DO YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ONLINE FILM DATE? 4 NUANCES, ABLE TO SPOIL FUN

Think about them in advance, otherwise things may not be at all what you expected.

How to fully communicate, make friends or build a romantic relationship with a person whom you cannot see in real life? With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, this problem has become urgent for many people living not only on different continents, but also in the same city.

Alas, modern devices cannot yet (and probably never will) completely replace the touch and warmth of a living person. But otherwise there are tons of options for how you and your girlfriend can have a great time together.

For example, having arranged a movie date. Sounds cool and unusual, right?

So it will be, but it is worth preparing for a few nuances that I personally encountered while watching a movie with a friend.

1. Choosing a movie

Don’t underestimate this point. In an era of streaming services and the ability to watch almost any movie online, this can be a truly daunting task.

I completely trusted my friend when choosing a movie.

To be on the safe side, Eric (that’s my friend’s name) made a list of ten options at once. Then it looked like a sea battle game:

• Do you have “Alien”?
• Not.
• What about Zodiac?
• Also no. Oh, I see “Constantine” here! Come on it!
• No, I don’t have it.

It was slightly exhausting, but unpredictable.

Conclusion

If you and your girlfriend use different services or live in different countries, make sure in advance that the movie you have chosen is available to both of you, so as not to waste a lot of time on it when you are ready to watch.

And yes, if you look on different platforms, be prepared for a difference in timing of a few seconds – this can worsen the “effect of presence”.

2. Finding the perfect extension and service

The next, no less interesting step. We both wanted to test the Netflix party extension, but I was not happy with it that it didn’t allow us to see the other person – only to text.

There is always, of course, the option of an additional window of a third-party application, but we decided to give Vemos a try. Eric had already spoken on it, but hadn’t watched movies before.

The application is intriguing – through it you can enjoy not only Netflix content, but also Disney + and Youtube. So, another extension is installed, my friend creates a link with an invitation and throws it to me.

I move on and wait forever before it hits me: the “Join in” icon with an intriguing ellipsis does not urge to wait patiently, but requires pressing. Ok, but it wasn’t obvious.

Finally, in the right pane I see a small window with me and a window of the same size with Eric. I wave my hand to him, say hello and take offense at how indecently he ignores me.

But, no, it turns out he just doesn’t see me at all. I am writing to the messenger. He reports that he does not hear or see me, and nothing in the expansion suggests that this will happen in the near future.

It seems that he does not fully believe that I have everything ready, so I am sending a screen screen for confirmation. Mysticism – we have no other explanation, so we leave Vemos with slight bewilderment and disappointment.

We are trying to switch to Skype, but here a new discovery: the camera is still operated by the already closed Vemos, and he does not intend to give it to Skype. So instead of me – a black screen. I poked. Lot. Probably not where it is needed, but in my defense I want to say: the intuitive interface is not an empty phrase, and all this was as strange as possible.

Conclusion

Set up a test call with your girlfriend, or run one with your friends if you feel uncomfortable doing it together. But before you open your popcorn pack, it’s worth making sure everything you want out of this online movie date is available to you.

3. A terrible beast named “buffering”

An awkward but very real moment for some. It’s good if the quality of both your Internet connection and the girl’s speed are reliable and stable, like a concrete table. Mine is not one of those and is similar to the weather in May.

So, having chosen the movie and the way to watch it (it was an extension of “Netflix party” + an audio call in the Facebook messenger), we faced a new problem – my buffering. Yes, this is definitely not what you would like to see your first time, but, “shit happens”.

Eric, like a real gentleman, did not ask what kind of provider I had. Just by the way – each of my failures in uploading a video was reflected for him in the chat in text form.

While I was blushing and angry, we played the game “Now you press play,” because I generously gave him this opportunity when creating the link. This was interesting and cool – when anyone could pause on the same video and, if necessary, share some thought.

Conclusion

If possible, avoid the problem of an unstable Internet, but if this happens, be patient and remember that it is evil forces that are to blame, not you. If your nerves give up, then postpone the viewing to another time when the location of the stars will be more successful.

4. The factor of novelty

Even though Eric and I are good friends, this first experience was exhausting and frustrating. Of the three and a half hours from the moment we said “Let’s see something,” we spent 20 minutes actually watching one episode of the show.

You don’t necessarily have to do the same, but if things don’t go according to plan, treat it with humor and patience. The first pancake is often lumpy, but this does not mean that it is worth turning off the window with the movie.

Without a doubt – next time it will be faster, easier and more familiar. The main thing is to remember exactly why you started it – to be able to comment on what is happening, see the reaction of the person who looks the same as you and … have fun!

Because if suddenly for the first time everything is even worse than mine, then in any case you will receive something valuable. Namely, a shared memory. And this is probably even more important than enjoying “easy and natural” remote viewing, as people from similar platforms do.