Marketing International Movie Films Worldwide November 2010

1. Why have American movies been so successful over the last half century? Economics and marketplace conditions Massive American home market (fixed costs are amortized => exporting at marginal costs) Important financial resources for movies The Hollywood cluster Powerful distribution with ‘lock-in’ systems Huge marketing investments before and after the movie appears in theaters

1. Why have American movies been so successful over the last half century? Story, Genre and Pace The Method : Adoption of an introspective, non verbal style in interpreting roles Easy, simple and universal story, roles are often stereotyped Minimization and simplification of dialogue, no contextual/local cues Emphasis on visuals, happy ending, sophisticated use of music English is an international language Use of popular/well-known actors

1. What was the contribution of the American melting pot ? Producers in America had to appeal to their local market to different ethnic, religious and social groups (very heterogeneous – melting pot - like the international market). Directors and producers come from different social, national, linguistic, and cultural background => They have « at home » what it necessary to create a global movie

1. Was the fascination for the American culture and way of life the prominent reason for that success? The « American Dream » has been loosing attractiveness It might have played a role some years ago But particularly now, movie films which are conceived for the global market have few local US cues. Many really local US films are not for export

2. What is the future of local movies? Local “cultural products” => rely on viewers who enjoy identifying to and recognizing themselves in local movies (e.g. German comedies, Indian love movies or French psychological movies). => quite difficult to export Financial limitations : smaller base to amortize fixed costs, need for public subsidies, limited capacity for marketing expenses Local movie theatres networks are often US: launch? Local cues and a certain originality and exotic can be appealing. However, it must be «digestible» for cultural outsiders. The choice is a difficult one. However a decision is required.

2. What is the future of local movies? No clear trend  difficult to prospect for the future from this graphic because figures fluctuate over years Many direct and indirect subsidies There is a market for local movies

3. If you were a ROW film director... Follow the key success factors of US movie films Choose a scenario based on universal appeals in terms of action, science fiction, suspense (comedy? history?) Clear storytelling with little or no cultural idiosyncrasies, reducing language content (or no dialogues at all : l’Ours, la Guerre du feu) Popular actors, music Making the movie in English (to avoid dubbing for the US market, subtitles ) Promotion, marketing, distribution agreements. (problems with the US block booking system) Differentiate the films from the ones on the market Coproduction with other countries, agreement with TV channels and derived products should also be considered Make a pure piece of Art, based on thorough aesthetics Story based on a global bestseller novel (etc)

4. Should film making be seen as an industry or as an art? Originally: art. But now technical, financial, human resources needed are huge. Each movie is a business per se. It is an investment and revenues are essential. Now, it is consumer goods (e.g. byproducts) rather than a piece of art. commercial success versus? In line with? artistic value Blockbuster (mass consumption) vs independant films (films d’auteur) debate within the WTO on cultural products : exception culturelle and déclaration de Mons

Movie films excluded of the final act of the Uruguay Round (1995) The actual state: - Article IV of the GATT treaty - The market share of US movie - Directive « Television without frontiers » - « Déclaration des Mons » The US negotiators wants: - 49% of the EU TV channels to be free of any ruling - Information and pre-consultation of the American government before EU takes any step for legislating about movie films and public subsidies - Sharing of the tax on DVDs in proportion of the market shares 4. Should film making be seen as an industry or as an art?

The « cultural exception » (Déclaration de Mons) Maintenance and development of all national or EU financial help policies in the audio-visual sector Exemption from these programms of the most favoured nation clause Maintenance of the power to regulate image transmission (broadcasting) technologies for the EU; Freedom to develop in the future all policies likely to help the audio-visual sector guarantee from the U.S. governments that these issues would not be further debated during future WTO negociations 4. Should film making be seen as an industry or as an art?