Each week I look at a different topic around the film industry, focusing on the data and statistics which reveal what’s going on.
The film business has changed more in the past few decades than in any time since its inception. Technological innovations have massively affected almost every area of the film lifecycle, including: Pre-production. Computer-based scheduling, email communication with cast and crew, virtual casting tapes / Skype casting, mobile phones on set, etc. Production. Digital cameras have […]
In the last few weeks, there have been a number of press articles discussing the state of the theatrical box office. Some suggest that the picture is rosy (“Cinema box office breaks record third year in a row“) while others claim it’s in a decline (“2017 was the worst year for movie ticket sales in over […]
This is the last instalment in a four-part series chronicling 48 trends and changes in the film industry. To compile this list, I have been back through all of my old research, conducted new projects, read outside research and solicited suggestions from my industry readership (thank you to everyone who contributed). The result is a […]
This is the third instalment of a four-part series chronicling trends and changes in the film industry. To compile the list, I have been back through all of my old research, conducted new projects, read outside research and solicited suggestions from my industry readership (thank you to everyone who contributed). The result is a list […]
This is the second instalment of a four-part series chronicling 48 different trends and changes in the film industry. Last week I gave you trends 1 to 12, in the fields of development and finance and in future weeks I will cover distribution, sales, exhibition and structural changes in how the film industry operates. This week’s twelve trends […]
Each week over the last five years, I have been covering different aspects of the film industry, explaining and illustrating how they function. Next month, I’ll carry on with my new research but for this month I would like to stop and zoom out a little. By taking detailed data dives each week it’s easy to miss the […]
The horror genre is a perennial favourite among filmmakers. The general perception is that they are fun to make, achievable on the lowest budgets and can earn a lot of money. The final item on that list normally relies on the assumption that the horror movie in question has a chance to be the next Paranormal Activity […]
Every few weeks, there is a news story about a new challenge to the traditional distribution model for movies. The latest of these was the announcement last week that the new Shaft reboot would be using the hybrid release strategy. In the US, it will follow the usual movie release pattern (i.e. theatrical release followed by delayed release […]
I am putting the finishing touches on a big report into horror movies, due for release in the coming months. One of the many things I looked at was horror adaptations and so I thought it would be fun to share a small part of what I found as it’s become rather topical. A new adaptation […]
This is the latest in a series of research projects I am conducting with Bruce Nash of The Numbers, on behalf of the American Film Market. In previous articles, we’ve looked at patterns among the most profitable films budgeted between $20 million and $50 million, and those budgeted between $500k and $3 million. This time […]
