The Long Tail

1) Find an example of a film that is a big hit and compare it with a niche film.

Compare - Production cost, Cinema screens/Tickets, DVD sales and Fan activity.

The Hangover

Production cost - The budget for The Hangover $35,000,000.00
Cinema screens/Tickets - $467,323,663
DVD Sales - $175,111,247
Fan activity - Groups on facebook, websites, merchandise


The Last Exorcism


Production cost - $1.8 million
Cinema screens/Tickets - $66,981,335
DVD Sales - $5,974,482
Fan activity - Websites, merchandise (t-shirts)

2) Do your figures work out the same or close to each other? Is Chris Anderson proved right or wrong?

The Hangover had a massive budget compared to The Last Exorcism ($33 million more), but also made a lot more revenue ($401 million more). However, if you compare the budget of The Last Exorcism to its profit, it works out that the film grossed 37.1 times more than its budget. The Hangover on the other hand grossed only 2.6 times its budget.

We do not agree with the theory of The Long Tail as if we look at The Hangover and The Last Exorcism, The Hangover made a substancial amount more revenue.

3) Blog your understanding of the long tail - which niche markets do you access + how?

The Long Tail theory is where the revenue of several niche markets/films will equal to a blockbuster film. Niche markets are accessed usually by the internet through websites that sell DVDs such as Amazon or Ebay.