One more post to perhaps stir the pot. Patrick Bjork Bismarck State College [log in to unmask] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 03 Aug 1994 17:47:57 -0400 From:[log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Films & composites Patrick writes.> Is it possible to draw a cultural composite of todays viewer in contrast to say, 30 years ago? Well I think that composite viewing data, audience segmentation analysis, and all the other inexact and expensive methods used to define audiences, really don t work and are often ineffectual in use by the people who commissioned them. There is a current wave going though the movie industry that really has not been fully perceived by the viewing public as of yet, of studios making movies of television shows the current crop of filmmakers watched as children. Already The Flintstones, The Adams Family have been produced and in addition in the pipeline are Mission impossible and Sgt. Bilko (Steve Martin) and Green Acres. I believe this is clear indication that what films are made are ones that are known to have a cultural inheritance in the mind of the intended viewer, in essence - pandering as Peter writes. So the industry doesnt really think or care? about the content, but rather the development of composites is intended to define a market, not a cultural need. Thus in failing to use research into composite viewing data as a indicator of customer want and need instead of a measure of volume expected they have planned to fail, which they have. Patrick also writes.> perhaps the movie industry believe that only the spectacle can draw an audience. Spectacle films are very important for revenue hungry production houses, and are made simply because of the known audience volume, also there is also the inherent problem that most film viewers lack the capacity to enjoy ideas not already familiar to them... once again the current popular couture need to have entertainment neatly served up... with no thinking required please. Interesting the American networks A&E and PBS are good channels to watch if you want to get a idea of what films are going to cross the ocean and end up on American screens, most studios ( international) have been airing shows such as Cracker (UK) and Prime Suspect (UK) to gage American viewers opinions on these American channels. Anyone have any ideas why American films lack strong story lines and interesting characterization, and are rather goofy when they attempt to produce a film of value? -- is there any way of showing viewers that better can be had and it much more interesting? Robert