Unit 8 Understand the Television and Film industry

Strand 1 US film industry

The Big Six

The big six are the biggest film companies in the USA, which also own other companies run in a vertically integrated system

Vertical integation

Vertical integation is when a company can produce a product, distribute the product, and exhibit a product all in one company. An example of this kind of company within the film industry is Sony, which is one of the Big Six. The big six are examples of Vertical integrated companies.

Conglomerate

Parent division

Major studio subsidiary

Arthouse/"indie" distribution subsidiaries

Genre/B movie distribution subsidiaries

Other divisions and brands

Horizontal integation

Horizontal integation is a company that produces a number of different projects, such

as music, films and merchandise under one company for example Disney produce a

number of projects.

Horizontal integation

Horizontal integation

Private funding

Private funding is when someone gives the company money to produce a product, for

example George Harrison was a fan of Monty python and when there was no budget to

make the life of Brain film he played for them to make it.

Corporations

Corporations are companys that don’t need other compaines to help, such as sony, they make their own films and release them onto

dvd. All of the big six companys are corporations.

Conglomerate

A conglomerate is a company that, under one structure, that has one or more companies

working in it. For example Working Title films is owned by universal but are two separate

businesses but as one company.

British Film industry

Funding and Ownership

The british film industry is funded differently because it has different ways to produce films.

Private Capital

• Private Capital is when money is invested by individuals. For example the film Saxon, by british writer Greg Loftin, who wrote, directed and produced the film. The problem with private capital funding would be if you have money issues and if you lose out on money because it get bad ratings. The benefit is that you are in control at all times and theres no company with the upperhand.

Development funds

Development funds are when people apply to the UK film council to get funding for their film or project from which the money comes from a section of the lottery money. An example of some films funded this way are 24 hour party people and 28 hours later. I think development funds are good because it gives people the opportunity to create their product, but the disadvantage is that you may not get the amount of funding you need, if any.

Financial aid

Financial aid is when the government give money independent film companies use the money for their own films. I think its good because it puts money back into the companies and will be responsible for films being made however the this then allows independent filmmaker a smaller opportunity to make their own ideas.

House of cards funding

This is when a group of individuals companies or financial aid fund one film together. A problem with this is if one of the investors pulls out or comes under financial trouble the whole film collapses. However the positive with this system is individial filmmakers can get much higher fundings and also it gives a bit of contribution to the making of the film.

British film industry vs US film industry

In the US film industry there is a lot of major film corporations for which they find their own films and also private capital funded films

where as in the UK there is a lot more ways to get funding like development funds, house of

cards and private capital.