Hobbit trilogy audience survey ‘most ambitious ever’

11 December 2014

Hobbit trilogy audience survey ‘most ambitious ever’

The release of a worldwide survey on the Hobbit trilogy, designed to understand what fantasy means to people around the world, will coincide with the launch of the third movie on 12 December.

Researchers in 46 countries, including New Zealand, will be collaborating to capture responses in more than 30 languages, including te reo Māori.

Victoria University of Wellington researchers Dr Joost de Bruin and Dr Lauren Anderson, the New Zealand representatives of the project, say this is the most ambitious research project ever undertaken into film audiences. They hope that New Zealanders will get behind the survey to ensure that the perspective of audiences in this country is well-represented.

“The survey looks at questions such as what audiences particularly enjoyed about the films, what kind of films they think The Hobbit trilogy are and what the influence is of having read the book,” says Dr de Bruin. “We are also interested in finding out the responses of different groups and communities of people from countries as diverse as the United States, China, South Africa, Japan, Brazil, India, Finland and New Zealand.

“As New Zealand academics, Lauren and I are also interested in finding out how the fact that these films were shot in the landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand contributes to the image that overseas viewers have of this country and whether there are implications for tourism.”

The research expands on a worldwide Lord of the Rings film audience project conducted in 2003 and 2004.

To complete the survey, which should take no more than 20 minutes, visit www.worldhobbitproject.org.

ENDS

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