The world of film could learn a thing or two from another aspect of entertainment – bingo. While film as a concept was invented in the late 1800s, bingo has been around in some format since the 1500s. Despite its relative infancy, many people feel film has grown stale. Bingo, on the other hand, is embracing new ways to play. So, what could bingo teach the film industry?
Bingo has done a clever job of remaining relevant. Not only has it branched out with the kinds of bingo games that players can engage with online – such as jackpot rooms based around different themes and topics – but the game has altered how it is played offline too.
One of the major criticisms levelled at the film industry is that there are too many sequels. Indeed, looking at most top 10 lists for the past decade, a sequel or two appears. Frequently so since sequel storytelling proved to be a box office winner. Films belonging to franchises had a ready-made audience yet could deviate from their initial stories and characters. Some series, such as Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious have – for some viewers – told the same story over and over again.
Source: Pixabay
Studios know that sequels usually have a fanbase ready to watch their films. It’s less of a risk where it counts, so becomes the norm. The more studios rely on sequels, the more this becomes all that cinemagoers get to see. Indeed, there are benefits to establishing characters and narratives over several films. But becoming boring is the worst crime for the industry. Bingo developers on the other hand have managed to remain relevant and keep audiences engaged. Most bingo games retain the core of the games while packaging them up slightly differently for newer audiences.
The TV industry has taken lessons from how audiences are choosing to watch, in the same way bingo diversified its offering (playing online on desktop or mobile). Indeed, the rise of streaming has meant that traditional TV has moved to less of a 22-episodes weekly approach and more towards shorter seasons released at once. This is similar to bingo – which would arguably not be doing as well were it not for the growing number of players across mobile devices. Both TV and bingo responded to their potential ‘customers.’
The film industry will be unlikely to fold. People will always want stories and to go to the cinema as an escape. But they may not be as invested unless the industry makes moves to show it is suited for modern audiences. This could mean new, daring films and not over-reliance on sprawling franchises and formulaic sequels. To improve, the film industry could look to how bingo has succeeded through the years.
