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Media Studies and the Contemporary
  • ISSN: 1756-4921
  • E-ISSN: 1756-493X

Abstract

Data is often read as an algorithmic object, a bot and a tool for interpreting media markets. While speculative box-office figures have been conventionally used to make sense of industry trends, data analytics has emerged as a new tool. Films are increasingly seen as value-accruing enterprises and neoliberal markets define them from the singular logic of content. As a result, much like any other neoliberal product, a film has to be further divisible into other monetizable traits and entities that add to the long chain of value, helping in prolonging its shelf life. Moreover, the audience has increasingly migrated towards individual device-based screenings as opposed to theatrical viewing, making it possible to monetize their viewing activities and trace them as dividuals. Storytelling becomes about beats, as data becomes a tool for reifying the speculative financial framework for the film industry. This article attempts to map the changing contours of Hindi film industry by examining how data is appropriated to make projections about the future and interpret trends and preferences.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Indian Council for Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) Doctoral Fellowship (Award 2017–18)
  • Fulbright Nehru Doctoral (Award Grant 2019–20)
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2023-07-11
2026-04-12

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/content/journals/10.1386/safm_00071_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): data; data consultancies; media analysts; media industries; neoliberal economy; platforms; speculative capitalism; technological affordances

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