Synergy

LO: To be able to explain synergy, using appropriate terminology

What different types of movie merchandise can you think of?

What is it?

The way in which different elements of a media conglomerate work together to promote linked products across different media.

Harry Potter Synergy

The film of Harry Potter promotes the DVD which promotes the book which promotes the advent calendar which promotes the studio tour which promotes the film…

How does synergy work?

Synergy works when different elements within a media (film) conglomerate create linked products e.g. film, soundtrack, video game

Each distinct element promotes others

E.g. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

In 2000 AOL and Time Warner merged. The promotion of

HPATPS by AOL and Time Warner are good examples of SynergyAdverts for the

film were shown on HBO and WB, both American TV channels which are

subsidiaries of Time Warner

The soundtrack was released on Atlantic Records, Part of Warner

MusicAOL’s Internet

service was offering

merchandise, and ticket

promotions tied to subscriptions

for AOLs services

Articles about the film

appeared in newspapers and

magazines owned by Time

Warner.

Can you complete one of these for the deathly hallows pt

2?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Soundtrack – Warner Bros and Water Tower Music

Game – WB Games &EA Games (Publisher/Developer)

Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Harry Potter Studio Tour - WB Merchandise – WB Shop

Hollywood Media Synergy When and why did Hollywood switch its

focus to megafranchise movies? How are megafranchise movies

defined? How important are sequels in the film

industry? What is ancillary revenue? How

important is it? How important are video games to the

film industry?

Vertical vs Horizontal Integration

Vertical Integration Big Studio

MGM, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Paramount &

RKO

Produce the FilmsThey owed studios to shoot in

and the stars to act in their films

ExhibitionThese big studios owned

their own cinemas. The only place to watch their films

No longer the case as the courts ruled that the studios had to sell off their cinemas as it gave them too much of a

monopoly on the industry

Horizontal Integration

Hollywood has moved from vertical integration to horizontal integration

Because of this they now focus on producing films which can be cross-promoted with other media texts.

Ancillary revenue has now become more important than box office revenue.

Constant media synergy

Every piece of media within the same brand promotes every other piece of media under that umbrella.

“The Disney stores promote the consumer products which promotes the parks which promote the television shows. The television shows promote the company.” Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner

Multimedia Supertexts

“The industry can scaresely be treated in terms of movie and videogames and theme-park rides as separate entities or isolated media texts. Rather, they are related aspects…of entertainment supertexts, multimedia narrative forms…the essential text within these media franchises is the Hollywood Blockbuster film” Thomas Schatz

Can you think of any other mega franchises?

James Bond Shrek Batman Twilight

Spectacle

Megafranchise films rely on the use of spectacle.

High budget productions with expensive set design and special effects.

This works as a ‘barrier to entry’ to lower-budget films, allowing the major studios to continue to dominate the film industry.

Task

Write a short paragraph explaining what you understand by synergy.