Box Office

Box Office figures are falling. Why do you think this is and do you think this trend will continue?

Box office figures are falling because less people want to go to the cinema. Due to new technology there are now many more convenient ways to watch films, such as: DvD/Blu-ray, the Internet (illegal pirating), free to air (BBC iPlayer) and paid online streaming services (Netflix). People prefer to use these options because of the ease. Many people now a days pirate films illegally and they can do this easily, they can either stream it or download it. People can also do this for free, they don’t need to pay to watch or download the film they can just get it and watch it whenever they want for no charge. People also prefer watching TV, they can sit down in their living room and watch their TV and there will be some films on there. People can also use services like Netflix on their TV so they can watch films on there or they can choose to watch a TV series which will give them the same cinematic experience but with more story and depth and it lasts longer. For example, Game of Thrones has the same cinematic quality as a film and has 5 seasons so that means there is 50 hours of it to watch and audiences can from their home for free, they can also watch it in their own time. They can watch it when they want and not have to worry about missing anything or being distracted by other people watching. Another reason people don’t go to the cinema anymore is because it is a lot more expensive. Back in the 1990s it as £2 to go to the cinemas but no it is like £9 for an adult and £7 for children. Also when Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out they increased the tickets by £2. Plus on top of that people like to take food and drinks with them and they aren’t allowed to take in their own so they have to buy them in the cinema but the food and drinks there are over priced.

Aspiring filmmakers are now starting to be found through websites like YouTube and Kick Starter so they can make their own films and people can watch them from anywhere. Also, on Kick Starter you get funded by the audience, if they like the idea of the film then they give so much money towards it and then they are funding the film, they also get rewards for funding the film like having a chance of being in the film or meeting the director. This gives the filmmaker more security and creativity as they have already found their audience and don’t have to worry about appealing to them as the audience are already interested and invested in the film, it also means they won't need to worry about finding the money to fund the film. With people making films through Kick Starter and YouTube it allows audiences to watch their films anywhere they want and they don’t have to pay to do it. This is more convenient as they don’t have to spend money. The money also doesn't get lost either, if the film doesn't get enough funding by the required time then all the money funded by the audience will be automatically sent back to them which will make them more likely to put money towards it because they have security with their money. Another reasons I think box office figures have fallen is because star appeal has disappeared. There is still some star appeal as we can see with Leonardo DiCaprio in the Revenant. However, most audiences aren't interested in who is in the film, they care about the characters.

Every year the Box Office figures have fallen but in 2015 it hit an all time of $38.5 billion. This shows that audiences will go to the cinemas for the right films not just because there are films there. 2014 had the lowest Box Office revenue since 1995 and 9 out of 10 films in 2014 were franchise films. Interstellar was number 10, which shows that star appeal is still relevant to audiences and that they want more sophisticated films to watch but they still prefer to watch franchise films. It also shows that star appeal is in decline as Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise and Transcendence with Johnny Depp flopped, this means that big stars like Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise are less appealing than they used to be.

2015 was a more successful year because the all of the most loved franchises released a film. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Fast & the Furious and the MCU all had sequels. This shows that audiences will go to the cinemas to watch the biggest franchise films and this is what will make ticket sales go up. Franchises like Marvel and Star Wars are going to continue making a new film every year so the figures should still go up or at stay the same, people will still want to see them films and will go to the cinema to watch them. As well as these franchises, other franchises will be bringing out reboots which are predicted to do well such as Finding Dory and The Incredibles 2 in 2016, also there will be more films added to franchises such as Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Another reason ticket sales have risen is because of international audiences. Films are starting to take place in international cities or star international stars which will increase the chance of that country watching that film and showing it in the cinemas there.

In my opinion I think that the trend of Box Office figures rising will continue as audiences will be getting more and more films in franchises that they like such as Star Wars and these films will entice people to visit more cinemas. Also because more people world wide will be more interested in these films as the film makers are trying to make them appeal more to international audiences by using actors and places from other countries.