StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

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June 2025

What the exhibition sector thinks the next generation of cinema-goers wants
We asked 246 cinema owners and exhibition-affiliated professionals about the future of moviegoing and what younger audiences are demanding from the big…
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Stephen Follows
How does the use of the terms 'cinematographer' and 'director of photography' differ?
When I was starting out in film, I always heard the head of the camera department being referred to as either "DoP" (pronounced dee-oh-pea) or "DP…
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Stephen Follows
1
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
2
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

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