Audiences and Institutions

Walt Disney Research

Disney owned companies:

• ABC Television Company

• ESPN

• Walt Disney Parks and Resorts 

• Lucasfilm 

• Marvel Entertainment

• Pixar Animation Studios

• Disney Channel

• Clubpenguin.com

Production

• The making of the film; pre-production and funding; shoot (format); post-production (SFX). 

Distribution 

• The way the film gets to screens; distribution company. 
• A distributor is responsible for marketing a film 

Marketing

• The process of raising awareness; targeting an audience; creating publicity through various methods. 

Exhibition

• The way we view; getting the film to a paying audience.

Starwars: The Force Awakens: 17th December 2015

Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

Marketing -

• Tweets about the movie peaked to 17,000 tweets per minute following the release of the trailer with #TheForceAwakens
• Focus
• Connecting with existing fan base
• Use of social networking, teasers and trailers
• Use of cast to promote film
• Vertical Integration of Disney meant that advertising was released during peak viewing times e.g. the Super Bowl and was free.
• Comi-Con launch
• Pannel for fans of the franchise - high marketing
• Video Game release
• Generated 130 million views of the trailer in one weekend 
• 83.8 million views across Facebook and Youtube
• Merchandising  - stamps
• First 500 guests of IMAX received collectable art work

Distributors -

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (2015) (UK) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (2015) (USA) (theatrical)
• Starz! (2016) (USA) (TV)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2016) (USA) (DVD)

Producers -

• Lucas Film
• Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company based in the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco, California.

• Bad Robot
• Bad Robot Productions is an American film and television production company owned by J. J. Abrams. 

• Truenorth Production
• True North Productions is an independent British television production company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

• Budget (cost to produce film) 
• (Estimated) $200,000,000
• Genre 
• Action, Adventure, Fatasy
• Target Audience 
• "The movie is for a juvenile adult, somebody who’s loved Star Wars their whole life and is now a grown-up, hates the prequels, and wants a Star Wars that’s just for them." - Matt London
• 15% of the audience were aged 13-17
• Primarily aged 18-49 male
• Cross-Generation appeal
• Are they an independent or a conglomerate?
• Conglomerate 
• If a conglomerate? Their vertical/horizontally integrated structure 
• Vertical
• Box office returns
• (Estimated) $926,225,742

Ill Manors: 6th June 2012

This film is about people that are living in working/lower class areas who don't have money but also feel that the government is neglecting them, causing their image to be tainted giving them a bad reputation when the truth is their actions are due to desperation from not having money as well as being neglected causing people to lash out due to wanting to be heard.

Distributors -

• Revolver Entertainment (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
• Known for prodding urban gritty films
• Released on DVD and Blu-Ray and was able to be On Demand on 8th October
• Had bonus content on the DVD for viewers

Marketing -

• The movie was marketed through celebrity endorsement from actor, rapper and producer, Plan B through his concerts and shows done to promote the movie. 
• May 2012: There were posters put out to advertise the movie as well as advertisement in Empire Magazine and the premier. 
• Additionally, the hashtag "#tweet-to-unlock" which allowed fans to create the hype for the movie then have access to the soundtrack from Plan B as well as the "#IllManorsAlbum"
• July 2012: Plan B released an album "ill Manors" to act as the prelude to the film in order to generate publicity for the film. 
• Album went to number one in the official UK album charts 
• Helped with finance from BBC Films with £100,000.
• May 2012: Trailer released 
• Screening was attended by other Urban Artists in order to increase publicity
• There was a website launched to gain publicity which contained valued informations about the film that fans would want to know 

Exhibition -

• Released in US Sundance film festival and shown at the Greater Manchester Film Festival. 

Producers -

• Film London
• Film London discovers and champions film-making talent through short and feature film production — building and growing the city’s imagination and creativity.

• BBC Films
• BBC Films is committed to finding and developing new talent, collaborating with some of the foremost writers and directors in the industry. BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It is firmly established at the forefront of British independent film-making and co-produces approximately eight films a year.

• Aimimage Productions
• Based in Central London’s Camden, the Aimimage Group–Aimimage Camera Company, ICE Film and The Camden Studio–has developed into the city’s leading source for film equipment hire. How? By working closely with customers and listening to their production requirements throughout the last 30 years.

• Gunslinger (co-production)
• Gunslinger Films, a standalone production company supported by leading independent distributor Revolver Entertainment, launched in 2009 with its first feature production, Shank, which went on to become a huge success at the UK box office and then on DVD and Blu-ray.

• Head Gear Films (in association with)
• Head Gear Films is a bespoke debt finance service that cuts through red tape and administers funds free from unnecessary bureaucracy, to fit your production needs. Established in 2002 by Greg Cruttwell, Phil Hunt, and Compton Ross, Head Gear Films has financed over 45 feature films and television production since 2012, produced in over 17 countries around the world.

• Metrol Technology (in association with)
• Metrol provide downhole wireless solutions for the oil industry using acoustic, electromagnetic and inductive telemetry

• Budget
• (Estimated) £100,000
• Genre 
• Crime, Drama
• Target Audience 
• People aged 15-25 despite the BBFC film rating of certificate 18
• Are they an independent or a conglomerate?
• Independent
• Box office returns
• (Estimated) £714,441
• £250,000 made in the first week in 191 cinemas
• Screen average fell by 65% in 83 cinemas

Cross Media Ownership

• The ownership of multiple media businesses by a person or corporation.
• Creates brand loyalty from audiences of the films which increases profit
• For exemple, Disney own ESPN, Starwars was being advertised during the Superbowl

Conglomerate

• A media conglomerate is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet.
• Difference to cross media ownership - may have businesses that aren't in media e.g. Disney Store, Theme Park
• The Big Six are examples

Advantages - Promotion:

• Take financial risks when making films
• Won't need collaboration when making films
• Can be more ambitious and get bigger film stars, special effects and better locations

Advantages - Distribution:

• Size and power of industry 
• More money better company links 
• Uses synergy and cross promotion 

The Big 6

• The 6 companies which hold dominance over the market in terms of distribution. 
• They have the power and the resources that Indie Productions do not
• They are: 
• 20th Century Fox

• Sony Pictures

• Warner Bros

• Paramount

• Universal

• Walt Disney

Feature Film

• A full length movie
• Typically between 80 and 180 minutes

Short Film

• A shorter movie
• Usually between 20 and 80 minutes

Indies (Independent)

• A film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment agencies.

Synergy

• The way in which different elements of a media conglomerate work together to promote linked products across different media.
• Indies cannot use Synergy
• For example, the Starwars: The Force Awakens video game is a combination of the film sound track and game divisions
• Examples of Disney Synergy:
• Inside Out: Thought Bubble app 
• Combines Application and Soundtrack divisions

 

• Big Hero Six: Baymax Air Repair, Baymax Medical Memory, Baymax Sky Patrol and Baymax's Brain Games online games
• Combines Online Website and Soundtrack divisions

 

• Ratatouille: Ratatouille The Game
• Combines Video Game and Soundtrack divisions

 

Vertical Integration

• When a media company (for example Disney) owns all parts of the processes involved from production to distribution. 
• An arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is owned by that company.
• To do with a organisation not a film.
• An example of this would be the movie The Guardians of the Galaxy:
• Produced by
• Marvel Studios (presents)
• Bulletproof Cupid (service production) (Belgium)
• Marvel Enterprises
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)
• Distributed by
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Horizontal Integration

• When a media company (for example Disney) owns parts of the processes involved from production to distribution, however, another company's (for example Warner Bros) means of production and/or distribution have been used in creating the media text. 
• The process of a company increasing production of goods or services at the same part of the supply chain, for example, production.
• To do with a company not a film
• For example, Disney owns the following production companies
• Walt Disney Pictures

• Founded in 1950
• Produced:
• Dumbo

• Bambi

• Tangled

• Big Hero 6

• Marvel Studios
• Bought by Walt Disney in 2009
• Produced:
• Iron Man

• X-Men

• Avengers

• Incredible Hulk

• Pixar Studios
• Bought by Disney in 2006
• Produced:
• Toy Story

• Monster's Inc.

• The Incredibles

• Inside Out

• Touch Stone Pictures
• Founded in 1984
• Used to expand audience for viewers of Disney to create more adult and darker films
• Produced:
• Runaway Bride

• Father of the Bride

• Step Up 2: The Streets

• Real Steel

Megafranchise Movies

• A movie from which secondary movies could be made from
• Fast and Furious

• Avengers

• Starwars

• X-Men

Case Study: The life of Hollywood

Hollywood began losing money due to movie piracy and therefore began losing funds as an industry. 

In the mid-2000's, Hollywood with newly appointed planner, Kevin Feige, set out the long-term direction for Marvel (Owned by Disney) by creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which deals with the Avengers, in order to improve the conditions of Hollywood. 

The MCU created the first megafranchise. 

This is due to the fact that actors part of the avengers were signed onto a 10 movie contract. 

Aside from the main avengers story line, the characters involved also had their own movies which were intertwined within the plot line. 

This is what makes a megafranchise: a movie with subsidiary movies that cultivate money from fan base loyalty from different areas, as shown below:

Additionally, DC Comics (Owned by Warner Bros) are also trying to crate their own mega movie franchise. With the rise of the Man of Steel movie now following a Batman vs Superman movie, Justice League movie, Suicide Squad movie, Wonder Woman and The Flash are all linked into creating a megafranchise, creating the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

Disney buying out Starwars was done for the intent to produce one movie per year for ever, by creating an endless sequel as well as spinoffs of popular characters.

Historically, Disney’s core product was 2D animation but they horizontally integrated in to live action films and 3D animation. 

The developed a branch of the Disney Company to reach new audiences and therefore control more of the film industry, thus make more profit.

An example of this is the purchase of Marvel with the film Iron Man.

Sequel

• When a movie carries on the narrative of their plot and creates another movie. This has to follow on from the narrative introduced previously.

Prequel

• When a movie continues the narrative of their plot and create another movie. This has to exist in a time before the previous/main narrative

Convergence

• The merging of mass communication outlets – print, television, radio, the Internet along with portable and interactive technologies through various digital media platforms.
• The combining of two or more mediums. 
• Different mediums are TV / film / computer graphics / radio/ website etc 
• Can happen in production, distribution or exhibition. 
• Example, when the music industry comes together with the film industry: when Adele releases the new single for Skyfall.

Convergence vs. Synergy

Synergy: can involve non-media products e.g. merchandise

Convergence: involves media products e.g. print

Ancillary Revenue

• Revenue from non-ticket sources

Multi-Media Platform

• When a company operates using different forms of medias e.g. BBC Radio, BBC News Channel etc

Cross-Promotion

• A marketing program that targets buyers of a product with an offer to purchase a related product e.g. advertising merchandise alongside a movie trailer

Franchise

• A collection of media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game.

Theatrical Box Office

• Used to describe how successful a film, play, or actor is, by the number of people who pay to see them