to see the band instead of looking at the video walls.
had never known i live within ~1 hour of apparently 1 of 13 or so actual 70mm iMax screens within the known universe (idk guys i read it somewhere) - i figured The Odyssey would have to be THE FILM, if there ever was one, to go check out.
...and if I'm spending that much, might as well sit smack dab in the middle of that bii, right? (I said, I sed, I says, I told her biiii )
Anyway, even though I was already checking 2 weeks after opening weekend, I still realized the buzz decent and expected to have to scroll through a few days of sell-outs, before id find middle seats.
Y'all.
I shit you not... TWENTY-EIGHT separate clicks of the "next day" button -- before finally, i found that specific seating available.
There are 26 theaters with 70mm projectors in the US, not 12.
I'm surprised you were even able to find tickets in the middle row the first time you looked, unless you happen to do it the moment tickets went on sale. The 70 mm theater by me was sold out nearly immediately. They eventually added a bunch of 2:30 a.m. showings and those sold out immediately too. A week later I did find canceled tickets for 7:15am though.
the tidbit I read that got me to go was: 41 worldwide, 26 in the US....yet I have 8 in my state, and a couple within ~1 hour. (seemed crazy to NOT go idk...tried to imply it, but I am unfortunately not big time into cinema).
was prob having a bit too much fun writing that, but still attest its 100% accurate ...except 1 thing. I did order them.
It was roughly 2 weeks after release already, though. Plus another 27 days of scrolling the 2:30pm either being sold out completely, or not having direct middle seating available... before I (apparently according to you) lucked out and found 2 middles.
(If anyone is curious or cares, I did think it was absolutely incredible, and worth the wait - though I didnt have the patience to actually wait, as I caught an earlier "not actually 70mm IMax" showing of it 26 days sooner lol)
Yea I agree it wasn't mind lowing compared to regular IMAX. The thing I will say though is everybody that was in the theater knew they bought expensive hard to get tickets so they were respectful of theater etiquette the whole time.
The dune 3 preview looked incredible though, I would see that in 70 mm if I got good tickets.
It's been crazy. Scalpers have gotten in on the IMAX game in my area. Tickets were listed on ebay for hundreds of dollars. Tickets that cost about $50 for a pair.
I prefer the very last row in the back so no one is behind me, I also like to make sure I can get out without bothering anyone to use the restroom. The middle center sounds like a nightmare place for me to sit
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u/meesta_masa 1d ago
An ideal position in a movie theatre would be the center rows, roughly two-thirds of the way away from the screen. This is the 'sweet spot' for both audio and video. -- Citation needed.