FAV236 Distribution and marketing in Czechoslovak cinema: history, theory, practice

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2013
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jindřiška Bláhová, Ph.D. (lecturer), prof. PhDr. Jiří Voráč, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Luděk Havel, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jiří Voráč, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 4. 4. 12:30–15:45 C34, Thu 11. 4. 12:30–15:45 C34, Thu 18. 4. 12:30–15:45 C34, Thu 25. 4. 12:30–15:45 C34, Thu 2. 5. 12:30–15:45 C34, Thu 9. 5. 12:30–15:45 C34
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course focuses in six blocks on issues of film distribution and marketing with particular emphasis paid to the Czechoslovak/Czech film industry after 1945 and 1989 respectively.
Out of three key components of the film chain – production, distribution,and exhibition – distribution is chronically under-researchedarea of film industryand film historiography. Despite its key role, distribution is widely considered to be “the most dulland technical” part of film industries, being seen one-dimensionallyas simply a channel of delivery for audiovisual content.
The course will approachand explore distributionasanarea of film industry that on one hand serves for producers and distributors to achieve their economic or ideological goalsandat the same time is closely connected to the reception, forming film canon, profiling national cinemasas wellas the narrative image of a movie within a public discourse. Distribution (and marketing) is thus understood as a primary economic tool capable of generating within the film industry symbolicvalues, meaningsand markets.
After introducing students to the mainapproaches to distribution, key terminology, conceptsand different models (free market vs. planned economy, independentvs. majors), the course will cover distributionand film exportation – i.e. rebranding films on foreign marketsand in different times –, distributionand cultural policy (elites), film festivalsandart cinema or non-theatrical markets and cultural distinctions. The reception studies and industrial strategiesare evenly balanced in the course.
Aims: Students will developan understanding of functions, mechanismsand position of film distribution within the film industryand cinema culture more widely, including the ways that distribution is connected with otherareas of cinema and how distribution/marketing enables to createand propagate meaning, generate new markets, and define audiences. Students willalso become familiar with the key theoretical concepts regarding distributionand its researchand will acquire analytical skills and tools to conduct his/hers own analysis of film distribution/marketing.
Syllabus
  • 1) Distributionand Marketing – Concepts, Methods, Models, Practices,and Tools Institutions vs. texts, publicity and promotion; Free market economicsvs. state-controlled planned economy.
  • 2) Distribution and Film Production/content Relations between film productionand distribution, effects of film distribution on film contentand production practices; Different types of moviesand types of infrastructure: popular/genre cinema, blockbustervs.art cinema. 3) Distribution and Film Festivals Independent, national,and art cinema; Festivals as a distribution circuit; Specific roles of the IFF KarlovyVary and other Czechoslovak film festivals.
  • 4) Distribution, Cultural Policy,and Czechoslovak Cultural Elites Cinema and ideological education; creatinga new (socialist)viewer; Pre-definingaudience experienceand mobilizing/controlling distribution to shape culture.
  • 5)Audiencesand Reception – Home Video and Cultural Distinctions Relations between distribution and audiences; understanding audience behavior; Creating new audiences via new delivery systems; Social aspects of home video and issues of cultural capital; Homevideoand socialist society.
  • 6) Export/import – Marketing and New Film Identity Re-packaging and re-branding film for different international markets;altering the film’s identity for different national needsand/or political contexts; Czechoslovak/Czech films on international markets, foreign film on the Czechoslovak/Czech market.
Literature
  • Povinná-a-doporučená-literatura-viz-studijní-materiály.
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussion, screenings.
Schedule : 4. 4., 11. 4., 18. 4., 25. 4., 2. 5.and 9. 5., from 12:30 to 15:45.
Assessment methods
Written analysis.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
General note: Kurz probíhá v rámci projektu č. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0044 Inovace uměnovědných studijních oborů na Filozofické fakultě MU, který je spolufinancován Evropským sociálním fondem a státním rozpočtem České republiky. Viz. www.phil.muni.cz/music/opvk.
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