Cinematographic frequentation

The cinematographic frequentation is the social relation maintained between a group individuals and the cinema. She relates to the film consumption in the rooms and her frequency. She results in entries with the Box-office and its analysis is closely related to the Sociologie of the cinema.

The cinematographic frequentation is the subject of regular analyzes by the National center of cinematography (CNC).

Evolution of the frequentation in the developed countries

With leaving the war, the cinema knows a strong audience in room. But there is a strong heterogeneity according to the countries. Consumption per capita is very strong in England and strong with ETAS-Plain, Italy and in Japan. The evolution of the frequentation will be similar until the end of the Sixties. Thus, at the rate/rhythm of the penetration of television in the hearths, the frequentation decreased. She thus started has to decline as of the end of the second world war in the United States and slightly after in England whereas it was necessary to wait the middle of the Fifties in Japan and in France and the Sixties in Italy and Spain. If it will continue to decline in Germany, in Japan and especially in Spain, in England and Italy, it will be stabilized in France and in the United States. One will note in the majority of the countries a strong resumption of the frequentation at the end of the Nineties and to the beginning of the year 2000 (strongest in England and more moderate in Italy).

Nb of films seen per capita

Evolution of the frequentation in France

After one period when the cinema sought its model of exploitation at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, cinema industry was organized with the construction of rooms dedicated within disproportionate establishments (in 1920, there are 11 rooms of more than 2000 places in Paris). The cinema is essential then like a place of cultural consumption of mass. Contrary to the theater, the cinema gives up any social stratification with a common space. The cinema admissions, which concern an audience larger than the theater and the opera (because less expensive), explode and the spectators return regularly.

The advent of speaking makes it possible the French cinema to take again its dominating place in the Thirties after having given up it with the American cinema which dominates the Twenties vis-a-vis an industry in crisis.

This trend rise of the frequentation lasts until the end of the Fifties. In 1933, the cinema earlier accounts for 60% of the receipts of the spectacles in Paris against a third 10 years. 1930 are an important date because for the first time, the cinema represents the majority of the receipts of the entertainment world. Paradoxically, the frequentation is more strongly affected by the crisis of the Thirties than by the second world war. Contrary, so that one observes in the United States, the frequentation falls as from 1931 (after a rise of however of 33 and 16% in 1930 and 1931) and many rooms close.

The exploitation must adapt by lowering the prices, by offering double-programs and current events. In 1945, there is, again, 357 million spectators in France. The spectators prefer French films and its stars. It is the development of the television which leads some to remain on their premises and with less attending the rooms. In the same way, the car brings changes of lifestyles. The fall of the frequentation is compensated by the rise in the price of the tickets which still increases the anbandon rooms by the popular classes. Thus, between 1960 and 1990, the price of a place it was multiplied by 17 whereas the prices were on average multiplied by only 7 over the period.

The frequentation knows a phase of stability in the Seventies and with beginning of the year 80 because the influence of the equipment of the households out of television set is reduced, those which are equipped being is already televiewers who adapted their consumption (young people), that is to say households less consuming films. The young generation became a generation accustomed to films, in particular thanks to the television which popularizes the cinema by its reducing effect of the audience of cinematographic works. Nevertheless, the fall begins again with the creation and the multiplication of the private television channels which offer a great quantity of films in product of call.

In the Nineties, the development of multiplex and of the season tickets allow a novel mode of consumption of the cinema which leads to an inversion of the tendency: the frequentation sets out again with the rise. Thus multiplex them allow to touch a broader population (34,8 million French went to the cinema in 2005 compared with 30,8 million in 1997) whereas the season tickets stopped the fall of frequentation of the assiduous spectators.

The paradox of the evolution of the cinematographic frequentation

Whereas the frequentation has tendentially dropped for 40 years, the demand for films did not cease progressing with the multiplication of the television channels, in particular specialized on the video cinema, it then DVD as well as new forms of diffusion (mobile, Vod…). Consequently, one speaks about crisis of the cinema continuously whereas the money forever be also abundant for the production of films. Even the receipts in rooms progressed, including for period 1965/1985, thanks to the raising of prices of the ticket.

In addition, televisions started with less being interested in films in the years 2000 because they judged them like nonexclusive products because of their passage in rooms, video and on paid televisions. However, the spectator on the contrary showed himself more interested by films so much so that the frequentation set out again with the rise.

A preference for the American cinema

If it is noted today that the share of American films in the French cinematographic frequentation is dominating, it always was not thus until the middle of the Eighties. On the contrary even, the French cinema remained majority with the Box-office with a market share higher or close to 50% until this date (with points with 58% in 1973). With beginning of the year 80, the French boxoffice had the even appearance of an exception in Europe where the American cinema had become dominating, having reduced the international ambitions of the English, German and Italian cinemas.

However since 1987, the share of the French cinema is from now on closer to the third of the entries, letting the American cinema exceed the 50%.

Several explanations combine to explain it:

the public of the young people increased as from the Fifties and took in France a larger importance after May 68. Indeed, the lengthening of the duration of the studies, coupled with the improvement of the purchasing power of the households, allowed the rise of a new young and solvent public. However, this public finds in the American dream and its legendary figures a idealized vision which contrasts with the French company that one presents to him and that the French cinema of after new wave puts in scene (films of Philippe Labro, Claude Sautet, Yves Boisset, Claude Chabrol…). This movement was all the more extremely as in parallel the American cinema did not hesitate to grow rich by the contribution of often European immigrant scenario writers. The English language is not completely any more perceived like a language of another country, but it becomes an international language.
the anti-Americanism loses its power with the backward flow of the influence of the communist ideas in the French company.
the private French television which develops as from 1984 (Channel +, 5 and TV6) must respect quotas of French film diffusion - at least the half - which standardizes this type of works and the public finds naturally less legitimate to move in rooms and to pay for what it can so easily see of at his place free.
the quality of the rooms which improved becomes a place which privileges the films with large spectacle which remain primarily the prerogative of the American cinema with its special effects and its important budgets visible with the screen (moreover the French films which will propose an ambitious spectacle, often based on a literary work, will meet the public)
the power of the American cinema, fruit of the first world economic power, is based on production companies, of particularly powerful distribution and exploitation (majors American). It comes out a capacity from it to make films of quality, varied, adapted to the tendencies of the evolution of the Western companies with a marketing whose results are tested regularly.
the market américan makes it possible to produce more than 500 flms per annum of which only most promising which will have been tested on the US market will be distributed in Europe and thus in France. Only the 150 arrive which has the largest potential. Thus, an American film has it a budget in ad space twice more important than for a French film (670 000 euros compared with 360.000 euros in 2005). It appears then logical that their success rate is high.
Lastly, all these effects are cumulative. On the one hand, the French spectator was accustomed to films of American culture. In addition, satisfaction with a type of film creates a desire for reviving a similar experiment, phenomenon which the American studios exploit while proposing regularly of the continuations to their successes.

This phenomenon is found in the majority of the developed countries. In parallel, of the cinemas like India, more moved away culturally, resists with a national cinema which accounts for 90% of the entries.

Seasonal variation of the cinematographic frequentation

The boxoffice is related to three types of seasonal variation:

the frequentation is indeed stronger the day out of films taking into account the event-driven character of this day and of marketing reinforced this day there (posting campaign, criticisms, trailers on television…). In order to benefit from an event related to the film (projection in Cannes) or from one bank holiday (Spiderman 3 beat the records of the 1st day while leaving one Tuesday the 1st er May), the day out can be decaf breadth. The will of the studios to make world exits (to create a world event and to avoid the hacking) leads them to organize the exits at the same time in the majority of the countries for the large exits.

the availability of the public is obviously an essential criterion. the weekend and bank holidays because of the availability of the general public in general and Wednesday because of the availability of the public of the high-school pupils. Monday, public holiday for part of the public working saturdays bénficie also of a premium.

periodic tariff promotions stimulate the frequentation. The spring of the cinema thus gathers 3 million spectators in three days in March and the festival of the cinema 4 million in three days around on June 21st. In the Eighties, Monday also profited from a premium because of a cheap rate for all this day there (in 1985, Monday accounted for 19% of the entries of the week compared with 10% in the years 2000 when these tariff conditions disappeared).

Moreover, the frequentation depends on exogenic factors:

the weather . The public hesitates to go in rooms if the weather is nice. This report nevertheless has been less and less checked for a few years, the public less hesitating to go to the cinema in summer under the effect of an offer which was packed and of an improvement of the air-conditioning of the rooms (between 1994 and 2000, the number of spectators in July /août increased regularly by 8% per annum against an average rise of 5% over the whole year. In the United States, the frequentation is already historically strong the summer because the rooms became a refuge vis-a-vis heat thanks to rooms air-conditioned for a long time.

competitor events . A World cup or a presidential debate has a influencenotable on the frequentation of one evening or one week. Thus, during the world cup 2006 in Germany, the boxoffice it knew its worst weeks of the year, including at the time of the festival of the cinema - from June 25th to 27th 2006 - where Tuesday recorded a fall of 30% compared to the corresponding day 2005. The external elements can nevertheless be favorable like the grêves teachers, very beneficial with the cinema.

In addition, there is an endogenous seasonal variation with projected films because the cinematographic economy remains an industry of offer: the public moves for a film more than for the exit. Thus, it frequently happens that the frequentation increases of more than 50% one week on the other or compared to the previous year without external elements when a film general public meets success. The success of film is then built on the capacity to make move the public and not on its capacity to push the public to be arbitrated in its favor with the detriment of other films proposed. In 1998, the cinematographic frequentation of the year increased because of one only film: Titanic. Not only, it brought a public which only moves very seldom in rooms, but it also increased the desire of cinema in the weeks which followed.

It is noted that the months of autumn and winter with holidays are most carrying (more than 8% of the entries of the year). Contrary, September suffers from the re-entry of the classes, of the time of summer which is prolonged and, perhaps according to certain observers, of the prospect for the payment of the taxes.

Internal bonds

External bonds

http://www.cnc.fr
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-info/i3197.asp

References

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