Research Task -UK Film Consumption http://mmg322ehymus.blogspot.co.uk/

The total size of the UK film consumption audience in 2011 was 5.1 billion. Television was the most common way people consumed films, being 77% of the total number of films. This was followed by 14% using DVD’s, 5.5% streaming online and 4% being watched at the cinema.

What is the overall trend in film consumption? Growth/decline?

After doing some research I have found out that the majority of cinema goers are aged between 15 and 24. Middle aged people seem to go to the cinema less than others, which are people aged between 35 to 44. Older people consuming films have increased between 1997 and 2011.This is shown from the graph below;

Who watches films in the UK?

Gender differencesPeople who consume films at the cinema vary in gender. This tends to change depending on what type of film is released. For example, Captain America has an audience who were 78% male. And films such as Breaking Dawn, had a mostly female audience, who made up 68%.

Where/how do people watch films?

As the table shows, the most common way that people view films is by buying them on DVD, with the second highest being viewed at the cinema. Some of the most uncommon are watching films on TV, or renting the films.

What type of films are the most popular?

The table shows the most popular genre of films in 2011. The most popular film that people go to watch was the genre of a comedy, followed by action. As well as them being the most popular in audience, the popularity shares a trend with the amount of films produced in this genre.

What roles does technology play in the consumption of films today?

Technology is changing all the time therefore technology is growing in importance especially relating it to film consumption habits. For example the change in technology such as blu-ray DVD’s make it more likely people would choose to watch films in their own home. Surround sound technologies also enable people to be persuaded to watch a film in the comfort of their own home, making it maybe less likely they visit the cinema to view a film. This may lead to film consumption habits changing and less people going to the cinema.

Advances such as 3D film screenings at the cinema is a development in technology therefore people would be more inclined to watch a specific film at the cinema.

The target audience for a film should be aimed at a younger audience (teenagers/young adults). This is because they consume the most films at the cinema. Comparing them to older people, older people going to the cinema is a lot less frequent.

What audience groups are the most lucrative?

Promoting films can be achieved in many different ways. For example the internet is used often in today’s society, therefore many people will use the internet to find out about new films. Another way to promote films are through the TV. TV will always be a way used by people to find out information. A lot of films are advertised on TV. When particular films reach social networking sites they usually get a wide audience. This is because so many people are using new technologies such as Twitter and Facebook to find out about new films.

What strategies should be used to promote a film?

The importance of technology now and in the future

The more technology evolves, the more likely film consumption habits will change. This can relate to both the consumption of films and the advertisement of them. With growing social networking such as Twitter and Facebook being so popular, this means films will become more widely known by the population which means a greater chance of success, despite whether they are watched using new home entertainment technology, such as blu-ray DVD’s, or at the cinema itself. This then means that technology is doing the film industry a favour. However, with new technologies and ways of accessing films such as downloading or streaming from the internet, this means that in some cases the film industry will lose out.