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Exploring Art Film Audiences: A Marketing Analysis

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DOI: 10.1080/10496490902835688

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Exploring Art Film Audiences: A

Marketing Analysis
a b b
Sharon L. H. Chuu , Jennifer C. Chang & Judith L. Zaichkowsky
a
Charlottetown, P.E.I. , Canada
b
Simon Fraser University , British Columbia, Canada
Published online: 29 May 2009.

To cite this article: Sharon L. H. Chuu , Jennifer C. Chang & Judith L. Zaichkowsky (2009) Exploring
Art Film Audiences: A Marketing Analysis, Journal of Promotion Management, 15:1-2, 212-228, DOI:
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 Journal of Promotion Management, 15:212–228, 2009
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1049-6491 print / 1540-7594 online
DOI: 10.1080/10496490902835688

Exploring Art Film Audiences:

A Marketing Analysis

SHARON L. H. CHUU
Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada

JENNIFER C. CHANG and JUDITH L. ZAICHKOWSKY

Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
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The question of whether art film lovers have different movie con-
sumption patterns than commercial film audiences is examined
in this study. Art film audiences are found to warrant marketing
attention because they are more committed to movie attendance,
have a more favorable attitude towards movies in general, and are
more tolerant towards movie theater conditions than commercial
film audiences.

KEYWORDS art films, audiences, film industry, marketing,

movies

INTRODUCTION

There have been many studies on the motion picture product category in the
quantitative marketing literature (e.g., Eliashberg & Sawhney, 1994; Sawhney
& Eliashberg, 1996; Krider & Weinberg, 1998; Neelamegham & Jain, 1999;
Swami, Eliashberg, & Weinberg, 1999; Eliashberg, Swami, Weinberg, &
Wierenga, 2001; Elberse & Eliashberg, 2003; Weinberg, 2003). These stud-
ies focus on analyzing data of consumption patterns, mainly of commercial
films, to predict the life of box office receipts. However, there is only limited
behavioral research on art films (e.g., Smythe, Lusk, & Lewis, 1953; Adler,
1959; Vahemetsa, 1970; Austin, 1984; Faber, O’Guinn, & Hardy, 1988) and
most of these studies were performed by scholars in the communications
field and designed to provide comprehensive reports on how consumers
viewed and used the media.

Address correspondence to Judith Zaichkowsky, Professor of Marketing, Faculty of Busi-

ness Administration, Simon Fraser University, 500 Granville St., Vancouver, V6C 1W6, Canada.
E-mail: zaichkow@sfu.ca

212
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 213

In contrast to commercial films that tailor to the taste of mass con-

sumers, the art film market targets specific groups of consumers and may
become more important within our society. According to researchers, these
consumers take movies more seriously (e.g., Austin, 1984) and exhibit a pat-
tern of cultural consumption including activities such as attending classical
music concerts, operas, plays, lectures, and the ballet (e.g., Adler, 1959). Art
film audiences warrant special attention because the understanding of these
consumers’ motivations for consumption may lead to changes in the focus
and mix of films produced which underscore our society. Only recently has
Watson (2006) tried to develop a scale to measure and predict the behavior
of independent film audiences.
The importance of the art film market is realized as most of the big
studios have bought independent studios. In addition, some theater-chains
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believe that the art and specialty niche is growing faster than the whole
movie industry, reflected by Onex Corp’s acquisition of Landmark Theatres
and Silver Cinemas for USD $80.5 million in a move that broadens Onex’s
theater-chain empire into the art-film market (Onex Corp. cinema chains,
2002). The increasing importance theaters today place on the art film market
indicates the need to better understand art film audiences and, yet, there is
limited research done on art film audiences.
To expand and contribute to the existing literature, this study aims to ex-
plore the nature of art film audiences from a consumer behavior perspective
and to demonstrate the value of the art film market accordingly. Four dimen-
sions of movie patrons are investigated: 1) commitment to movie attendance;
2) attitudes towards movies in general; 3) tolerance towards movie theater
conditions; and 4) interest in movie-affiliated merchandise. From a consumer
behavior perspective, this study may lend insight to the importance and in-
fluence of different market segments to the direction of the movie industry
in the future.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Defining Art Films
Ensign and Knapton’s The complete dictionary of television and film (1985)
defines an art film as “an avant-garde or experimental film that uses bizarre
or new techniques of production, plot or performance” or “an informational
film about or revolving around one of the major art forms.” It further defines
an experimental film as “an independently produced film, usually noncom-
mercial that reflects the filmmaker’s personal vision in technique or story
line; usually expressing a unique and sometimes bizarre artistic viewpoint”
(p. 19). Irving (1995) defines an art film as “a film made by an independent
filmmaker, often on a modest production budget and without stars, and dis-
tributed as a genre film” (p. 82). Art films are generally considered to include
 214 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

foreign films (e.g., In the Mood for Love by Wong, Kar-Wai in 2000), films
by independent producers (e.g., Frankie Starlight by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
in 1995), documentaries (e.g., The Brandon Teena Story by Susan Muska in
1998), and classic “re-releases” (e.g., Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa in 1950).
Art films are frequently selected to be shown at major film festivals
and are often the winners of distinctive film awards. Many of these films are
made in non-English speaking countries (e.g., France, Italy, Germany, Japan,
China), and accompanied by English subtitles. (From the industry perspec-
tive, foreign films are referred to as non-American movies.) In terms of the
theatrical release of art films, they are screened primarily in art-house and
repertoire theaters only. This specific type of theater was located in college
towns and run-down areas of large cities when they first appeared in the
1940s (Wilinsky, 1996). Since the 1980s, when multiplex theaters became
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popular, art films have gradually received more distribution in regular the-
aters in all types of towns and neighborhoods. These films supplement the
limited number of new mainstream movies available at one point in time for
use in the multiplex theaters (Faber et al., 1988). However, their distribution
by comparison to commercial films remains very limited.

Defining Commercial Films

In contrast to art films, commercial films are those films whose sole aim
is to entertain the public and make a profit. The contents of commer-
cial films are particularly tailored to the taste of mass consumers. These
movies are primarily from Hollywood and are the specialty of major studios
such as Sony Picture Entertainment (including Columbia Pictures and Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer), Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group (owned by the Walt
Disney Company, including Walt Disney Pictures), Paramount Pictures, 20th
Century Fox, NBC Universal Entertainment (including Universal Studios), and
Warner Brothers Entertainment, to name the major few.
These major studios, which are all owned by large conglomerates,
have sufficient capital resources to control all stages of the filmmaking pro-
cess. This capacity to handle the entire process of filmmaking—from the
development of the original idea through the distribution of the finished
picture—gives commercial films enormous marketing advantages (Durie,
Pham, & Watson, 2000). These films are usually presold before their pro-
duction is finished; few films in the art-house sector are presold unless the
director has an established reputation. In most cases, commercial films are
guaranteed at least a limited release in a cinema chain in which the re-
spective Hollywood studio has an interest. Commercially successful films are
distributed more widely through a variety of theater chains. In order to as-
sess the potential profit of releasing a new film, the major studios have also
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 215

developed models to calculate a film’s box-office potential based on track

records of its stars, director, and genre in various geographic areas.

Differences in Consumption
In short, art films are those films that lie outside the boundaries defining
mainstream Hollywood productions. The differences between these two
types of films include the content, style, production, distribution, and, of
course, audiences (Austin, 1984). Faber et al. (1988) suggested that art films
represent the least radical departure from the commercial mainstream than
other alternatives such as cult films and X-rated movies.
The results of these studies indicate that art film audiences are character-
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ized by certain qualities. Some of these qualities are consistent across studies,
whereas others contradict with one another. A general conclusion indicates
that art film audiences go to the movies because they like the movies, not
because they use movies for other purposes such as social gatherings. In ad-
dition, movies deliver more benefits than entertainment to them (Vahemetsa,
1970). Regarding the demographics of art film audiences, the results indicate
that art film audiences tended to be well-educated, including more men than
women, and were more likely to be single (Smythe et al., 1953; Adler, 1959).
Other studies showed no difference in gender (e.g., Austin, 1984).
As for art film audiences’ hobbies and interests, they demonstrated a
cultural consumption pattern. They tended to prefer foreign movies and
serious dramas to other types of films (Smythe et al., 1953). They were more
likely than commercial film audiences to attend classical music concerts,
operas, plays, lectures, and the ballet. They were more likely to listen to
radio stations that focused on broadcasting classical music than commercial
audiences. They had greater interest in public affairs than mass audiences
(Adler, 1959). Art film audiences were more print oriented in comparison to
the commercial film audiences, who were more television oriented (Faber
et al., 1988).
As for attitudes towards movies, art film audiences were more serious
about movies and were found to be more likely than commercial filmgoers
to report movie-going as their favorite leisure activity. They perceived the
art house theater as offering a diversity of high-quality films unavailable
elsewhere (Austin, 1984). In choosing movies, art film audiences tended to
be influenced by critics’ reviews more so than personal recommendations
than audiences who attended art films less regularly (Smythe et al., 1953;
Austin). They cared more about the producer or director than the actors;
they were also much less dependent on advertising in nearly all media for
movie information than the commercial film audiences were (Smythe et al.;
Adler, 1959; Faber et al., 1988). In terms of attendance, art film audiences
were more likely to plan ahead to see a movie than commercial filmgoers.
 216 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

They also tended to see a movie alone or with fewer people than commercial
filmgoers (Austin; Faber et al.).

Summary and Hypotheses

Previous studies demonstrate that art film audiences predominantly consti-
tuted an avid movie-going group and tended to see movies more often than
commercial film audiences. Their movie attendance also seemed to be higher
than that of commercial film audiences (Smythe et al., 1953). Similarly, Faber
et al. (1988) suggested that the art film audiences attend movies more fre-
quently than general audiences do; therefore, the following hypothesis will
be tested:
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H1: Art film audiences attend movies more often than commercial film
audiences.

Austin (1984) suggested that art film audiences are more likely to attend
movies alone. Faber et al.’s study (1988) showed that commercial film audi-
ences are more likely to attend a movie “to be with spouse or date” or “to
have something to do with others “ or because “someone asked me to go”. In
other words, art film audiences are more likely to attend movies for the sake
of the movies, while commercial film audiences tend to attend movies for
reasons other than the movie itself. It seems that art film audiences tend to
demonstrate self-determined initiative in their movie-going behavior while
commercial film audiences tend to show passive, other-determined initia-
tive. Therefore, we assume that the frequency of art film audiences’ movie
attendance is less likely to be influenced by the other people and propose a
second hypothesis:

H2: Art film audiences are more likely to attend movies alone than com-
mercial film audiences.

Austin (1984) indicated that attending a movie is a purposeful behavior

for art film audiences. They take it seriously, plan ahead of time, and their
decisions are based on specific films. Adler (1959) further concluded that
art film audiences were more likely than commercial film audiences to have
some idea of the content of movies they were about to see. At the same
time, if not much is known about the movies, art film audiences are more
willing to see movies they know very little about than commercial film
audiences. Chamberlin (1960) found that art film audiences would go to
films solely on the basis that they were art films. It is also possible that these
people established viewing art films as a long-term activity when they were
young. This in turn suggests that art film audiences are more loyal to movies
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 217

and consider movie-going more important as an element of their life than

commercial film audiences, and we further hypothesize:

H3: Art film audiences consider movie-going more important in their life
than commercial film audiences.

Vahemetsa (1970) classified art film audiences into several types. The
“cultural-prestige type” of art film audience considers film to be a specific
phenomenon of culture. Further, the “first cognitive type” of art film audience
considers movies to be a source of information important to their knowledge
and experience of life. The “second cognitive type” of art film audiences
considers movie-going a way to disentangle themselves from everyday reality
and a find a more beautiful life. In addition, the “aesthetic type” of art
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film audience considers film to be an autonomous aesthetic phenomenon

and a creative product. The previous descriptions are consistent with the
conclusion of Faber et al. (1988): art film audiences perceive movie-going
as a more intellectual experience, and commercial film audiences tend to
watch movies as one kind of entertainment or a way to pass time.
Vahemetsa (1970) also reported that commercial film audiences do not
perceive films as holding any particular cultural value. The value of films
is based on their ability to satisfy needs for relaxation, companionship, and
entertainment. Therefore it can be hypothesized that:

H4: Art film audiences hold a more favorable attitude towards movies in
general than commercial film audiences.

Previous studies have shown that movie theater conditions are not gen-
erally a primary concern of art film audiences in deciding which movie
theaters to attend. The finding from Adler (1959) indicated that art film au-
diences primarily determined the selection of movie theaters by the pictures
they show, while commercial film audiences were more likely to consider
the convenient location of the theater or its interior facilities. Austin (1984)
also confirmed that the main concern of art film audiences when deciding
upon movie attendance is the quality of the movies. He further stated that
they perceived the art-house theaters as a great opportunity to see movies
not normally shown in other theaters. The location of most of the art-house
theaters is not as convenient as the location of commercial theaters, which
are mostly inside or right beside large shopping malls. Art-house theaters are
generally less accessible than commercial theaters. Therefore we hypothe-
size:

H5: The convenient location of movie theaters is less important to art

film audiences than to commercial film audiences in deciding their movie
attendance.
 218 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

In addition to location, the facilities of most art-house theaters are not as

fancy and comfortable as of commercial theaters. Consequently, it is implied
that people who attend art-house theaters are tolerant of less than ideal
theater conditions. Therefore, we test:

H6: The facilities of movie theaters (e.g., sound, seating, beverage/snack

service, washrooms, and parking) are less important to art film audiences
than to commercial film audiences in deciding their movie attendance.

Previous studies demonstrate that art film audiences watch films with
passion and have the desire to know more about the movies. In Austin’s re-
search (1984), respondents reported a high level of enjoyment reading intro-
ductory comments about films before their screening. They indicated an in-
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terest in obtaining additional supplementary background information as well.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that art film audiences might have a
higher interest in purchasing movie-affiliated merchandises. Movie-affiliated
merchandises, such as novels from which screenplays were adapted, sound-
tracks, posters, or videos containing additional information about movies
should be appealing to art film audiences. We, therefore, developed the
hypothesis:

H7: Art film audiences have a higher interest in purchasing movie-

affiliated merchandise (e.g., movie posters, soundtracks, original novels,
videos, VCDs, DVDs) than commercial film audiences.

METHODOLOGY

Data was collected through surveying respondents in four movie theaters in

a major west coast city during evening hours while patrons waited in line
(90–125 respondents from each theater). For the purposes of investigating
the characteristics of art film audiences, the subjects were sampled from one
theatre with an emphasis on art-films; two theaters which show both art
and commercial films, and to have a sample of commercial films goers for
contrast, a chain theater of Cinemark USA was also sampled. Answering the
questionnaire took about 5–10 minutes and to encourage participation, a
lottery draw for a $25 gift certificate was provided.

The Questionnaire
The initial questionnaire was pretested on a sample of 20 graduate students
who were regular moviegoers. The pretest revealed one major point of con-
cern. Art films are classified according to production companies outside of
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 219

mainstream Hollywood, but most respondents are not very knowledgeable

about specific production companies. However most people could usually
recall the theaters they have attended and theaters usually have a definite
screening policy (they either show only commercial films or art films). There-
fore, movie theaters constituted a clear criterion to help respondents classify
art films and commercial films.
The final version of the questionnaire consisted of 35 questions dealing
with behaviors and attitudes of movie attendance. To make sure all re-
spondents understood and equally interpreted art versus commercial films,
the first page of the questionnaire defined art films as “those that lie out-
side the mainstream Hollywood system including independent films, foreign
films and documentaries” and commercial films as “mainstream Hollywood
Movies” and listed the various cinemas in the city that screen the different
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types of films.
The sample was classified into three different audiences: 1) High prefer-
ence for commercial films; 2) Preference for both art and commercial films;
and 3) High preference for art films, based on their responses to preference
and behavioral questions measured on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree,
5 = strongly agree). Preference was measured by: 1) “I generally prefer art
films to commercial films,” and 2) “I generally prefer commercial films to art
films” (reverse scored). Behavior was measured by: 3) “Over the past year I
have seen more art films than commercial films (including videos and movies
on TV),” and 4) “Over the past year I have seen more commercial films than
art films (including videos and movies on TV)” (reverse scored). Each pair
of questions was added and averaged and the two dimensions were cross
tabulated. Respondents who scored 2 or less (out of 5) on both dimensions
were classified as commercial filmgoers, and those who scored over 4 on
both dimensions were classified as mainly art film audiences. All others were
classified as audiences for both art and commercial films. The multiple ques-
tions relating to various attitudes and perceptions of moviegoers were factor
analyzed to identify constructs.

RESULTS
Sample Profile
Altogether, 441 people were interviewed and 3 were eliminated due to in-
complete questionnaires. The sample of 438 attendees of the 4 theaters
covered a wide range of people with different levels of preferences towards
art films. Forty-five people were classified as mainly commercial film audi-
ences, 198 as both, and 195 as mainly art film audiences. Generally, the art
film audiences were older, better educated and more likely to ride a bicycle.
Commercial film audiences were more likely to be male, full-time students,
and own their own car (see Table 1). For the other demographic variables
 220 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

TABLE 1 Demographic Profile of Respondents

Moviegoers who prefer. . ..

Commercial films Both Art films
N = 45 N = 198 N = 195
% % % Chi-square

Gender
Female 34.1 34.2 48.4 9.01 (p < .01)
Male 65.9 65.8 51.6
Age
Under 25 27.3 19.0 12.0 22.68 a (p < .01)
25–34 47.7 43.1 32.3
35–44 15.9 16.9 23.4
45–54 2.3 9.7 15.6
55 or over 6.8 11.3 16.7
11.25a (p < .1)
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Education
High school and before 15.9 11.3 6.3
College/university 61.4 60.5 54.7
Professional degree 11.4 9.2 12.5
Master’s degree and above 11.4 19.0 26.6
Marital Status 1.52 (N.S.)
Single 54.5 55.7 50.0
Married or equivalent 34.1 34.4 37.4
Divorced/widowed/separated 11.4 9.6 12.6
Having Children 1.68 (N.S.)
No 75.0 82.5 78.5
Yes 25.0 17.5 21.5
Employment 15.81a (p < .05)
Full-time 46.7 49.5 46.2
Part-time 13.3 10.6 13.3
Self-employed 6.7 18.2 15.4
Retired/unemployed/other 4.4 11.1 12.8
Full-time student 28.9 10.6 12.3
Transportation
Owned/leased car 61.4 57.4 46.4 14.19a (p < .01)
Public transportation/taxi 38.6 34.4 37.5
Bicycle 0.0 8.2 16.1
Income 4.2a (N.S.)
$30,000 and under 33.3 30.9 38.1
$30,000—$69,999 35.9 45.3 35.9
Over $70,000 30.8 23.8 26.0
aSome categories were collapsed in order to run the chi-square test.

of marital status, having children, and income, there were no significant

differences among the three groups of moviegoers.
The cultural lifestyle of the audiences was also investigated. The find-
ings of this study agree with Smythe et al. (1953) in that art film audiences
demonstrate a more cultured lifestyle than commercial film audiences (see
Table 2). They frequently attend concerts, nightclubs, visit art galleries, muse-
ums, and go to the library. By contrast, commercial film audiences attended
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 221

TABLE 2 Behavioral Lifestyle Consumption

Moviegoers who prefer. . .

Commercial Art
films Both films
N = 45 N = 198 N = 195
% % % Chi-square

Q25.1. Attend a concert or performance in an auditorium or hall

Never/Less than once a year 36.6 24.2 11.5 36.9 (p < .001)
1–2 times a year 45.5 35.6 31.4
3–5 times a year 11.4 23.2 26.7
6–9 times a month 4.5 9.8 16.8
More than 10 times a year 0.0 7.2 13.6
Column Total 100 % 100 % 100 %
Q25.2. Watch a show or performance at a club/bar/nightspot
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;Never/Less than once a year 41.9 29.5 33.3 13.75 (p < .1)
1–2 times a year 32.6 22.3 20.3
3–5 times a year 14.0 21.8 17.7
6–9 times a month 11.6 10.4 14.6
More than 10 times a year 0.0 16.1 14.1
Column Total 100 % 100 % 100 %
Q25.3. Attend a professional sports event
Never/Less than once a year 48.8 44.0 69.9 45.48a (p < .001)
1–2 times a year 16.3 27.5 22.8
3–5 times a year 23.3 14.0 2.6
More than 5 times a year 11.6 14.5 4.7
Column Total 100 % 100 % 100 %
Q25.4. Visit a museum or art gallery
Never/Less than once a year 44.2 20.1 5.7 57.88 (p < .001)
1–2 times a year 37.2 35.6 31.6
3–5 times a year 16.3 25.8 30.1
6–9 times a month 2.3 12.4 18.1
More than 10 times a year 0.0 6.2 14.5
Column Total 100 % 100 % 100 %
Q25.5. Go to a library
Less than 2 times a year 27.3 25.3 11.4 23.36 a (p < .001)
3–5 times a year 20.5 17.9 10.9
6–9 times a month 13.6 13.2 16.6
More than 10 times a year 38.6 43.7 61.1
aSome categories were collapsed in order to run the chi-square test.

more professional sporting events. Perhaps this is not surprising given that
most of the commercial film loyalists were male.

Attitude Constructs
Seventeen questions (measured on a seven-point scale; 1 = strongly disagree
to 7 = strongly agree) about movie attitudes and behavior were reduced by
principal components analysis. Five factors explaining 59% of the variance
 222 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

were generated: 1) commitment to movie attendance; 2) passive attitudes

to movies; 3) deep positive attitudes; 4) buying movie merchandise; and 5)
theater location. Cronbach alphas were computed for each factor and ranged
from a low of .41 for theater location to a high of .77 for commitment to
movie attendance (see Table 3). These results were used for creating the
variables for hypothesis testing, both through factor scores and summated
constructs.

Test of Hypotheses
Movie Attendance: Hypothesis one was supported as the results show that
art film audiences generally attend movies more often (Table 4). Only 3.6%
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of the art film audience went fewer than five times a year, whereas 22.7% of
commercial audiences went fewer than five time a year and about 25.3% of
art film goers went more than five times a month, while 6.8% of commercial
audiences went more than five times a month (X2 = 25.72, p < .001).
Analyzing this data as a continuous variable, the average movie going activity
is significantly different among all groups, 2.61 vs. 3.07 vs. 3.44 (F = 10.15,
p <.001).
Hypothesis two was also supported, as art film audiences reported they
are more likely to attend movies alone than commercial film audiences. For
the question “For movies that I really want to see, I don’t mind going alone,”
the means for the three groups are 5.04 vs. 5.76 vs. 6.35 (F = 16.87, p <
.001). All groups are significantly different than each other, with art film
goers strongly agreeing that they will go alone to a movie they really want
to see.
Importance of Movies to One’s Life: Hypothesis three, that art film au-
diences consider movie-going more important in their life than commercial
film audiences, was tested in two ways. First, factor scores from the first
factor of commitment to movie attendance and then a computed variable
adding and averaging the five questions within the factor (e.g., “attending
movies regularly is an important part of my life”; “attending movies has been
an important long-term hobby to me,” etc.). Average factor scores for the
three groups are −.47 vs. −.07 vs. .17 (F = 8.64 p <.001), with all groups
significantly different than each other. Using the averaged construct 7-point
scale we have means of 4.37 vs. 4.98 vs. 5.56, (F = 22.65, p < .001) showing
that art film audiences feel movies are a more deeply important part of their
lives than the other two groups (which are also significantly different from
each other).
Attitude toward movies: Hypothesis four stated art film goers have a
more positive attitude towards movies in general, than commercial film au-
diences. To test this, the two factors generated from the data were com-
pared among the groups: passive attitudes (Cronbach alpha = .75) and deep
 Downloaded by [Ms Judith L Zaichkowsky] at 08:00 17 July 2015

TABLE 3 Profiling Dimensions of Movie Attitudes and Behaviors

Factor Cronbach’s alpha Variables composing the factor (factor loadings) Variance explained

Factor 1: Commitment to Movie Attendance .77 Q19. For movies that I really want to see, I don’t mind going alone. (.56)
Factor 2: Passive Attitude .75
Factor 3: Deep Positive Attitude .69
Factor 4: Movie-Affiliated Merchandise.53
Factor 5: Tolerance of Theater Location .41 Q10. For a movie that I really want to see, I don’t mind traveling over an
Q20. For movies that I really want to see, I will attend a theater with poor 25.54%
quality facilities (.47)
Q21. Attending movies regularly is an important part of my life. (.75)
Q22. My frequency of attending movies has been very consistent over the
last three years. (.77)
Q23. Attending movies has been an important long-term hobby to me. (.80)
Q7. To me, movies are just harmless pastime. (.66)
Q11. I usually go to a movie only for a good laugh. (.75) 11.39%
Q13. For me, attending movies is just one way to hang out with friends. (.73)
Q14. Movies are just a form of entertainment. (.76)
Q9. The movies I view increase my appreciation of beauty. (.66) 8.79%
Q12. Movies provide a source of information that is important to my life
experience. (.67)
Q16. Most of the movies I watch are a true reflection of what life is really 7.26%
like in a given time. (.70)
Q17. Movies can usually enrich our cultural potential. (.70)
Q8. I like to buy movie-affiliated merchandise of the movies I like. (.78)
Q18. Buying any movie-affiliated merchandise is a waste of money. (−.80)
5.91%
hour to attend the movie theater. (.73)
Q15. I did not attend some movies that I wanted to see because of the
location of the theater. (−.80)

223
 224 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

TABLE 4 Frequency of Movie Attendance

Moviegoers who prefer . . .

Commercial films Both Art films
N = 45 N = 198 N = 195
% % %

(1) Less than 5 times a year 22.7% 11.2% 3.6% χ 2 = 25.72

(2) 6–10 times a year 22.7% 22.8% 21.1% (p < .001)
(3) 1–2 times a month 31.8% 31.0% 27.8%
(4) 3–4 times a month 15.9% 17.8% 22.2%
(5) 5 times or more a month 6.8% 17.3% 25.3%
Average scores on 5-point 2.61a (1.2) 3.07b (1.2) 3.44c (1.2) F = 10.15
scale (sd) (p < .001)
abc: numbers with different superscripts indicate significant differences p <.05.
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positive attitudes (Cronbach Alpha = .69). Again we used 1) the factor scores
and 2) new constructs from added and averaged items within the each fac-
tor. The Manova results in Table 5 show that art film audiences have the
highest level of agreement to deep positive statements among the three
moviegoer groups and they also have the lowest level of agreement to pas-
sive statements—followed by those moviegoers who prefer both types of
films, and then commercial moviegoers (F = 20.55, p < .001).
In summary, art film audiences tend to believe that movies possess
an important value which can enrich both their minds and spirits. For this
audience, movies are a form of art. To the contrary, commercial film audi-
ences are more likely to perceive movies as a form of entertainment, which
provides a good past-time to enjoy with one’s friends.
Tolerance toward Movie Theater Location and Conditions: The results
failed to support Hypothesis Five, which stated that art film audiences have a
higher level of tolerance for the location of movie theaters than commercial
film audiences (3.86 vs. 3.96 vs. 3.76, N.S.). Most moviegoers of all types con-
sider “the ease of getting to the theater” somewhat important in determining
their movie attendance. Respondents in all three groups were unlikely to go

TABLE 5 Attitudes towards Movies in General

Commercial
films Both Art films Manova Wilks
Moviegoers who prefer . . . Mean Mean Mean Lambda

Passive Attitude Factor Score .63a .18b −.33c 20.55 (p < .001)
Deep Positive Attitude Factor Score −.23a −.22a .28b

Passive Attitude Construct∗ 3.98a 3.26b 2.47c 22.75 (p < .001)

Deep Positive attitude Construct∗ 4.21a 4.44a 5.10b
∗1 = Strongly Disagree, 7 = Strongly Agree.
abc: numbers with different superscripts are significantly different from each other p < .05.
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 225

TABLE 6 Tolerance towards Movie Theater Facilities

Commercial films Both Art films Manova Wilks

Moviegoers who prefer . . . Mean Mean Mean Lambda

Internal Facilities Factor Score .32a .15a −.22b 6.41 (p < .001)
External Facilities Factor Score .28a .07a −.13b
Internal Facilities Construct∗ 2.69a 2.56a 2.32b 6.35 (p < .001)
External Facilities Construct∗ 2.93a 2.71a 2.46b
∗1 = Not at all Important, 4 = Very Important.
abc: numbers with different superscripts are significantly different from each other p < .05.

out of their way and travel long distances to see a movie, even if they really
wanted to see it.
Hypothesis Six was tested by asking respondents how important various
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aspects of the movie theaters were: snack bar, seating, quality of sound,
washrooms, parking, and ease of getting to the theater. Factor analyses of
these items resulted in two factors (61% of the variance): 1) internal attributes
(Cronbach alpha = .72) and 2) external attributes (Cronbach alpha = .54).
These items were analyzed two ways: 1) adding and averaging the items; and
2) using factor scores (Table 6). Manova of the two factors showed significant
differences between art film audiences and the other two groups. Art film
audiences were more tolerant of the facilities than commercial film audiences
and those who like both venues. There were no differences between the
commercial and both groups. The results also show that art film audiences
are more likely to attend theaters with poor quality facilities when they really
want to see a movie. Commercial film audiences feel a theater’s facilities are
important and, thus, are more likely to look for theaters with things such as
comfortable seats, high-quality sound, good washrooms, and ease of parking
(p < .001).
Movie-Affiliated Merchandise: Hypothesis seven, that art film audiences
have a higher interest in purchasing movie-affiliated merchandise than com-
mercial film audiences, was not supported. The two questions from factor
four were used in the analyses, once with the factor scores and second as
an added construct (Cronbach alpha = .53). We found that commercial au-
diences and those who enjoyed both art and commercial films had similar
scores and were significantly more interested in this type of merchandise
than the art film audiences (.25 vs. .09 vs −.15, F = 4.49 p < .01: 2.78 vs.
2.58 vs. 2.22, F = 6.47 p < .01). Overall, none of the groups were really very
interested in movie merchandise as scores were well below the mid-point of
4 on the 7- point scale.

DISCUSSION

Art film audiences are found to be committed to movie attendance, hold a

positive attitude towards movies in general, and are more tolerant of theater
 226 S. L. H. Chuu et al.

conditions. They actively seek out movie information and release schedules
on their own. To the art film audience, movies are more than entertainment;
they are part of a cultural lifestyle.
It is the long-term orientation of the art film consumer that is the quality
which most distinguishes the art film market from the commercial market.
Most art film audiences are extremely loyal to movies—they attend movies
very frequently and even consider movie-going as an important long-term
activity in their life. This long-term value of the art film market cannot be
properly evaluated and determined by the Hollywood measurement of box-
office figures, which is fundamentally short-term profit-oriented. From a mar-
keter’s perspective, this long-term orientation reduces marketing expenses
because the audiences will respond quickly to the promotion of a product
with which they have a relationship. Furthermore, the consistency of this
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market may correspond with the ability to standardize marketing strategies

that do not have to be redesigned to suit short-term fluctuation of the market
demand. This would also lead to reduced expenses in the long run for movie
promoters.
Art film audiences are generally tolerant of less than ideal movie theater
facilities and their decision about movie attendance is simply based on the
films shown. In addition, art film distribution companies do not necessarily
need to spend a tremendous amount of money on marketing, which is the
norm for the commercial film sector. Instead, they can rely more on word-of-
mouth among loyal art film audiences to encourage others to see films. Most
art movie houses send schedules of upcoming releases to their clientele by
email, thus avoiding costly advertising.
Based on our conclusions, we recommend several actions. First, since
art film audiences are more committed to movie attendance and treat movies
more as a long-term hobby than commercial film audiences are and do, re-
spectively, we recommend targeting consumers at a young age. For example,
if college students can get into the habit of appreciating art films, such as
The Inconvenient Truth, the long-term nature of the hobby may become sec-
ond nature to their weekly routine. To establish this long-term relationship
with the consumer, we recommend loyalty programs such as membership
clubs at an art-house theater and presentations accompanying the films. Con-
sumers may feel satisfied by being an official member of the sophisticated
and unique art film community.
Second, since art film audiences are more likely to go to classical music
concerts, plays, theater, operas, and the library than commercial film audi-
ences, we recommend targeting at consumers who participate in these activ-
ities. At the same time, art-house theaters or movie distribution companies
should establish joint promotions with production companies of these other
venues. This strategy could effectively expand the art film market. In addition,
both art films and cultural events share a similar upscale image, and joint-
promotion would strengthen and promote the sophisticated image of both.
 Exploring Art Film Audiences 227

Since art film audiences seek out information about movies on their
own, we recommend allocating informing the audiences through a customer
database. This can be combined with membership clubs mentioned earlier.
Art film theaters can send information about up-coming movies to members.
The information sent out can be about the movie as well as announce-
ments of up-coming events such as lectures or a brief introduction about
the movie prior to the showing of the movie, analogous to opera houses
hiring a speaker to talk about the composer and the opera right before the
performance starts. The idea is to keep potential audiences well-informed so
that they will come to see the movies.

Limitations
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The movies shown during the data collection period inevitably had an in-
fluence on the sampling frame, but we tried to minimize this with data col-
lections in different theaters with different movie screenings. Second, there
may be social desirability bias in respondents’ answering the question about
their preference towards art or commercial films. Art films generally hold an
intellectual image, and many respondents may want to associate with this
image in creating a desirable and intelligent impression of them. On the
other hand, some audiences may want to stay away from the “artsy” image
and tone down their positive attitudes towards art films when answering the
questions in the survey (Vaughan, 2006).

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