Each week I look at a different topic around the film industry, focusing on the data and statistics which reveal what’s going on.
A few weeks ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced three changes coming to the Oscars from 2020: Sooner – The ceremony will be held earlier than in previous years, moving from towards the end of February to towards the start. Shorter – The telecast will be shorter, with ‘lesser’ awards announced during […]
Screenwriter and writing community hero John August posed a question on Twitter a couple of days ago. He was surprised to find that some major movies are not available to stream or buy in the US, despite their clear value and audience interest. He asked people to add any other movies they find which fit his criteria (i.e. top […]
When I’m thinking about what movies I enjoy, I rarely consider whether they have a positive message or contain positive role models. But on a subconscious level, I’m sure these factors play a part in how much satisfaction I get from the flick. For example, I enjoyed The Wolf of Wall Street but felt it was […]
Today’s article is a response to a comment posted on an article I wrote last year entitled What films are older cinemagoers watching? Jonathan asked which movies audiences aged 18-24 years old, 25-34 years old and 35-44 years old watch. By combing UK box office receipts and cinema exit polls, we can get a sense of how movie […]
This week, I’m celebrating the launch of my new book ‘How To Crowdfund Your Film‘. It’s published by Creative Essentials in physical and Kindle editions. To coincide with the launch, I thought I would tackle a related question from a reader who got in touch to ask about the rewards offered on crowdfunding sites. In the past, I have looked at the […]
This blog is my 250th article and it’s also my five-year blogiversary (I know that’s not a real word but I felt the made-up occasion needed a made-up word). Over the past five years, I have published research on every single sector within the film industry, from directing to diversity, funding to festivals, actors to awards, […]
Between filmmakers and film audiences lie a complex network of middlemen, distributors and sub-distributors. They play a vital role in the film value chain, ensuring that films are available all over the world in all manner of formats to all types of audiences. This side of the industry is less visible than most other aspects, for […]
I was contacted by a reader who asked about the importance of the opening weekend as a percentage of the total amount a movie will gross. Specifically, they asked about Black Panther, a movie which has stayed in cinemas for longer than most and for which the high point of press attention seemed to come a […]
In a recent conversation with some filmmakers, I was asked about the amount of money the British Film Institute (BFI) awards to British films for development and production activities. I thought it was a great topic for an article, so I agreed to take a look. The BFI is a public body which, among other […]
Almost exactly two years ago, Alexis Kreager and I published a big report into the gender inequality faced by film directors working in the UK film industry. Soon after it was published, we were approached by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) about studying the plight of screenwriters, both in the film and television industries. This […]
