eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

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Purpose of this study Film is a complex product that can be used in many different ways. The age of the digitalization has affected not only the product itself, but the way we consume it as well. If once film could be seen as a magical experience, then nowadays it reminds more of a disposable product. New innovations give us the freedom of enjoying it whenever and wherever. My objective in this research is to reveal the current value of film. How do we perceive films nowadays, how do we watch them and in the end what kind of a product film is in 2013?

Methodology The theoretical framework discussed the literature relating to postmodernism, consumer culture theory, hedonic consumption, and downloading. The empirical part of the study is of the qualitative manner. The long interviews (McCracken, 1988) were used as data collection for the study. The ten participants all had a different approach to film, some worked with film and some studied film. Through these discussions I found ten different perceptions of film and ways of using film. The discussions revealed not only interesting ideas and concepts about the format of art itself. The question "how we use film "eventually lead to a much more fascinating question "why is it that we use film in that specific way"...

Findings Every time an individual puts a film on, he/she has a goal. Sometimes it is related to the film itself, sometimes it is not. The film watching experience is always unique. The reasons for watching a film are endless and quite often they do not treat the product as art. Art vs. entertainment, individual experience vs. social experience, theatre vs. laptop, these are all examples of the decisions we as viewers need to make. Though we can be criticized of not using the format properly, it is the richness of the format that in the end makes it so personal for us.

Keywords Film, Postmodernism, Consumer Culture, Hedonic Consumption, Downloading, Piracy