TikTok has undoubtedly changed the way Gen Z consume content, encouraging the return of subtitles in films and TV and slicing up films – but now even the world of opera has been affected by the generation’s preference for everything in bite-size.
Giacomo Puccini’s operatic masterpiece La bohème, a four-act production which follows a bohemian seamstress living in Paris with her artist friends, will debut a shorter version onstage in Perugia, Italy, next month – in a bid to appeal to the TikTok generation.
The shortened version of Puccini’s opera slashes the run time from two hours and forty minutes to just ninety minutes, The Times reports.
It is thought the play has been cut short in order to appeal to the TikTok generation’s shortened attention span – however opera fans are said to be in uproar over the ‘operacorto’ (short opera) format.
The writer of the shortened version, Gianluca Terranova, who will also play the main male role of Rodolfo, has explained he wanted the play to help people understand opera if they were new to the format. He also fears younger audiences will be put off by the nearly three-hour run time of the original play.
Giancomo Puccini’s operatic masterpiece La boheme has received the TikTok treatment as it is set to debut a shorter version
‘This is the first time an abridged version of an opera will be performed in a theatre,’ he told the newspaper.
He added: ‘This is an introduction to the opera and the idea is that you will then want to see the whole thing.’
However, operatic puritans have hit back at the abridged version of the masterpiece and voiced scepticism over the decision to cut it short.
Opera critic Alberto Mattioli said Puccini’s work is ‘sacred’ and taking away even a few words of his works would be to the detriment of the impact of the opera.
Instead, he suggested a contemporary version of La Boheme would be a better option, to help younger people relate to the plot.
Gianluca Terranova (pictured) who has created the abridged version of the opera, hopes it will encourage people to go and see the full production
The row comes as TikTok changes the way Gen Z consumes content.
Last year, on October 3, the streaming platform carved up a millennial film favourite, Mean Girls, for fans to watch in celebration of the Lindsay Lohan flick on ‘Mean Girls Day’.
Instead of showing the 98 minute film in one full viewing, the movie was cut into 23 bite-sized clips and posted on the official Mean Girls TikTok page.
It’s also possible to watch a clip-by-clip version of Mel Gibson’s 2000 rom-com What Women Want. And season one of US hit comedy series Killing It was made free to watch on TikTok in August, after NBCUniversal announced it would release five clips, each between three and eight minutes long, on the platform beloved of Gen Z.
Editor-in-chief at Total Film magazine, Jane Crowther, told MailOnline that social media is currently the most powerful promotional asset available to studios.
‘Influencers and TikTok are increasingly the way studios sell films. Engagement starts with fast, quick clips that entice punters into the cinema.
‘On TikTok, there’s are lots of films that (illegally) reside in this format there. You can watch a number of films in tiny bursts if you want – and now studios are just mimicking what’s already happening there. It’s very much a case of, if you can’t beat them, join them.’
Despite Mean Girls being almost 20 years old, there’s plenty of life in the franchise yet, says Crowther.
Additionally, it is believed that the TikTok effect has also influenced Gen Z to watch TV and films with the subtitles on.
In a recent YouGov study, 61% of viewers aged 18-25 said that when they sit down to watch TV, they choose to switch on the subtitles – even if they do not have a hearing impairment.
With more detailed subtitles being added to TV programs and films all the time, including sound effects and names of songs featured, viewers are including the option when tuning into their favourite show.
As the trend becomes ever more popular, TikTokers have been mocking their own viewing patterns, joking about how they cannot concentrate on what they are watching unless subtitles are on.
Among those who jumped on the trend was former X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Fleur East, who posted a video on TikTok of herself watching TV with subtitles on – however, the minute she turned her vision away from the TV, the audio turned to inaudible nonsense.
London-based psychologist Giulia Bianchi told FEMAIL that younger people are more inclined to opt for subtitles because their brains are more attuned to multitasking.
She added that, overall, using them as an aid to your viewing experience helps you increase your comprehension of the program, helping you to process background noise or a line delivered in a quieter tone you may otherwise have missed.
‘Younger people watch TV with subtitles on [because] they are better at multitasking,’ Giulia said.
‘The human brain is more maneuverable in our 20s. So, watching TV while following subtitles or texting or browsing the internet is usually possible for many young people.’
She added that the improvement in detail of subtitles is also enhancing viewing experiences for people who are hearing impaired (for whom the method was originally intended), making TV more accessible.
‘Subtitles promote improved retention, accessibility, better comprehension, and cultural exposure, she said.
‘In my opinion, these all have a positive impact on the viewer experience.’
So, as debate rages on over the abridged version of La Boheme, perhaps even more changes to its format may be in the works for the future.
