This document discusses the concepts of vertical and horizontal integration in the film industry. Vertical integration refers to a parent company owning assets across the entire process of film production, distribution, and exhibition. Horizontal integration means a company owns assets within the same stage of the film process. The document provides examples of how vertical integration allows companies to self-distribute and exhibit their own films. It prompts students to understand these concepts and create an infographic showing the structure of NBC Universal and Comcast's subsidiaries across different parts of the film industry.

1. WHAT CONNECTS THESE FILMS?

2. COMPONENT 1B
Understanding Audiences and Institutions

3. UNIT AIMS
• media industries: how the media industries'
processes of production, distribution and circulation
affect media forms and platforms
• audiences: how media forms target, reach and
address audiences, how audiences interpret and
respond to them, and how members of audiences
become producers themselves.

4. UNIT CONTENT
• develop knowledge and understanding of key aspects of media
industries, including the significance of ownership and
funding, the role of regulation in global production and
distribution, the impact of digitally convergent platforms
and the effect of individual producers on media industries.
• media audiences, considering aspects such as the targeting of
mass and specialised audiences, the categorisation and
construction of audiences, as well as how audiences' use of and
responses to the media reflect identity and social, cultural and
historical circumstances.

6. LEARNING AIMS
• To know and understand the process of production,
distribution, and circulation in the British and
Hollywood film industries
• To compare different film company models, with a
focus on vertical and horizontal integration
• To evaluate the pros and cons of different company
structures in relation to film

7. WHAT CONNECTS THESE FILMS?

8. HOLLYWOOD

9. HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
• When the parent company owns assets on the same
platform (or industry) and at the same stage of the
film’s life

10. VERTICAL
INTEGRATION
• When the parent company
owns the means of
production, distribution,
and exhibition
Owns the means of film
production
Can distribute their
own films
Owns platforms on
which they can exhibit
their own films

11. HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
productio
n
productio
n
exhibition

12. HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
productio
n
distributionexhibition

13. KEY QUESTIONS
• What is vertical integration?
• What are some of the benefits of vertical
integration?
• What is horizontal integration?
• What might be some of the drawbacks of
horizontal integration?

14. UNIVERSAL: TASK
• Create an infographic detailing the structure of
NBC Universal and Comcast
• Show the different subsidiaries owned by these
companies across production, distribution, and
exhibition platforms
• You can print the logos of the companies and
stick them onto an A3 sheet, or your can design
on the computer.