Published in August 27th, 2007
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - A majority of teens see movies within the first two weeks after their release, and despite the surging popularity of the Internet among 13- to 17-year-olds, most find out about the latest films from TV ads and in-theater trailers, according to a new study from consumer research firm OTX and teen social networking site eCrush.
ADVERTISEMENT The "Teen Topix" study, which surveyed 750 teens nationwide, also found that most in the age group are viewing movies they missed in theaters by renting or buying DVDs, with only 1 percent to 5 percent choosing to see them via downloads, depending on the title.
According to the study, 27 percent of teens usually go to a film on opening weekend and an additional 44 percent go within the first two weeks. About 61 percent of teens find out about the latest movies from TV ads and 46 percent from in-theater trailers. Another 15 percent discover new films from entertainment Web sites, 15 percent from social networking sites, 13 percent from video-sharing sites and 8 percent from movie-ticket sites.
The survey asked teens to list all the ways they find out about new films, which explains why the percentages add up to more than 100 percent. The "buzz factor" also is key to influencing movie going decisions for teens, with 70 percent saying that people talking about a movie makes them want to see it in the theater.
The teens in the survey chose Zac Efron as the hottest male movie star of the summer, followed by Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Shia LaBeouf and Daniel Radcliffe. The hottest female movie star of the summer was Jessica Alba, followed by Jessica Biel, Keira Knightley, Megan Fox and Emma Watson.
Among the fall/winter movies teens most want to see are "Saw IV," "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," "Mama's Boy," "Fred Claus," "I Am Legend," "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "Enchanted."
The top five movies teens want to see sequels for are "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Harry Potter," "Transformers," "Spider-Man" and "Shrek."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
