OPINION - Late capitalism has stolen my attention span and now I can't read actual books
Two-and-a-half seconds. That’s how long I’d have to hold your attention, were this a film and not a somewhat contorted start to a column about something else entirely. The typical shot length of English language movies has fallen from roughly 12 seconds in 1930 to 2.5 today — barely enough time for Paul Newman to take a drag on his cigarette and look longingly into the distance — as filmmakers grapple with how to occupy the minds of modern audiences. Evidently, keeping running times below four hours is yet to be countenanced.