Thanks for this, Daniel. I am caught in a downward spiral of deepening concern for the FKATheFilmBiz, somewhat of my own making (at least when it comes to building a list). You brightened my morning.
This is well thought, researched and written. Thanks.
"If IMDb and early-stage Twitter had a baby, it would look something like Letterboxd"
Spot on :)
"For some reason, the film industry has foregrounded itself, whereby coverage of its ups and downs accompanies the entertainment product itself."
This is strange indeed. I wonder if one of the reasons is box office numbers were one of the earliest non-economics public data you can find on the Internet. Like sports, movie goers love to argue about movies and these numbers were used to supplement those arguments. I even remember a dedicated prediction market website in early 2000's where people were betting on box office numbers and profit.
A really fascinating and insightful analysis, thank you so much for sharing. There are several things that have interested me, in particular:
The theme of the return to reportorial films. It is something I have personally experienced first-hand, seeking out great titles that I had never seen. It is interesting because this could also translate into cultural elements of those films or the period of the films influencing other aspects of pop culture.
Finally, the growth of A24 and small film companies that still have a solid structure. Who knows if in the future producers can always slightly influence consumer preferences together with directors, cast and plot.
Your last comment on mushin made me think of the movie Perfect Days by Wim Wenders. I know it came out in 2023 but it was probably my favorite movie of last year.
Thanks for this, Daniel. I am caught in a downward spiral of deepening concern for the FKATheFilmBiz, somewhat of my own making (at least when it comes to building a list). You brightened my morning.
We love a little optimism
This is well thought, researched and written. Thanks.
"If IMDb and early-stage Twitter had a baby, it would look something like Letterboxd"
Spot on :)
"For some reason, the film industry has foregrounded itself, whereby coverage of its ups and downs accompanies the entertainment product itself."
This is strange indeed. I wonder if one of the reasons is box office numbers were one of the earliest non-economics public data you can find on the Internet. Like sports, movie goers love to argue about movies and these numbers were used to supplement those arguments. I even remember a dedicated prediction market website in early 2000's where people were betting on box office numbers and profit.
Definitely the optimism 👏
A really fascinating and insightful analysis, thank you so much for sharing. There are several things that have interested me, in particular:
The theme of the return to reportorial films. It is something I have personally experienced first-hand, seeking out great titles that I had never seen. It is interesting because this could also translate into cultural elements of those films or the period of the films influencing other aspects of pop culture.
The valorization of Letterbox and physical goods. People probably see in Letterbox, as you said, a new form of connection, expression, community and cinematic value. But the need for physical goods is also important. In particular, films and cinema are products strongly tied to identity. In a fascinating study, Leung et al. (2022) show how material products are actually more effective than digital ones in expressing a person's identity (https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcpy.1272?casa_token=TTUffsQiD6MAAAAA:KOxyLP6fh1F6AccOwAuqEz5PWoGJPMQ3M5TlfYJcF106iKz3sNDr_sT1JpK1_7xEZKt57ElJIT9k3Q).
Finally, the growth of A24 and small film companies that still have a solid structure. Who knows if in the future producers can always slightly influence consumer preferences together with directors, cast and plot.
Your last comment on mushin made me think of the movie Perfect Days by Wim Wenders. I know it came out in 2023 but it was probably my favorite movie of last year.
Thanks for the fun stats report.
I loved Perfect Days! Great movie.
Agreed. My favourite of 2024. So satisfying. If you liked that, consider finding a copy of the book A Man With No Talents.
Unrelated tangent: The stats report we need is on the rise of hyperbole and existential dread in media coverage. Has it really gotten worse?