Consumption and Production Of Films

One way we consume films is through cinema exhibition, which is the retail branch of the film industry. The exhibitor does not only sell the experience of the film, but the snacks and luxury seating. Cinemas often sell drinks which are not available in other places as this means they can price them high, like the snacks and popcorn also. This is where exhibitors make the most money, and as there are on average 14m cinema visits a month, a lot of profit is made. These prices are not so much an advantage for us. Advantages of a cinema would be the large screen and cinema sound, however because of new technology people can watch films on a relatively large screen with surround sound. Because of this the trends are changing and other alternatives to the cinema are becoming more popular.


Netflix is something that has become very popular recently. You are able to watch an unlimited amount of films for a monthly price. This saves money for the audience but at the same time makes money for the company. This is because using things like Netflix means you do not have to invest in a separate disk for each film, like a DVD or Blu-Ray player, which appeals to the audience. Because of the popularity of this the company makes a lot of money out of it. Another thing which makes Netflix appeal to the audience is that you can use it on a range of devices such as iPad, iPhone, laptop and tablets. This means that it is more practical and can be used out of the house. Some people may prefer to watch films of their TV and may not wish to watch films on other devices due to the small screen size, so they might be happy just buying individual DVD disks. One disadvantage of Netflix would be that it takes quite a long time for the film to be available once its been released, meaning that going to the cinema would give you the priority and enable you to see the film earlier.




The pressure for production companies is to compete against all other films available in a highly saturated market, as audiences can consume from many different platforms. Bigger production companies are able to spend more money on production, advertising, and technology within the film such as 3D or special effects. This means a larger audience are likely to consume the film and a larger profit will be made from it.