I like to do this once every couple of years or so, to gauge shifts in trends in a rapidly evolving film and TV universe.
In recent years, there’ve been numerous editorials by various industry insiders and outsiders, experts, declaring a shift in the way audiences are consuming content, and thus, how content creators are, or should be delivering their content.
Some have even been so bold as to predict the death of cinema as we’ve known it, whatever that means. Others have pointed towards a future in which the mobile web dominates, rendering the theatrical and television experiences near-obsolete.
I don’t think anyone really knows where we’re headed with absolute certainty. It seems that, right now, we’re all scrambling, throwing darts at ideas, hoping to land on something that works. I don’t think movie theatres and television are going to suddenly disappear; and I don’t know if the web is indeed the final frontier. I’d like to believe that all 3 can and will co-exist, with each serving some purpose that the other 2 can’t, or can’t quite as well.
But we can’t deny the effect that the information superhighway has had on the way the world consumes media.
What I’d like to know from all of you who frequent this blog is where and how most of you consume content.
Your responses to the 8 simple questions below will be very useful to us and much appreciated:
1. Approximately how many feature length films do you watch each month – cumulative (at the theatre, on TV, DVD rentals/purchase, on the web, iTunes, on your iPad, PDA, etc)? Feature-length (whether fiction or documentary or animation), not shorts.
2. How many of the number of films from your answer in the first question do you watch at the theatre?
3. How many of the number of films from your answer in the first question do you watch on TV (network or cable)?
4. How many of the number of films from your answer in the first question are DVD rentals/purchases?
5. How many of the number of films from your answer in the first question do you watch via SVOD, digital, web-based platforms (iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube etc, etc, etc)? Remember, feature-length films only.
6. How many of the number of films from your answer in the first question do you watch on handheld portable devices – iPhone, iPod Touch, PlayStation Portable, etc, etc, etc…?
7. Whenever choosing how and where you watch movies, which is of greater influence on your decision: price or convenience?
8. There are numerous web series. Do you watch any web series regularly, much like you tune in weekly to watch your favorite primetime television drama or comedy program?
That’s all for now. I may have some further questions which I’ll post in another poll; but these are a good start. Your responses are greatly appreciated.
I’ll eventually post the results, comparing them to the responses received the last time I asked these questions!