Dynamics of World Cinema

More and more audiences are turning to the Internet for cultural consumption that transcends borders. The implications of new technologies for film distribution are enormous. The success of DVD rental and download sites that operate on-line, such as Netflix or Lovefilm, has shown the disruptive advantages of a novel business model. These services easily make niche material that is not likely to be stored in the physically limited space of traditional video stores available to a much wider client base than before.

Dynamics of World Cinema will seek evidence supporting Chris Anderson’s claim that for the first time in history, blockbusters and niche markets are on an equivalent economic footing, both worthy of development from a distribution point of view (because the large number of niche products multiplied by even a relatively small number of sales still results in a viable and powerful economic figure, creating the ‘long tail’ effect). Our findings will reveal that the Internet allows ‘peripheral’ merchandise to reach wider audiences alongside the few smash hits that traditionally dominate image markets.