An attempt to mount a sequel to 2001 medieval action-comedy classic “A Knight’s Tale” was scuttled by poor results when Netflix analyzed the concept using its audience data, says a film director involved. Algorithmic data of viewing patterns prompted Netflix to drop the idea. Algorithms are mathematical problem-solving calculations that detect patterns in data. “My … [Read more...] about Algorithm Film Data Sinks Sequel
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Testing Prompts More ‘Nun II’ Gore
Warner Bros. Pictures amped up the gore in “The Nun II” after prerelease test screenings indicated audiences wanted more mayhem, in a departure from the first “Nun” flick, which emphasized suspense. The R-rated “Nun II” rolled up a healthy $32.6 million in domestic boxoffice Sept. 8-10 at 3,728 theaters. The horror genre-flick ranking No. 1 In weekend boxoffice and easily … [Read more...] about Testing Prompts More ‘Nun II’ Gore
Netflix Audiences Emerge From Shadows
Netflix is pouring billions into original TV programming and competition is intensifying, so the leading video streamer is listening more closely to its subscribers. For about a year, Netflix impaneled 2,000 subscribers (out of its 223 million worldwide currently) to give feedback on its original programs in what it calls its Preview Club; this effort will grow to 10,000 … [Read more...] about Netflix Audiences Emerge From Shadows
Celebrating Hollywood’s Snarky Side
Hollywood today wrestles with the same rough-and-tumble corporate culture and marketing riddles that are illuminated in the1952 drama/satire “The Bad and the Beautiful.” It’s a movie about movies spotlighting every corner of Hollywood including marketing matters that are still relevant today: agonizing over crafting promotional messages to turn heads; the behind-the-scenes … [Read more...] about Celebrating Hollywood’s Snarky Side
Recalling War Stories From Test Screenings
After film “Cocktail” starring Tom Cruise test screened before release, studio executives and talent were puzzled that audience felt it saw two films … and didn’t like the second one. The initial two-thirds of the 1998 movie were well-received as a light-hearted, young-adult romantic romp. Cruise is an appealing, fun-loving bartender starring in his next film after his “Top … [Read more...] about Recalling War Stories From Test Screenings
Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Cinema is still a “frequent moviegoer” affair. Major studio trade group the Motion Picture Association estimates that 3 percent of the U.S./Canada population accounts for an outsized 34 percent of movie ticket sales. That 3 percent that drive cinema economics are “frequent” attendees, defined as individuals that buy at least 12 movie tickets a year, according to the MPA. … [Read more...] about Tiny ‘Frequent’ Demo Drives Boxoffice
Audience Data Shifts to Predictive
Consumer research juggernaut Nielsen is offering a new research product Audience Predict that forecasts potential audience sizes for entertainment programming in various distribution scenarios. The goal is to help media companies charts paths for their rolling out their content. Audience Predict is from Nielsen’s Gracenote unit, which tracks content online using metadata — … [Read more...] about Audience Data Shifts to Predictive
Female Demo Lags in Cinema Rebound
Cinema-going is bouncing back but one troubling trend is apparent. The female demographic — particularly older women — are not returning to movie theaters at their prepandemic proportion. And it remains to be seen if female underrepresentation is only temporary or permanent, which would be a blow to the cinema industry. Females accounted for 51% of the population, but only … [Read more...] about Female Demo Lags in Cinema Rebound
BO Reporting Going Underground Again?
One little-appreciated outgrowth of pandemic-related “the new normal” is that reporting boxoffice grosses immediately and publicly has become irregular. For about a quarter century previously, industry allowed cinema ticket sales revenue to be publicly announced quickly, though it’s little remembered that previously those figures were confidential (explained further … [Read more...] about BO Reporting Going Underground Again?
Researchers Track Film Audiences Across Media
Two industry research giants are expanding their data offerings that will immerse Hollywood with more insights about consumer viewing of movies across multiple media platforms. Comscore and Nielsen both announced separate film initiatives this month. Comscore unveiled its Movies Everywhere service for “a new reporting system to track box office movies performance across all … [Read more...] about Researchers Track Film Audiences Across Media