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Studying the film industry in BRICS countries

This overview explores the process of making films in BRICS countries, including funding, preproduction, production, postproduction, and distribution. It also examines the similarities and differences between film and TV production, and considers theoretical focus points such as linkages, processes of inclusion and exclusion, and the role of demand effects. The methodological considerations of studying the film industry are also discussed.

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Studying the film industry in BRICS countries

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  1. Studying the film industry in BRICS countries Issues for consideration

  2. Overview • Stylized facts about how films are made • Delimiting the scope of study in terms of the empirical phenomenon • Choosing a theoretical focus point • Methodological considerations

  3. Stylized overview of how films are made • Five phases • Funding • Preproduction • Production • Postproduction • Distribution

  4. Early phases • Funding • Sources of funding • Legal structuring • Initial tie-in with marketing campaign • Preproduction • Develop a screenplay • Choose key people (director, production manager etc.) • Develop shooting schedule and continuity breakdown • Obtain equipment and facilities • Cast characters

  5. Creating the film • Production • Call sheet • Camera and sound work • Script changes • Production report • Postproduction • Editing • Sound • “Final dub” (sound mixing) • First print

  6. Distribution • Domestic distribution • Foreign distribution • Other distribution channels (DVD, cable etc) • Marketing

  7. Film versus TV • The process of CREATING a film versus TV is similar • Preproduction, production and postproduction for film vs. TV and even advertising are all similar • Relatively easy mobility between film and TV with possible transfer of skills • Two key differences: • Funding – in TV the network assumes the risk • Distribution – in film, finding a distributor is a key competence • I.e. the first and last phases of successful movie making are different to TV

  8. What to study? • Which one or ones of the five phases should the focus be on? • Funding • Preproduction • Production • Postproduction • Distribution • Depending on the phase(s) chosen, which key people and institutions need to be studied? • Only filmmakers or also adjacent industries, like TV production companies and advertising agencies?

  9. Theoretical focus points • Overall goal of BRICS is to study innovation and learning • A narrower theoretical focus may enable a more focused and precise study • Three suggestions: • Linkages • The processes of inclusion and exclusion • The role of demand effects

  10. Linkages • Capabilities are transferred through linkages • A better understanding of linkages should yield insights about capability transfer • How are linkages forged? • What are the prevalent types of linkages? • Domestic vs. foreign • Individual vs. institutional • Formalized vs. informal connections • What types of capabilities are developed through what types of linkages? • This approach may be generic enough to also be useful for studies of other sectors

  11. Processes of inclusion and exclusion • Assumption that developing countries can join the “club” of developed countries by simply advancing their skills • Social processes of inclusion and exclusion also matter • How do films (or other industries) get access to the network of knowledge creators? • How are connections forged? • What are the barriers to membership of those communities? • Membership imply both benefits and obligations – what are the obligations of developing countries? I.e. what are they offering “in exchange” for membership?

  12. The role of demand effects • The key differentiating capability of successful filmmakers is the ability to secure distribution of their films • This depends crucially on the ability to analyze and respond to anticipated demand: • Bollywood relies on a domestic market, with expectations in terms of plot and imagery rather than production values • Where film relies on foreign distribution, expectations of production values are higher • Foreign markets may have expectations about “appropriate” stories – e.g. Tsotsi and Yesterday vs. Purpose • What are relevant the market / demand pressures? • How do those pressures shape each industry?

  13. Methodological considerations • Difficulty of obtaining survey-based data on film producers • Small populations • Hard to obtain response rates • Obtaining qualitative data also problematic • Industry used to (self-)representation • Possible reluctance to disclose non-successes • Need for a mixed-method design • Determine the intended insights to be derived from each data source • Determine how to interrelate and integrate different data sources

  14. Potential data sources • Usefulness of “hard” data on aspects like • Number of films made in each country • Average cost per film • Amount grossed by films (nationally and internationally) • Employment in the film industry • Potential use of (within-country) contrasting cases along certain dimensions, e.g. • Successes and failures • Domestic vs. foreign • Potential gathering of data from “feeder” institutions • E.g. actors’ agencies, camera people, screenwriters’ guilds • Cases, surveys, career mapping

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