Most of you know that movies are best watched from a reasonable distance and high rise position with respect to the screen. However the best seat in a movie theater is not always a last row seat or for that matter not even a centrally positioned seat with respect to the screen.
So, where is the best seat in a theater?
If you look at the picture below, marked in green are those areas that give the best viewing and audio experience for you. These are the seats slightly towards the right half from the center and among the rear one third of the rows.
Explanation for the above choice of seats is that most sound technicians actually tune the theater sound system from that part of the theater (i.e. around those seats in the 2/3rd position row wise). Now that the audio experience is taken care of, you need to worry about your viewing pleasure. Studies have shown that, it is easy on human eyes to watch TV or movies slightly towards the left than watching straight. Hence the best seats are slightly towards the rest from the center line.
You must have noticed that in television talk shows, the host actually sits on to your right and the guest or interviewees on your left. You as a viewer as well as the host have better eye contact with the guests in focus in such an arrangement. The same is applicable for movies as well.
About the sitting height
While distance and position are the main parameters to consider, it is also important to worry about the height at which you sit. It is not advisable to look way down or way up while watching the movie. Well, this aspect is already considered while building most theaters or movie halls.
So next time you head for a movie, you know where to sit or which seats to reserve, right?