Distribution Questions

1) How has Hollywood come to dominate world markets?
Many of the top Hollywood studios (20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount) have HQ's in the US as well as overseas. Paramount established itself in Germany and the UK in the 1920's and MGM, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox opened studios in the UK during the 30's, building cinemas in top locations such as London's West End to screen their films. Cinema chains all over the world have ownership agreements with the studios.

2) Why do I get to see the films I do at the local mulitplex?
If a film is produced by Paramount, for example, and a certain cinema is owned by them or they have a financial deal/agreement, then we are more likely to see a film produced by them at this particular cinema.

3) Do we get to see the films we want (demand led) or do we see films that are provided for us (supply led) and why?
Usually with the films we choose to see its down to the advertising. If theres a british film coming out that we haven't really heard about, we're not sure if we want to see it or not, however, Hollywood filmmakers have a large budget which allows them to pay for advertisments. This means that a lot of people will know about the film and will know if they want to see it or not. We're almost being forced into what we want to watch, as Hollywood films have us with their advertising.

4) Why are more people going to the cinema today?
Cinema has become extremely popular over the years due to lots of things. For one, films have so much hype now; Hollywood companies have a huge budget to advertise their films which means that they will attract a much wider audience and make a larger profit. Its almost as if people feel they need to watch a film because its had so much promotion to see what all the fuss is about. Also, deals like Orange Wednesdays have brought more people into cinemas with a two for one offer; it is a cheap day out so people tend to go. People also go for the experience; now that the number of IMAX cinemas and 3D films are increasing, people go for the 'thrill' of being taken into a 3D world.

5) Look to see whether films hold there positions well in the charts over a few weeks or whether they fall away quickly. What reasons can you come up with to explain this success or failure?