Chapter 1. LaunchPad for Media and Culture 11e
International Box Office Revenues
Author Names:
Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos
Activity Objective:
Students will use the steps of the critical process to examine the effects of international box office revenues on domestic filmmaking decisions.
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Question
With international film markets bringing in about 70 percent of Hollywood’s box office revenue, how might this affect the kinds of films being made by the major studios?
Description
Visit boxofficeguru.com and click "International" to view the list of Worldwide Box Office Grosses. The recent films are ranked according to their worldwide (domestic plus international) box office gross revenue. Split the class into two groups.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
- The first group should look for those films which received 70 percent or more of their gross box office revenue from foreign sources.
- The second group should look for those films which received less than 50 percent of their revenue from foreign sources (i.e., more than 50 percent of their revenue from domestic box office).
Use the box below to take notes.
Analysis
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Now, consider the patterns. What kinds of film genres do well internationally? What kinds do not? Also consider the types of stories and the casting of films that do well internationally or domestically.
Use the box below to record your findings.
Interpretation
Why do some Hollywood films “export” better than others?
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Do you think this might affect the kinds of films being made by the major studios?
Is there a good argument for studios to still make films that they would expect to appeal more to domestic audiences rather than international audiences?
Evaluation
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing that international box office revenue has become more important to Hollywood’s decisions on what kinds of films to make? Try to argue both sides of this.
Use the box below to discuss your opinions in a few sentences.