94 — Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol. 9, No. 2 • Fall 2018
Keywords: Films, Audiences, Motivations, Attendance, Theaters
Email: e[email protected]
Discovering Audience Motivations Behind Movie Theater Attendance
Emily Flynn
Strategic Communications
Elon University
Submitted in partial fulllment of the requirements in
an undergraduate senior capstone course in communications
Abstract
A content analysis tracked the top box ofce lms of the past six years, and the top box ofce lms of all time,
to determine what factors currently draw audiences to movie theaters in comparison to what factors have
drawn audiences in the past. Overall, the study concluded that movie theater attendees are more interested
in watching remakes of old movies, or lms with large fandoms, in order to remain part of an ongoing
conversation. Additionally, evidence suggests viewers tend to enjoy watching lms in community with others,
making movie theaters a prime medium for this type of interaction.
I. Introduction
Brent Lange (2017), Senior Film and Media Editor for Variety, noted that despite the rich and
successful history of movie theaters, “there is mounting anxiety among theater owners, studio executives,
lmmakers, and cinephiles that the lights may be starting to icker. As consumer tastes and demands
change, Hollywood is scrambling to adapt” (p. 1). With streaming services and in-home entertainment devices
such as Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick on the rise, younger audiences are choosing the comfort and
convenience of home over a trip to the movie theater. However, despite an overall drop in ticket sales, movies
released within the past year continue to break box ofce records. Black Panther, which was released in
February 2018, had the highest-ever domestic opening weekend for a lm released in February, March, or
April, earning $201.8 million over its rst three days, not adjusted for ination (Vary, 2018). Additionally, prior
to the release of Black Panther, Wonder Woman became the highest-grossing superhero origin lm of all
time, with box ofce totals around $821 million (Hughes, 2017).
This article seeks to understand what entices audiences to view a lm in theaters versus at home
in today’s current technological climate of on-demand streaming services and large-screen televisions. The
collective spectatorship theory, which seeks to explain why audiences may enjoy watching lms together,
provides a framework for this research. This article proposes that audiences are particularly drawn to lms
in movie theaters when the content of the lm is relevant to previously existing aspects of popular culture.
Audiences want to experience these types of lms in a setting where there is a sense of community in order
to remain relevant and part of the overall conversation surrounding the lm.
Discovering Audience Motivations Behind Movie Theater Attendance by Emily Flynn — 95
II. Literature Review
This study draws from literature related to the rise of on-demand and subscription-based streaming
services, the current landscape of cinema attendance, and the theory of collective spectatorship, especially in
regards to movie viewership in theaters. Also relevant are studies related to online lm promotion and selling
an experience.
On-Demand and Subscription-Based Streaming Services
With a steady rise in digital media consumption, on-demand streaming services such as Netix, Hulu,
and Amazon prime continue to grow. According to Anderson (n.d.), video on-demand refers to “an interactive
system that allows viewers to select a movie from a database and watch it instantly on their television or
personal computer” (p. 1). Access to video on-demand is offered through a cable provider, or online through
a monthly subscription fee. Some devices such as Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick charge a certain
fee per movie or television episode, but regardless of the platform, the movie or television show is available
to the viewer for instant consumption. According to a survey published by Statista in 2017, around 58% of
survey respondents in the U.S. reported having at least one subscription to a streaming service. Netix was
used by 50% of respondents, 29% reported using Amazon Prime, and 14% reported using Hulu (“Share of
consumers,” 2017).
The use of streaming services is especially prevalent in younger generations, specically those
between the ages of 18-29. Within this age group, about 61% watch television primarily through streaming
services on the Internet (Rainie, 2017). Additionally, the population’s media interactions are constantly
changing thanks to a rise in mobile phone usage, and entertainment viewership is no exception to this.
Researchers believe that the current boom in online video and music streaming is likely to change the entire
structure of the entertainment industry (Chen, Liu, & Chiu, 2017).
Despite the fact that many viewers of on-demand content are watching alone, some researchers
believe that it should still be considered a social experience due to the conversation and social connections
that form after one watches content. According to Steele, James, Burrows, Mantall and Bromham (2015),
“Even if consumers are watching on-demand alone, they are still likely to converse with others during or
after their experience. This has been greatly aided by the increase of present technological devices within
the home” (p. 219). However, despite the fact that delayed viewing of media allows for more consumers to
partake in conversations, it also has the tendency to exclude people from “water-cooler conversation,” as they
are afraid to hear spoilers. Therefore, both on social media and in-person, people feel excluded from cultural
conversation until they make the time to watch (Matrix, 2014).
Landscape of Cinema Attendance
Throughout history, movie theaters have represented a source of community for various
neighborhoods, cultures, and social groups. According to Luckett (2013), between 1908 and 1917, movies
had greater success when cinemas repositioned themselves as a “fundamentally local pleasure deeply linked
to family and community” (p. 130). These theaters encouraged customers to linger in the lobby before and
after the movie, and would often host local charity events, and showcase local businesses. By 1917, these
small neighborhood theaters were the main venue for feature lms (Luckett, 2013). As time progressed and
neighborhood theaters rose in popularity, moviegoing became a fun event for people of every social class.
It was a way to socialize and get out of the house without having to pay too much money, but still allowed
people to be part of a conversation. At the turn of the twentieth century, millions of new moviegoers viewed
lms as a language understood universally, and as something that transcended national class and boundaries
(Tratner, 2008).
From their very origin, movies and movie theaters were created with a sense of community in
mind. However, with the current increase in media technology, lms are no longer always released in the
so-called “traditional” sense (i.e. a lm goes to the theater before being released for everyday use). Tryon
(2009) suggests that in today’s digital landscape, “the optimal experience of watching movies with a group
of strangers in a darkened theater is about to disappear” (p. 4). For example, the Oscar-nominated lm
Mudbound received limited release in theaters at the same time it was released on Netix, which caused
an ongoing debate between theater owners and Netix producers, who wanted the lm to receive time
exclusively in theaters before release to the general public (Pearson, 2017).
96 — Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol. 9, No. 2 • Fall 2018
As media technology continues to evolve, cinema attendance has slowly begun to reect this change.
Although movie box ofce numbers tend to uctuate from year to year, they are currently on the decline,
with 2017’s box ofce declining by 2.7% from the previous year (McNary, 2017). These numbers include the
release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which was expected to gain more revenue than it did.
Social Media and the Internet’s Inuence on Film Promotion
Social media in general has changed the landscape for conversation online given the fact that users
are able to discuss hot-button issues with large numbers of people in real time. This aspect of social media
plays a signicant role in the promotion of new lms, particularly after a lm is released. Sang Ho Kim,
Namkee Park and Seung Hyun Park (2013) conducted a study on the importance of word of mouth (WOM)
and critic reviews of movies and describes the signicance of their ndings:
Given that movies are an experience good whose product quality cannot be judged before
consumers attend it, moviegoers are likely to rely upon others’ reviews and opinions when they make
a movie consumption decision. Further, the recent development of the Internet and abundance of
social media make it possible for moviegoers to easily nd other people’s assessment and reviews
and exchange information about movies (p. 99).
Essentially, since the information is easily accessible online, moviegoers take into account whether
people who have previously viewed the movie gave it a positive review. Advertising tends to be the medium
that boosts a movie’s media presence, and media presence is what subsequently creates conversation in
social networks and forums. However, when people talk about a particular movie (regardless of whether or
not money has been spent to promote it), the number of people who go to see the movie is affected (Armelini
& Villanueva, 2011).
While it is clear that social media alone is not to be credited for all movie promotion success, it is
denitely the medium that fosters the most amount of conversation, which tends to be the highest-driving
factor for audiences to attend movies. Additionally, the Internet itself tends to motivate consumers to actively
seek information regarding movies, rather than passively watching the trailer on television (Xiaoge, Xigen, &
Nelson, 2005).
Selling an Experience
As consumer preferences continually evolve, newer generations have begun to show an interest in
paying money for experiences rather than material objects. In fact, this desire for experiences has grown in
popularity so much that experts have coined it as the “experience economy.” Experiences are often described
as a fourth economic category, and businesses have begun to adapt their services in order to position them
as experiences. According to Pine and Gilmore (1998), experiences are personal and unique, so they exist
“only in the mind of an individual who has been engaged on an emotional, physical, intellectual, or even
spiritual level” (p. 2). Most researchers believe that we haven’t quite reached a full experience economy, but
as younger generations continue to seek out new experiences, more and more businesses are changing their
marketing model to adapt.
It is also important to note that different experiences impact different senses, because they trigger
different emotions and levels of effort to comprehend. Movies are mentally demanding experiences, especially
those that require consumers to think about the greater social, political or cultural issues surrounding the story
(Sundbo & Darmer, 2008).
Theory of Collective Spectatorship
Although the theory of collective spectatorship is relatively new, it builds upon older theories regarding
how audiences perceive entertainment, particularly lms. In the 1970s and 1980s, some lm theorists
introduced the concept of “spectator theory” to explain the psychology behind the movie watching experience.
These earlier theories, developed by scholars such as Christian Metz, Jean-Louis Baudry and Roland Barthes,
all center on the idea that while watching a lm, spectators are silent, motionless, and expressionless.
Barthes compared lm viewing to a type of hypnosis where the viewer is not entirely conscious of what is
happening (De Luca, 2016). In contrast, theorist Vivian Sobchack disagreed with the notion that a spectator is
“motionless” and “silent,” and believed that the viewer is always conscious (De Luca, 2016).
Discovering Audience Motivations Behind Movie Theater Attendance by Emily Flynn — 97
Figure 1: Cinematic Firsts. Source: AMC Filmsite
The idea of “collective spectatorship” was originally introduced by Julian Hanich, who disagreed with
the idea that watching a lm was solely an individual experience, regardless of the medium. According to
Hanich (2014), the collective spectatorship theory states that audiences “can enjoy watching a lm collectively
without being fully aware of this fact” (p. 354). Essentially, the theory suggests that watching a lm should
be regarded as a joint action. Even though audiences may believe they are paying full attention to a lm,
the collective spectatorship theory proposes that the viewer hasn’t forgotten the other spectators present.
Audience awareness levels reach the very edges of one’s consciousness, because a viewer is usually not
actively thinking about those around them, but rather focusing on the lm. However, the idea of joint-viewing
is especially prevalent in moments of high emotion during a lm, as it becomes easier to sense a shared
emotion such as deep sadness or happiness (Hanich, 2014).
In light of the previous scholarship, this study seeks to explore communal aspects of movie viewing.
In particular, with increasing advances in subscription-based video on demand and declining movie theater
box ofce numbers, what elements inuence viewers to choose to watch a movie in theaters versus at home?
III. Methods
The author compiled a list of the top box ofce lms of all time, and the top box ofce lms within the
past six years. Both lists are adjusted for ination, and are based on calculations conducted by the website
Box Ofce Mojo. The purpose of comparing the two lists was to determine differences and similarities
between the most popular lms of all time, and lms that are currently considered popular. The author then
categorized each lm on both lists into the following categories: Pre-Existing Fandom, Remake/Sequel,
Superhero Movie, and Cinematic First. If a lm t more than one of the options, it was categorized more than
once. If a lm did not t any of the categories, it was listed as Other.
Pre-Existing Fandom refers to any lm where the basic storyline and characters had already been
introduced to audiences, either in an earlier movie, book, video game, or television show. Remake/Sequel
refers to any lm that continued or retold a storyline established in an earlier lm. Superhero Movie was
dened as any lm owned and created by Marvel or DC Comics. Cinematic First was dened as any lm that
incorporated new elements or concepts that had not been previously introduced in the lm industry at the time
(see Figure 1).
98 — Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol. 9, No. 2 • Fall 2018
The purpose of categorizing the lms was to determine a few of the basic ways the lists differed from
one another, as well as what that may imply about current movie theater attendance.
In order to explore the impact that social media may have on the promotion of lms, the author also
compiled opening weekend box ofce numbers for the top lms listed and compared them to the total box
ofce gross. If a lm garners a high percentage of its revenues during the rst weekend, it may suggest a high
level of social media interaction during the days and weeks leading up to the lm’s opening.
IV. Findings
Comparison of Top Box Ofce Films
Figure 2: Top 20 box ofce lms of all time compared to top 20 box ofce lms in the past six years
The only movie to make both lists was Star Wars: The Force Awakens (highlighted in blue). All other
movies on the Top 20 Films of All Time list were released between the years of 1937 - 2009. Avatar is the only
other movie from the 2000s to make the all-time list.
Figure 3: General categories of top box ofce lms
Movies were sometimes placed in more than one category. For example, most superhero movies
were also classied as having a pre-existing fandom due to the fact that they are based on comic books.
However, the pre-existing fandom category does not exclusively include superhero movies since lms such
as The Hunger Games and Gone With the Wind also had pre-existing fan bases due to the fact that they were
based on books.
As the data shows, movies from the all-time list contain a lot of cinematic rsts. Gone With the Wind
continues to hold the highest box ofce success to date, and is often cited as the rst lm to use a more
Discovering Audience Motivations Behind Movie Theater Attendance by Emily Flynn — 99
Figure 4: Opening weekend box ofce gross in comparison to total box ofce gross (opening weekend
numbers not available for lms released prior to the mid-1970s.)
diverse technicolor palette, revolutionizing movies in color (Dirks, 2016). Additionally, Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs was the rst full-length animated feature lm ever, a concept for which Walt Disney decided to
take a big (and successful) risk (Johnson, 2017). The top 20 movies of all-time list suggests that one of the
biggest driving factors for movie theater attendance was the opportunity to experience something new and
revolutionary.
In contrast, the movies with top box ofce performances from the past six years fell mainly into two
main categories: they were either a remake or sequel of a previously successful lm, and/or they had a pre-
existing fan base. In fact, the top two lms listed within Top 20 movies of the last six years are remakes or
sequels of lms appearing on the all-time list (Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World).
Superhero movies also represented a large portion of the movies listed on the Top 20 movies in the
past six years list, with Marvel’s The Avengers ranking third and Black Panther a close fourth. However, there
is not a single superhero movie on the Top 20 Movies of All Time List.
Comparison of Opening Weekends
100 — Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol. 9, No. 2 • Fall 2018
Generally, the opening weekends of newer movies made up a higher percentage of total box ofce
gross than older ones. In fact, Star Wars (1977) had a very limited release because movie theater owners
believed that it wouldn’t do well and didn’t want to show it. This changed once audiences began showing
great interest. Therefore, its opening weekend only comprised 1.48% of its total box ofce gross. Captain
America: Civil War’s opening weekend made up 43.9% of the movie’s total box ofce gross, making it the
highest out of all the movies listed.
V. Discussion
When considering ination, the top box ofce performers of all time were almost all released between
1937-1999 with Avatar (2009) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) being the only two exceptions. Half
of the movies on the Top 20 Movies of All Time list had some sort of historic cinematic rst, such as Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs being the rst animated feature lm. This implies that audiences are drawn to
the theater in large amounts when something new and exciting is occurring. Conversely, the majority of the
popular movies released in the past six years were either superhero movies, or remakes of earlier lms (such
as Star Wars or Jurassic World). Current audiences aren’t necessarily as inspired to make a trip to the movie
theater for new content, but rather, they want to re-experience popular movies from the past. Part of the
reason for this could be the fact that it is easier for important plot points from Star Wars: The Force Awakens
to be spoiled than it is for a movie with a completely new storyline. Therefore, going to the theater to the view
the movie as soon as possible eliminates the chance of spoilers.
Additionally, as the theory of collective spectatorship suggests, people enjoy watching lms together
whether they are aware of it or not. Movies with an intense and loyal fandom like Star Wars tend to develop a
strong sense of community among viewers, meaning audiences want to experience the excitement of these
movies with others in the moment, rather than waiting to watch them on streaming services at home.
Superhero movies are also driving current audiences to movie theaters, a trend which Captain
America screenwriter Stephen McFeely says is because it is “a genre that you can do well now given the
world of computers and perhaps it’s also just a time in the sun. You went to the movies in the ’50s and ’60s
you went to a western. So at this point, you’re going to a superhero movie. It’s taking over that same black
hat, white hat myth-making surface” (Romano, 2015). Additionally, since superhero movies are based on old
comic books, they also have a pre-existing fan base and community with which to watch the lms. Therefore,
similar to the Star Wars franchise, people tend to watch these lms in a community setting.
Opening weekend box ofce numbers suggest that social media has an effect on movie theater
attendance. For movies released in the past six years, the percent of total revenue generated during the
opening weekend box is much higher than for movies of the past. This would imply that audiences are
attending movies during the opening weekend after hearing about the release ahead of time, very likely
through social media. Conversely, movies such as Star Wars and Jaws became popular by word of mouth
after their release because there were fewer media outlets through which to promote them.
This study has a number of limitations. Additional box ofce numbers were needed, since most
movies before the 1980s did not have opening weekend numbers reported. Some lms also had limited
release weekends before the actual release date, which were omitted from the study. Additionally, the
“cinematic rsts” category was dened largely by groundbreaking technical aspects, not for innovative
storylines or novel narrative structures. Future researchers may also want to utilize social media analytics
in order to determine a deeper evidence-based correlation between social media usage and movie theater
attendance.
VI. Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to determine some of the factors still drawing audiences to movie
theaters despite the increase in streaming service technology. It also sought to identify the differences
between popular box ofce lms of all time in comparison to top box ofce lms in the past six years in order
to further understand how audience preferences have changed.
Discovering Audience Motivations Behind Movie Theater Attendance by Emily Flynn — 101
The compilation of top box ofce lm data showed that recent popular movies were very different
from the top movies of all time. Today’s audiences are most interested in viewing superhero movies, or
remakes of old lms. In the past, audiences went to the movie theater to view lms that were considered
“groundbreaking,” but audiences now appear to want lms that already have a large fan base established,
such as Star Wars and Jurassic World. Audiences do not want to hear spoilers about lms where they
know the characters and plot well, so viewing it in the movie theater is a useful way to remain part of the
conversation in real time.
When considering the theory of collective spectatorship, movie theaters also elicit a sense of
community that people want to experience whether they realize it or not. Star Wars has a large, dedicated
fanbase (so much so that people will dress up for the premieres), thereby making it a movie people want
to view with their fellow fans. This is not as easy to do from one’s living room, and by the time the movie is
released to streaming services, the hype and excitement surrounding the movie’s release will have already
died down.
The movies chosen for this study only comprise a small portion of the top box ofce movies of all
time, so further research could be done with a more extensive list of movies over a longer time period.
However, the preliminary conclusions drawn from this study indicate that in order for movie theaters to remain
successful in the future, they need to brand themselves as an experience rather than just another medium to
view movies.
Acknowledgements
The author is thankful to Lorraine Ahearn, former professor at Elon University, for her supervision and
advice, without which the article could not be published. The author also appreciates numerous reviewers
who have helped revise this article.
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