Audience Research

I did some research on Pete Buckingham, head of distribution and exhibition for the UK film council to understand more about audiences and audience theory.

Here are some statistics about UK audiences:

Young- 15-24 Year olds represent 32% of the population, but 40% of the cinema audience. By contrast 55+ represent 34% of the population, but only 20% of the cinema audience. 35-44 Year olds who make up 38% of cinema audience represent 35% of the population
Upmarket- ABC1s represent 49% of the population, but 60% of the cinema audience. We can assume the older the audience, the more upmarket.

Frequency- 15-34 Year olds represent 60% of heavy cinema goers and within that 40% are from the 15-24 group. Medium cinema goers are 50% of 25-44 year olds. The 55+ make up 32% of the light cinema goers.

From this information we see there are two main audience types, the young and the upmarket who are older people. The upmarket audience tend to frown upon the younger audience who usually prefer multiplex cinemas because it makes it a more social event. For example the ODEON in Norwich has restaurants and clubs in the vicinity, meaning it is highly likely their main customers are young people. Whereas the upmarket audience are more likely to go to an art house to watch the films, which appeals to them.

Audiences can also be categorised by what are known as clusters. These are groups of people based on averages who follow certain patterns when watching films. They include:

Hero seeker- Don't go out much, place well in advance

Impulsive materialist- Fashion victim, affluent, film-dinner-drinks, word of mouth is key

Film fanatics- Male, pre-plan their trip, 25-44, go in 2s, review-led

Impressionable socialites- Male/Female, under 25, like blockbusters, led by ads

Modern parents- Kids pressuring the parents

Fun lovers- Not film literate, big film and video consumers

Youth of today- See films as soon as they come out



These categories are not entirely accurate as they are based on averages and trends. They don't provide enough information for writers or director to use when deciding on their audience.


Pete asked audiences which activities were more important to them than films, here were the results: