Chapter 34: [34] The First Movie Theater in Another World
Chapter 34: The First Movie Theater in Another World
Upon touring the Nosrick Grand Theater, Durin generally approved of the only theater in Nosrick.
Viscount Banil, who had been following him closely, appeared very respectful. Although he was a viscount and Durin was only a baron, it was essential to remember that Durin was a true Grand Mage. While he had been formally expelled from the Mage Tower, his inherent power remained unaffected. He might have lost his connections within the Mage Tower, but that was all.
"Baron Edward, do you see any issues with our theater?" Banil inquired.
To this question, Durin replied calmly, "The seating arrangement for the audience is too expansive. While it's suitable for watching stage plays, it would hinder the viewing experience for a movie. You can't expect every audience member to have eagle-eyed vision."
Indeed, since the Nosrick Grand Theater was originally an opera house, its interior was structured with three levels. While the front rows of seats were ideal for viewing stage plays, the elevated sections on the second and third floors allowed viewers to see the stage from a higher vantage point. However, if the focus shifted to movies, this design would be too limiting. Even though the world's prevalence of nearsightedness was not as high, the sheer height difference alone could have a devastating impact on watching a movie.
"And the issue with the seating goes beyond that. Ideally, movie theaters should have a certain degree of incline to ensure that everyone has a clear view. Flat seating would obstruct the view for those sitting behind. Internal lighting should be strictly controlled, and if possible, I would suggest allowing audiences to bring their own food into the theater. However, it would be better for the theater to provide standardized snacks that are quiet to eat and easy to clean up..."
Durin rattled off a plethora of changes that the theater needed to undergo. This left Banil feeling somewhat overwhelmed, but he quickly jotted down Durin's suggestions on paper, resembling a diligent student. At the same time, he responded to Durin's statements, "Truly befitting of a Grand Mage, Baron Edward. Your ideas are exceptional, transcending the era. However, implementing them now might be a bit too rushed..."
"Of course, I'm only offering suggestions. I'm not asking you to make changes immediately. What you need to do now is quickly transform the stage used for stage plays into a suitable venue for screening movies."
Durin pointed towards the red curtain at the theater's front desk and the few decorative items scattered around to prevent the stage from appearing too barren.
After Banil cleared the stage as per Durin's request, the theater began to take on the semblance of a movie theater. Durin roughly estimated the size of the walls and asked, "How long would it take for you to paint that wall white if I asked you to do it now?"
"If the workers are prepared quickly enough, it would probably take half an afternoon to complete," Banil replied.
"Very well, then do it as soon as possible. If you manage to finish in time, we'll have the premiere tonight," Durin declared.
Durin's statement signaled his satisfaction with using the theater for movie screenings. Banil, having understood Durin's intentions, promptly followed his advice and began transforming the theater passed down through his family.
To be honest, if Banil were not a young man who had just inherited his family's estate, even the most stubborn elders might not have agreed to Durin's unconventional ideas. Traditionalists, especially those with inflexible thinking, often adhere staunchly to old traditions and are reluctant to embrace anything new.
For conservative elders, casually discarding ancient traditions is akin to disrespecting their ancestors and lineage. While such a mindset may sound reasonable on the surface, it actually poses a significant obstacle to civilization's progress.
Next, if "Konosuba God Blessings on This Wonderful World" were to continue promoting its film adaptation, these stubborn traditionalists would pose a difficult obstacle. This faction, with their control over old theaters and influence, would likely spare no effort to obstruct the development of movies. However, Durin had a solution. From the outset, he had planned to screen the film in open-air squares.
...
As Banil swiftly began the transformation according to Durin's requests, Durin nodded silently and quickly added, "When the movie is playing, please ensure that the environment is pitch black. Remove those glowing magic stones immediately, or find a way to suppress the internal magic. Also, make sure to provide more seats. I tried the second floor just now, and it barely works for viewing, but the third floor is definitely not suitable. Before the screening, adjust the angle of the imaging crystal higher to ensure that people in the back rows can see the complete picture."
Durin listed off a plethora of details. While Banil struggled to jot everything down, his assistant had already arrived on the scene and noted Durin's suggestions.
As the theater's transformation gradually neared completion, Durin, seated in a random seat in the audience section, looked on with satisfaction at the walls now painted white. Banil had indeed shown remarkable dedication to the concept of movies and almost perfectly met Durin's requirements. This indicated that the premiere would yield a perfect result.
Although the actual experience would undoubtedly pale in comparison to the movie theaters Durin had frequented in his past life, the transformed theater at least provided him with a somewhat comfortable environment compared to other venues in this world.
With these miscellaneous thoughts in mind, Durin suddenly realized that before he crossed over, he had planned to watch the second part of the "Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel" movie series. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see it before crossing over, which was quite regrettable.
Lost in thought, Durin was brought back to the present when Banil approached once more, signaling that the transformation of the theater into a cinema was almost complete.
"We should have started promoting earlier. How did it go? Although we don't require a large crowd for the premiere, it shouldn't be too sparse either," Durin inquired.
Upon hearing Durin's question, Banil nodded and replied, "Yes, I've instructed my staff to replace the signage at the entrance with promotion for your movie. With the inherent popularity of the Nosrick Grand Theater, there should be quite a few people attracted to it. We'll rely on the theater's reputation to spread the word, and I believe more and more people will come to watch as word-of-mouth spreads."
Although Banil's response sounded promising, Durin couldn't help but sense something amiss. He suddenly asked, "You rely on word-of-mouth? So you mean you haven't conducted any formal promotions or advertisements?"
"Promotion? Isn't that just shouting at the entrance? We're the only theater in Nosrick, so people who know about us will naturally come. By the way, what's an advertisement?" Banil replied nonchalantly.
Upon hearing Banil's casual response, Durin's expression changed suddenly.
Apparently, in the midst of everything going so smoothly, Durin had inadvertently overlooked an important detail: in this world, despite having a well-developed paper industry, there were no means of obtaining real-time information, and the people here had no understanding of the correct meaning of the word "promotion"!
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