Jungle Book 1967 vs Jungle Book 2016 Industry, audiences & contexts

1. Jungle Book 1967 vs Jungle Book 2016 Industry, audiences & contexts

3. Read ‘Disney’s Savvy Marketing of The Jungle Book 2016’ New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/18/business/media/disneys-savvy-marketing-jungle-book.html and then answer this question (15 marks) (30 mins): How does the film industry use marketing to ensure their products reach large audiences? Compare the Jungle Book 2016 with the Jungle Book 1967. magic Kaa convention CGI trailers males stars espn superbowl StarWars Hispanics 3D IMAX FB360 stores themeparks

4. 3 main stages of film production are Production Distribution Exhibition – (the film industry term for circulation) Exhibitors are cinema chains and also TV companies (who buy films to broadcast) + DVD and Download & streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Video. These services are known as VOD (video on demand) or SVOD (streaming video on demand) In the past Hollywood studios were extremely powerful Increasingly, Hollywood studios are under threat from competitors such as Netflix Amazon Studios Hollywood studios traditionally owned the distribution process e.g. Disney owned a distribution company called Buena Vista This process is known as vertical integration. A good example of vertical integration would be Warner Bros. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 or HP7. HP7 was created by Warner Bros. pictures, in association with Heyday Films, it was then distributed by Warner Bros. Distribution. The film was marketed using several of Time Warner’s companies. For instance, HBO ( owned by Warner Mdia) ran a behind the scenes making of HP7 before its cinematic release. Time magazine also ran special features on Harry Potter before and after the film was released to not only ensure people went to watch it at the cinema but keep interest up for DVD sales.

5. JB16 US opening weekend box office: JB16 made 100m $ on its US opening weekend 10£ in the UK Simultaneous release means releasing a film at the same time across cinemas, usually in more than country. Saturation release means Flooding cinemas with the same film to maximize box-office sales on the opening weekend UK films have lower production budgets, are less mainstream (more niche or ‘art-house’. Strong emphasis on quirky comedy and social realism Famous English directors include: Andrea Arnold ‘Fish Tank’ Mike Leigh ‘ Secrets & Lies’ Ken Loach ‘Kes’ More recently, film production has become more complex with many other companies involved in the process. This is called outsourcing. In the case of JB16, the visual effects (VFX) were done by a UK company called MPC. Why would outsourcing be a good straregy for today’s film industry? Countries like China, N Korea and Iran have strict controls over film releases. State censorship is common. However remember that JB16 did extremely well in China.

6. JB16 is a blockbuster film • 8 characteristics of a blockbuster: • Casting of stars (‘the star system’) – celebrities are commodities. • Large production budget (JB16: 175m$) • Global marketing and distribution • Big action & VFX sequences • Extensive marketing and cross-promotion (merchandizing; social media + TV & magazine interviews with stars which are known as • covert advertising • Saturation release on the opening weekend (this means flooding cinemas with the same film on the day it is released. Saturation release has been made easier because films are now • digitalnot physical copies. • Simultaneous release: Releasing a film simultaneously in a large number of cinemas worldwide at the same time. JB16: Over 4000 in the US and over 600 in the UK • Use of familiar safe low-risk formats – franchises, sequels, recognizable genres • JB16 voicecast includes big bankable (= profitable) Hollywood stars such as: • Scarlet Johanssen Kaa the Snake • Idris Elba Shere Khan- tiger • Christopher Walken King Louie • Bill Murray Baloo the bear • Giancarlo Esposito (star of ’Breaking Bad’) Akela the wolf • Ben Kinglsey Bagheera, the Black Panther Media commentator and theorist David Hesmondhalgh talks about the commercial importance of low-risk format and use of genre for conglomerates.

7. Economic contexts Ownership & Control: Film industry is dominated by: The BIG 6 Hollywood studios of which Disney is one (+ Sony (Columbia) , 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount) So Disney is one of the 6 major Hollywood conglomerates. The domination of the industry by a few conglomerates is a form of media concentration. These studios dominate the industry globally. Shows the economic dominance of the US and its capitalist value system (free market capitalism). This leads to what could be called: cultural hegemony (= the dominance of Western values) also nicknamed ‘Coca-colonization’ or THE WEST VS THE REST

8. Economic contexts (2) JB67 cannot really be called a blockbuster movie which is a more modern concept. It was released first in the USA then Europe and worldwide. Copies to cinemas were physical not digital. Release was relatively limited due to cost of making physical copies. JB67 had to rely on other strategies to ensure greater audience reach over time e.g. Re-releases (3 times in the US) + VHS, DVD & Blu-Ray formats released later + The other strategy to boost demand was to delay release and DVD issue. This strategy is called vaulting. JB16 had a global, simultaneous and saturated release Distribution helped because copies were digital. Re-releases of JB16 are unnecessary due to its constant availability on download and streaming services Entrance to a bank’s vaults

9. Economic contexts 3: Minimizing risk The 1967 film was deliberately kept light, fun and entertaining (WD’s own influence). 2016 audiences were more demanding and so the film was darker and contained more conventions of an action movie Minimising risk is one of the strategies referred to by David Hesmondhalgh. According to David Hesmondhalgh conglomerates will often ‘play safe’ by sticking to familiar formats, successful formulas and genres. JB16 appeals to audiences more used to action movies, perhaps more younger males. With its darker tone, it moves beyond the family/children demographic while still preserving Disney’s brand values of family-based entertainment and commercial success.

10. Historical contexts and funding Regulation, cultural contexts and attitudes JB67’s revenue came from mainly from re-releases + box-office + Merchandising & spin offs+ Soundtrack+ later VHS & DVD release To be a commercial success, a film should make roughly 2.5 times its original production budget JB67 Certificate rating US: MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) rating (from 1968) was G (“General”) UK: BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) was U (“Universal”) JB16 made more money outside US than in its domestic market. This shows the growth of globalization. But in terms of overall revenue JB67 made more money once figures are adjusted for inflation. It ranks 68th in all time US box office sales chart. JB16 ranks 168. JB16 US & UK ratings were PG. Reason: ‘mild threat’; ‘some sequences of scary action & peril’ ; darker tone JB16’s revenue came from Box-office + More extensive merchandising + cross-promotion DVD releases Streaming & download Use of ‘covert promotion’: TV & magazine interviews JB16 producers were keen to avoid possible accusations that could be levelled at JB67 of racism, steoreotyping (‘apes in the Indian jungle’) Colonialist attitudes It is important to consider the 19th century colonialist attitudes of the book’s author Rudyard Kipling. And also Walt Disney’s own conservatism and right wing views. Marshall McLuhan ‘The Global Village’

11. Promotion & advertising JB67 relied on traditional promotion methods: Trailer (over 3mins, shown in cinemas only) + posters. + merchandising, cross- promotion e.g. theme parks soundtrack JB16 relied heavily on Social media building a buzz and sense of anticipation. Teasers Trailers (different lengths and versions) Posters, including interactive posters Making of photos and videos TV was also used to show trailers and for covert promotions such as interviews with stars. JB16 trailers were darker, more sinister. Emphasizes action sequences. Maybe targets a more adult male demographic. JB67 Trailer Emphasis on Music Humour Animal characters given human characteristics; this is called anthropomorphization

12. Technological innovation & limitations JB16 Entirely CGI apart from Mowgli played by Neel Sethi. VFX created by A UK company called MPC. VFX technique: motion / performance capture & blue screen Sound: surround sound. (Dolby Digital & SDDS Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) So it’s more immersive. Digital distribution- no physical copy needed for cinema distribution Available in different formats such as IMAX and 3D JB67 Multiplane camera to create a 3D style effect. Voices recorded first. Characters drawn after voicecast selected. Sound was: Mono rather than Stereo. Limited and not as immersive Physical not digital copies means copies were expensive and fewer. It also meant a slower roll-out across cinemas. No multiplexes. Only available in cinemas until VHS release in 1991. • Remember: JB16’s director • Jon Favreau • had previously directed an action movie: • Iron Man • This means he was used to large scale action movies with lavish • VFX

13. TEST YOURSELF Select any 8 of these terms and give a sentence, comparison or fact relevant to JB67 & JB16 How much can you remember? DISTRIBUTION EXHIBITION STREAMING VOD NETFLIX AMAZON VERTICAL INTEGRATION BIG6 SATURATION CROSSPROMOTION OUTSOURCING MPC VFX MULTIPLANE SOUNDTRACK DIGITAL • VOICECAST • LOW-RISK • FORMAT • GENRE • HESMONDHALGH • CONGLOMERATES • BUENAVISTA • CONCENTRATION • VAULTING • GLOBAL • MPAA • BBFC • MERCHANDISING