Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences July 2010BFI Media Studies Conference

Key Aim: to understand the behaviour of film audiences from box office data Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Introduction Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences

Key Aim: to understand the behaviour of film audiences from box office data Four areas of investigation:  The relationship between the gender of a film’s main characters and the mean 3-day gross ratio  The impact of constraints on audiences – the ‘holiday effect’  Understanding the popularity of films at the UK box office  Comparing the behaviour of British and American audiences Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Introduction Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences

some sources of box office data some methods of analysis some results and conclusions Key Aim: to understand the behaviour of film audiences from box office data Four areas of investigation:  The relationship between the gender of a film’s main characters and the mean 3-day gross ratio  The impact of constraints on audiences – the ‘holiday effect’  Understanding the popularity of films at the UK box office  Comparing the behaviour of British and American audiences Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Introduction Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Outline:

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions The UK Film Council Box Office Mojo Internet Movie Database The UK Film Council Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Access: Scope: UK box office from July 2001 to present day Quality of data: very high Data breakdown: none Analysis: none Advantages: free to access excellent coverage of British films Excel format available Disadvantages: little information outside top 15 films no historical data prior to July 2001 UK data conflated with Ireland

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions The UK Film Council Box Office Mojo Internet Movie Database Box Office Mojo Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Access: Scope: US box office, international box office, historical data Quality of data: very high for US box office, high for rest of world Data breakdown: people, genres, franchises, showdowns Analysis: news service, historical comparisons Advantages: free to access wide variety of data for each film Disadvantages: UK data conflated with Ireland and Malta dollar orientated definition of weekly gross is Friday to Thursday

Access: Scope: domestic/international box office available on a film-by-film basis Quality of data: very high to very poor depending on film Data breakdown: none Analysis: none Advantages: free to access Disadvantages: data may not be available for a particular film reproduces data available elsewhere box office presented in local currency Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions The UK Film Council Box Office Mojo Internet Movie Database Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences

UK films only released at UK box office in 2007 and 2008 minimum of 7 consecutive weeks of data (from opening week) feature films only, excluding documentaries Sampling criteria: Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Sample Methods Statistical analyses Sample Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Source: UK Film Council box office archive, Box Office Mojo Sample size: 50 films, including Hollywood films produced in the UK (e.g. The Bourne Ultimatum) mid-level UK films (e.g. The Duchess, Son of Rambow) small-budget independent UK productions (e.g. The Flying Scotsman)

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Sample Methods Statistical analyses Methods Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Outliers: an observation that deviates markedly from the other members of its class definition: Q₁ - (IQR × 1.5), Q₃ + (IQR × 1.5) for each class outliers class are removed from their class and discussed separately Mean 3-day gross ratio: where n = number of weeks (n ≥ 7), w i = weekend gross (Friday to Sunday), W i = total weekly gross (Monday to Sunday) Variables: genre gender as defined by narrative, main characters, presence of stars week of release country of release

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Sample Methods Statistical analyses Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Descriptive statistics: median, 95% confidence interval (Bonett & Price 2002), interquartile range Reference: Bonett DG and Price RM 2002 Statistical inference for a linear function of medians: confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and sample size requirements, Psychological Methods 7 (3):

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Sample Methods Statistical analyses Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Kruskal-Wallis: non-parametric analysis of variance for k groups: Significance: α = 0.05, two-tailed p value, corrected for ties Post-hoc: Dunn multiple comparisons test, α = Descriptive statistics: median, 95% confidence interval (Bonett & Price 2002), interquartile range Reference: Bonett DG and Price RM 2002 Statistical inference for a linear function of medians: confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and sample size requirements, Psychological Methods 7 (3):

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Sample Methods Statistical analyses Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Correlation: linear relationship between week of release and mean 3-day gross ratio Significance: α = 0.05, two-tailed p value, 95% confidence interval Kruskal-Wallis: non-parametric analysis of variance for k groups: Significance: α = 0.05, two-tailed p value, corrected for ties Post-hoc: Dunn multiple comparisons test, α = Descriptive statistics: median, 95% confidence interval (Bonett & Price 2002), interquartile range Reference: Bonett DG and Price RM 2002 Statistical inference for a linear function of medians: confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and sample size requirements, Psychological Methods 7 (3):

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Conclusion UK films typically gross less than half their box office over the opening 7 to 8 weeks of their release at the weekend ⇒ UK audiences largely attend the cinema during the week. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences GenreFemaleFemale/maleMale Totalm r : median [95% CI]IQR Action/Crime [0.42, 0.53]0.05 Comedy/Musical [0.37, 0.51]0.13 Drama [0.32, 0.46]0.11 Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction [0.42, 0.65]0.24 Romance [0.33, 0.42]0.02 Total Table 1 Genre and gender of main character(s) for UK films, Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Result The number of films in which the main character(s) are male exceeds those for females and females/males, indicating an overall gender bias in British films. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences GenreFemaleFemale/maleMale Totalm r : median [95% CI]IQR Action/Crime [0.42, 0.53]0.05 Comedy/Musical [0.37, 0.51]0.13 Drama [0.32, 0.46]0.11 Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction [0.42, 0.65]0.24 Romance [0.33, 0.42]0.02 Total Table 1 Genre and gender of main character(s) for UK films, Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Result The concept of the ‘woman’s film’ persists in the form of heritage romances (The Edge of Love, Becoming Jane) and the ‘chick flick’ (Mamma Mia!). Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences GenreFemaleFemale/maleMale Totalm r : median [95% CI]IQR Action/Crime [0.42, 0.53]0.05 Comedy/Musical [0.37, 0.51]0.13 Drama [0.32, 0.46]0.11 Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction [0.42, 0.65]0.24 Romance [0.33, 0.42]0.02 Total Table 1 Genre and gender of main character(s) for UK films, Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Result Comedy/musical and fantasy/horror/science fiction have no overall gender bias for the main characters. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences GenreFemaleFemale/maleMale Totalm r : median [95% CI]IQR Action/Crime [0.42, 0.53]0.05 Comedy/Musical [0.37, 0.51]0.13 Drama [0.32, 0.46]0.11 Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction [0.42, 0.65]0.24 Romance [0.33, 0.42]0.02 Total Table 1 Genre and gender of main character(s) for UK films, Sample: m r : N = 50 median = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.38, 0.44], IQR = 0.12

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  Median = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.41]  IQR = 0.05 Female/Male:  N = 11  Median = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.43]  IQR = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  Median = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.51]  IQR = 0.13 FIGURE 1 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by gender (outliers excluded)

Result There is a statistically significant difference in the mean 3-day gross ratios of UK films sorted by the gender of the main character(s), once outliers have been excluded (Kruskal-Wallis: H c = , p = ). Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  Median = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.41]  IQR = 0.05 Female/Male:  N = 11  Median = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.43]  IQR = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  Median = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.51]  IQR = 0.13 FIGURE 1 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by gender (outliers excluded)

Result There is a statistically significant difference between films in which the main character(s) are female and films in which the main character(s) are male (Dunn: p = ). Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  Median = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.41]  IQR = 0.05 Female/Male:  N = 11  Median = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.43]  IQR = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  Median = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.51]  IQR = 0.13 FIGURE 1 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by gender (outliers excluded)

Result There is no statistically significant difference between films in which the main character(s) are female/male and those in which the main character(s) are female (Dunn: p = ) or male (Dunn: p = ). Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  Median = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.41]  IQR = 0.05 Female/Male:  N = 11  Median = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.43]  IQR = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  Median = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.51]  IQR = 0.13 FIGURE 1 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by gender (outliers excluded)

Conclusion UK films, in which the main character(s) is female, accumulate a lower proportion of their gross at the weekend than UK films in which the main character(s) is male. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  Median = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.41]  IQR = 0.05 Female/Male:  N = 11  Median = 0.39 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.43]  IQR = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  Median = 0.46 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.51]  IQR = 0.13 FIGURE 1 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by gender (outliers excluded)

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.12 [95% CI: -0.52, 0.67]  p = 0.72 Female/Male:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.59 [95% CI: -0.02, 0.88]  p = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  r (22) = [95% CI: -0.43, 0.37]  p = 0.87 FIGURE 2 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by week of release (outliers excluded)

Conclusion There is no linear relationship between when a film is released and the mean 3-day gross ratio. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.12 [95% CI: -0.52, 0.67]  p = 0.72 Female/Male:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.59 [95% CI: -0.02, 0.88]  p = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  r (22) = [95% CI: -0.43, 0.37]  p = 0.87 FIGURE 2 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by week of release (outliers excluded)

Result Four films were identified as outliers: The Golden Compass (F/M), St. Trinian’s (F), Penelope (F), Wild Child (F). No ‘male’ films were classed as outliers. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.12 [95% CI: -0.52, 0.67]  p = 0.72 Female/Male:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.59 [95% CI: -0.02, 0.88]  p = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  r (22) = [95% CI: -0.43, 0.37]  p = 0.87 FIGURE 2 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by week of release (outliers excluded)

Remark The timing of release does appear to be a factor in the value of m r for the four outliers, and this appears to be related to the impact of school holidays. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Female:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.12 [95% CI: -0.52, 0.67]  p = 0.72 Female/Male:  N = 11  r (9) = 0.59 [95% CI: -0.02, 0.88]  p = 0.06 Male:  N = 24  r (22) = [95% CI: -0.43, 0.37]  p = 0.87 FIGURE 2 The distribution of mean 3-day gross ratios by week of release (outliers excluded)

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 3 The holiday effect on The Golden Compass, St. Trinian’s, and Penelope The Golden Compass:  m r =  release date: 7 December 2007 St. Trinian’s:  m r =  release date: 21 December 2007 Penelope:  m r =  release date: 1 February 2008

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 3 The holiday effect on The Golden Compass, St. Trinian’s, and Penelope Conclusion The ability of an audience to attend is restricted by external factors, including school holidays and the closure of theatres on Christmas Day. The Golden Compass:  m r =  release date: 7 December 2007 St. Trinian’s:  m r =  release date: 21 December 2007 Penelope:  m r =  release date: 1 February 2008

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 4 3-day gross ratios for Wild Child and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (both released 15 August 2008) Wild Child:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  Narrative: teenage girls at an English boarding school  Stars: Emma Roberts  Audience: female, 12 to 17 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  Narrative: a middle-aged woman in the city  Stars: Frances McDormand/Amy Adams  Audience: female, 25+

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The ‘holiday effect’ Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 4 3-day gross ratios for Wild Child and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (both released 15 August 2008) Wild Child:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  Narrative: teenage girls at an English boarding school  Stars: Emma Roberts  Audience: female, 12 to 17 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  Narrative: a middle-aged woman in the city  Stars: Frances McDormand/Amy Adams  Audience: female, 25+ Conclusion The timing of a film’s release impacts some audiences more than others, and appears to disproportionately affect teenage girls.

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Adaptive contracting: release patterns are dynamically adapted over time to meet emerging demand References: De Vany A and Walls WD 1996 Bose-Einstein dynamics and adaptive contracting in the motion picture industry, The Economic Journal 106 (439):

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Adaptive contracting: release patterns are dynamically adapted over time to meet emerging demand References: De Vany A and Walls WD 1996 Bose-Einstein dynamics and adaptive contracting in the motion picture industry, The Economic Journal 106 (439): Sedgwick J 2009 Measuring film popularity: principles and applications, in M Ross, M Grasser, and B Freisleden (eds.) Digital Tools in Media Studies: Analysis and Research – An Overview. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag: Willingness-to-pay principle: box office gross is a measure of audience preference the audience ‘votes with its wallet’

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Adaptive contracting: release patterns are dynamically adapted over time to meet emerging demand References: De Vany A and Walls WD 1996 Bose-Einstein dynamics and adaptive contracting in the motion picture industry, The Economic Journal 106 (439): Sedgwick J 2009 Measuring film popularity: principles and applications, in M Ross, M Grasser, and B Freisleden (eds.) Digital Tools in Media Studies: Analysis and Research – An Overview. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag: Ranking: rankings play a key role in the marketing and mythology of a film Chuck Viane (Walt Disney) – “If you’re the number one film in a given weekend, you get the most free hits publicity-wise.” weekend gross ranking – highest gross for 3-day weekend is most popular Willingness-to-pay principle: box office gross is a measure of audience preference the audience ‘votes with its wallet’

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008 For the same period, the gross of Mamma Mia! is 1.4 times greater than that of Igor

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008 For the same period, the gross of Mamma Mia! is 1.4 times greater than that of Igor Only 29% of the gross of Mamma Mia! was accumulated at the weekend

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Result Mamma Mia! was more popular with filmgoers than Igor for the week ending 26 October 2008, and that audience largely attended during the period Monday to Thursday. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008 For the same period, the gross of Mamma Mia! is 1.4 times greater than that of Igor Only 29% of the gross of Mamma Mia! was accumulated at the weekend

TitleWeek 3-day gross Rank Total gross RankΔ 3-day ratio High School Musical Saw V Burn After Reading Ghost Town Eagle Eye Igor The House Bunny Taken Mamma Mia! Mirrors How to Lose Friends and Alienate People The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Heroes City of Ember Gomorrah Conclusion Ranking films by their weekend gross does not accurately reflect the decisions of audiences in the UK about which films they wish to see. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office The popularity of films Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 2 UK box office gross for week ending 26 October 2008 For the same period, the gross of Mamma Mia! is 1.4 times greater than that of Igor Only 29% of the gross of Mamma Mia! was accumulated at the weekend

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 3 Mean 3-day gross ratio for films at the UK and US box office (n = 8) GenderGenreUKUS Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayFemaleComedy/musical The DuchessFemaleRomance The Other Boleyn GirlFemaleRomance Brick LaneFemaleDrama PenelopeFemaleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Made of HonorFemale/maleRomance Sweeney ToddFemale/maleComedy/musical AtonementFemale/maleRomance The Golden CompassFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Amazing GraceMaleDrama Brideshead RevisitedMaleDrama The Dark KnightMaleAction/crime Hot FuzzMaleComedy/musical Quantum of SolaceMaleAction/crime

Result The mean 3-day gross ratio for a film at the US box office is typically greater than 0.5. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 3 Mean 3-day gross ratio for films at the UK and US box office (n = 8) GenderGenreUKUS Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayFemaleComedy/musical The DuchessFemaleRomance The Other Boleyn GirlFemaleRomance Brick LaneFemaleDrama PenelopeFemaleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Made of HonorFemale/maleRomance Sweeney ToddFemale/maleComedy/musical AtonementFemale/maleRomance The Golden CompassFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Amazing GraceMaleDrama Brideshead RevisitedMaleDrama The Dark KnightMaleAction/crime Hot FuzzMaleComedy/musical Quantum of SolaceMaleAction/crime

Result The mean 3-day gross ratios for films at the US box office are typically greater than at the UK box office. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 3 Mean 3-day gross ratio for films at the UK and US box office (n = 8) GenderGenreUKUS Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayFemaleComedy/musical The DuchessFemaleRomance The Other Boleyn GirlFemaleRomance Brick LaneFemaleDrama PenelopeFemaleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Made of HonorFemale/maleRomance Sweeney ToddFemale/maleComedy/musical AtonementFemale/maleRomance The Golden CompassFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Amazing GraceMaleDrama Brideshead RevisitedMaleDrama The Dark KnightMaleAction/crime Hot FuzzMaleComedy/musical Quantum of SolaceMaleAction/crime

Result The mean 3-day gross ratios for films at the UK box office typically have a greater range than films at the US box office. Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Table 3 Mean 3-day gross ratio for films at the UK and US box office (n = 8) GenderGenreUKUS Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayFemaleComedy/musical The DuchessFemaleRomance The Other Boleyn GirlFemaleRomance Brick LaneFemaleDrama PenelopeFemaleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Made of HonorFemale/maleRomance Sweeney ToddFemale/maleComedy/musical AtonementFemale/maleRomance The Golden CompassFemale/maleFantasy/Horror/Science Fiction Amazing GraceMaleDrama Brideshead RevisitedMaleDrama The Dark KnightMaleAction/crime Hot FuzzMaleComedy/musical Quantum of SolaceMaleAction/crime

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 5 3-day gross ratios for Mamma Mia! at the US and UK box office US box office:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  n = 15  Opening weekend: $27,751,240  Total gross: $144,130,063  Ratio: UK box office:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  n = 15  Opening weekend: £6,594,058  Total gross: £69,170,000  Ratio:

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Figure 5 3-day gross ratios for Mamma Mia! at the US and UK box office US box office:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  n = 15  Opening weekend: $27,751,240  Total gross: $144,130,063  Ratio: UK box office:  Mean 3-day gross ratio =  n = 15  Opening weekend: £6,594,058  Total gross: £69,170,000  Ratio: Conclusion Audiences in the UK and the US behave differently, with the former attending during the week and the latter attending at the weekend.

Introduction Data sources The study Results and conclusions Gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio The ‘holiday effect’ The popularity of films At the US box office Summary Nick RedfernAn empirical approach to film audiences Inferring audience behaviour from box office data:  There is a statistically significant relationship between gender and the mean 3-day gross ratio of UK films at the UK box office  There is a ‘holiday effect’ that can affect the size of m r for some audiences  The weekend box office gross is not an accurate measure of a movie’s popularity  British audiences attend films during the week, while American audiences go to the cinema at the weekend