Cinema is an incredible artistic medium, but it is also the basis for a multi-billion dollar industry. Although the major motion picture industry is changing, and independent filmmakers are reaching new levels of creative and economic success each year, audiences worldwide still love going to the movies! That’s good news for anyone considering film school.
More information can be found by taking a look at the current statistics from the Motion Picture Association of America:
• Over 357,000 employees helped make 2007 a historic year for the movie industry. In fact, there were 19,000 more people working in the industry than there was a decade prior.
• In 2007 the worldwide box office reached a historic high of $26.72 Billion, a 4.9 % increase from the 2006 box office of $25.47 Billion!
• Here in the United States the box office rose 5.4 % in 2007, reaching $9.63 Billion.
• United States customers bought a total of 1.4 billion movie tickets in 2007. The average American went to 6 movies between the middle of 2006 and the middle of 2007.
• 50 % more films earned over the $100 million mark in the domestic box office than in the year prior.
• The average U.S. citizen spent 1,962 hours watching movies or TV in 2007; an increase of 6% from 2003.
• Americans also spent 6 % more money on filmed entertainment in 2007 than in the previous year.
• DVD players helped bring home theater entertainment into 87 % of American homes.
• Similarly, digital cable subscriptions were up 5% in 2007, bringing more Americans a wider variety of options for quality programming.
We all enjoy different styles of films and television shows, and that means there are myriad opportunities for creative people to have lasting careers in a successful industry. Working in film and television is certainly a challenging vocation, but it is also exciting and rewarding! The preceding statistics speak to the fact that employees in this industry are in a position to profit from an ever-increasing desire for quality entertainment!