Pittsburgh Film Industry Debates: Theater vs. Streaming

A quick quiz: what was the most recent film that you went to see in a theater? With that being said, what was the most recent movie or television show that you streamed and watched many episodes of on a streaming service?

Providing an answer to the second question seems to have been less difficult than answering the first one, right?

Without a doubt, that has had an effect on the film sector, which includes the Pittsburgh entertainment industry. In spite of the fact that the pandemic caused significant damage to the film industry, which is still battling to recover, the streaming entertainment sector has taken off and is continuing to grow.

As soon as The Dark Knight Rises was shown in theaters, we felt a surge of pride for Pittsburgh because of the several sequences that were set in the city.

“We’re not picky, we just want the work,” stated Dawn Keezer, the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Film Office while she was speaking about the organization.

The local film professionals are receiving that job, and even though the streaming screen might be smaller, Pittsburgh is making an appearance on Watson on CBS and The Pitt with Noah Wyle on Max.

“All those scenes where you see when they’re sitting in the ER, that’s all modeled after [Allegheny General Hospital],” said Keezer in response. “They love pretending they’re here, we just really wish they were here.”

The exterior shots for both Watson and The Pitt were shot in town for approximately four days apiece, but the remaining time was spent working in studios in other locations.

“The cost differential between filming Watson where it was written, in Pittsburgh, or Vancouver, Canada, was $16 million,” Keezer further pointed out. “So they went to Canada.”

Streaming programs are now popular and a bigger source of enjoyment for many people. However, these shows now consist of numerous episodes in a season rather than a single movie, which means that they require more effort. This is because the number of people who go to the movies has decreased by half since the epidemic began.

“Longer work, look at Mayor of Kingstown, they’re here for about six months out of every year,” stated Keezer in response. “Now, we’re in the process of completing season four with hopes for season five.”

Despite the fact that American Rust has also made return visits, there is still a desire for a major picture to stay for a period of approximately twelve weeks.

“I don’t think movies are dead,” Keezer stated the other day. It is not my opinion that theaters are extinct. I believe that people are still looking for different kinds of entertainment choices. Simply put, it is a matter of producing the information that they are truly interested in viewing.

With the exception of the Minecraft Movie, even teenagers like her son have no interest to go to a movie; they would rather watch YouTube or one of the other streaming sites. Keezer pointed out that it is especially difficult for families with smaller children to find something at the theaters. She also mentioned that the Minecraft Movie is the only exception to this particular rule.

All of this being said, despite the fact that there is a strong desire for a major film to be shot in Pittsburgh, streaming services provide employees with the opportunity to advance their careers within the crew and make connections with other people. It is as if one is beginning the process of making movies from the very beginning each time.