StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

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What percentage of movies have a plot twist?
I really must impress upon you just how much this article will ruin a bunch of movies for you. Seriously. This article reveals the endings of 59…
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Stephen Follows
4
Can cinemas survive the next 20 years? Exhibition execs on the post-COVID recovery and beyond
Cinema operators and industry insiders reflect on the state of theatrical recovery, revealing cost-cutting, programming shifts, and ongoing uncertainty…
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Stephen Follows
How AI tools are already changing the jobs of film professionals today
Although perhaps the biggest changes are still to come, AI tools are already reshaping how films are written, sold and made in big ways.
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Stephen Follows
Which genres dominates when movies blend styles?
I studied the subtitles of over 60,000 films and found that some genres almost always shape the tone, even in hybrids.
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Stephen Follows
Why some countries have bounced back at the box office and others have not
I looked at admissions data from over 30 countries to see who’s back at the cinema and who’s still missing. The answers say more about national culture…
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Stephen Follows
Which movie genres share the same fans?
I analysed 32 million film ratings to see which genres attract the same fans. The result is a map of audience taste.
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Stephen Follows
2
Has the word "horror" stopped being useful?
As horror films multiply and diversify, the label is collapsing under the weight of what it’s being asked to describe
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Stephen Follows
2
The five biggest concerns facing US cinema exhibitors today
What 246 cinema professionals think about the state of theatrical exhibition, what's going wrong, and who's to blame.
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Stephen Follows
2

May 2025

The emotional blueprint of movie genres
I analysed the emotional tone of over 26,000 movies to reveal which genres evoke which core feelings. This reveals what audiences are most likely to…
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Stephen Follows
Do all sports movies feature a big competition?
It feels like every sports film ends the same way. But do they? I crunched the numbers of 1,910 sports movies to find out more about them.
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Stephen Follows
4
Can we measure if movies have become "too woke"?
Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether films have become "too woke" but what happens when we try to measure it using actual data. Can we see…
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Stephen Follows
Eight takeaways from the 2025 Cannes Marché du Film
Under the surface of a cautious Cannes lay a more important story. This may have been the year the Marché began to redefine its role.
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Stephen Follows
Are movies becoming more derivative?
Today, I'm checking in with the data behind a question I get asked often.
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Stephen Follows
What makes a movie re-release work (and what makes them fail)
2025 is packed with re-releases hitting the big screen. But not all are destined to make money. Here’s what seems to separate the successful re-releases…
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Stephen Follows
What makes Japan’s theatrical movie release schedule so different?
A deep dive into Japan’s unique release strategy for foreign films and what it tells us about the push for globalised simultaneous film releases.
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Stephen Follows
Film marketing tactics recommended by the pros
Over the past year I’ve quizzed a number of film industry professionals on various topics.
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Stephen Follows
What Amazon’s patent filings reveal about how filmmaking may change in the future
I dug through 7,423 Amazon patents related to video and found the ones most likely to change how filmmakers approach development, pre-production…
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Stephen Follows
How often do lead characters die in movies?
I logged the fates of 27,000+ lead characters to uncover how death on screen has shifted by genre, decade, and cause.
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Stephen Follows
6
Uwe Boll on tariffs, AI, and the end of traditional film funding
The filmmaker who boxed his critics, cursed fans, gamed tax systems to finance flops and hits alike, talks film financing, AI, and names the one video…
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Stephen Follows
6
How film nationality is determined around the world
I reviewed the official film nationality rules used by over twenty countries to see how each one defines ownership, and how American might be able to…
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Stephen Follows
Ultimate tips for attending the Cannes Film Festival
Everything you need to know to make the most of your Cannes experience – from screenings to soirées.
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Stephen Follows
How many Hollywood movies are made outside America?
I crunched the data behind the state of "non-American" Hollywood movies, and considered how any system of American tariffs might work.
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Stephen Follows
How to prepare for ANY film festival
After years of surveys and conversations with filmmakers, producers, and festival directors, here are the 20 things people consistently say make a…
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Stephen Follows

April 2025

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