20477 - MOVIE INDUSTRY

This course explores some of the critical features that structure the global movie industry and video-making industry, how these features pose specific managerial challenges, and some approaches to overcome those challenges. It examines the trends that shape how the industry is evolving, and discusses the challenges and opportunities these trends bring about. The focus is on all the activities of the movie value chain. In particular, it concentrates on development, production (in its various phases), financing, marketing and distribution on different media and platforms. It also looks at specific strategic and operational models that inform the way companies operate in the industry. Although the course adopts a global perspective, the main focus is on US and European industries. The program is primarily designed for students who wish to pursue a career in the industry, or who are planning to work in companies that advise or support the sector.

The course treats relevant topics for the movie and video-making industries:

• Market and industry characteristics
• Product development
• Talent relationships and contracts
• Strategic and operational marketing
• Distribution and exhibition
• Budgeting, financing and funding

• Understand the managerial, financial and operating principles that drive these industries.
• Identify strategic principles that guide firms in seeking competitive advantage in these industries.
• Understand how new technologies are reshaping the industry, pushing its boundaries, and driving industry growth at the global scale.

• Develop a critical understanding and application of the managerial principles that drive these industries.
• Highlight key success factors and resources that firms in the industry can use to address specific challenges.
• Demonstrate ability in information selection and elaboration in complex settings.
• Demonstrate organizational and teamwork abilities as well as presentation and communication skills.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Company visits
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities on campus/online (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

Course work consists of required weekly class meetings and participation activities, readings, and in-class group exercises and presentations.

• Given the interactive nature of the coursework, most of the learning take place in the classroom through the discussion of theories, cases, and interactions with the instructors and guest speakers.
• The diverse range of teaching methods allow students to better work through difficult concepts and theories and to develop their skills in tackling real issues and situations by applying theoretical constructs.
• Being a workshop, it is firmly believed that class participation is the crucial element for a successful learning: students are an integral part of the good outcomes and enjoyability of the course. 

Attending students are those who are present for at least 75% of classes and actively participate to class activity. Attendance will be recorded at the beginning of the lecture during the first 10 minutes. Roll call may be carried out during class. 

Attending students participate to class activity, and prepare all required tests (as detailed below). Students not completing all requirements will automatically become non-attending students.

1. Group project 45%
2. Final written exam 55%

Group project (35% + 10% peer review)

The group work requires students to deepen their understanding of the film making process and to acquire, via a learning by doing approach, the skills required to ponder on and analyse the key strategic aspects of film development, budgeting, financing and sales pitching.

Ultimately, group project is designed to enhance the acquisition of practical experience on some of the course core issues, granting the students the chance to immerse themselves in "the real world" of movie business.

Projects will test students' ability to analyse materials provided, search and select critical information, make hypotheses and organize scenarios, applying applying the theoretical tools appraised along the semester.

Final written exam (attending students) (55% of final grade)

It will be based on the materials assigned to attending students and will consist in a comprehensive written test covering all of the modules and material addressed in the course (e.g., readings, cases, text, lectures, and discussions), including open and close questions.

The purpose of this assessment is to verify that students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in class material, and are able to elaborate on those concepts applying theoretical frameworks to real case studies.

Non-attending students are either students who participate to class activities but opt for final written exam only, or students who do not complete ALL requirements needed to be considered attending.

Non-attending students are required to take a final written exam only, indeed.

Non attending students Final written exam 100%

Final written exam (non attending students) (100% of final grade)

It will be based on the materials assigned to non attending students and will consist in a test with theoretical open and close questions regarding the compulsory readings.

The purpose of this assessment is to verify that students master the underlying theoretical concepts and methods presented in the textbooks. Moreover, the exam will test if students show the ability to apply theoretical frameworks to real case studies.

Course material is made available via:

• Course reserve (Bocconi Library).
• Lecturers’ slides and other relevant material are uploaded  on Bocconi e-learning platform, Bboard.
• Attending students are tested on the provided slides and multimedia materials available via Bboard, on the Case Studies discussed in class and upon a selection of book chapters, acedemic papers and articles (the detailed list is provided in the syllbus of the course).

Course material is made available via:

• Course reserve (Bocconi Library).
• Copyrighted material will be uploaded  on Bocconi e-learning platform, Bboard.
• Non attending students are tested on a selection of book chapters, academic papers and articles (the detailed list is provided in the syllbus of the course).