Movie Marketing and Distribution

Catalog description

The course focuses on marketing, distribution, and exhibition of Hollywood and art house movies. It applies business school marketing methodology to the movie industry and provides a rigorous analysis of why movies succeed or fail regardless of their inherent quality. The class covers strategies used by studio executives to track competitor's strengths and weaknesses in the ever-shifting marketplace and how product tie-ins are increasingly used to raise awareness and sell tickets. Students also learn how film executives think when designing movie posters, planning release schedules, casting top actors, setting up co-branded marketing efforts, green-lighting scripts, capping production budgets, and attending film festivals. Emerging technologies such as video on demand, satellite distribution, and digital projection are also examined. Class sessions are based on lecture and case studies.