Daisy
Campbell
Audience Research
Experts say that the biggest aspect of a mainstream films is it’s ‘bankability’ or the studios ability to estimate how much money the film will be able to make at the box office. I decided to put this argument to the test, I gathered 22 people of different ages, genders and ethnicities to attempt to confirm this belief.
I wanted to keep this questionnaire as fair and even as possible so I asked an even amount of people, however if I were to redo this questionnaire I would ask a larger demographic as that would provide a more accurate answer to my questions.
I first asked what the reviewers what they identified as (Male, Female, Prefer not to say and gender fluid) precisely half the people filled in that they were female, and the others filled in that they identified as males. I think it was unfortunate that I didn’t get the chance to interview someone is non-binary, transgender or gender fluid as I believe that these people are very underrepresented in Western cinema.
I interviewed three under 18 year olds, eleven 18-28 year old, one person who was aged between 29-39, four people who claimed they were between 40 and 50 , and three people who were aged over 51 years old. I was conscious to keep a gap of 10 years between each option to keep the questions equal. I was unsurprised that the largest group I examined was eleven 18-28 year olds as I believe that most people who are actively involved in a fan base (or fandom as it is commonly referred to) are aged between 18 and 28.
The next logical question was how the reviewers watch their films. 2 people said they watch through the television, 4 people said they watched the film through its intended format at their local cinema, whilst only 1 person watched films for the first time on a DVD. Overwhelmingly, 15 people confession to watching films online, either through official streaming services, or illegal pirated film websites. The rise of companies such as Netflix (which is worth around 6.78 billion (1)) and Amazon Prime (which has an estimated 20 million users (2)) Many find it more accessible to watch films and television in the comfort of their home, only spending a tiny percentage of what they would usually spend of one film at the cinema on months’ worth of sometimes exclusive film and television, such as Stranger Things (Netflix) or The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime)
Logically, if most people watch films online they most definitely should discover upcoming films through social media. 3 people first encountered a films poster first at cinemas, in magazines, newspapers or on Billboards. 5 people were captivated by the trailers that are shown online, through television, before films in the cinema and DVDs before the menu. 2 people become interested in a film after hearing a good review from a friend, family member or a critic. Only 1 person said they support films through ‘other’ ways. If I were to redo this question I would specifically ask this person to state exactly what they mean (Possibly they trust the director or star of the film). Whilst of course, the majority stated that they became aware of the film through its social media campaign. A film always has at least one form of social media account that posts daily about the film even when the film has been released sometimes with exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of the production or even a competition. When thinking about this question I looked up the most popular films I could think of, and even some independent films. Both had several social media accounts. From this I can determine that regardless of cast or budget, all films must be present on social media for curious people who want to learn more about the film to diehard fans who repost everything these accounts publish, watch every clip and enter every competition. A prime example of the power of the people would be 2016’s Deadpool. A clip from the film was leaked online after the production was allegedly cancelled due to fear from the studios that it wasn’t going to be successful. However, many signed online petitions to have the film released which promoted production to start afresh, after its release Deadpool has gone on to be one the highest grossing films In the Marvel franchise ($363,070,709 (3))
The majority of the people that I asked said they preferred Thriller above all other genres (this was reported by 10 people) one person for each genre said they liked Horror, Romance and Action. Whilst two people each said they enjoyed the genres documentary and Fantasy the most. The second highest percentage of people said they enjoyed the genre Science Fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi) the most. I attribute this to the release/reboot of the Star Wars saga in 2015. I would also like to argue that the most popular genre (that being thriller) is seen as a somewhat ‘genderless film’ as it is marketed towards both men and women, whereas romance films are often targeting women whilst action and adventure films are usually made by men for men. Furthermore, 0 people said that the genre of Western was their favourite genre as it is nether popular nor a mainstream genre.
Finally, I asked what Jobs my reviewers had. One said they were a lawyer, another a teacher. 2 people said they were builders, three people said they worked as nurses and four people worked in a factory, but the most popular demographic is once again the students who populated this questionnaire.
Wholeheartedly, I believe that films should be made as an expression of the time, to have an impact on the world around them and for the audience to relate to the characters. Even though, many Hollywood CEOs would disagree a film doesn’t have to make lots of money to be achieve success, or to have a loyal and dedicated fan base.
1- Forbes Magazine
2- Business Insider
3- Box Office Mojo