CMU School of Drama


Friday, September 12, 2014

U.S. Not the Only Country With Box Office Troubles, Study Finds

Variety: Foreign moviegoers have been bailing Hollywood out for years, but a recent study by Cowen & Company indicates that some parts of the overseas box office are taking on water.

To draw its conclusions, the research firm looked at ticket sales in a half dozen mature markets for film and adjusted them for inflation. In a sign that some foreign moviegoers are looking elsewhere for entertainment, all six, a group that includes Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Italy and Germany, saw revenues fall last year compared to the previous five years. Overall, the top films fell nearly 10%.

5 comments:

Nikki LoPinto said...

Until recently I only thought movies were moving their shooting locations from California to places like Georgia, Canada, or New York because their locales were more scenically favorable. It makes much more sense now that tax credits are factored into the argument. I'm not sure if California can reign back in the production companies and movies that have relocated to places like Vancouver or Atlanta. The 'mercenary fashion' that the article talks about is becoming tiresome to the burgeoning indie talent rising from the younger generations. Audiences want to watch the blockbusters, but artists want to produce film festival quality movies. I'm interested to see what California does to combat the exodus.

Unknown said...

I definitely hadn't realized this international decline in box office sales was going on. We've always been told that movies are an industry that is immune to a bad economic state, and maybe they still are. What they are not immune to apparently is the new competition from advancing technologies that makes entertainment at home easy and cheap. Going to the movies today is expensive, especially when compared to watching a movie at home, which one can do for free illegally, or for a few dollars through Netflix or Amazon Instant watch. I really like going out to see movies, but we are a generation that celebrates sitting at home and watching Netflix. We are lazy and don't want to spend money and that is not at all compatible with going to the movies.

AAKennar said...

The film industry is not doing so well, and I know I have not helped them I only saw like 3 movies over the summer. Personally going to the movies is just not that appealing to me any more, not sure why I am sure there are great movies out there.

I know price is a factor and I know everyone always complains about the price of movies, but it is true. Movies prices keep going up and well it just not worth it to me all the time to spend that money. I know the movie industry will not go away any time soon or ever and so I not really that worried about it. Yes, jobs will come and go, which is awful, but everything can not always go up. Producers and movie makes might just have to get inventive on find money for movies and the creation of movies.

Diyar Eyuboglu said...

This article really brought me down. The changes in our society are clearly inevitable, as new technology has always brought on new forms of lifestyle, since the beginning of history. However some parts of our lives that are always considered "authentic" are quickly losing their magic, and it's making me nostalgic for a time that I didn't even really have the opportunity to be a part of. While it's tragic for studios, companies, markets, and the industry, it is even more tragic for the public. This reminds me of the transition from good old fashioned paper backs to kindles and ebooks, to the increase in amazon and other online shopping sites. Our society is slowly progressing to a place in which bookstores are growing extinct and everybody is isolated behind their own computer screens, forgetting that authentic sense of community. We are slowly losing touch with what started film. Picture shows that everybody went to together to communally suspend reality and indulge in what seemed like "dreaming in the middle of the day". This decline, although small, makes me feel as if the core of humanity is evolving into a more mechanical process in which people stream movies on their laptops and watch them alone just for cheap entertainment.

Nicholas Coauette said...

When the damn prices of movie tickets are as outrageous as they are, I'm not surprised in the least. Granted, I live in one of the most popular media cities in the world, but still having to pay around 15$ just for the ticket is absurd! Then you go into the theatre after you've dealt with the crazy people and lines only to have to pay another arm and a leg for some cheap popcorn and a 6$ bottle of water. It's like going to a theme park minus the theme park part of it. Over the past few years I've been going to the movie theatre less and less because it just isn't as appealing as it used to be. Partly because of money and partly because I can accomplish the same level of entertainment from my home for a fraction of the price.