The Art of Communal Viewing (While Six Feet Apart)

Credit: Pop Buzz

My love for movies and television is firmly rooted in the ability to talk to my friends about our favorite actors, that week’s biggest plot twist, and the newest Marvel death we’re not over. COVID has changed this significantly, however, because there are no more midnight premiers at AMC or “Bachelorette” nights in our dorms. But people have stepped up to the challenge, creating new (and revitalizing old) communal viewing options we can all do from home, and I have been LOVING it. 

Since March, the rise of watch-party applications like Netflix Party has been astronomical. With a quick Google Chrome download, any Netflix program can be streamed by you and your friends simultaneously, equipped with a chat box that’ll blow up when any character walks in shirtless. The pros of platforms like these are endless: no paying outrageous concession fees, nobody sees your embarrassing pajamas, and you still can spend the moment with your friends. Lots of streaming services noticed this trend and joined in; platforms such as Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime let subscribers easily start group watch parties on their sites. From a business standpoint, these companies have made their services stand out against competitors by taking away the need for third-party services and now have access to any data they want.

Now, it isn’t always easy to find time to watch a movie with friends, so over quarantine, Twitter watch parties also surged. When “Hamilton” premiered on Disney+ this summer, fans rushed to tweet their favorite moments and gain the inside scoop from the actors. Anticipating this excitement, Disney created a weekend event, utilizing a hashtag and highlighting the comments of star/creator, Lin Manuel Miranda. Their efforts resulted in “over two-million tweets about Hamilton on launch weekend, which was over three times as many conversations about Hamilton as we saw in 2015 when it first came to Broadway.” said Michael Palombo, Twitter Canada’s head of entertainment (Globe Content Studio). For fans, this created a one-of-a-kind viewing experience that may have exceeded what they would’ve gotten in a theater. 

Credit: Elite Daily, “Hamilton”

To avid Bachelor Nation viewers like myself, the excitement of Twitter watch parties is no surprise and it’s exciting to see the film industry utilize a tool network television has been acing for years. Every Monday night, Twitter users find the conversation on their trending page and can see the latest tweets from other fans and the top comments from influencers and the show’s stars. Even when watching alone, it’s now impossible to miss a quick moment or not know which contestants need to be sent home. ABC has masterly created a community of viewers who will watch religiously, no matter the season’s success, a factor important for a show so wrought with scandals. 

In addition to old favorites, new shows have also found their way into the conversation, such as “Wandavision” on Disney+. Due to its younger audience and committed Marvel fans, this show has found TikTok to be the go-to platform. From theory videos on the real villain to comedy videos using the show’s and the villain’s theme song, there may not be a TikToker left who hasn’t heard of “Wandavision.” The hashtag “#Wandavision alone generated more than 310,000 videos and a whopping 2.4 billion views” (Pallotta) keeping Marvel’s current fanbase engaged while introducing a new generation of viewers to the cinematic universe. At times, my friends and I found that instead of talking about the episodes, we were simply sending each other new theory videos, an insight into the new age of viewing but also the reason I’ve had the theme song stuck in my head for weeks.

So what happens after it becomes safe to return to theaters? Do we all turn off our phones and enjoy communal-viewing the old-fashioned way? No, I don’t think so; engaging with fellow fans online is an unmatched experience. On the other hand, it’s not a replacement and I will be standing in line for popcorn as soon as I can. If anything, the rise of watch parties over quarantine speaks to the fan’s creativity and industry ingenuity because, at the end of the day, we all just want to watch a movie together.

Credit: Disney Plus, “WandaVision”

Sources

Globe Content Studio. (2020, September 23). Watch parties reinvent streaming video experience. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/article-twitter-watch-parties-are-reinventing-the-reel-through-covid-19/

Heritage, S. (2020, March 19). Netflix party: Could This group-watching tech gimmick be a lifesaver? Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/mar/19/netflix-party-could-this-group-watching-tech-gimmick-be-a-lifesaver

Kelley, A. (2020, March 18). Netflix 'party' extension helps self-isolation feel less lonely. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/488205-google-chrome-netflix-partner-to-launch-party

Pallotta, F. (2021, March 05). How TikTok Made 'WANDAVISION' must-see TV. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/media/marvel-wandavision-finale-tiktok-streaming-disney/index.html

Prince, J., & Harvey, B. (2020, October 12). For brand marketers, watch parties are where connections and entertainment meet. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://digiday.com/sponsored/for-brand-marketers-watch-parties-are-where-connections-and-entertainment-meet/