Cinema and viewing culture in Turkey in the digital age: Sectoral transformations and audience dynamics

This research aims to reveal the transformation of cinema viewing practices, the structure of the cinema industry and the cinema audience in Turkey with the integration of new media technologies into daily life with the digitalisation process and the rise of digital platforms. The research is based on the perspectives of audience studies in cultural studies and digital theory in film studies. In this research, which was designed with the grounded theory method, two different participant groups, the audience and the industry employees, were included in the research by purposive sampling method in order to understand the effects of new media technologies and digital platforms on film viewing practices and the cinema industry. The data collection process was carried out through semi-structured indepth interviews with the participants. The data obtained were transferred to NVivo 14 software and then analysed with the constant comparative method through open, axis and selective coding stages. Theoretical concepts were developed by using the constant comparative method in the analysis process. As a result of the research, it was observed that the phenomenon of leisure time has changed with the effect of new media technologies and digital platforms, the interest in theatres has decreased and the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this process. Habits regarding viewing practices have become personalised, flexible and more fragmented. In the cinema sector, it has been understood that new breaks have emerged in the cinema value chain, especially with the transformations in distribution and screening processes with digitalisation and the spread of digital platforms. It has been observed that the developing new media technologies that surround daily life make the boundary between personal free time and working time invisible; the relationship between films and audiences has become fragmented with the shortening of focusing times.