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Writer's pictureEthan Media

Disney

Made in 1923 -


Conglomerate – when two or more companies engage in a multi-industry company.


Synergy – The interaction of two or more forces working together creates a greater effect then the sum of their individual efforts.

Synergy – Different elements


Ownership –


Horizontal – When the Production Company expands into other areas of one industry. It can acquire or merges with other companies that do the same thing to help eliminate competition. The profit will be shared amongst each company.


Vertical Integration – When the production company has ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exhibition of the film by the same company as they receive all the profit.





One Blockbuster = 5-6 risky films



What does Disney own… top 15 biggest


· Queens music catalogue (10mil) – own Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, Hillary Duff, Demi L

· Winnie the poo (2% royalties)

· Muppets (75mil)

· Maker studios (950mil)

· Lucas film (4.05bil)

· Marvel Entertainment (4.24bil)

· Hulu (5.8bil)

· Pixar (7.4bil)

· ABC (19bil)

· ESPN. INC. (part of 19bil)

· A&D Networks (part of 19bil)

· 21st Century FOX (71bil)

· FX networks (part of 71bil)

· National Geographic Global Networks (part of 71bil)

· 21st Century FOX Film studio (71bil)


Disney is Vertically and Horizontally integrated…


Franchise – groups of films that will promote one another – Prates of the Caribbean, Star Wars,


Re-Makes – if the formula works, then re-make it!


Marvel 8000 characters.


(Jungle book is the most sure-make from Disney profiting 996mil, only costing 175mil to make.)


Areas of study:

Production

Audiences

Marketing, Distribution, and funding

Technology and Convergence

Ownership

Regulation



Impact of Disney Ownership on film production


- Big 5 ownership provides significant funding for high production value films – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

- Ability to attract star marketing – e.g. Jungle book A list voices

- More time spent on production

- Access to latest production technology e.g. CGI

- More synergy e.g. theme parks and convergence – ability of the film cross platform plus importantly cross platform marketing


1967 – U


Technology:

Xerography – (1961-73) – Eliminates the ink-and-paint process.

Multi Plane Camera

Animation


· Personal Involvement – Walt Disney (last film)

· 4mil production budget, 205mil box office worldwide

· Significant print campaign

· Heavily prompted on VHS in 1993, several re-releases on DVD and Blu-ray

· Available as digital downloads – iTunes, Disney Movies anywhere, Google Play


2016 – 12A (Most successful live action)


Tone- Darker/Scare

Aggressive

Action based

Colour is tones down

Actors’ names/director

Nostalgia


· DISNEY and NUMBER 1 DISTRUBUTOR (301mil UK theatrical revenue)

· JON FAVREAU PRODUCED AND DIRECTED – Iron Man,1, 2 and 3 (DIRECT LINKS/EXPERIENCE WITH NON-REALISTIC)

· Just under BlockBuster Budget at 177mil

· Synergy – Linking to original

· High Production values incl. CGI and Soundtrack

· Star marketing – Scarlet Johansson

· Wide/saturated distribution by one of The Big Five (not always). Synergy with other Disney blockbusters

· Commercial success

· Safe genre, syplisic



Synergy – Jungle book (1967 and 2016) or theme parks advertising film


Media coverage – Where films like jungle book (2016) is available/consumed and can be marketed on a number of cross platforms e.g. cinema, streamed, DVD, X-Box…. Film websites often have coverage links to a range of media.


Technology:

Photo real animal animation

CGI

Blue-screen


- Homage to 1967 original film production

- Big budget, non-realist, entertainment on an epic scale

- Significant use of CGI with live action

- Representation of familiar characters

- Emotive narrative

- Star Marketing


Online platforms include a website as central marketing hub with coverage links to trailers on YouTube, social networking


Above the line – Money spent

Bellow the line – not costly


Binary oppositions – Levi Strauss


Marketing and distribution


- Bloggers and entertainment news sites were used by Disney to ‘get the message across’

- Global marketing – cross continents (aggressively targeting an Asian market), synergy at Disney theme parks

- High production value trailers and 3D trailers played before Disney brands Star wars: Force Awakens, including the Superbowl

- All targeting an older/younger primary and secondary audience.

- Available in IMAX 3D

- Deliberate ‘viral leaks’ creating hype

- Significant online marketing campaign

- Primary target audience (12-21) target via production values and scales, secondary



Full Tryptic film poster


· Jan 2016 poster campaign (April release)

· 3 separate posters before unveiling full triptych




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