P2: Industry
Film Industry
4-11-24
Paramount
Paramount Own -
-Nickelodeon
-CBS
Worth - 53.4 billion USD
Products - TV, film, animations, sport streaming, streaming services, websites
Conglomerate - Large corpo that owns numerous businesses, subsidiaries, that factor into different product types, separately managed, benefit from hared resources
Walt Disney
- conglomerate, various industries, consumer products, films, TV, Entertainment, Theme parks, own companies such as Lucasfilm, Marvel, ABC etc
-use diversification and acquisition, being more diverse by buying companies that dominate certain genres, w.g Pixar or marvel being different to Disney's style
-Worth 173.6 billion
- Theme parks - Disney Land, Disney world
- TV - Owns several television networks, ABC, ESPN, Disney channel
- Film - major player in film industry, distribute and produce
- Merchandise - production of own merch, toys, decor, clothing, collectibles
Acquisitions
- Pixar - 7.4 billion USD, 770million USD revenue 2023
- Lucasfilm - 4 billion USD, suggested 12 billion USD value
- Marvel - 4 billion, 54 billion worth
- 20th century fox - 71.3 billion USD
8-11-24
Horizontal integration -acquisition of or merger with a company that operates in the same industry (can be different industries as well) and at the same level of value chain, goal of horizontal is to increase market share
Vertical integration - acquisition of or merger with a company that operates i na different level of the value chain, control more of the supply chain, improves efficiency and costs
Snow White and The Seven Dwarves
Early Cinema technological developments
- development of the film camera that could display moving image
- Editing technology
- late 1920s, synchronised sound
- Warner Bros.
- MGM
- FOX
- Paramount
- RKO
- Columbia
- United Artists
- Universal
- Each studio had their own personality, certain themes, genres and values were present per studio
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- Follows the character of Snow White and her interactions with 7 dwarves, alongside the Queen who wishes to end her
- Represents older males as sleazy, submitting to female attention,
- Depicts femininity in beauty and capability, with the 2 polar opposites of Snow white a beautiful princess who helps the dwarves whilst the Queen is an evil and envious being who follows the format of a Witch
- first full length animated feature film
- first time movie related merchandise released day of film release
- first film soundtrack released on phonograph records
- most viewed film a time
- became known as 'Disney's Folly'
- Bank provided funding after the ran out from previous fortune
- animators would animate in the day and study motion at night
- Film based on Classic story by the Grimm brothers, made changes to story
- Took 3 years to complete
- Used a multi-plane camera to add depth to animation
- Walt Disney heavily involved in production, oversaw every aspect from story to development
- Premiered December 21st 1937, highest grossing film of 1938, critical and commercial hit
Influences
- Original fairytale, themes of true love and friendship
- tradition of European ballet and opera
- European animators
- new colour technology
22-11-24 German Expression
- By 1920 only film industry able to compete with hollywood
- Aim to defer attention from the declining economy
- Decla reshaped cinema
- Use of Mise-en-scene stood out
- Led to the convention of exaggerated Mise-en-scene
- Subjective pov
- anti-authoritarian themes
- Unchained camera
- German film makers fled to US, Uk, EU to escape German fascism
- Evil Queen's angular lines and sharp angles alongside its contrast to the rest of the film heavily draws from German expressionism
- duality seen in characters like Grumpy
- Creation of story, narrative told by Walt
- Everything was looked at by Walt
- Flipping of paper for animation in frames
- clear paper which allowed tracing over other frames
- small projector allowed preview of animation in its rough form
- Colour added later with secret formula of paint
- Backgrounds produced in watercolour separately
- sound effects added by composer with sound technician
- Foley art
- multiplane camera
- Rotoscoping
A view of American wholesomeness is visible in the dwarves and Snow White, their relationship is a portrayal of the kindness upheld by stereotypical woman at the time, despite the sexist undertones of her being a cook and housekeeper it maintains a kindness with her care for the dwarves.
American mid-west upbringing
- idealised America, innocence and wholesomeness
- care for family, community and work
- nostalgic view of rural America with small towns
- narrow and simple view of life
- community
- demanding, difficult, deep respect for art and passion
- highly involved in creative process, perfectionist, personally supervise each animator and critique elements
- organised company events and outings alongside company benefits
- encouraged employees to pursue their creative interests to develop skills
- employees remained loyal to him
Snow White was influenced by the idealistic view of America held by Walt Disney alongside the fairy tale and the rising German expressionism. The fairytale of SW by the Grimm Brothers served as a foundation that despite being altered is the main inspiration for the story and world, whilst Walt Disney's midwestern upbringing heavily inspired the family values, having a simple and overly wholesome view of what an idealistic America should be. This is reflected in the traditional role of a carer in SW and the working Dwarves who are cared for by the maternal figure of SW, whilst the Prince serves a masculine hero who makes the world greater with his presence for SW. The new animation techniques allowed for more advanced water painted backgrounds to be landscaped on the multiple layered camera which added depth to the film creating a more fairytale design which further reflected
25-11-24 The Golden Age
1930s cinema
- segregation of black people
- war tax as it was seen as an escape
- seen as being for the working class
- built more luxury cinemas (movie palaces) to appeal to upper and middle class
- main form of entertainment
- double features - 2 films for the price of 1
- newsreels and cartoons before the feature film
- Intermissions for long films
- Censorship from Gov or industry bodies
Distribution
- Studio system massively important, owning theatre chains and having long contracts with certain actors
- controlled production, distribution and exhibition
- theatres paid percentage to distributor
- reels of film required heavy printing and transportation of film, high cost
- important to have vertical and horizontal integration
2-12-24 Exhibition
Why was Snow White such a success?
- Innovation
- Storytelling
- Music
- Marketing
- Reception, critical reception and positive reviews
- Snow White merchandising, toys and other themed items developed and sold in the year before the films release
- Painted figurines by people who made figures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
- over 2000 different products for film
- sold out merch numerous times
- Continued production of animated feature films
- expanded into other areas, e.g TV in 1950s and 1960s
- Theme parks, 1955 California, 1971 Florida
- Acquisition of other companies
- Digital streaming, first studio with own streaming site
- Figures
- Toys
- clothes, outfits of snow white
- shoes
- Lego sets
- plushies
- books
- Tiaras
- wallets
- shirts etc
- Working with other companies for toy production or marketing
- McDonalds, Disney happy meal toys benefit both, sponsoring of each other for mutual benefit
- introduces film to a new generation of kids
- double feature 195 with Alice in Wonderland
- 30th anniversary celebration
- celebrations and anniversaries alongside promotion for upcoming release for video etc
- keep films in public conscious
- 1994 VHS
- DVD 2001
- Blu Ray 2009
- released digitally, e.g Amazon
- 4K ultra HD 2019
- add bonus content in each to derive appeal
- always limited editions prior to digital release
- Nostalgia
- Timeless storytelling
- Groundbreaking animation
- Memorable characters and music
- Brand image
- live action remakes
- leverages intellectual property rights
- allows breathing of new life into classics
- changing of audience preferences and film industry
- takes advantage of the nostalgia factor
- BBFC - regulate films in UK
- US - Hays code, regulated film
- Aimed to eliminate content that was immoral or offensive, such as violence, sexuality or profanity
- enforced through system of self regulation with an administration office for approval
- Snow White pushed boundary of what was acceptable in animated films, with dark + scary themes
- Britain - British board of Film censors
- viewed and classified films
- U (universal), A (Adults only), X, (viewers over 16)
- could cut or ban films deemed offensive or harmful
- classed as a U, concerns raised about the Evil Queen, warned as not suitable for very young children
- Social, cultural, historical, political, economic
- reflection of social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs
- how media reflects historical contexts
- how media can serve as an agent in facilitating social, cultural and political events
- how media productions reflect economic contexts through production, financial and technological opportunities
- 1.5 million dollar production
- highest grossing film of its time, 8 million dollars in initial box office release
- Guaranteed future revenue from re-releases
- merchandising
- Allowed financing of future films
- Proliferation of technology - audience expectation
- source of income - merchandising and additional revenue sources
- Dominance of Hollywood majors
- Disney's personal role n the making of the film
Shang Chi
9-12-24
Blockbusters
- Large budget, major studio, high production values, well known actors and directors
- designed to appeal to a wide audience
- released in peak moviegoing periods
- become cultural phenomena, high critical acclaim
- financially and culturally significant
Cinematic universe
- MCU, over 47 films of interconnecting films in the same universe
- First film was Iron Man
- TV shows and films effect others within the same universe
- Became a cultural phenomena
- DCU is the direct competitor to marvel
- MCU has a greater interconnectivity and cohesion in comparison to DC
- Marvel offers a wide set of characters with vastly different abilities and characters, DC uses a smaller roster of well known characters that are underdeveloped
- MCU had a light tone, humour and wit with heartening tone, DCU is arguably overly dark and serious
- Marvel had heavy box office success
Legacy character
- character whose identity is passed down from an older character
- allows reboots or several legacy characters e.g Spider Man no way home
- pays homage and brings new audiences to a franchise/character
- Origin story film, rather than focusing on the established character they told the origin
- introduced the character to the MCU
- Cultural representation e.g cultural heritage, diverse cast, first MCU Asian hero
- Action sequences - innovative and visually stunning scenes for the time, with both CGI and choreography
- Villains, complex villain who was compelling
- Connections to MCU, is a semi standalone but connects in cameos and references
Main Characters
Narrative
In the film, Shang-Chi is forced to confront his past when his father Wenwu (Leung), the leader of the Ten Rings terrorist organization, draws Shang-Chi and his sister Xialing (Zhang) into a search for a mythical village.
In the mythical village Shang Chi inherits the Ten Rings after his fathers death from releasing a soul stealing Dragon
Themes
- Family
- Moving on
- Equality and cultural appreciation
Representation
- Men and women in equal power in the fight, with the female character being more skilled
- Asian cast in the intro, unusual for a blockbuster
- Chinese representation is based off of actual Chinese culture, with both modern and traditional elements
Changes in the industry
- High cgi use alongside well choreographed fights to create visual appeal
- links into other films due to the modern model of interconnectivity
10-1-25
New Technologies
- Visual and special effects
- CGI
- Motion capture
- Green Screen
- Practical effects
- 3D Printing
- wide range of content
- provides high quality streaming
- implementation of anti piracy measures
- competitive pricing
- All reduce risk of piracy/illegal streaming
-Has allowed distribution to a more global audience easier
-grants wealth of data insights on audience
-digital convergent media platforms has effected Disney both negatively and positively with new opportunities that have changed previous strategies
Marketing and promotion
- Trailers
- Actor interviews
- Social media campaigns/shilling
- adverts on buses or social media etc
- billboards
- Posters
- teasers at the end of prior films (post credit scenes)
- conventions, interviews with production/direction
- Events
- merchandise
- Influencer marketing
- publicity stunts
- Distribution agreement
- covers promotion in all media before and after release
- different cuts for different cultures or territories
- how income for release will be apportioned
- how far distribution license extends into other markets, e.g TV and home entertainment
- create visibility, engage audience interest
- because of proliferation of films, interest needs to be built to a peak before release
- Early release windows can create issues with substitutability 9films releasing quickly elsewhere after cinema showing)
-Unveiled at Comicon
-first full trailer was on ESPN before a basketball program
-promotional campaign with the actors right before release
-Post release advertising with the actors on shows such as 'most searched questions'
-World premiere with the actors on carpet, final push before release
13-1-25
Poster analysis
- Genre - action, superhero
- Narrative - Ten Rings, fight between 2 people, implicit that they may be related, relevant side characters, characters on top right are with the main character whilst the top left are some form of antagonist
- Binary opposition - gold/yellow vs blue, good vs bad, father vs son, new vs old
- Semiotics -conniving pose behind suggests antagonistic force in the background whilst Shang Chi is good
- Stars - Akwafina, Tony Leung,
- Tone - lowkey lighting suggests a darker tone however themes of hope may be seen in the bright colours used for Shang Chi's rings
- Intertextuality - Marvel logo
Trailer
- Key audience appeals - Wong, links to marvel universe, new powers in comparison to previous marvel films alongside new locations and cast, heavy on Asia, large amount of action sequences, family, Asian culture, comedy and superheroes have heavy appeal to comic readers and marvel fans, setting of the West at certain parts appeals to non Asian audience, origin story - buildup for new character in MCU
- Narrative - suggests a divide between a father and son and the fight over the ten rings, with implications about how the son has tried to leave the life the father wanted him to have behind
- Shows clear changes in technology since 1930s
- coloured film
- high quality of film with the HD and 4k cameras
- audio content from film
- CGI, visual effects
The marketing of major Hollywood films has clearly changed in the time between the 1930s and now, with advancements in technology and changes in consumption influencing how a studio markets their film. Snow White and Shang Chi are both developed by Disney (Shang Chi by Marvel who is owned by Disney), with two clear changes in marketing strategy.
Film marketing in the 1930s consisted of the release of merchandise both before and after a films release in order to garner interest and notoriety in the characters, this was seen clearly in Snow White's marketing campaigns with toys, clothes and the soundtrack alongside other items being released around the films release schedule. In a comparison to this films often only release merchandise after the release of the film, especially if it is a new IP, this is seen with Shang Chi, having less merchandise due to a drop in consumer demand but also a wider set of options for global advertisement outside of pre-film merch which had less risk involved. Marketing has further changed with the introduction of streaming sites and social media, the ability for people to share content for free such as trailers outside of the cinema has allowed for greater promotion at a cheaper cost in comparison to the previous requirement of having trailers be only at the preview of another film if even that in the 1930s.
The marketing has further evolved via the use of posters ,despite posters being seen in 1930s and used for Snow White the level of notoriety has increased, with modern technology such as buses and social media allowing for posters to be plastered across every aspect of life, a tactic utilised by Shang Chi to promote the film both before and during the release. The marketing of Shang Chi also involved having actor press tours, a tactic many companies use in which the actors will appear on talk shows and interviews that promote the film they have coming out to appeal to the wide audience of TV viewers who are both interested and uninterested in the film prior to the show, a tactic that is only possible now due to the masses of the public owning a TV, an invention that was not in homes in colour and sound during the 1930s.
Marketing of major Hollywood films has further changed in the evolution of modern films to utilise a franchise rather than an individual story, Snow White demonstrates an isolated world and an isolated story that had no intended or released follow up or 'cinematic universe.' In a stark contrast most major modern Hollywood films utilise existing brand identity in both studio name and franchise, as seen in franchises such as Star Wars or more relevant Shang Chi, in which a pre-existing world has been crafted years if not decades prior with numerous multi-faceted and interconnected plot lines from a variety of different films that may not follow the same characters or plot. This use of the MCU (or its non marvel equivalents) allows major studios to use the notion of a pre-existing world to market the film, Shang Chi served as the next step in the MCU after the ending of the MCU's previous overarching story, this allowed for the use of artificial 'fear of missing out' within the audience to appeal and garner interest and attention. This strategy is new due to the growing use of franchises and interconnected storyline due to Hollywood's switch to a less risky strategy that recycles viewer favourite content or motions due to the amounts of data about films and the audiences, both areas that were unknown or lesser at the time of the 1930's with a focus on the singular film due to the cost and time it took to make just one, alongside the norm at the time being standalone.
Overall as time has progressed marketing has shifted to a less risky approach when compared to the 1930s advertising of major Hollywood films.
Shang Chi - Economic context 17-1-25
- Merchandise
- additional source of revenue
- wider target audience
- may advertise the film further, generating more profit
- maintains a strong fanbase
-Funko pops appeal to collectors alongside a more millennial audience, came out before the film to serve as partial marketing
-Clothing items can appeal to both adults and children, with costumes being more child focused whilst shirts and casual wear inspired by the show are appealing to adults
Economic contexts
- production costs
- box office revenue
- merchandising
- market trends
- streaming and distribution
- 12A age rating UK - PG13 America
- The violence is choreographed and little 'gore' is depicted, whilst implications of injury are clear there is more of an emphasis on the meaning and result rather than injury in the fight
- Use of terms such as 'Bitch'
- fantasy elements allow for more violence to be acceptable
- despite having close ups and slow mos on certain grazes and attacks they are not sustained for long enough to warrant a higher age rating
- Death of father
- Bus fight scene
- almost drowning
- Intense scenes that push boundary of age rating
- Allows for a wider audience market
- Streaming services use own age ratings and classification system
- vary by country
- access to user data to make informed age regulations
- may have inaccurate ratings
- Banned for unknown but theorised reasons
- Portrayal of Chinese culture and themes, misrepresented and stereotypical
- trade tension and restriction between America and China
- China has strict rules around media content
- certain cast has made comments about China
Response 1
- Strengths
- good intro
- high quantity of information about the 60s marketing, mentions of re-release may be unnecessary due to the question stating a want for the 60s
- Mentions of how tech has changed and how that has effected marketing
- Weaknesses
- despite mentioning change it lacks direct comparison
- does not conclude
- Strengths
- mentions who the audience was
- quality on writing about technology changes and the context of the time
- mentions of the unique and mainline adverts used alongside who they targeted
- concludes
- Weaknesses
- has no flow
- little comparison directly
- states rather than talks coherently
Audience Q2 - 15 marks
Producers target and engage audiences for their films through the marketing and content produced within the film and its promotion, these can be heavily influenced by social and economic contexts.The audience for the films of Snow White and Shang Chi share similarity in their parent companies being the producers however the marketing strategies used and the methods for targeting audiences vary drastically due to the social context of the time of release, as well as the economic backing and variation in audience demographic.
The producers of Snow White (1937) appealed heavily to families as their demographic of an audience, despite Snow White as a concept and character being 'childish,' children in the 1930s would not be capable of having the necessary fund to buy a ticket for the cinema, this led to the productions enforcement of family values based on both personal belief and economic context to be utilised in appealing to the whole family, as this would cause parent indulgence and interest in the film, meaning greater amounts of ticket sales to a wide age range of audiences. This was achieved through the use of marketing of the film that allowed its name to be known, Walt Disney was a pre-established and understood animation studio however a feature length animated film was unheard of as of 1937, this allowed for. the benefit of uniqueness to an audience of film enjoyers who may watch due to this unique trait alone, however the cartoon style also showed parents the child friendliness of the film due to the social context of the 1930s perpetuating aa belief that animation was childish and designed for cartoons and kids. Economically the film functioned to create markets in varying assets of merchandise which further served to develop a brand image pre-release by having merch in shops within the year before cinema debut, this allowed for notoriety in the film and provided further funding for the films production if necessary after the previously granted funds of other investments, maintaining economic stability for Snow White as a debut feature length animated film that would allow the company to fully take off and reach massive heights.
The producers of Shang Chi had access to the social desirability for a mass audience due to the severe lack in major blockbuster films in the past year prior release due to the pandemic in 2020, this meant even in an untraditional demographic there was. appeal of a high budget high production film such as Shang Chi due to the desaturation of the current film industry. This social desirability alongside the marvel demographic of an audience now being hungry for what was next of marvel after the ending of the decade long saga that ended two years prior left a gap in the market for a new superhero film under the marvel name which had the advantage of releasing at a time when the industry was getting back on its legs. This paired with the high budget of Marvel films allowed of r a strong economical push that enticed an audience, the films trailers and promotional campaigns of actor interviews allowed for the target audiences to be reached, with these being marvel fans but. also early teens and adults, with the choice of an origin story allowing for easy entry and for any person to watch, a wise production choice that developed into greater audience engagement. The introduction of streaming sites allowed audiences who were incapable of viewing in cinemas or wanting to watch the film whilst travelling the ability to do so, a market that was unable to be reached prior to the introduction of Disney+.
Summary 24-1-25
Industry differences
- 1930s
- commercial enterprise, studio system
- relatively untouched by government regulation
- relied on vertical integration
- big 5 formed an oligopoly controlled USA and much of world (due to EU competitors collapsing in WW1)
- owned + controlled every element of film process - production, distribution, exhibition
- other studios/cinemas relied on the big 5 for content, relied on block bookings for access to the prestige films
- Disney established a niche in the system with animated shorts, being part of packaged content cinemas bought, mainly whilst working with RKO
- form of ownership broke down in 1940/50s
- 2010s/2020s
- Disney is an international conglomerate, films are no longer sole purpose
- more media and more platforms, wider options for choice
- Tentpole films must offer visual spectacle and immersive experience
- 1970s - blockbuster introduction, deigned for mass global audiences, huge marketing to sell the film as a cultural event
- Shang Chi, first all Asian marvel cast, used Asian star vehicles
- Production
- shorter time for production
- slower distribution
- film reels may have lost picture and sound quality after making rounds rurally
- First Animation to use Technicolour
- No major stars, relatively unknown voice actors
- Distribution
- LA premiere December 1937, shown in 2 cinemas in New York and Miami (Jan 1938)
- RKO decided general release in February due to good box office from limited release
- Lack of competition from other media meant greater number of cinema goers
- re-release strategy that was limited
- Marketing
- Merch - first film to experiment with merch as an additional revenue stream
- trailers
- premieres
- high reviews
- Production
- CGI, motion capture, blue screen technology
- complex choreography
- pyrotechnics + stunts
- Distribution
- Vertical integration, cinemas then Disney +
- Japanese American director attracted to film as it appeared to let Asians self represnt
- poor performance in Asian market
- $150-200 million budget
- premiered August, released on Labour day
- Simultaneous saturated release
- West and East coast had best performance
- 4300 cinemas in first 2 weeks of showing
- Marketing
- Global distribution - digital distribution, 2/3 of international markets by end of the opening weekend
- Trailers, named producers over cast
- appeal for both general and global audiences who may be newcomers to the MCU
- global print ads
- teaser posters
- Snow White
- Differences between people were blunt, whether that be race or disability
- patronising representation of the dwarf's, produced by white men for a white audience
- Hays Code first half of 1930s, forbade representations such as homosexuality or depiction of people who were not white
- Great Depression
- Influence of German film makers and Grimm Fairy tails
- Free market capitalism
- Hollywood works via commercial imperative, pursuit of profit via selling audiences to promotional partners + advertisers, or selling IP/services to other companies
- Anti-Trust laws in US prevent ownership of too large a market share
- Walt Disney able to get global distribution despite being such a small name due to RKO
- Asian self rep still struggles, Shang Chi uses Hollywood to counteract this
- Globalisation
- successful in global markets, Shang Chi is an American film shot in Australia about a stereotypical fictional Chinese culture
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