Media Ownership Essay

Based on the ‘Media Ownership’ question from the June 2015 Media Studies exam.

To what extent does media ownership have an impact on the successful distribution of of films?

Plan

The ‘Big Six’ –  who, what, why, how?

• Disney
• Warner Bros.
• 20th Century Fox
• Universal Pictures
• Paramount Pictures
• Columbia Pictures

– the 6 biggest and most successful production and distribution companies in the film industry
– collectively control around 80-85% of US and Canadian box office revenue.
– 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures were part of the original ‘Big Five’ who existed during the Golden Age of Hollywood (late 1920s to mid-1940s) – became very successful and well known

Case Studies:

Spectre – big tentpole release, example of film by ‘Big Six’

• Produced by Columbia Pictures – one of ‘Big 6’

– had a guaranteed audience across the UK in fans of the Bond franchise
– Columbia, being one of the ‘Big 6’, ensured Spectre a long and big slot in the majority of UK cinemas
– world premiere took place in London on 26th October 2015 at the Royal Albert Hall, the same day as its general release in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland – a big venue achieved by the power and wealth of Columbia Pictures
– shown in 587 cinemas and 21 IMAX screens in the UK

– the company also has a large amount of money to make the film of a high quality, therefore making it appealing to fans and viewers
– Production budget: $245,000,000

– UK opening day gross profit: £6.3 million ($9.2 million)
– UK opening week gross profit: £41.7 million ($63.8 million)

– Worldwide gross profit (as of 31st March 2016):  UK – $135.5 million  +  USA – $200.1 million

= Worldwide – $880.7 million

Prometheus – another big tentpole style release by ‘Big Six’

• Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox – one of ‘Big 6’

– was guaranteed an audience of some sort (maybe not as big as for Spectre) in fans of the Alien franchise
– 20th Century Fox, being one of the ‘Big 6’, ensured Prometheus a long and big slot in the majority of UK cinemas
– the premiere took place on 31st May, 2012, at the Empire cinema in Leicester Square, London -a big venue achieved by the power and wealth of 20th Century Fox
– shown in 536 cinemas in the UK

– the company also has a large amount of money to make the film of a high quality, therefore making it appealing to fans and viewers
– Production budget: $130,000,000

– UK opening weekend gross profit: £6,234,812

– Total worldwide lifetime gross: $403,354,469

A Field In England – not a tentpole release not released by ‘Big Six’

• Produced by Film4 – not one of the ‘Big 6’ – smaller and independent

– was guaranteed a small audience in the form of fans of Ben Wheatley’s former work
– the release strategy was much different to that of a film produced/distributed by one of the ‘Big 6’
– day-and-date release in 17 cinemas, VOD and freeview TV (Film4 channel)

– didn’t have large amounts of money invested in it
– Production budget: £316,879
– the BFI Distribution Fund supported the release of the project with £56,701, which contributed to a P&A spend of £112,000.

– Opening weekend theatrical gross profit: £21,399

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – not a tentpole release not released by ‘Big Six’

• Produced by Blueprint Pictures and Participant Media – not one of the ‘Big 6’ – smaller and independent, but bigger than A Field In England

– was guaranteed a small audience in the form of fans of the popular and well known actors – Maggie Smith, Judie Dench, Dev Patel
– release strategy was standard, but not as costly or as invested in as that of a film produced/distributed by one of the ‘Big 6’

– didn’t have large amounts of money invested in it, compared to that of a film produced by one of the ‘Big 6’ – but much bigger than that of A Field In England
– was much more successful than it was expected to be
– Production budget: $10,000,000

– UK opening weekend gross profit: £2,222,0000
– Worldwide lifetime gross profit: $136,000,000

 

Essay

In the present day there are six companies within the media industry that are the most powerful, wealthy and most successful production and distribution companies currently in operation.  These companies are aptly named the ‘Big Six’, and are Disney, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures. The ‘Six’ collectively control around 80-85% of US and Canadian box office revenue and make the majority of films that are shown in cinemas worldwide.  They invest extremely large amounts of money in both the production and distribution of films.  Three of the ‘Six’, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures, were part of the original ‘Big Five’ who existed during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the late 1920s to mid-1940s, and becoming very successful, resulting in their success, power and popularity today.

An example of a film made by one of the ‘Big Six’, and a tentpole release, is Spectre (2015), the most recent film in the Bond franchise, directed by Sam Mendes and produced by Columbia Pictures.  The distribution of this film was exceptionally successful for a variety of reasons, but was mainly due to the fact that the film was made by one of the ‘Big Six’; Columbia invested a large amount of money on not only the production of Spectre, which made it of a very high quality with popular actors, but also on the film’s distribution, which was aided by Sony Pictures in the UK.

Spectre had a guaranteed audience in the UK from the very beginning in the form of fans of the James Bond franchise.  As the latest instalment in the franchise and featuring Daniel Craig as 007, who had become very popular in the role, the film was expected to attract a large audience very easily based purely on the pre-existing success and popularity of the franchise and the cast.  As the production company, Columbia Pictures, is one of the ‘Big Six’ it ensured Spectre a large and lengthy slot in the majority of UK cinemas, due to the company’s power and known success, giving it an ability to gain cinema time easily.  Following its release on 26th October 2015, Spectre was shown in 587 cinemas and 21 IMAX screens across the UK.  The film’s world premier took place on the same day as its general release in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and occurred in London in the Royal Albert Hall.  This is a big and extremely famous venue, which was achieved due to the success and popularity of the Bond franchise, but also by the power and wealth of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures.

Columbia spent large amounts of money on Spectre in order to make it of a high quality and therefore more appealing to fans and viewers.  The production budget devised for Mendes’ film was $245,000,000, and this apparently paid off because in the UK the opening day gross profit was £6.3 million ($9.2 million), and after the opening weekend it had grossed £41.7 million ($63.8 million).  As of 31st March 2016 the worldwide gross profit for Spectre was $880.7 million, combining $135.5 million from the UK and $200.1 million from the USA.  It made nearly four times what had been spent on it, and that number is still rising as copies are purchased worldwide on DVD and Blu-Ray, and on VOD providers.  If Spectre hadn’t had a production budget of this scale, the quality might have been poor and then perhaps the success of the film’s release might not have been as big.  By investing in Spectre and making it a tentpole release, Columbia ensured a certain measure of success for the film.  However, if the popularity of the Bond franchise hadn’t been pre-existing, then maybe Columbia might not have invested as much and risked it as a tentpole release.

Another example of a tentpole release created by one of the ‘Big Six’ is Prometheus (2012), the most recent film in the Alien franchise, directed by Ridley Scott and both produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.  Such as with Spectre the distribution of Prometheus film was successful for a variety of reasons, but was mainly due to the fact that the film was made by one of the ‘Big Six’.  20th Century Fox invested a large amount of money on both the film’s production and distribution.

Prometheus was guaranteed an audience of some sort (maybe not as big as for Spectre, but still big) in the form of fans of the Alien franchise; the first film in the franchise, Alien, also directed by Ridley Scott, was extremely successful upon its release in 1979 due to its new ideas and stellar cast.  Prometheus is a prequel to that first film, and justifies the events which take place in Alien, so this would have been attractive to viewers and fans of Scott’s first sci-fi horror.  The fact that 20th Century Fox is one of the ‘Big Six’ ensured Prometheus, like Spectre, a large and long slot in the majority of UK cinemas, and it ended up being shown in 536 venues across the country.   The film’s premiere took place on 31st May 2012, at the Empire cinema in Leicester Square, London, a big venue achieved by the power, wealth and success of 20th Century Fox.

20th Century Fox, just like Columbia with Spectre although not quite as much, spent a large amount of money on the production and distribution of Prometheus, with a production budget of $130,000,000.  However, Ridley Scott did want more money from Fox for the film, but they refused to give him the $250 million he wanted to make it as it was R rated.  They agreed to give him the budget if dropped the rating, but he refused and a compromise was made.  The smaller budget didn’t seem to matter much as on the opening weekend in the UK Prometheus grossed £6,234,812, and it has a total worldwide lifetime gross of $403,354,469.

The film A Field In England is an example of a film that was not a tentpole release and was not produced or distributed by any of the ‘Big Six’.  It is a smaller, independent film that was directed by small time director Ben Wheatley and produced by Film4 and Rook Films.  Although it wasn’t heavily advertised, A Field In England was guaranteed a small audience in the form of fans of Ben Wheatley’s former work.  The release strategy for the film was much different to that of a film distributed or produced by one of the ‘Big Six’, and very different from a general film distribution method.  A Field In England was distributed using a day-and-date release strategy in which the film was shown simultaneously in 17 cinemas, VOD and freeview TV, on Film4’s film channel, across the UK on 5th July 2013.

Due to the fact that Ben Wheatley is a small scale independent director who’s films are not produced or distributed by the ‘Big Six’, A Field In England didn’t have large amounts of money invested in it; it simply didn’t have the backing.  It had a production budget of £316,879 and the BFI Distribution Fund supported the release of the project with £56,701, which contributed to a P&A spend of £112,000.  On the opening weekend the film made a theatrical gross profit of £21,399, making back no where near what it cost to make, however this money will be made back slowly over time in the form of DVD/Blu-Ray and VOD purchases.

Another example of a film that wasn’t a tentpole release or produced or distributed by one of the ‘Big Six’ is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  This was a small independent film, but bigger than A Field In England, which was directed by John Madden and  produced by Blueprint Pictures and Participant Media.  The film was guaranteed an audience of some kind in the form of the well known and popular actors who starred in it, such as Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Dame Judy Dench, as well as Dev Patel, who’s popularity had grown due to his performance in Slumdog Millionaire.  The release strategy of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel release and distribution strategy was a standard one, but not as costly or as invested in as that of a film produced or distributed by one of the ‘Big Six’.

Madden’s film didn’t have large amounts of money invested in it, compared to that of a film produced by one of the ‘Big Six’, but it was a much bigger film than that of A Field In England and had much more money invested in it.  It had a production budget of $10,000,000 and on the opening weekend in the UK it grossed £2,222,0000, with a worldwide lifetime gross profit of $136,000,000.  Overall it was much more successful than it was expected to be, and made back much more money than what was invested.

By looking at these four films, two of which were tentpole releases produced and distributed by two of the ‘Big Six’ it is clear that media ownership does have a big impact on the successful distribution of films.  Both Spectre and Prometheus were produced and distributed by members of the ‘Big Six’, having large amounts of money invested in them, and due to this, the pre-existing fan base of the franchise, and the power and success of the companies, they were very successful upon release.  A Field In England and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel however were not produced or distributed by any of the ‘Big Six’ and did not have massive amounts of money invested in them.  A Field In England was not particularly successful, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  was much more successful than expected, however it did have a better cast and more money spent on it, and although the production companies were not part of the ‘Big Six’ they were more successful than those that made A Field In England.