Audience and institution:The Film Industry

Q1:In the UK film market, an increase in the number of screens available to show films has not led to an increase in the number of films being shown. Why?

Although more resources may have been invested in building cinemas themselves (exhibition) this does not imply that the said resources have also been directed towards the production of films. A distinction must be made between these two 'spheres' of the film industry. As well as this, in a large cinema, the owners will be more inclined to repeat a popular film than give a wide range of films that may not bring in as great a revenue. This lessens the range of films that you may be able to view at, for instance, multiplex, despite the large number of screens.

Q2:In your opinion, what might account for the fact that cinema attendances have fluctuated between 139 million and 176 million between 1999 and 2008?

One of the key causes for the incline of cinema goers around 2002 in particular would be the large number of sequels coming out that season. Some of the films shaping these statistics are, most notably,  'Men in Black 2', 'Lord of the Rings: Two Towers', 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'Shrek 2'. All of these films are sequels of successful films, this would provide said sequels with an already secured audience.

Following 2002 there is a slight decline in the number of film goers which trends gradually all the way to 2008. One might attribute this to the increasing versatility and use of the Internet for home entertainment, social networking and even researching. This would have a direct link to cinema attendance as it brings down people requirements in terms of 'entertainment'.

Q3:In 2011, UK film distributors invested £330 million in advertising their new releases and on 35mm film prints. If around 450 new films receive a theatrical release in the UK every year, how much, on average, do distributors spend distributing a film in the UK?

330000000 *divided by* 450 = £733333.33

Q4: This spending spending stirs up enormous demand - 171.5 million cinema tickets were bought in the UK in 2011. This is great news for cinemas - whats the downside of all this excitement generated and consumer demand for film PRODUCERS in the UK?

Such large demand for new releases puts great pressure on the producers to create new films and ones that will make back the money put into the advertising and distribution. If they fail to do so, it would cost them and many other involved people large sums of money.
It may become difficult for the film itself to live up to the 'hype' that has been generated around it.

Q5:In 2004, the average cost of releasing a US film domestically was $39 million, in addition to the average production cost of $63.8 million, making an overall average production/distribution cost per film of 102.8 million. What effect might this have on Hollywood production and distribution if these increases had continued?

An increase in the cost of production and distribution would have a knock on effect causing an increase in the cost for many more aspects of the film. This, admittedly, would eventually effect the consumer most.
As the production and distribution costs increased, the producers and distributors would have to charge more to make back the money they spent and a profit. They would charge more for cinemas and multiplex's to buy and show the film. These cinemas that paid extra for the film would then pass that cost onto the consumer, those who eventually came to watch the film.
This in turn could cause a decline in people who choose to go to the cinema, which would have a direct effect on the producers and distributors. For this reason it is in the best interest of aforementioned parties to keep the cost of film production and distribution at a steady rate, if not decrease it, because although it may cost more to create one film than another, it is not necessarily true that the price to see said film will be any higher than the next.

Q6:Why are more 'middle aged' people going to the cinema and 2011? Who, in your opinion, are the current most bankable leading actors for the 'youth' market in the UK?

In 2011 two of the highest grossing films were 'The Kings Speech' and less notable 'The Hangover: Part 2'. It can be easily said that 'The Kings Speech' (which grossed second highest) was aimed at an audience of over 24 (essentially a 'middle aged' audience), with the main roll being played by Colin Firth, who is, admittedly, an actor more admired by the 'middle aged' audience.
According to the Forbes website, the 6 top current 'stars' of film are George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Will Smith and Tom Hanks. Although it is the case that all of these actors have appeal to the 'youth' market, some have more of such an appeal than others. This appeal is generated by the films that these actors may have been in, their aesthetic qualities and the persona that they present to the media. Out of these 6, i would nominate Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio as the two most bankable actors to the 'youth' market.

Q7:Which films made two and a half times their budget (a profit for their studios) last year in the US?

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2. Twilight: Breaking Dawn
3. The Hangover: Part 2

Q8:Is Jerry Bruckheimer still a 'high concept' producer? Does Michael Bay deserve his title as the 'go to' man for event movies?

It is arguable that the films that Jerry Bruckheimer produces 'high concept' films as the majority of the films he produces ('Pirates of the Carribean', 'Bad Boys', 'Top Gun') all fulfil the criteria of 'the look' and 'the hook'. These films have been created with high production values, large budgets and simplistic narratives. Although all this can be said, the majority of the films he has been involved with are not based on already popular fiction ('the book'), which is seen as a key element of 'high concept' cinema.
Michael Bay is well known for high production values and admittedly simple narratives.
His most popular films ('Pearl Harbour', 'Transformers', 'Armageddon') all fulfil criteria of large scale 'event' films and further fulfil the requirements of a high concept films than some of those of Bruckheimer, especially 'Transformers', which is of course adapted from the original comic series. This obviously satisfies the 'book' criteria, although this film is a good example of filling all three criteria concerned with 'high concept' film.

Q9:

Fox Searchlight:

-The Tree of Life, 2011

-Margaret, 2011

-Shame, 2011

Paramount Vantage:

-Son of Rambow,2007

-Into the Wild,2007

-Like Crazy, 2011

Sony Pictures Classics:

-Rudo y Cursi, 2008

-Get Low, 2009

-In Darkness, 2011

Focus Features:

-A Serious Man, 2009

-One Day, 2011

-Pariah, 2011

This category of film highlighted is primarily aimed at young adults and above, roughly around the age group of 21-45.