The document provides information about The Jungle Book films from 1967 and 2016, including their production, distribution, marketing, and historical/regulatory contexts. It discusses how both films were mainstream blockbusters distributed by Disney, one of the major "Big Six" film studios. The document also examines the impact of Disney's ownership on film production through funding, star power, technology access, and synergistic marketing across platforms.

1. S
THE JUNGLE BOOK
(1967 and 2016)
MEDIA INDUSTRIES
ECONOMIC AND HISTORICAL
CONTEXTS

2. AREAS OF STUDY
S AUDIENCES
S PRODUCTION
S MARKETING, DISTRIBUTION and FUNDING
S TECHNOLOGY AND CONVERGENCE
S OWNERSHIP
S REGULATION

3. Mainstream films distributed by
Disney – one of the so-called
Big Six
The Jungle Book (1967/2016)

4. Mainstream Film Production and Distribution: The
Big ‘Six’ oligopoly
(Paramount dropped out in 2016)
1. DISNEY: The Jungle Book, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Frozen..
2. 20th CENTURY FOX: Logan, Assassin’s Creed, X-Men Apocalypse..
3. WARNER BROS: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Wonder
Woman…..
4. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS: Straight Outta Compton, Minions….
5. eOne FILMS: Collaborations with other distributors
6. COLUMBIA PICTURES/SONY: Spectre, American Hustle…..
7. PARAMOUNT: Transformers: The Last Knight, Star Trek Beyond..

5. Apart from Disney who are the
conglomerate, each studio is owned by a
multinational organisation
 WARNER BROS is owned by WARNER MEDIA/AT & T
 PARAMOUNT PICTURES is owned by VIACOM
 20TH CENTURY FOX is owned by the 21st CENTURY
FOX (FORMERLY NEWS CORPORATION)
 DISNEY is its own conglomerate. Ownership includes
Lucas Film, Marvel Entertainment, Theme Parks, Pixar
Animations….
 COLUMBIA PICTURES/MGM are owned by SONY
 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS are owned by COMCAST

6. IMPACT OF DISNEY OWNERSHIP ON
FILM PRODUCTION
Write down 5 ways ownership
has an impact on film production

7. IMPACT OF DISNEY OWNERSHIP ON
FILM PRODUCTION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQpWRenGF_w
1. Big Six ownership provides significant funding for high production
value films – Avengers: Infinity War (2018): 19th MCU film, also
distributed by Disney (see clip) - $320-400m budget
2. Ability to attract star marketing – e.g. Jungle Book A List voices
3. More time spent on production
4. Access to latest production technology e.g. CGI
5. More synergy e.g. theme parks and convergence - availability of the
film cross platform plus importantly cross platform marketing

8. Key Facts – 2016 Jungle
Book
S 2016 and 2017 – DISNEY as NUMBER 1 DISTRIBUTOR
(£301m UK theatrical revenue)
S JON FAVREAU PRODUCED AND DIRECTED - Iron Man, Iron Man 2,
Iron Man 3, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron. DIRECT
LINKS/EXPERIENCE WITH NON REALIST, FANTASY HIGH
PRODUCTION VALUE FILM GENRES
S JUST UNDER BLOCKBUSTER BUDGET AT $177m
S SYNERGY – LINKING WITH ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK/THEME
PARKS

9. JUNGLE BOOK (2016) TRAILER. BULLET
POINT HOW IT IS A MAINSTREAM FILM?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mkm22yO-bs

10. The Jungle Book, 2016
‘Mainstream Film’
S High production values incl. CGI and soundtrack
S Star marketing – Scarlett Johansson et al voice over
S Wide/saturated distribution by one of The Big Six (not
always). Synergy with other Disney blockbusters
S Commercial success – homage to 1967 film
S Safe genre, simplistic emotive narrative – focus on
entertainment values e.g. IMAX, 3D availability

11. FILM INDUSTRY TERMINOLOGY YOU NEED
TO BE FAMILIAR WITH
MAINSTREAM FILM
INDEPENDENT FILM
PRODUCTION/PRODUCTION
VALUES
DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING
EXHIBITION/EXCHANGE
CRITICAL SUCCESS
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
CONVERGENCE
SYNERGY
WRITE DOWN A ONE SENTENCE
DEFINITION OF BOTH LINKED TO
THE JUNGLE BOOK FILMS

12. Synergy and Convergence
Explained
S Synergy – where two or more compatible
products/organisations sell each other e.g. Jungle
Book (1967 and 2016) or theme parks advertising the
film.
S Media Convergence – where films like Jungle Book
(2016) is available/consumed and can be marketed
on a number of cross media platforms e.g. cinema,
streamed, DVD, X Box, PlayStation…….Film websites
often have convergent links to a range of rich media.

13. The Jungle Book – 2016
CGI with live action

14. The Jungle Book – 2016
See Mowgli meets Baloo clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww94B3TfqF4
S Homage to 1967 original film production – a ‘cartoon musical’
S Big budget, non realist, entertainment on an ‘epic’ scale
S Significant use of CGI with live action
S Representation of familiar characters
S Emotive narrative (children and animals)
S Star marketing (voice overs and characters) e.g. Idris Elba

17. Marketing and Distribution
“In the film industry, to ensure
commercial success you need a
successful marketing campaign” – this
costs money and is funded by the
Distributor e.g. Disney (The Jungle
Book)”

18. Definitions - Distribution
 The Distributor chooses which films to distribute – often from
seeing the film at a film festival for example
 They decide on the number of digital copies and pay for each
 Negotiate the release date and site of exhibition –
when/where
S Agree on a budget and sequence a campaign across a range
of online, audio-visual and print platforms
S Online platforms include a website as central marketing hub
with convergent links to trailers on YouTube, social
networking platforms…

19. Marketing and Distribution 1
(Jungle Book 2016)
S Bloggers and entertainment news sites were used by Disney
to ‘get the message across’
S Global marketing – cross continents (aggressively targeting an
Asian market), synergy at Disney theme parks
S High production value trailers and 3D trailers played before
Disney brand Star Wars: The Force Awakens, including during
Superbowl
S All targeting an older/younger primary and secondary
audience
S Available in IMAX 3D – marketing via ‘the spectacle’

20. Marketing and Distribution 2
(Jungle Book 2016)
S Deliberate ‘viral leaks’ creating hype
S Significant online marketing campaign (including
trailers and TV spots + a 360 degree Facebook video)
S Primary target audience (12-21) targeted via
production values and scale, secondary family target
audience target via synergy and intertextual links –
crucially nostalgia
S Merchandising a key factor as always with Disney
S Successful box office

21. The Jungle Book 2016
Triptych Film Poster

22. FULL TRIPTYCH FILM
POSTER
S Jan 2016 poster campaign (April release)
S 3 separate posters before unveiling full triptych
S Expansive canvas – ability to show size and scale
(production values) but also character
representation
S Other film posters focussed more exclusively on
Mowgli (emotive representations)
S Posters also targeted a global market

23. 1967 Exterior Billboard. How is the original
trailer similar/different to 2016?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNVTKX
IK7q8

24. The Jungle Book – 1967 Trailer
(see YouTube mash up
comparison)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o
HrDSoVzqNA
S Key focus on animation technology at the time
S More comedic representations
S Disney’s ownership and distribution still
foregrounded
S Animals have a more obvious identity
S Narrative voice over – heightened emphasis
(music is the ‘visual grammar’ in the 2016 trailer)

27. The Jungle Book 1967 Poster

28. Marketing and Distribution
(1967 Jungle Book - longevity)
S Personal involvement – Walt Disney (last film)
S $4m production budget, $205m box office worldwide
S Significant print campaign
S Heavily promoted on VHS in 1993, several re-releases
on DVD and BluRay
S Available as digital downloads – iTunes, Disney Movies
anywhere, Google Play

29. Iconic, nostalgic representations –
marketing focus on ensemble cast

31. REGULATION AND FILM
“The traditional regulator”
‘Badges’ of quality below

32. Suitable for 12 years+.
No one younger
than 12 can see a 12A film
unless accompanied
by an adult
UK Classification Categories
Universal.
Suitable for all
Parental Guidance.
General viewing but
some scenes may be
unsuitable for
young children
Suitable for
15 years+
Suitable for
adults only

33. The Jungle Book and
Regulation
S 2016 seen as ‘darker’ than 1967 film – hence PG
compared to U because of ‘mild threat’
S Using Curran and Seaton, Disney is driven by profit
hence a PG classification maximises audiences
S PG = ‘parental guidance’ (some scenes ‘may’ be
unsuitable for young children)
S Both ratings ensure mass audiences
S Politically 1967 Jungle Book depicted racial
stereotypes at a time of black civil rights

34. Regulation Theory –
Livingstone and Lunt
The idea that UK regulation policy e.g. the BBFC is driven by
conflict – to ‘protect’ from harm but also allow diversity/choice
S Desensitisation and deregulation are core concepts here –
Disney knew audiences would accept the 2016 film would be a
darker - hence hoping for the PG classification
S Can link back to Curran & Seaton – theatrical release wanted to
target wide demographic to ensure good box office (profit)
S Disney carefully controlled the representations in The Jungle
Book to appeal to a wider demographic

35. Mapping Theory – Curran
and Seaton
The idea that the media is controlled by a small number
of companies which can inhibit creativity (driven by
profit)…..
S The Jungle Book is distributed by one of the Big Six,
Disney – critics have suggested there were racial and
political messages in the 1967 film diluted to make an
entertaining animated film, exploiting synergy and
targeting mass audiences
S Mainstream films tend to offer a lack of diversity with the
primary objective being commercial success and profit –
both films offer escapist narratives without challenging

36. Mapping Theory – David
Hesmondhalgh
Cultural companies try to minimise risk and maximise
audience through vertical and horizontal integration
(pattern of ownership theory) and also operate cross
media
S Vertical integration – The Jungle Book is
produced/funded/distributed (Buena Vista ownership) by
Disney in 1967 and 2016
S Horizontal integration – Disney own several companies in
the same sector e.g. Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios
S Minimising risk - safe genre, established audience

37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXV8xfKGpiQ
Watch the following short video to consolidate your
understanding of Disney and patterns of ownership