{"id":314151,"date":"2020-03-03T04:49:20","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T12:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=wherenext&#038;p=314151"},"modified":"2021-11-19T14:03:24","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T22:03:24","slug":"movie-greenlighting-with-ai","status":"publish","type":"wherenext","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/movie-greenlighting-with-ai","title":{"rendered":"Could AI and Data Analytics Deliver Blockbuster Movies?"},"author":501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[369852,369792],"tags":[427181,427191],"department":[476822],"wherenext-category":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-314151","wherenext","type-wherenext","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence--ai","category-location-intelligence","tag-hollywood","tag-media-entertainment","department-data-and-ai"],"acf":{"short_description":"How Hollywood uses AI and location data to choose which films to greenlight","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Hollywood has been slow to embrace data analytics when greenlighting and planning film projects, favoring gut instinct over what can be perceived as cold analysis. But innovative producers and studio executives are starting to view analytics as an ally.\r\n\r\nIn any industry, a lack of data can cause leaders to make damaging mistakes. In the film industry, stakes are high and mistakes are costly\u2014often resulting in millions of dollars lost and careers compromised."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"<strong>Article snapshot:<\/strong> Long governed by instinct, the process of choosing which films will be made is getting a boost from AI-based data analytics, while location data adds a new lens of insight.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"To avoid financial flops and help predict which movies will be successful, some filmmakers are testing new technologies. For instance, Warner Bros. recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/warner-bros-signs-deal-ai-driven-film-management-system-1268036\">inked a deal with Cinelytic<\/a>, an AI-powered analytics platform that can assess star power and film potential.\r\n\r\nFilmmakers can perform all kinds of analyses\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/nexttech-omnichannel-crm-and-gis\/\">just as retailers<\/a>, banks, and other businesses do\u2014to get an edge when vetting projects for investment. On the heels of the Warner Bros.\u2013Cinelytic deal, more decision-makers may turn to data analytics, enhanced by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/artificial-intelligence\">location intelligence and AI<\/a>, to decide which movies are made, how they\u2019re marketed, and where they\u2019re released.\r\n\r\n<strong>Staying Competitive in a Changing Industry<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIn part, competition with streaming platforms such as Netflix has spurred filmmakers\u2019 migration to data-driven operations. Netflix leverages machine learning to understand and anticipate its audience, and estimates the value of its personalization algorithm at $1 billion. With it, the company greenlights hundreds of films and projects each year and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.co.uk\/article\/how-do-netflixs-algorithms-work-machine-learning-helps-to-predict-what-viewers-will-like\">recommends personalized content<\/a> to every user, delivering targeted entertainment directly to living rooms all over the world.\r\n\r\nWith a plethora of affordable, quality content available at home, moviegoers are increasingly selective about which films they\u2019re willing to travel to a cinema to see. Producers aim to greenlight and deliver \u201cevent\u201d movies that will overcome couchbound inertia and attract consumers\u2019 discretionary cash.\r\n\r\n<strong>How AI Can Help Plan Films<\/strong>\r\n\r\nMany variables contribute to a film\u2019s success, including star power, timing of its release and distribution locations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citylab.com\/life\/2015\/02\/the-geography-of-box-office-success\/385595\/\">where the film takes place<\/a>, marketing budget and strategy, and the intended audience."},{"acf_fc_layout":"form","form_type":"aside","form_position":"Left","form_title":"THE ESRI BRIEF","form_desc":"A biweekly email connecting senior executives and business leaders with thought-provoking articles on location intelligence and critical technology trends.","form_button_label":"Sign up now","form_content":"https:\/\/go.pardot.com\/l\/82202\/2017-10-12\/jw1bmb","form_tag":"low-commitment-form\/sign-up-form"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"AI platforms like Cinelytic can model virtually limitless combinations of variables, comparing them with historical and real-time data (such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/social-media-and-targeted-advertising\/\">social media buzz<\/a> and competitor film performance) to predict success rates and potential revenue. The technology can model revenue implications of casting one lead actress over another, or of releasing the film in summer versus the winter holidays.\r\n\r\nAs the <em>Hollywood Reporter<\/em> noted in reporting on the Warner-Cinelytic deal, in the early stages of planning which movies to make, producers often have to make quick decisions. For example, during a film festival, they may only have a few hours to choose which film ideas to purchase. Executives can now use AI-powered analytics to vet the prospects for a film in minutes.\r\n\r\nThe amount of rich data available in our connected world\u2014and the speed at which AI can process it\u2014means that producers can quickly build a business case to support a greenlight decision, complementing intuition with data-driven insight.\r\n\r\n<strong>Data Analysis with Location in Focus<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOne way for movie executives to enhance this analytical approach is to view data in context of location. In this way, studios can discover which audiences might enjoy a film and where they\u2019re located. When decision-makers understand what an audience values\u2014whether that\u2019s filmgoers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/retailers-and-data-driven-commerce\/\">retail shoppers<\/a>, or other consumers\u2014they can predict spending patterns and plan a targeted marketing approach.\r\n\r\nFor instance, critics were surprised by the runaway success of films such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/2018\/03\/black-panther-box-office-competition-hollywood-data-problem-1201942210\/#!\"><em>Black Panther<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/culture\/2017\/6\/5\/15739284\/wonder-woman-box-office-records-female-director-get-out-hidden-figures\"><em>Wonder Woman<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>and<em> I Can Only Imagine<\/em>. They needn\u2019t have been. The studios behind each film understood the target-audience\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/psychographics-market-analysis-moves-beyond-demographics\/\">demographics and psychographics<\/a>, and delivered a story that resonated with their values. Like other demographic characteristics, values are often common to certain locations. For example, <em>I Can Only Imagine<\/em> was a hit in midwestern states with a large audience that identified with faith-based values. Characterized simply, these films were a case of supply meeting demand.\r\n\r\nOn a global scale, some genres tend to fare better or worse in <a href=\"https:\/\/americanfilmmarket.com\/relative-popularity-genres-around-world\/\">different countries<\/a>. Studio executives can use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/location-intelligence\">location intelligence<\/a> to target releases in areas with a large concentration of the prime audience. Filmmakers can also analyze social media engagement by location to see what\u2019s generating buzz where. Or they can map search engine traffic to measure the volume and location of interest around a certain topic or type of film.\r\n\r\nMany major brands combine a geographic information system (GIS) and AI to make sense of large amounts of data, identifying valuable customer segments such as dog owners or music lovers. The beauty of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/needs\/market-customer-analysis\">analyzing customer data<\/a> in terms of its location is the ability to combine that insight with other data sources, such as historical box office returns, to see patterns or trends.\r\n\r\nData analytics can\u2019t replace the human element that creatives bring, with their years of industry experience and expert feel for compelling stories. Nor can AI predict everything that will affect a film\u2019s success, such as competition with contemporaneous films, critical reviews, and zeitgeist. But as more studio executives take advantage of today\u2019s data-rich strategies and view their film lineup with an eye on location, they may find themselves thinking about their artistic decisions differently.\r\n\r\nWhile filmmakers can\u2019t solve for every variable, they can use location intelligence and AI-powered analysis to make faster, smarter greenlighting decisions, increasing the odds of producing a box office win or even the next smash."}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Enhancing Movie Analysis with AI and Location Intelligence | Data Analytics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With millions on the line, studio executives are embracing data analytics to help greenlight films and find the right audience in the right locations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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