The entertainment industry, like anything else, evolves through time. What is produced and becomes popular is heavily influenced by people’s tastes and what is acceptable at the time. Another consideration is the state of technology at the time. These shifts affect music, television, and movies. While they may appear insignificant at the time, looking back across decades of entertainment reveals significant changes. Of course there are some things that have stood the test of time such as the most popular table games. But even then, the way we play them has evolved.
From having numerous types of music to pleasing audiences all over, entertainment has grown considerably more frantic. Special effects, cinematography, and storytelling in movies dazzle audiences. Our entertainment changes with our tastes and all types of entertainment will continue to change in the future to become whatever people value at the time.
Over the years, various new forms of entertainment have evolved, many of which are loosely based on a prior type. This is because the essential ingredients required to be labeled a mainstream entertainment activity have not changed. These essential characteristics are related to entertainment activities that provide excitement, engagement, and social acceptance.
We have seen firsthand the change of what is deemed entertainment over the last few decades. This rate of change has accelerated dramatically over the previous few decades. With internet streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video, we can watch movies whenever we want. That is one example of how entertainment has evolved throughout history, and here are some others.
Diversification
The decade of the 2010s will be remembered for introducing increased variety to both large and small screens. This year, UCLA released the “Hollywood Diversity Report,” which confirmed that progress had been achieved. According to the report, diversity is critical for Hollywood’s bottom line because people want to see themselves reflected onscreen, which has become increasingly evident in the last decade.
Global Viewing
This decade, television’s most recent Golden Age showed no signs of slowing down because of more distribution outlets. The expansion of streaming platforms probably helped it last even longer. The globalization of entertainment continued to bring high-quality programming to consumers worldwide, with everything from Finnish teen dramas to Brazilian dystopian thrillers finding success.
Technology
The film industry is dependent on adopting new technology. Therefore it’s no surprise that the decade of the 2010s was full of technological changes. Following the success of Avatar in 2009, 3D filmmaking took off in the early part of the decade. Other notable developments included the widespread adoption of digital projection in theatres, which signaled the end of film projection in many theatres. The widespread adoption of higher frame rate technology in shooting and projecting doubled the industry standard from 24 to 48 frames per second. Most intriguingly, there has been a trend to use computer-generated imagery to de-age performers or revive them from the dead in recent years. It appears that we are indeed living in the future.
Other industries have evolved away from TV and film, such as the music industry and video gaming. Here is an example of another couple of sectors that have changed or been created over time.
Social Media – Without mentioning social media, no text about the entertainment sector in the twenty-first century would be complete. It’s incredible to think that Facebook was founded in 2004. Instagram and TikTok, for example, have become an inextricable part of the cultural environment.
Dating – Again, while internet dating has been around for more than 20 years, it was not part of the entertainment business until the 2010s. Tinder, Bumble, and other dating apps are now as much about having a good time as they are about meeting new people. It’s genuinely remarkable how prominent they’ve become in popular culture.
