Warner Bros is owned by the conglomerate Time Warner which owns various media companies. This cross-media ownership allows Warner Bros to earn billions annually which provides large budgets for film production and distribution. As Warner Bros owns DC Entertainment, it can make films using the thousands of DC comic characters which have built-in fan bases. For example, The Dark Knight Rises characters are all from DC comics. Warner Bros was able to invest $250 million in production which funded special effects and A-list stars, and distribute the film widely on its owned platforms like HBO.

1. Media ownership
and its effect on
Film Production
and Distribution

3. Key terminology
 What we will learn about:
 Cross-media ownership
 Production, Distribution, Marketing, Exhibition
 Vertical and Horizontal Integration
 Synergy
 Tie-ins
 Cross-media convergence
Aim for 10 different ways

4. “How does media ownership affect
Film Production and Distribution?”

5. “How does media ownership affect
Film Production and Distribution?”

6. Conglomerate
 Warner Bros. is part of a multi-national billion
dollar conglomerate, Time Warner that owned
both Time Inc. and Warner Bros.
 Warner Bros. itself has lots of profitable
subsidiaries such as…

8. DC Entertainment Ownership
Warner Bros. also owns DC Entertainment. The characters in The Dark Knight Rises are all
from DC comics, meaning they have a pre-established fan base.
There have already being a series of successful films and comic book series with the
characters Batman, Cat woman, Scarecrow, The Joker and Bane.
DC also publishes modern day comic books with the superheroes in.
The vast number of characters are known as existing in the DC Universe.

9. DC’s Cinematic Universe
 With Warner Bros. owning DC Entertainment the
company has the rights to over 10,000 characters
in the DC Universe
 This means that Warner Bros. can make films
featuring these characters

11. Cross media ownership
 When a company owns other companies in
different media areas/ sectors.
 Why might this be beneficial?

12. Warner Bros.
 Because Warner Bros. own lots of profitable
companies in different media sectors this level
of ownership is beneficial as it helps the
company earn vast profits each year ($3
billion in 2015)

13. How does this help film production/
distribution?
Because Warner Bros. earned $3 billion in 2015 from its various film, TV, animation and
games companies. This means it can afford excessive budgets for the production and
distribution of its films.

14. Film Production
The Dark Knight Rises budget was
$250,000,000
This meant it could afford A list celebrities
such as Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway,
Morgan Freeman etc.
Gadgets such as the ‘Batmobile’ and ‘Bat-bike’
could be developed, along with the film being
Shot in various countries such as…

15. Film Production
Wayne manor- Wollaton Hall Nottingham
Gotham stock exchange- New York
Underground prison- India
Final scene- Italy

16. Film Distribution
 Summer release 20/07/2012
 Saturation release- 4404 screens in US
 Global release

17. Release types
 Films can be released according to their budget
and desirability
Saturation release- all cinemas and multiplexes, numerous screens
showing with the film on
Wide release- most popular type of film release
Limited- more popular option for independent filmmakers due to cost

18. Film Distribution
HBO is a TV channel with over 127 million subscribers worldwide.
The Dark Knight Rises can be viewed on HBO Movies

19. Vertical Integration
Production
_________
Distribution
_________
Exhibition_
_______
This is the making of the film. Cast,
crew, budget, storyline, locations etc.
This is where and when the film is
released. Films follow a ‘Film Value
Chain’ and are usually released to
cinemas, then online or on DVD/ Blu-
Ray
This is the showing of the film. Which
cinemas screens the film was screened
on (2D, 3D), how many weeks it was on
the cinemas for, how much money the
film grossed at the Box Office etc.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures/
Warner Bros. Digital
Distribution
Warner Bros.
Home Entertainment

20. “How does media ownership
affect Film Production and
Distribution?”
 Introduction
 Warner Bros. ownership- conglomerate and
cross-media ownership
 Warner Bros owning DC- benefits
 How this affects Production
 How this affects Distribution
 Budgets and box office figures