What do James Bond films earn on opening weekend?

The James Bond film SPECTRE came out this past weekend (Nov. 8). I loved it so much that I watched it twice.

My James Bond class got free shirts from Sony and went to see SPECTRE at Alamo Drafthouse on Nov. 9

I was curious and looked up what SPECTRE and previous James Bond films have earned during their opening weekends.


I was interested in the changes in early viewership and reception between the movies and also wanted to see how SPECTRE stacked up against the other recent films.


I found some websites with useful information, but they featured long lists on numbers and data which played tricks with my eyes.


There was a graph with squiggly lines which helped a little but was still confusing and didn't really help me comprehend what I was looking for.

Recently in my Online & Digital PR class, we've been talking about the importance of data visualization.

Not only do colorful pictures draw our eyes and keep our attention for longer, but it is easier for us to distinguish trends, patterns and possible anomalies when looking at visual data.

Therefore, I decided to make my own infographic interpreting this data.

The gauge chart focuses on which month each film was released, while showing how much they earned in their opening weekends in comparison with the other films.

The blue/green sections represent summer months while the purple sections represent winter months.

The move from summer to winter months appears to have significantly impacted the James Bond franchise.


The bar graph focuses on how much each of the films earned on opening weekend.

I color-coded this graph by the actors who played Bond to differentiate the eras of the films.

While The Spy Who Loved Me ($1,347,927) does not appear on the chart, the other films range from $6,834,967 (For Your Eyes Only) to $88,364,714 (Skyfall).

The source of information I used only had opening weekend box office information for the James Bond films made from 1977 to 2015.

Although the numbers for SPECTRE are estimated rather than definite because it released so recently, I went ahead and included its weekend performance at $73,000,000.


I think it is interesting to note the increase in the immediate earnings when Pierce Brosnan entered the world of Bond in 1995, after six years with no James Bond films. This contrasts with the decrease when Daniel Craig premiered as Bond, although his films have gone on to be big earners.

While the James Bond films have always been popular, they have been becomingly increasingly large productions which generally results in larger returns. I would like to go on to compare production budgets with the films' earnings and look at overall box office results for the James Bond films.

However, this train of thought will probably have to wait until I finish finals and end-of-semester projects.


Looking forward to my James Bond class' discussion on SPECTRE this evening,
The Purple Writer

What's the Cinemark App About?

* This is written as a "Connect the App Challenge" project for my content development class at Texas Tech University (PR 3345)

What is Cinemark Theatres?

What: Based in Plano, TX, Cinemark Theatres has grown from a small chain to be the third-largest movie theater chain in North America, with a presence in several countries across the globe. 

(It is likely that you have seen or passed by a Cinemark theater, even if you haven't watched a movie inside one.)

How: Cinemark's mission statement is to provide unsurpassed safety, respect, care and concern for employees and customers. 

Why: The reason for Cinemark's mission statement is their stated, number 1 goal: "Total and complete customer satisfaction."

They want to be known as the best, and have been working towards that by treating people well. It seems like a pretty smart idea.

Target Audience: Cinemark's primary audience is made up of teenagers and young adults who are likely in school or recent graduates. This group is generally able to afford watching movies semi-regularly, often hangs out with groups of friends at the theater, and enjoys midnight releases and other special events.

-> Cinemark does have a secondary audience of parents who will bring their children to movies and enjoy a family-friendly environment. This group often looks for discounts on multiple tickets as well as coupons for buying large snacks to share, to make a family outing more affordable.  

Cinemark has an app?

Yes, Cinemark has a mobile app, and you can do a couple things on it.

• Find movie theater locations, and favorite them for easy access
• See which movies are playing, and their showtime at individual theaters
• Read reviews, ratings, synopses and watch trailers
• Edit your Cinemark account
• View your past purchases and gift cards
• Use CineMode to dim your screen and earn coupons

Calls to Action (in the app)

• Buy movie tickets
• Be courteous to fellow movie viewers
• Earn rewards
• Return to Cinemark so you can use your coupons

Calls to Action (for the app)

• The app is featured next to social media icons on the website

• A spot runs before movies, telling viewers to use CineMode during the movie 

Is the app even needed?

So, sometimes mobile apps seem redundant when they offer the exact same product as a website. The thing is, Cinemark's website is not particularly mobile friendly. 

It's not "unfriendly," but everything is the same as on a computer, so all the images and options are tiny and you have to zoom to read anything.

Beyond the convenience of being able to read content, the Cinemark app's main feature is the CineMode, which is probably the driving factor in the app's usage.

Do people like the App?

1. I talked to a Cinemark employee who said she has the app, but rarely uses it.

Because she spend so much time with the food in the concession stand, she doesn't have a strong desire to eat that food in her free time and doesn't feel a need to use CineMode.

However, she does recommend it for movie lovers who like to buy food each time they visit.

2. Myself, I might go to Cinemark  a couple times a year. 

While I love the idea of earning rewards and saving money, I end up not returning to Cinemark soon enough to use the coupons I earn. 

For that reason, when I run out of space on my phone, the Cinemark app is on my list of expendables

3. One of my good friends is an avid movie lover, even more than I am. 

She sees every movie coming out, whether good or bad, and almost always watches them at Cinemark.

She loves using the app and CineMode, and seems to always have a reward to redeem when she goes to see a movie. 

Recommendations

1. I would recommend that CineMode offer discounts on future ticket prices, instead of just food coupons. That is something I would absolutely take advantage of! 

I love seeing movies but my preferred movie theater [Alamo Drafthouse] is a bit on the pricey side, so if I can see the same movie at Cinemark for even less money than usual, I would be more likely to spend my dollars at Cinemark.

2. I would also say that CineMark put a link to a download page for the app in their social media description or "about" sections, next to the link to their website. 

That way, people using their phones to look at Cinemark's social media pages can have an easier line of access to the app (rather than going to the website and having to zoom and look for the download buttons).

Mini Content Plan

This is the exciting stuff. 

This is suggested content that Cinemark could use on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to promote their app and CineMode.

*I created these images using Canva, my brain, and a lot more time than necessary, thanks to a computer crash.

Sunday

2:00 p.m. - Facebook, New Profile Image

4:30 p.m. - Instagram 

Use our app to fade out distractions and better enjoy your movie. Start earning rewards with #CineMode today!

Monday

1:30 p.m. - Twitter 

Fade out distractions so you can focus on your movie with #CineMode. Download the app today!

3:00 p.m. - Facebook

Use the #CineMode within our mobile app to fade out distractions and better focus on your movie. Download the app and start earning rewards today!

Tuesday

2:15 p.m. - Twitter

Here are some easy reasons why you should download our app and use #CineMode in our theaters!

3:00 p.m. - Facebook, New Cover Image

Wednesday

2:00 p.m. - Facebook

Why should you use our Cinemark app? This infographic explains all. Download the app today! #CineMode

5:00 p.m. - Instagram

This image explains why you should use our Cinemark app. Download the app and start earning discounts with #CineMode today!

Thursday

2:30 p.m. - Twitter

Have you been using our app's convenient features like checking gift cards and #CineMode? Try them out today!

Friday

12:00 p.m - Instagram

There are several convenient features on our app, including movie reviews and trailers, and a showcase of  your #CineMode rewards. Try it out for yourself!

1:30 p.m. - Facebook

There are several convenient features on our app, including movie trailers and ratings, an easy way to check your gift card balances, and a showcase of your #CineMode rewards. Download the app and try it out for yourself!

Off to tweet this post to my professor,
The Purple Writer