IMAX: Brits Reveal How We Feel About Movies

2nd April 2016

More than half of Brits have made a life-changing decision after being inspired by a movie including around the world trips, changes in careers – and even revaluating relationships, according to a new study commissioned for the new IMAX^® ‘love movies’ campaign.

Researchers polled 2,000 adults looking at the way people feel about movies as well as their movie-going habits, revealing that the average Briton now watches four movies a week – 208 every year.

On the lengths people go to watch a new film according to the survey, one in five (23 percent) booked time off work whereas more than one in ten (11 percent) decided not to tell their boss, and skipped work completely. Excitement proved too much for some with over a third (35 percent) missing a night’s sleep to catch a film, and some prepared to pitch up overnight and camp (4 percent).

Some decided a film trumps everything, with nearly one in 10 (8 percent) postponing an important life engagement including 2 percent admitting to missing the birth of their child.

On the immediate impact of seeing a film, the survey revealed that 44 percent dreamt of a film after seeing it, whereas conversely 31 percent were unable to sleep.

Eileen Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer for IMAX, which commissioned the research to coincide with their new ‘love for movies’ campaign, said: “Movies have the power to inspire passion and fire up a range of emotions in people. This study gets under the skin of our love and obsession for cinema, revealing how movies can serve as a catalyst for many to find the courage to deal with important issues or provide that extra push to make the leap towards someone or something they’ve been searching for.

“Just as IMAX’s immersive movie experience transports cinema lovers into the world of the film, the survey shows that the extent with which people live and feel movies is often felt long after leaving the cinema.”

How movies Inspired People and Reasons for Watching a Film

Overall 52 percent said watching a film had resulted in them re-thinking their life-plan or current situation, with 88 percent of those who went on to make a change said it turned out to be a positive one.

In terms of decisions made after watching a movie – 23 percent said they were inspired to go travelling with a further 19 percent claiming they had reinvented their style, including their hairstyle and clothes.

More dramatically – 9 percent said a movie had helped them to forgive someone in their lives, 3 percent changed their political opinion, 2 percent had even decided to change gender – and 1 percent said a film had inspired them to come out as gay.

It also emerged around seven out of ten (68 percent) reach for a movie to cheer themselves up, while 55 percent do so to escape reality.

Some admitted to using a movie as motivation to prepare for sports (6 percent) and for a job interview (3 percent).

Other common reasons for watching films include bonding with friends (26 percent), getting through hard times (23 percent), to bring them closer to their partner (18 percent), and to mend a broken heart (17 percent).

Dramas are the genre most likely to spur us to re-evaluate our lives – with 59 percent – followed by comedies (38 percent) action films (35 percent) and then Sci-Fi (33 percent).

How Films Moved People

When asked directly how particular films had moved them, one participant said Touching the Void motivated them to push themselves harder physically and they now run ultra marathons!

Another respondent claimed watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, had led them to read a Masters in Egyptology and subsequently go on to become an archeologist.

Someone made an important discovery of the heart after watching Titanic, and “realised I was in love with someone else.”

After watching the film Lost in Translation, one respondent said he booked a life changing trip to Japan – and watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – made one participant “understand my mother’s illness”.

Star Wars led someone to realise there was room for equality in space responding “Women can be heroes” and another went a step further, embracing the dark side saying “I want to be a Sith Lord”.

The survey was commissioned to mark the new IMAX ‘love movies’ campaign.

HOW MOVIES MOVE US

They make me appreciate what I have (33 percent)
Inspired me to go travelling (23 percent)
Forced me to examine what I want from life (18 percent)
New perspective on life (17 percent)
Made me aspire to achieve more (15 percent)
Made me more tolerant (14 percent)
Gave me an understand of different cultures (11 percent)
Changed the way I dress (9 percent)
Inspired me to forgive someone (9 percent)
I began to help others through charity (7 percent)
I learned a new language (6 percent)
Inspired me to end a bad relationship (5 percent)
Made me change to hairstyle (5 percent)
Inspired me to change the way I look (5 percent)
Made me change job / career (5 percent)
Inspired me to find love (4 percent)
Changed my political opinion (3 percent)
Inspired me to move to another country (3 percent)
Inspired me to propose (3 percent)
Made me buy the car of me dreams (2 percent)
I booked a course (2 percent)
Inspired me to take a sabbatical (2 percent)
I change gender (2 percent)
Inspired me to move house (1 percent)
Made me start a family (1 percent)
Inspired me to come out as gay (1 percent)

MOST INSPIRATIONAL MOVIES:

The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
Schindlers List
Forrest Gump
Titanic
Rain Man
It’s A Wonderful Life
Saving Private Ryan
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Erin Brockovich
Slumdog Millionaire
Billy Elliot
E.T.
Braveheart
12 Years a Slave
Star Wars
The Diary Of Anne Frank
To Kill A Mockingbird
Cast Away
Avatar

Reactions people have when watching a film ….

Laughing/Smiling (78 percent)
Crying (56 percent)
Tense/on the edge of their seat (41 percent)
Hiding behind hands/closing eyes (25 percent)
Talking aloud or shouting out their feelings/emotions (23 percent)
Shaking with adrenaline (11 percent)
Unable to speak (10 percent)
Unable to move (8 percent)
Panicking (7 percent)
Sweating (6 percent)

Lengths people have you gone to, to see a movie?

Travelled to a different city (36 percent)
Skipped a night’s sleep (35 percent)
Booked time off work (23 percent)
Skipped work (11 percent)
Camped to book tickets (4 percent)

Also

o Postponed or cancelled an important life engagement (8 percent)

o Missed birth of your child (2 percent)

Reactions people have had after watching a film…

Dreams about the film (44 percent)
Unable to sleep (31 percent)
Wish they could be one of the characters from the film (30 percent)
Wish they could recreate the world of the film (25 percent)
Started talking/mimicking a character from the film (19 percent)

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