Doctoral dissertation: The Estonian film industry needs a more conscious and audience-centric approach
Although in the European film industry people increasingly talk about audience engagement, Sten Kauber's thesis shows that the Estonian film industry relies too much on gut feeling and lacks a systematic understanding of audience expectations.
However, the research underlines that understanding the audience is key. "The Estonian film industry can grow by engaging with audiences in a research-based and consistent way," says Sten Kauber, a PhD student at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School at Tallinn University. "This will help us make wiser decisions and keep Estonian film culture diverse, meaningful and vibrant."
How do film-goers and film-makers interact?
The dissertation analyses how audience expectations and the activities of film professionals influence each other, using the Estonian film market as an example. "I looked at how different players in the film industry – including producers, distributors and cinema executives – understand their audiences, and what they do based on these perceptions," explains Kauber.
The results show that the Estonian film professionals' approach to audiences is often intuitive and fragmented. Producers base their decisions mainly on personal experience or gut feeling, and distributors make decisions based on over-generalisations. "All in all, this means that there is a limited understanding of the audience's real needs and expectations," the doctoral student says, pointing out their concerns.
The research is based on a variety of methods:
- 415 cinema-goer surveys,
- 25 in-depth interviews with professionals in the film industry,
- focus group discussion with 21 participants,
- analysis of policy documents in the field.
Audiences and filmmakers create value together
At the heart of the work are the concepts of ‘imagined affordances’ and ‘value co-creation’. The first describes how both filmmakers and viewers imagine what film as an experience offers the viewer, and how these 'imagined affordances' in turn influence both the consumption practices of viewers and the actions of filmmakers towards audiences. The second notion suggests that the value of a film is not only the result of the work of the creators, but is created in collaboration with the audience. "The audience is not just a consumer,” explains Kauber. “Each viewer contributes to the cultural impact and cultural meaning of the film. Understanding this collaborative value will help filmmakers better engage in dialogue with their audiences and contribute to the development of film culture.”
More focus on audience feedback
"By creating a more conscious dialogue with the audience, Estonian film could better reflect the diversity of society and contribute to the development of a common cultural space," Kauber says of opportunities. To achieve this, he recommends that the film industry pay more attention to audience feedback: collecting and analysing audience data on a consistent basis, engaging audiences at an early stage of creation, and designing an audience strategy for each film based on a well thought-out multi-faceted value proposition. This will create a stronger bond between the film and the viewer and a better chance of increasing cultural, social and economic impact.
New knowledge is important for society
The results of this work will be valuable for film producers and cultural policy makers alike. Kauber's recommendation is that a data-driven approach to audiences and a conscious audience relationship should be integral parts of film funding and development processes. "This is socially important because it ensures that public policies support projects that create a richer viewing experience and more public value," Sten Kauber says, summing things up.
The thesis defence
Sten Kauber is a PhD student at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School at Tallinn University. His PhD thesis is entitled Estonian Film Audience – A Multidimensional Approach to Shaping of Practices.
The public defence of the thesis will take place on 3 December 2025 at 12:00 in Tallinn University Hall M648.
You can also listen to the defence and ask the degree candidate questions on Zoom.
The supervisors of the thesis are Indrek Ibrus, Professor at Tallinn University, and Ulrike Rohn, Professor at Tallinn University.
Opponents are Bridgette Wessels, Professor at the University of Glasgow, and Philippe Meers, Professor at the University of Antwerp.
The doctoral thesis is available in the ETERA digital environment of the Tallinn University Academic Library.
