The document discusses media ownership in the film industry. It compares two film trailers, John Carter and Submarine, in terms of their production, budgets, and box office returns. It then discusses how media ownership affects the film industry through production, distribution, marketing and consumption. The American film industry is dominated by six major studios that are subsidiaries of large media conglomerates, allowing them to take bigger risks. British films often rely on co-productions with multiple companies and television studios. The document provides examples of how films appeal to different audiences and discusses issues around media ownership.

1. Media
Ownership
Lesson Objectives: To be able to answer
an exam style question about media
ownership in the film industry.

2. Compare the two film trailers.

3. ‘John Carter’
 Produced by Walt Disney Pictures.
 Budget of $250 million.
 Released in 2D, Digital 3D, and IMAX 3D.
 Planned to be the first in a franchise of 3
films.
 Has taken $114 million so far at the box
office.
 Opened in 456 cinemas in the UK, taking
£1.9 million in the first week.

4. ‘Submarine’
 Co-production between Film4
Productions, Film Agency for Wales, Wales
Creative IP Fund, Red Hour Films, Warp
Films.
 Budget of £1.2 million.
 Made £2.03 million at the box offfice.
 Opened in 60 cinemas in the UK, taking
£244,000 in the first week of release.

5. Media Ownership
 You need to be able to explain how media
ownership effects the film industry in relation
to:
 Production
 Distribution
 Marketing
 Consumption
 You will need to be able to consider the
significance of cross-media convergence
and synergy.

6. The American Film Industry
 The American Film Industry is dominated by
the Big Six film studios.
 All of the Big Six studios are subsidiaries of
major media conglomerates.
Studio (Subsidiary) Conglomerate (Parent)
Warner Bros Time Warner
Paramount Viacom
20th Century Fox News Corp
Walt Disney Pictures The Walt Disney Company
Columbia Pictures Sony Corporation
Universal Pictures GE and Comcast

7. Ownership and the American
Film Industry
 The American film industry is dominated by 6 major
studios, each of which are subsidiaries of major media
conglomerates.
 The American film industry makes more money from
international revenue ($30 billion) than domestic revenue ($10
billion).
 What are the implications of this ownership structure?
 Concentration of media ownership (bias, stealth
marketing, oligopoly)
 Ability to take bigger risks – bigger budgets – spectacle
 Synergy

8. The American Film Industry
and the Britain
 The Big Six studios dominate the British box
office.
 On average American films account for
between 70-75% of UK box office takings.
 Around 20% of UK box office takings go to
British films that are co=productions with major
Hollywood Studios.
 Independent British films take on average 6%
of takings at the UK Box office, though that
reached a high of 13% last year.
 Of the top 20 films at the UK box office in
2011, 16 of them were produced by on one of
the major Hollywood studios.

9. The UK Film Industry
 Film production in Britain usually relies on
co-productions between independent
companies, government agencies, and
television companies.
 More mainstream British films tend to be co-
productions with Hollywood studios.

11. Global or National Audiences
 Hollywood films are aimed at a mass
market, global audience.
 In contrast many British films are aimed at
more niche audiences, and are more
focused on reflecting British culture.

12. ‘THIS IS ENGLAND’
 ‘This is England’ is a good example of an independent
British production.
 It was produced by 7 different companies including Film
Four, the UK Film Council, Warp Films, and Screen
Yorkshire.

13. ‘This is England’
 “I forgot when watching Shane Meadows‟
moving evocation of skinhead youth This is
England at the London Film Festival, how
culturally specific its opening montage
might seem…What will people outside of
Northern Europe make of the regalia of
1980‟s skinheads from the midlands?
Hopefully they will be intrigued. This Is
England made me realise, too, that some
British films are at last doing exactly what
Sight and Sound has campaigned for;
reflecting aspects of British life gain and
maybe suffering the consequences of being
harder to sell abroad.” Nick James, editor
of „Sight and Sound‟

14. ‘This is England’
 Watch the trailer for ‘This is England’ and
think about who the target audience would
be, and how the film may appeal to that
target audience?

15. ‘Up’
 Watch the trailer for ‘Up’ and consider who
the target audience is, and how the film
appeals to that audience.

16. Discuss the issues raised by media
ownership within a media area you have
studied.
 Introduction
 State argument
 Introduce focus
 Section One: The American Film Industry
 Outline structure of US film industry and
issues raised
 Discuss specifically in relation to Disney in
terms of production, distribution, synergy.
 Section Two: The UK Film Industry
 Contrast UK film industry with US.
 Relate to specific examples in relation to
Film4, and any other relevant examples.
 Conclusion
 Sum up your argument.
 Relate to your own experience as a
consumer.

17.  Write out your argument.
 Bullet-point points and examples.
 Choose one paragraph of your essay and
write it out in full, ensuring that you are
making a clear point (linked to your
argument) in relation to the
question, supported by a specific
example, the significance of which is clearly
explained.
 Remember to use key terms in your written
work.