Starpedia

Bankability
The ability of a project package, through the presence of individual package elements, to improve its prospects to earn revenues and thereby to more readily attract distributor pre-sales and/or other forms of production financing. (See project package, package elements, MarqueeStar)

Bear Market
Any market in which monetary values follow a downward trend. Most often used with respect to the stock market, the term also may be applied to anything that is valued, traded or sold. The “bear” metaphor refers to the downward swipe of the animal’s paws, simulating the general movement of the market. (See bull market, buyer’s market, bull market)

Bellwether Film
A theatrical motion picture that grossed better than a 2009-constant-dollar value of $5.2 million (€3.75m, £3.58m, ¥479.84m, Cn¥35.48m, Rs250.24m, Kr?6.87b, ??? 152.90m).

Below-the-line
Routine staff-defined budget costs, such as equipment rentals, vendor costs, crew payroll, and so forth.

Blockbuster
A film that achieves both widespread cultural popularity and huge financial success. Beginning in 2000, Hollywood generally redefined this benchmark as $200 million in gross revenues at the domestic box office; the original benchmark having been set at $100 million in 1975 with the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The term also may refer loosely to any costly film that must be exceptionally popular in order to recoup its expenses and make a profit. The term blockbuster originally meant a Broadway play so successful that competing theaters on the block went bust from lack of patronage, but was borrowed by Hollywood in the 1920s when moviegoers first “lined the block” to see a popular film. (See box office performance benchmarks)

Boffo Or Boffola
A Hollywood slang term signifying an outstanding success, especially as pertains to a film's box office performance.

Bomb
A box office disaster. Also, any film in which the production and distribution costs greatly exceed the revenues retained. (See box office performance benchmarks)

Box Office Gross
The total amount of theatrical box office receipts paid by moviegoers to see a movie.

Box Office Performance Benchmarks
Ballpark criteria for characterizing the performance of a given theatrical release: tentpole, blockbuster, smash hit, megahit, hit, miss, flop and bomb.

Brand Name Recognition
A name that triggers an association in the consumer's mind. Brand name recognition can sometimes overcome the marketing advantages of larger productions or larger companies.

Breadth Of Appeal
The extent or percentage to which a film appeals its demographic following. Marquee Stars loosely groups breadth of appeal as: mainstream, niche or sophisticated (specialty).

Bull Market
Any market in which prices follow an upward trend. Most often used with respect to the stock market, the term also may be applied to anything that is valued, traded or sold. The “bull” metaphor refers to the upward thrust of the animal’s horns, simulating the general movement of the market. (See bear market, buyer’s market, seller’s market)

Business Cycle
The recurring expansions and contractions of an economic activity around its long term growth trend as typically characterized by six phases: 1) boom, 2) peak, 3) slump, 4) recession, 5) trough and 6) recovery. Such fluctuations are irregular, varying in frequency, magnitude and duration. In theory, business cycles also may describe the economic phases of popular fads, company earnings, markets, film genres, MarqueeStar personas, entire industries or whole economies. (See downtrend, peak, trough, uptrend)

Buyer's Market
A market condition characterized by an abundance of goods available for sale. Supply exceeds demand, creating lower prices. The antithesis of seller's market. (See bear market, bull market, seller's market)

Buyers Or Film Buyers
See distribution company.

Buzz
A slang term that refers to the sense of excitement, expectancy, and hype surrounding a film, an actor, a writer, a director or a producer.