Swinburne researchers help Screen Australia unlock new insights into audience engagement

From Bluey  to Heartbreak High, Swinburne researchers have analysed thousands of online reviews as part of the landmark Screen Currency 2026 report, commissioned by Screen Australia to better understand how audiences value Australian screen and games content.

Focusing on screen content, the Swinburne team developed a qualitative approach to screen audience research, using online movie and TV reviews to support Screen Australia’s broader investigation into the economic and social value of Australian screen content. The team's report, How Audiences Value Australian Screen Content, commissioned by Screen Australia and co-authored with A/Prof Brendan Keogh from Queensland University of Technology, was a significant component of the audience research published earlier this year.

Project lead Professor Ramon Lobato, from Swinburne's Department of Media and Communication, says the research investigated audience responses to Australian screen titles such as Bluey, Heartbreak High and Talk to Me using data from IMDb, Letterboxd and Rotten Tomatoes.

“Ticket sales and viewing data tell us an incomplete story about how people value screen content,” says Professor Lobato.

“But by taking a deep dive into online reviews, our team was able to find interesting patterns in the audience discourse. This told us a lot about how Australian content is understood and valued, by both local and overseas viewers.”

Measuring value in a changing screen sector

The research offers a new way of understanding audience engagement by analysing how viewers discuss screen content in their own words, rather than relying solely on viewing figures, ratings or box office performance.

The project contributes to ongoing conversations about how value is measured across the screen industry at a time when streaming services, social media platforms and artificial intelligence are reshaping how audiences discover, consume and discuss content.

Swinburne’s analysis contributes fresh evidence about the cultural impact of Australian screen stories and offers tools for understanding audience behaviour in an increasingly complex media environment.

Building industry-ready audience research skills

The project is also helping shape the future of screen and media education at Swinburne.

The findings build on new teaching initiatives within Swinburne's media and communication degrees, helping students develop industry-relevant research skills.

"We are embedding audience research into Swinburne’s Cinema & Screen Studies major through a new unit, Screen Audiences, launching in 2027," says Associate Professor Liam Burke.

"In this unit, students will partner with Lido Cinemas to develop the audience research skills increasingly required by the film and TV sector."

By connecting commissioned research, industry insight and education, the project demonstrates how Swinburne researchers are contributing audience analysis for the screen sector while preparing students for careers in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

The project team included researchers from Swinburne’s Department of Media and Communications, Department of Film, Games and Animation, and the Moondani Toombadool Centre, Prof Ramon Loboto, Prof Liam Burke, Dr Andrew Lynch, Prof Susan Kerrigan, Dr Carissa Lee, A/Prof Vicki Kerrigan, Dr Joanna McIntyre, A/Prof César Albarrán-Torres, Harkaran Singh, Dr Jessie Scott, Prof Dan Goldingand QUT (A/Prof Brendan Keogh).