Challenge
The rise of streaming services and at-home entertainment has had a devastating effect on live performance venues. World renowned theatre and production company, Bristol Old Vic, has been exploring live streamed performances as a new distribution method and revenue stream. This presents a huge opportunity to reach audiences that are switching to at-home entertainment, as well as audiences new to theatre.
Approach
Working with MyWorld’s audience research team, Bristol Old Vic investigated how scientific data could be used to inform creative decision making, to maximise audience engagement when watching a theatre show via live stream. Using MyWorld’s technology, biometric data was gathered from those watching a performance of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, both in the theatre, and over a live stream.
Result
By identifying where the two groups differed, the team could spot the moments in the live stream where the audience’s attention was fading. This measurement continued for 3 successive livestreams, with the creative team making data-driven changes to the live stream each night, which ultimately resulted in a more engaged audience.
“The way that we designed it, the access to the kit, to the facilities, and to the other stakeholders, they’ve come about because we’re partners on the MyWorld project, and they have enabled these productions to take place”
Enabling these kinds of partnerships between industry and academia can remove the guesswork which so often happens when conducting creative R&D. By allowing data to be part of the production process and inform decision making, creative businesses can confidently and effectively establish new products and revenue streams.