Predicting the Future Direction of the Film Industry Based on

Audience Behavior

Xiaoyan Li

Honors college, Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Tianjin, China

Keywords: Audience Behaviour, Future Development of Film Industry, New Media Platform.

Abstract: With the rise of streaming platforms and the diversification of entertainment choices, there have been many

changes in the behavior of moviegoers. Studying the future direction of the film industry based on audience

behavior is of great significance to the recovery and development of the film industry in the present era. Based

on the change of audience's behavior in film watching in recent years, this study uses the method of literature

analysis and indexes analysis to predict the future direction of the film and puts forward relevant suggestions

for the film industry. The study found that there is a need to make changes in content in terms of emotional

resonance and selection of subject matter, in terms of technology there is a need to use special effects

technology such as real-time data analysis, and in terms of marketing there is a need to make good use of

streaming media platforms.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the era of new media pervasiveness, people have

shifted from passively receiving media information to

actively creating media content, it can be argued that

viewers have become media users and producers

simultaneously(Afifah et al., 2022).Social media and

streaming services (e.g. Weibo and Tik Tok) have

enabled people to watch films and TV series on their

smartphones, tablets or other portable devices

anytime, anywhere, and all they need is an internet

connection(Chen, 2023). The strict scheduling

system of traditional cinemas is gone, and if

audiences want to watch a film, streaming platforms

can help them do it. In addition, viewers can

immediately spread the viewing experience through

social media as well as the comment section of the

streaming platform, thus creating a word-of-mouth

effect. The instant feedback mechanism has had a

profound impact on the way word-of-mouth

marketing and box office success of films. Therefore,

it is important for filmmakers to track consumer

opinions on social media platforms in a timely

manner and adjust their marketing strategies and

promotional directions accordingly to enhance the

audience's viewing experience.

The film industry has entered the digital age,

fueled by streaming sites and technological advances.

The popularity of traditional cinemas is diminishing,

with a growing mix of pay channels and soft

platforms for film viewing. In 2020, the depth of film

production in China is projected to be 37 percent, but

the number of subscribers to streaming service

channels has increased dramatically (Chen & Liu,

2023); Netflix has more than 200 million

subscriptions to its service worldwide. While box

office rechavets once signaled success in the film

industry, the emergence of streaming platforms has

allowed films to be made directly by or for audiences.

This has created new opportunities for filmmakers

and distributors, as well as new challenges.

Innovative mechanisms, including subscription

schemes, derivative merchandise development, and

intra-industry collaborations, have brought new

dynamics to growth. In addition, the application of

emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,

virtual and augmented reality, and big data to

optimize content recommendations are changing the

way films are made and presented, driving innovation

in the film industry (Lee et al., 2016b).

In this context, this paper discusses the influence

of audience behavior on the development of the film

industry, to put forward some suggestions for

reference on the future development of the film.

258

Li, X.

Predicting the Future Direction of the Film Industry Based on Audience Behavior.

DOI: 10.5220/0013989600004916

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2025), pages 258-262

ISBN: 978-989-758-778-8

2 TRACKING AUDIENCE

BEHAVIOR

2.1 Audience Viewing Habits

Audiences tend to watch movies online and are

fragmented (Miles, 2019). At the beginning of the

epidemic outbreak, Chinese cinema attendance

dropped by 68%, but online viewing surged by 70%.

Audiences favored short content (e.g., film reviews

on Tik Tok) and often watched classic films (e.g., The

Shawshank Redemption) multiple times.

Audiences watch movies through social media.

Viewers interact with each other through barrage (e.g.

BiliBili) or live streaming with microphones (e.g.

TikTok), creating a "cloud movie watching"

community. Users on Weibo and TikTok shared their

opinions about Detective Chinatown 3, which became

one of the key factors for the film's first-day box

office to break 1 billion yuan.

2.2 Audience Consumption Behavior

The audience's behavior of paying to watch movies

presents different wills. 70% of online viewers are

willing to pay for the films they want to watch, but

they want the films to be of high quality (e.g. original

Netflix films). "Ne Zha" has also increased, resulting

in total sales of more than $200 million for the

peripherals products. The subscription model of OTT

platforms allows viewers to choose multiple sets and

pay flexibly according to their needs (Chen, 2023).

Therefore, the value of content to viewers is also

related to the role of certain channels, such as social

media and internet media, especially as viewing

experiences shared on social media platforms can

significantly influence the consumption decisions of

other viewers. Audiences are more cautious about

buying tickets and watching movies offline. 59% of

viewers say they are saving money on trips to the

cinema and instead investing in home cinema tools,

such as projectors, and private on-demand services).

2.3 Audience Content Preferences

The current state of viewers is that they are

increasingly demanding diverse content, mainly

localized and regionalization content (Mugil &

Kenzie, 2025). OTT platforms cater to the different

needs of viewers: they support multilingualism and

multiculturalism. Viewers like content that is relevant

to their own cultural backgrounds around the world.

In addition, people want interactive and participatory

experiences, so the use of virtual reality and

augmented reality technologies brings new forms of

viewing. In addition, viewers show a strong interest

in action, science fiction and superhero films, as

evidenced by the global popularity of Marvel films.

2.4 Audience Viewing Mechanism

In the new media era, criticism of films is no longer

focused on professional critics, but shifted to the

public, with an emphasis on popularity,

fragmentation and real-time feedback. Therefore, the

ecology of film criticism is diversified. In the age of

digital communication, the film viewer's experience

does not end with the closing credits. Viewers can go

to social media platforms such as Weibo or Tik Tok,

or use streaming services such as Tencent Video, and

post a large number of short comments, emojis, or

barrage, creating what is known as "instant word-of-

mouth". To illustrate, the film "Hi Mom" reached

billions of readers on Weibo on its first day of release.

The "mother-daughter love" video created by users in

the style of “capsule" triggered emotional resonance

and indirectly boosted box office growth.

The platform presents differentiated

characteristics. The success of art films and the

audience's decision on which film to watch is directly

related to Douban's in-depth and lengthy review and

rating system. For example, Return to Dust rating on

Douban largely helped viewers choose the film,

which had a rating of 8.4, allowing it to transition

from niche to mainstream. A film's highlights or

shortcomings quickly go viral through short 15-

second videos. By highlighting certain details in

micro formats, short videos have an impact on

potential viewers. For example, the topic "Moon

Man" has over 2 billion views, directly influencing

people's decision to watch the film. BiliBili, the

culture of screen comments brings people together,

creating a collective atmosphere for watching films.

The implementation of this "barrage" reinforces the

audience's emotional engagement. For example, in

the screen comments of The Wandering Earth 2, high-

frequency words such as "tears in my eyes" and "the

rise of Chinese sci-fi" reinforce the audience's

emotional identification. Words reinforce the

audience's emotional identification.

Algorithmic Recommendation and Film Review

Visibility. Positive feedback loops and information

filtering: Streaming media platforms use data

algorithms to automatically present and filter certain

film reviews, creating a "review filter bubble". Based

on monitoring the behavior of Netflix viewers,

similar movie reviews are recommended to viewers,

Predicting the Future Direction of the Film Industry Based on Audience Behavior

259

who are mostly fans of Marvel movies. As a result,

reviews such as "explosive special effects" and "tight

plot" continue to appear, confirming the audience's

genre preference and leading to under-exposure of

niche films.

However, certain platforms do not hesitate to

influence word-of-mouth by filtering unfavorable

reviews or purchasing many promoters to boost

ratings. For example, the film Shanghai Fortress saw

its rating plummet to 2.9 on Douban, suggesting

censorship of negative reviews and mistrust among

viewers.

The Reverse Impact of Film Reviews on the

Industry Chain. Nowadays, audience reviews are no

longer limited to consumer satisfaction but cover

almost the entire process from review creation to

production decision-making, so this concept can be

called the closed loop of "review to creation". Marvel

has responded by deepening its Asian characters in

subsequent series, tapping Chinese director Zhao

Ting for the lead role in the film Eternals. The trailer

for The Wandering Earth has been edited to focus on

the comedic elements, appealing to a different type of

audience, reminiscent of the "Shen Teng style" of

popular comedy clips popularized by TikTok.

3 STRATEGIES FOR THE

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE FILM INDUSTRY BASED

ON AUDIENCE VIEWING

BEHAVIOR

3.1 Content Suggestions

Works should deeply study the emotional

characteristics of specific cultural groups, such as the

Chinese nation's unique concept of family affection.

2020-2022 audience feedback data for the anti-

epidemic-themed films (Murthy et al., 2023).

Embrace Again and Chinese Doctors show that words

such as "touched”, and "tribute" appeared as

frequently as 73.6%. " And other words appear as

frequently as 73.6%. This not only reflects people's

emotional memories or feelings in a specific period

but also reflects people's strong need for a sense of

belonging.

Contemporary audiences are often too critical of

works that lack emotional sincerity, and creativity

should not be empty sermons or idealized

expressions. It is recommended to adopt the "grey

scale narrative" technique to face up to real conflicts

while maintaining humanistic concern. For example,

family-themed content should not rely on the

traditional narrative structure of portraying all parents

as perfect but should build a more believable

emotional bond by showcasing the many facets of

human nature in the intergenerational conflict, like Su

Daqiang in the TV drama "All is Well".

Emotional expression should resonate with the

current social fashion, and can focus on three main

directions: firstly, reconstructing more than 30

women's images in the era of gender issues to

"enhance women's status"; secondly, humanistic

reflection on the ethics of technology, such as the

series "Black Mirror"; Finally, it reflects the

existential anxiety of the post-pandemic era. When

portraying the mentality of modern people, new

forms such as multi-stranded narratives and open-

ended endings should be adopted, such as the

metaphorical class ending in "Parasite".

Family ethics (42% share), growing pains (31%),

and identity (19%) are still the emotional conventions

of the global market. The creative strategy suggests

adopting an "emotional modularization" design to

dismantle and reconstruct the traditional emotional

elements. For example, "Lighting Up the Stars"

combines the funeral theme with a childish

perspective to realize the contemporary

transformation of the theme of affection in the

innovation of the genre.

Emotional representation should dare to make a

breakthrough based on ethics, involving multiple age

groups and multiple fields, increasing the demand for

emotional impact from film viewers (Nie, 2022).

Vertically, it deals with the online loneliness of

Generation Z (e.g. Eighth Grade) and the digital skills

gap of previous generations (e.g. The Father).

Horizontally, it expands into new territory,

addressing topics such as human-computer emotions

(Her) and ecological empathy (Wolf Totem). It is

proposed to create a multidimensional parametric

model using sentiment spectrum analysis to

characterize emotions.

3.2 Topic Selection

Nowadays, people are under high social pressure, and

they like to get emotional resonance and escape from

reality with short entertainment. Therefore, the choice

of film themes should meet the audience's

psychological expectations. Themes should be

differentiated, avoiding overly personal expressions

and traditional "formula scripts". Even in a fast-paced

culture, creators still need to keep their heads down

and maintain the depth of their content and the visual

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appeal of scenes. In addition, they should favor topics

that are familiar to the audience, such as the

production of popular IP and sequels. Be adept at

capturing the emotional pain points and social

concerns of the times to win the audience's empathy.

3.3 Technology Applications

Using high-precision CGI and VR/AR technologies,

the rendering of micro-expressions of the characters

is enhanced to enhance emotional expression. To

reduce costs and increase efficiency while ensuring

picture quality, we give priority to IMAX-compatible

equipment and efficient filming processes (Paksiutov,

2021). Research on the integration of virtual and real

modes, such as combining virtual idols and real

performances to achieve interdimensional

performance innovation.

Intelligent assisted script generation, automated

post-production special effects, real-time multi-

language translation and audience behavior

prediction systems are all based on artificial

intelligence technology of the whole industry chain

(Peng, 2023). The box office prediction model based

on machine learning combines traditional indicators

such as actor influence, film type, production budget,

etc., and at the same time, simultaneously captures

news heat, social media opinion and user emotional

tendency data to build a multi-dimensional prediction

system. Using big data tracking technology, we can

analyze audience feedback in real-time and

dynamically adjust operation strategies. For example,

we responded to negative feedback by releasing

undisclosed clips on official microblogs, producing

documentaries for explanation, and initiating a local

content reset mechanism.

3.4 Marketing Model Innovation

Optimize the recommendation mechanism of the

platform's homepage through machine learning

algorithms to achieve accurate and personalized

content delivery. Aiming at the trend of rising home

viewing ratio, it is necessary to build a multi-platform

distribution matrix: after the film finishes cinema

screening, simultaneously expand TV media

(basic/pay channels) and streaming media

cooperation channels and enhance user participation

through enhanced interactive functions (Shi, 2023).

Adopt a tiered viewing strategy, e.g. offer free trials

to attract users, then guide them to buy individual

films or sign up for membership packages, coupled

with an online pre-sale system to fully convert

premiere ticket sales into revenue. Through the short-

video platform, its operations are achieved by placing

targeted adverts through the purchase of "Douban"

promotion services and creating an account matrix by

integrating IP-derived content such as extra scenes

from undisclosed episodes and early soundtracks of

band-themed works. In addition, interactive topic

challenges were introduced to inspire users to share

content.

Implement a diversified marketing approach:

including non-theatrical advertising campaigns such

as movie trailers, celebrity road shows and special

screenings; develop movie-centric theme parks, as

well as IP peripherals and co-branded games to

expand the value chain; and social responsibility can

be fulfilled by developing relevant public service

organizations in line with the theme of the film. In

order to satisfy the needs of moviegoers to watch

movies at home, we have launched the "Free

Projector with Super VIP" campaign, as well as "Gift

Packs with Exclusive Movie Sources" and "Movie

Gift Packs with Home Theatre Ambient Lighting and

Customized Snacks", which provide movie gift sets.

Movie gift sets such as "gift packs with exclusive

movie sources" and "gift packs with home cinema

ambient lighting and customized snacks" were also

launched to meet the needs of viewers for immersive

movie watching when they could not go out due to

time constraints.

Although it is the era of big data, workers should

maintain professional ethics and respect for the

industry, support originality, and oppose plagiarism

and AI scripts. To balance commercial and artistic

values, know that the audience's IQ is online; Make

proper use of the "fast food culture" industrial chain

in combination with the times, so that the film

industry can make a big profit and meet the needs of

the audience.

4 CONCLUSION

The study found that audiences' viewing habits have

become more online and fragmented, and that they

are more cautious in their consumption, preferring to

save on cinema spending and only consume films

with high word-of-mouth and quality. In the age of

digital communication, word-of-mouth doesn't end

when the credits roll - everyone is a critic, and every

comment on a film has the potential to influence its

success. With the leisure time of the audience (20–35-

year-old) being drastically reduced, if a film fails to

satisfy the audience's quest for quality entertainment,

the audience will turn to other diversified forms of

entertainment. With the increasing variety of

Predicting the Future Direction of the Film Industry Based on Audience Behavior

261

entertainment choices, people's expectation of

entertainment experience has also increased, which

makes the traditional film industry face

unprecedented challenges, and innovation and

transformation has become an urgent task. The

traditional mode of film production, distribution and

marketing is undergoing a profound change, and the

film industry must quickly adapt to this change to

meet new market trends and the growing demands of

audiences. Against this backdrop, every aspect of the

film industry needs to be re-examined and adapted to

ensure that it can continue to attract and meet

audience expectations. Therefore, it is recommended

that the film industry make certain changes in three

areas: content, use of technology and marketing

methods. The content and themes of future

productions should be chosen to be as close to the

audience's lives as possible, evoke sufficient

emotional resonance, and be in line with localization,

authenticity, contemporaneity, universality and

diversity. The plot should be compact and avoid

formulaic expressions to retain the audience.

Technologically, there should be extensive

application of real-time data analysis and dynamic

optimization of media as well as audience opinion,

and application of VR, AR.CGI, etc. to enhance

visual impact. In terms of marketing, it is necessary

to make efficient use of the resources of network

platforms (e.g., premium-cable TV, TikTok), build a

diverse entertainment ecosystem, shoulder social

responsibility, and balance the commercial value and

artistic value.

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