Abstract
Various studies have built models, using aggregate box-office data, to predict the contribution of a motion picture’s features to its theatrical demand. But such an approach fails to represent the heterogeneous influence of movie features on demographic groups and is unable to assist market-segmentation decisions. We propose and illustrate a new approach for modeling the appeal of movie features to market segments via the use of appropriate individual-specific data and canonical correlation analysis. Specifically, through demographically detailed movie-attendance data available in Spain, we build a model of how movie features influence the demographic composition of audiences. Via a canonical correlation analysis, we identify four dimensions underlying the relationships between several movie features (country of origin, genre, objectionable content, stars, promotional effort, and critical evaluations) and audience demographics (gender, age range, presence of children, education, social class, and size of municipality). These dimensions represent the strong pairings between four moviegoer demographic profiles and four movie-feature profiles. Our approach can potentially aid in segmentation and green-lighting decisions by matching movie features with the most relevant segment-specific preferences.
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Acknowledgement
The authors wish to thank the Asociación para la Investigación de Medios de Comunicación (AIMC)—Association for Media Research—for making available the EGM data used in this study.
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Appendix 1: Movies and details of the databases
Appendix 1: Movies and details of the databases
1.1 EGM 1998 second wave (13,761 interviews done between 4/15/98 and 6/9/98)
As Good As It Gets, Flubber, Hercules, L.A. Confidential, Open Your Eyes (Abre los ojos), 7 Years in Tibet, The Full Monty, The Man in the Iron Mask, Titanic, Tomorrow Never Dies.
1.2 EGM 1999 second wave (13,692 interviews done between 4/7/99 and 6/1/99)
A Bug’s Life, Black Tears (Lágrimas negras), Meet Joe Black, Mulan, Patch Adams, The Girl of Your Dreams (La niña de tus ojos), The Mask of Zorro, The Siege, The Thin Red Line, You’ve Got Mail.
1.3 EGM 2000 second wave (14,390 interviews done between 4/5/00 and 6/6/00)
All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre), Alone (Solas), American Beauty, Anna and the King, Butterfly Tongues (La lengua de las mariposas), Sleepy Hollow, Tarzan, The Sixth Sense, The World is not Enough, Toy Story 2.
1.4 EGM 2001 second wave (14,533 interviews done between 4/4/01 and 6/5/01)
102 Dalmatians, Billy Elliot, Cast Away, Dinosaur, Hannibal, The Family Man, Unbreakable, Vertical Limit, What Lies Beneath, You’re the One (Una historia de entonces).
1.5 EGM 2002 second wave (14,559 interviews done between 4/10/02 and 6/4/02)
Amélie (Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain), American Pie 2, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Mad Love (Juana la Loca), Moulin Rouge, Ocean’s Eleven, Shallow Hal, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Others (Los Otros).
1.6 EGM 2003 second wave (14,658 interviews done between 4/2/03 and 6/3/03)
About Schmidt, Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Daredevil, Gangs of New York, Mortadelo & Filemon: The Big Adventure (La gran aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón), Mondays in the Sun (Los lunes al sol), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist.
1.7 EGM 2004 second wave (14,388 interviews done between 4/14/04 and 6/8/04)
21 Grams, Bad Education (La mala educación), Brother Bear, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Lost in Translation, Something’s Gotta Give, The Last Samurai, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Passion of the Christ, Troy.
1.8 EGM 2007 first wave (14,597 interviews done between 1/17/07 and 3/20/07)
Babel, Casino Royale, Déjà Vu, Eragon, Happy Feet, The Kovak Box (La Caja de Kovak), The Illusionist, The Prestige.
1.9 EGM 2007 second wave (14,420 interviews done between 4/11/07 and 6/12/07)
300, Blood Diamond, Hannibal Rising, Lola, Meet the Robinsons, Night at the Museum, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Reaping.
1.10 EGM 2007 third wave (14,824 interviews done between 9/5/07 and 11/6/07)
28 Weeks Later, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Ratatouille, Spider-Man 3, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Nautical Chart (La carta esférica), The Simpsons Movie, Zodiac.
1.11 EGM 2008 first wave (10,356 interviews done between 1/16/08 and 3/18/08)
Bee movie, I Am Legend, Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission—Save the Planet (Mortadelo y Filemón. Misión: salvar la tierra), National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Darjeeling Limited, The Golden Compass, The Orphanage (El orfanato), The Oxford Murders (Los crímines de Oxford).
1.12 EGM 2008 second wave (10,379 interviews done between 4/2/08 and 6/3/08)
10,000 B.C., Horton Hears a Who!, Jumper, Juno, Meet the Spartans, No Country for Old Men, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Vantage Point.
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Redondo, I., Holbrook, M.B. Modeling the appeal of movie features to demographic segments of theatrical demand. J Cult Econ 34, 299–315 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-010-9127-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-010-9127-x
Keywords
- Motion-picture management
- Theatrical demand modeling
- Canonical correlation analysis
- Audience demographics