Edinburgh Napier University

  Analysis of the experience of some smaller European countries’ box-office data together with that of one South Asian country suggests that, despite significantly different levels of production, the distribution of ‘hits’ is in fact very similar and consistent with the distribution of audiences and revenues in major markets such as the United States and others. The skewed distribution of cinema audiences in Scotland, Ireland Denmark and Singapore appears to confirm the importance of a small number of unpredictable high-performing outliers (or ‘blockbusters’) in determining overall audiences and box-office revenues. Analysis of production levels and aggregate audience share for domestic films in several small countries reveals a correlation that emerges once production exceeds a critical level. The implications of a consistent pattern of film success for film funding policy which may be relevant in both Europe and elsewhere including Asia is discussed.