The History and Future of Film Technology: 1970s – 2040s

The film industry has always been at the forefront of new and innovative technology, often utilising innovative techniques to bring stories to life on the big screen. With the metaverse, the future of film is poised to change in a big way over the next few decades.

The metaverse is a digital universe that can be explored and interacted with by users in a virtual reality setting. This innovation paved the way for the advancement of film technology, as filmmakers can now create entire worlds that viewers can immerse themselves in.

From the 1970s to the 2040s, here is a look at how the film industry has evolved and how the metaverse will change the way we experience entertainment.

The 1970s: The Beginning of Virtual Worlds

The 1970s saw the birth of virtual worlds with the release of text-based multi-user dungeon (MUD) games. These early virtual worlds were limited in scope, but they laid the groundwork for the development of more sophisticated VR environments.

Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle created the first MUD game in 1978. The game, named MUD1, was a text-based adventure game that allowed players to explore a virtual world and interact with other players.

MUD1 was followed by a number of other MUD games throughout the 1980s and 1990s. These games were mostly played on university mainframes and were limited to small numbers of users.

The 1990s: The First Idea of The Metaverse

Neal Stephenson, in his science fiction novel Snow Crash, coined the term “metaverse” in the 1990s.

In the novel, the metaverse is a digital universe that is accessed via virtual reality headsets. Users can avatar themselves in this world and interact with other users and digital representations of real-world locations.

While the metaverse in Snow Crash is purely fictional, the idea of a digital universe that anyone with a VR headset could access was revolutionary. This concept would ‌inspire many of the early pioneers in virtual reality and augmented reality.

The 2000s: The Development of Virtual Reality

The 2000s saw the development of some of the earliest virtual reality hardware and software. Second Life was designed as a social platform where users could interact with each other in a 3D virtual environment.

The concept of “Live Service” would also be popularized in this era with games like Roblox. These “live service” games are designed to be played over long periods of time, with regular updates and new content to keep players engaged.

The 2020s: The Metaverse Comes into Sharp Shape

The 2020s are poised to be a major turning point for the metaverse. Several companies are working on building their own version of the metaverse, including Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.

These companies are investing billions of dollars into developing the infrastructure needed to support a global metaverse. This includes building high-end VR hardware, developing social platforms, and creating content for the metaverse. These various equipment and software can help aspiring filmmakers and actors to produce and present student directed web series and other forms of art or media.

The development of NFTs and blockchain technology is also paving the way for a new type of metaverse, one that is decentralized and open to everyone. This new metaverse will create new opportunities for users to own and trade virtual assets.

The 2040s: Virtual Reality Dominated Film Industry

By the 2040s, creative storytelling will reach new heights. Audiences might even ‌step into some movies and interact with the characters and environments, creating an unbelievable new type of immersive movie experience.

The metaverse will also provide a new platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their work. This will allow them to reach a global audience and build a following for their work.

Conclusion

The metaverse has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 1970s. What started as a science fiction concept has become a reality, and the film industry is on the brink of a major shift.

The next few decades will be critical for the development of the metaverse. The potential for the metaverse is limitless, and we can only imagine what the future holds.