Film

Question 1

Disney Subsidiaries

Answer 1

Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, 21st Century Fox, ABC

Question 2

Disney First Films

Answer 2

First short comedy series based on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. First short film Steam Boat Willie in 1928. First feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937- highest grossing film of all time at that point.

Question 3

Disney box office success

Answer 3

Cinderella next box office success in 1950 after Snow White making $182 million.

Question 4

Disney Worth

Answer 4

Currently worth $170.31 billion- various business ventures including film, television, music, video games, retail, entertainment and property.

Question 5

Pre-production

Answer 5

Planning, writing, storyboarding, casting, scheduling.

Question 6

Production

Answer 6

Rehearsal, filming.

Question 7

Post-production

Answer 7

Editing, sound, voice overs

Question 8

Distribution

Answer 8

Making the movie available, marketing, logistics

Question 9

Exhibition

Answer 9

Cinemas, DVD, streaming

Question 10

Horizontal Integration

Answer 10

Buying competitors to reduce competition- buying companies at same stage of the chain.

Question 11

Vertical Integration

Answer 11

Owning different companies at different parts of the chain.

Question 12

Disney Film Chain

Answer 12

Production- Walt Disney Pictures
Distribution- Buena Vista
Exhibition- Disney Plus

Question 13

Hollywood Golden Age

Answer 13

Period of 40 years between 1920s and 1960s where technology advanced and the quality of cinema improved, leading to several iconic films, soundtracks and actors.

Question 14

The ‘Big Five’

Answer 14

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros, Paramount, Fox and RKO.

Question 15

The Paramount Decree

Answer 15

1948- harder for studios to control distribution and make profit as they could no longer control or own cinemas. Big Five were stopping independent filmmakers from showing films. Ended in 2018- Disney Plus introduced.

Question 16

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

Answer 16

Produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by RKO on 4th February 1938. Labelled ‘Disney’s folly’ by critics- first full length animated colour film ever. Proposed the idea in 1934. Took 5 years, 750 crew and over 2 million drawings (166,000 used) to create.

Question 17

Snow White Budget

Answer 17

Originally proposed to cost $250,000 but increased to $1.5 million, which lead to financial issues for Walt Disney Productions. Had to show a the bank his film and remortgage his house to be able to finish it.

Question 18

Snow White Gross

Answer 18

Since release it is estimated to have grossed about $1 billion (adjusted to inflation). By the end of its original theatrical run, it made almost $8 million (~$175 million with inflation). Allowed Disney to open first studio.

Question 19

Buena Vista Distribution

Answer 19

Disney started distributing themselves in 1953, having to use third party distributors due to cost before.

Question 20

Multi-plane Camera

Answer 20

Allowed producers to use celuloid to create layers and depth in the scene. Also meant that entire scenes didn’t need to be painted repeatedly. Used over 1500 colours and real makeup to create the images. Over 150 tracers traced the sketches onto celuloid.

Question 21

Snow White Premiere

Answer 21

Premiered on December 21st 1937 in Los Angeles. Received the honourary Oscar for ‘significant innovation’.

Question 22

Snow White Merchandise

Answer 22

First movie to produce merchandise on release day, including costumes, toys, household items, food and more.

Question 23

Snow White Soundtrack

Answer 23

First soundtrack to be released on record with radio singles released prior.

Question 24

Snow White International

Answer 24

Dubbed into more than twenty languages to be accessible world wide.

Question 25

Dwarfland

Answer 25

Disney constructed a 'Dwarfland' outside of the movie theatre with large billboards to promote the film. Allowed audiences to experience the film before seeing it- entice families.

Question 26

Snow White Below the Line Marketing

Answer 26

- Studio tours- engages a select audience to build a community/ relationship between the studio and the audience- build anticipation. - Dwarfland- presented as a 'gift' from Walt Disney- Uncle Walt persona- allowed audiences to be immersed into the film's world.

Question 27

Snow White Above the Line Marketing

Answer 27

- Los Angeles Times- posted a review by a family- captured true and positive reaction to the film. - Two editions of the Good Housekeeping magazine focused on the film- targeting mothers by explaining the plot and introducing the character. - Photoplay Studies- promoted the film to children- available in schools. - Lots of focus put on celebrities enjoying it- showed audiences it was high quality.

Question 28

Snow White Distribution

Answer 28

Re-released 8 times into cinemas since its original release. First re-released in 1944 until its final theatrical re-release in 1993. It was then released on VHS in October 1994 and DVD in 2001. Available on Disney Plus as well as YouTube, Apple TV and Amazon Prime to rent. Films had to be distributed on physical film reels, so the film was released in major cities first then toured around to smaller locations.

Question 29

Snow White Regulation

Answer 29

British Board of Film Classification was founded in 1912 to regulate films. Originally they classified Snow White as 'A' which meant it was only suitable for adults. This remained the same until it was re-rated a 'U'. In the USA, it faced no constraints.

Question 30

Hays Code

Answer 30

USA Film Regulators- banned 'lustful kissing', homosexuality, nudity, drugs, adultery, vulgarity and ridiculing the clergy. Became out of date as was replaced with a new rating system in 1965 rating films as G, PG - 13, R or NC - 17.

Question 31

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Answer 31

Media franchise centred around a series of superhero movies produced by Marvel Studios. Includes films, TV shows, short films and literature. They release their films in Phases, the first three known as the Infinity Saga and the final three the Multiverse Saga. Shang-Chi is part of Phase Four, the 25th MCU movie.

Question 32

Shared Universe

Answer 32

Fictional universe contributed to by more than one writer.

Question 33

Disney's Acquisition of Marvel Studios

Answer 33

Purchased Marvel Entertainment on August 31st 2009 for $4 billion. Allowed them to appeal to a wider range of audiences.

Question 34

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Answer 34

Produced by Marvel Studies by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz then distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Question 35

Shang Chi Budget

Answer 35

Estimated to have cost from $150-200 million.

Question 36

Shang Chi Gross

Answer 36

Lifetime gross of $432 million. Ranked 9th on the world box office figures of 2021. Other films in the 10 ten were also action movies including Spider Man: No Way Home, No Time To Die, Fast and Furious, Venom and Godzilla vs Kong.

Question 37

Shang Chi Release

Answer 37

Premiered in Hollywood 16th August 2021 then released 3rd September 2021. The release was pushed back from February 2021 to May, then to July, then to September.

Question 38

Hybrid Release Strategy

Answer 38

Due to the Covid pandemic, they opted to release the film in cinemas for 45 days then release it immediately onto Disney Plus to maximise both anticipation and profits. Black Widow had a simultaneous release strategy and made less.

Question 39

Shang Chi China Ban

Answer 39

The film was banned in China for an unspecified reason. It is speculated to be due to the source materials link with Fu Manchu, a racist archetype villain often played by white actors made to look asian.

Question 40

Shang Chi Representation

Answer 40

The film was narrated in Mandarin by Fala Chen. Only actors with native Chinese language spoke Mandarin to prevent any errors. The film distinguishes between Chinese and Chinese-American to highlight racism and alienation in society. The film was co-written and directed by Asian American filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton and starred a predominantly Asian cast to be representative. Payed homage to Chinese culture and myths throughout. Step forward after the last Asian villain in Iron Man 3 was played by an English actor.

Question 41

Shang Chi Production

Answer 41

Live action film so involved filming people on sets with a digital camera. CGI was then composited into these shots with computer software. It was produced in Sydney, Australia, as the production was financially supported by the government's Location Incentive Program and the Screen NSW's Made in NSW International Footloose fund. They were also assisted by their production team. It created 4,700 jobs and used 1,200 local businesses.

Question 42

Rising Sun Pictures

Answer 42

Created the 'Talo' environment based on South-East Asian jungles. Originally had to research Vietnam and Asia then constructed a physical set. They used their research to create a catalog of digital foliage and flora. The environment was procedurally generated and simulators were used to maximise realism.

Question 43

Trixter CGI

Answer 43

Created the creatures based on Chinese mythology- had to make sure that they were realistic but still magical so designed from the anatomy outwards.

Question 44

Rodeo FX

Answer 44

Created the city environment- had to use Google Maps to entirely recreate the city of Macau due to the pandemic and their inability to go to the city to capture images. Used references from the internet then composited shots of the actors into the environment.

Question 45

Shang Chi Covid 19

Answer 45

Principle photography began in February 2020 but was stopped in March. Work on sets began again in July 2020, and cast returned in August. Filming in San Francisco began in October 2020 and the film wrapped the same month. The same crew couldn't be used in Australia and San Francisco, so the exterior shots of the bus sequence had to be carefully planned remotely to match the interior shots filmed on a blue screen in Sydney. Cast and crew had to quarantine for two weeks on arrival in Sydney.

Question 46

Shang Chi Marketing

Answer 46

- Announced film at 2019 San Diego Comic Con event- attract the target audience directly. - Promoted through social media accounts (Instagram, YouTube, Twitter) - Live streamed the premiere- build hype/ engagement - Couldn't rely on face to face strategies so moved to digital marketing- interviews with the cast recorded/ introduction videos for characters and cast. - Magazine interviews to get to know the cast. - Lots of merchandise including a partnership with Lego. - Digital posters released gradually. - Trailer/ promotional teasers.

Question 47

Shang Chi Regulation

Answer 47

Rated PG-13/ 12A- moderate violence.