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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
Digital Cinema Media’s Research and Insight Manager, Michael Tull, breaks down the latest CAA report on cinema-going habits, drawing on main highlights that prove the future's bright for film on the big screen:
"The year is flying by (how is it June already?!) and with May came the launch of the brand new FAME (Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation) data that provides a deep dive into cinema-going habits from last year.
The year is flying by (how is it June already?!) and with May came the launch of the brand new FAME (Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation) data that provides a deep dive into cinema-going habits from last year.
At the end of 2015, Crowd DNA surveyed 3,000 adults, 700 7-14 year olds and 200 parents of 4-6 year olds who had been to the cinema in the last six months. The survey (an annual Cinema Advertising Association project) provides a 360-degree view of the cinema journey – triggers, purchase, pre-visit, experience, post-visit and general film and media consumption habits.
Here are just a few of the highlights from the latest FAME survey:
Cinema remains an ‘event’ that draws in the crowds
From Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spectre and Jurassic World to Minions and Inside Out, 2015 was a stellar year for cinema in the UK. These blockbusters captured public imagination and became “appointment to view” cinema. Cinemagoers love the excitement that films like these create - almost half (46%) agree that they like the hype surrounding big releases – and there’s also an appreciation that seeing these types of films at the cinema provides them with vital conversation fuel (67% say that watching a film in the cinema gives them something to chat about).
This bodes well for the rest of 2016 where we have a multitude of buzz-worthy big releases coming to the big screen – from another adventure in Star Wars: Rogue One, to the return to the Harry Potter universe in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and reuniting with an old favourite in Jason Bourne. These titles will undoubtedly spark public imagination once more and become just some of the ‘must see’ films at the cinema this year.
Chill about Netflix – it’s not cannibalising cinema-going
One of the questions we frequently get asked here at DCM is about the impact on Netflix on cinema-going. In a world of films at your fingertips, why would you still go to the cinema so often?
There’s no denying that Netflix (and the like) are getting bigger; 58% have used an online film service in the last three months according to FAME 2015 (up from 55% in 2014), but the growth of these services isn’t coming at the expense of visits to the big screen.
Last year UK cinema admissions were up (172m, compared to 157m in 2014) and 48% of cinemagoers have been to cinema in the last month (FAME 2015), consistent with the last three years. What Netflix and similar services are actually having an impact on is the rental market – both digital and physical rental levels have dropped (9% and 17% respectively) from last year. This continues to demonstrate that the role of the cinema will always be important for film lovers and the big screen experience offers something that you just can’t get at home.
Families are flocking to the cinema
One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in the new FAME data is the number of families going to the cinema together; 44% of cinemagoers went with family members on their last visit, compared to 36% in 2014. The likes of Spectre, Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens all provided great opportunities for families to come to the cinema across the winter. Cinema can play a really important role for families and offers them a chance to come together and get away from the everyday life to engage in something together. Almost eight in 10 family cinemagoers agree that cinema trips allow them to escape the demands of everyday life (79% vs. 74% of all cinemagoers) and agree that it’s a great way to spend quality time together (76% vs. 71% all cinemagoers).
This growth in family cinema-going is a trend that will likely continue this year because, as we’ve mentioned before, 2016 is shaping up to be the biggest year for family films ever for UK cinema. With The Secret Life of Pets, Ice Age: Collision Course, The BFG and Finding Dory coming out between the end of June and mid-August it’s going to be a bumper summer holiday season for the big screen."
For more information on FAME or details on subscribing to the data please contact Michael Tull at DCM.