Sociology of Audiences New Technologies – New Audiences? by Elizabeth Prommer University for Film and Television Potsdam Germany by Elizabeth Prommer University for Film and Television Potsdam Germany

Sociology of Audiences  Content:  What do we know about cinema audiences?  Cinema Audience in Europe  Case study: Comparison General and Independent (Art) Cinema Audiences in Germany  Internet and Movie Attendance  Cinema Audience in 21. Century: Silver / Best Age  New Technologies – New Audiences?

Statistics Available Statistics:  Box Office : Nielsen EDI, IMBD,  Structural Data: EU-Research (Media Program)  European Cinema Yearbook  Box office, Screens, Screens by population etc.  Germany: Regular Panel Data about audiences (GfK)  Data for Advertising bookings (Media Analyse in Germany, Screen Digest in UK, US)  Film-Institutions in every country, FFA, BFC etc.  University Research: e.g. Philippe Meers in Antwerp, Prommer in Potsdam  No good data about cinema audiences in Europe for comparisons  Examples: Definition of Art-Cinema varies

 European Cinema Audiences

Box office: 5,2 Billion € over 5 Billion €

Admissions

Example: Average Cinema Visits per capita European Cinema Yearbook

 All Screens in Europe

Art Cinema Screens EU Art Cinema Data varies, not accurate Definition of Art varies in Germany 12 % share in CH about 12 % share in UK less than 5 % share in France 50 % !!!!! share

Art Cinema Audiences  Case study Germany:  Comparison Art Cinema and General audiences  Reason Germany: Data for Art Cinema Audiences is available trough FFA

Socio-Structure of Audiences  Art Audience 2007  Gender: more females 54%  more Education  57 % High School (13 yrs) or University  less students  more singles  more older singles  income same: 49% over 2250 €  older!!!  General Audience 2007  Gender: 50% to 50%  less education  51 % High School (13yrs) or University  more students  more families  income same: 50 % over 2250 €  younger!!

Age: Art vs. General 2007

Cinema Attendance  Art Cinema Audience  no difference in days of the weeks, all prefer Tuesday, Friday, Saturday at 8 pm  go more often alone or with partner  reserve less tickets 82 % do not reserve  spend less money on popcorn, food  General Audience  no difference in days of the weeks: all prefer Tuesday, Friday, Saturday  at 8 pm  go with friends, seldom alone  13 % reserve online 73 % do not reserve  spend more on popcorn and food

Frequency Attendance per year

Motives for Attendance  „Why did you choose to see this film?“ Because of…  No differences in most motives Same for:  Special Effects  Availability of Cinema  Film is topic of discussion  Actors  My company / friends wanted to see it  To do something with friends / Go out

Source of Awareness

 „What was your source of awareness to this film?“  No differences in many sources  Same for:  Radio: Advertising and Reports (9%)  TV: Reports (6%)  Print: Advertising (5%)  Posters (6%)  Internet (4% in 2007) (2002: 2 %)

Internet Internet as information platform

HFF Internet Study 2002  292 movie attendees in Berlin 2002  Difference between source of awareness and information  Concentration on internet as source  What do they look at in the internet?

Movie Choice and Internet 

Internet

21. Century  Cinema Audience in 21.Century

Trend in Europe: Change Official German statistics show:  Changing Cinema Audience in Germany  Cinema Audience is getting older  The over 60 years old have doubled in past 5 years from 4 % to 8 %  The younger generation is in decline  Same happens in UK and France (Screen Digest. British Film Council)  Australia

The Change: Germany 50 % under % over 30

Aging!! Australia

Reason  Change in age structures in western societies  Less younger, more older people Next 10 yrs: 47 % over 50 years Those ‘older” People are still active, wealthy and outgoing (Silverliners, Best Agers ) They have a different movie taste Baby-Boomers and Best Agers like political or literary drama

Drama Comedy

The Taste of Age  Films with an older audience (FFA)  Over proportion older than 50 years:  Das Leben der Anderen / The Life of Others  33 % over 60 yrs. (average 8%)  16 % yrs. (average (8%)  16 % yrs. (average 15%)  14 % yrs. (average 19%)  14 % yrs. (average 27%)  7 % yrs. (average 23%)  Drama: plays in former East Germany

The Taste of Age  Films with an older audience (FFA) % over 50 yrs.  Kalender Girls (37%)  The children of Monsieur Mathieu (43%)  Der Untergang /The Downfall: Hitler and the End of the Third Reich (30%)  Die weiße Massai (41 %)  Die Reise der Pinguine (45 %)  Alles auf Zucker (55 %)  Children Movies (26%)

Same tendency in UK

The younger ones liked:

New Technologies – New Audiences?  New Audiences or older audiences?  Art Audience and Age  Age and Taste  Age and Internet