Could immersive spaces be the next step for cinema?

In the history of cinema, technological changes became true media transitions when they created not only new technical possibilities, but also new creative and audience practices. Sound, color, digital images, and streaming were not simply new tools; over time, they also transformed the way we make, finance, distribute, and consume them. The question, therefore, is whether immersive technologies are capable of on a similar scale, or will they continue to function primarily as alternative forms of traditional cinema?

In this discussion, it is worth distinguishing between technological innovation and a true media shift. Whether we’re presenting a movie in a 360°space or in a large-screen projection environment does not necessarily create a new genre or a new narrative form. What is the added value in terms of content, dramaturgy, or audience experience that only—or significantly more effectively—an immersive space is capable of creating?

From the filmmakers’ perspective, this could be an examination of which stories, genres, and creators’ intentions actually benefit from spatiality. For producers and financiers, however, the question arises: is it possible to create a production and business model that treats immersive productions not as one-off technological attractions, but as standalone content industry products? How does the logic of development, production costs, distribution, audience capacity, and profitability change?

From the audience’s perspective, a fundamental question is what kind of experience would make a viewer willing to leave the traditional movie theater. Is there a story or type of experience that they would not choose simply because it is “more spectacular,” but rather because it becomes experiential in an immersive space in a way that it isn’t on the movie screen? And at the same time: what do we lose from the collective experience of traditional cinema, which is built on frames that are identical for everyone?

The ultimate question of the debate, then, is not merely “What will come after cinema?”, but rather what kind of new creative, economic, and audience ecosystem might emerge at the intersection of the movie theater and the immersive space. Could the immersive space be the next stage in the evolution of cinema, a parallel medium, or an entirely new category for which we are still searching for the right language and business model?

Location: CODE Studio, 2 Dózsa György út, Veszprém