Industry Analysis
MDSB25H3 POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MEDIA
Fall, 2020
Industry Analysis Assignment
15% of final grade
DUE DATE Week 6 (i.e. before class on November 2)
LENGTH 3 - 4 pages, double-spaced PLUS title page & bibliography
In week 2, we explored both broad and narrow understandings of political economy. This
assignment asks you to apply the narrow definition, "the study of the social relations,
particularly the power relations, that mutually constitute the production, distribution, and
consumption of resources, including communication resources" (Mosco, pg.2), to the analysis
of a given media or communications industry.
To structure your investigation, this assignment asks you to address five specific questions
regarding how your chosen media/communication industry:
1) Who are the main players in the industry today?
2) How is the industry organized in terms of different aspects of production, distribution and
consumption?
3) What role do governments play in regulating or promoting this industry?
4) What sort of changes has the industry gone through over the last 10 to 25 years?
5) What are the most pressing challenges facing the industry today?
Be sure to clearly define the media/communication industry you are investigating, and be
aware that the linkages between the answers to the above five questions are as important as the
answers themselves.
Your assignment requires a minimum (i.e. you can use more) of FIVE sources, TWO of which
must be scholarly in nature (i.e. from academic books or articles from scholarly journals). For
the other sources, I suggest looking at business or financial journalism (e.g. The Economist, The
Financial Times, The Wall St. Journal) or industry trade journals (e.g. Advertising Age for the ad
industry, Variety for the film & TV industries).
Some Examples Of Appropriate Media/Communication Industries
Please note that for many industries you SHOULD choose a specific national or geographical
focus. This will, in many cases, help you focus your inquiry. Please feel free to check with me
about your focus if you’re unsure.
- the American, Indian, Nigerian, or other national film industry
- the Canadian, American, Chinese or European wireless telecommunication industry
- the Mexican television industry
- the North American video game industry
- the global e-commerce industry
- and many more…
Industry Analysis
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Professor’s Name
Assignment Due Date
Industry Analysis
The American national film industry is the leader in the global production of artistic expression through film (McDonald & Wasko, 2008). The industry established its dominance in the twentieth century. Before this period, the film industry was not commercially exploited. However, Americans realized the potential gains that moving pictures could bring. Hence, through small companies such as the Kalem Company and The Champion Film Company, film enthusiasts and ambitious business people began producing short films. By 1910, Hollywood was a phenomenon. However, it was not until 1913 that Hollywood productions became mainstream. The studio system was introduced in 1922 but later declined in the 1940s (McDonald & Wasko, 2008). By this time, there were recognizable Hollywood celebrities such as Clark Gable and Gene Kelly.
The studio system's endurance was only enabled through bold actions such as the production of James Bond's Dr. No. This gave rise to a new wave of cinema that saw films produced on big budgets. The works of filmmakers like Francis Coppola and Stanley Kubrick became popular. Then other eccentric filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese emerged, and by the 1980s, Hollywood was poised for a change in cinematic production (McDonald & Wasko, 2008). Hence, films in the action genre became popular as the technology required to make such films was now present. Also, some new actors were willing to do physically demanding scenes. Now, contemporary cinema is what we have. Today's productions are mainly remakes of twentieth-century works, comic book adaptations, novel adaptations, and biography films. Still, the Hollywood industry endures, and one can only wait and see what else this dominant industry can produce.
The American film industry's main players are Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures (Clark, 2019). Warner Bros. was established in 1923 by Time Warner. It is known as one of the pioneers of franchise films. Its major productions include Harry Potter and Batman. Walt Disney has impacted younger audiences with films such as Frozen, Peter Pan, and Snow White. Universal Pictures is the oldest film studio in America, established in 1912 (Clark, 2019). The company has produced classics such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Hannibal. 20th Century Fox has been the main driver of contemporary cinema. It has produced films such as Avatar, X-Men, and Star Wars. Paramount Pictures is another pioneer of franchise films. The company boasts productions such as Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible, and Titanic. Sony Pictures boasts the largest studio in Hollywood (Clark, 2019). Despite this, the company has only managed to produce a few blockbuster films such as Spider-man and Men in Black.
The American film industry is organized, just like any other industry in the market. Production is done by studio executives (Cook, 2016). They receive and approve the production of a certain movie based on an idea, which is often presented in a script. For the script to be considered, it has to target a particular audience. It also needs to have good prospects in terms of profits since the studio fields all the resources, including actors and equipment (Cook, 2016). Depending on how big the studio company is, it can distribute its own films. In today's market, film distribution is done through theatres, television, and personal home viewing options such as DVD and video-on-demand (Cook, 2016). Consumption is by film enthusiasts and the general public. In today's society, it is hard to find an individual who does not like films. They are a common product, which has been made popular by the existence of celebrity figures. Aside from the celebrity-driven consumption of film, a majority uses the product as a form of recreation.
The government plays a major role in regulating and promoting the film industry in America. In the twentieth century, the film industry in the country was blooming. But in the early 1...