Dreamworks Case Study

Given our analysis of the motion picture industry, we recommend that Arundel carefully select the major film studios from which they intend to purchase sequel rights. The net present value of hypothetical sequels taken from the available previous years shows not only that the industry is highly volatile, but also that certain production studios are more volatile than others in terms of their recent performance. In addition, some studios are consistently less profitable than others. (See "NPV for Each Production Company" chart in appendix) Since the success of film studios are relatively stable in the short term (see "Rental Shares of Major Film Distributors" table and graph) Because of this stability, it is possible for Arundel to approach more profitable studios with their offer to purchase sequel rights. Out of all the major film studios, only MCA-Universal, Warner Bros., and The Walt Disney Company generate a positive net present value on a per-film basis. However, according to casual inquiries, it is unlikely that any movie studio would enter negotiations with Arundel on a per film price that is less than 1 million. Instead, the film studios seem to

With the purchase of sequel rights, what Arundel is achieving is to have a call option on the revenue that each movie brings. This helps to remove the uncertainty and risks associated with producing a movie, especially with regard to moviegoers’ taste. With the sequel right, Arundel will only exercise this option to produce a sequel if the first movie proved to be popular and the sequel is hence predicted to bring in profits. This provides downside protection, as huge losses (due to high production costs) associated with a failed movie will be avoided.

A group of investors (Arundel group) is looking into the idea of purchasing the sequel rights associated with films produced by one or more major movie studios. Movie rights are to be purchased prior to films being made. Arundel wants to come up with a decision to either purchase all the sequel rights for a studio's entire production during a specified period of time or purchase a specified number of major films. Arundel's profitability is dependent upon the price it pays for a portfolio of sequel rights. Our analysis of Arundel's proposal includes a net present value calculation of each movie production company. In order to decide whether Arundel can make money buying movie

The Canadian entertainment industry that is served by Cineplex has been recording sustained growth since 2011 where a growth of 5 percent was recorded. PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2014-2018 (PWC, 2014) indicate that the industry is set for a take-off. The industry has a

Currently the company is involved in two social programs. The first is Boobies Make Me Smile, which “partners with organizations committed to the fight against young adult cancer” (Company Information: Boobies Make Me Smile, 2016). The second is the Spirit of Children, which tries to “make hospital stays less scary for kids and their families.” (The Heart of Spirit Halloween: Spirit of Children, 2016). However the Corporate Social Responsibility

CVS, a national pharmacy chain, works not only in but also with the community. The company focuses on the betterment of society. Its extensive Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, entitled Prescription for a Better World, places CVS at the center at a variety of mainstream issues. The three focal points of its CSR plan are the environment, the economic opportunities for citizens, and the health of the community (Novick O’Keefe 2014). CVS has a whole department focused on CSR, called CVS Caremark, which houses the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust. Their many projects include the end of Tobacco distribution, the betterment of school and local health care, sustainability, and charitable events.

Disney’s tentpole strategy has been fairly successful throughout the Disney Studios lifetime. Even though this strategy worked in the past it may not be the best strategy moving forward, as there are advantages and disadvantages to this strategy. One advantage of this strategy is that the tentpole films attract movie going customers that think of the movies more as an event rather than just a film they want to see.“A $200 million movie is more likely than a $20 million movie to have elements that appeal to moviegoers--to have special value for them.”, said Horn. Just as with any bet, there could also be a risk and disadvantage. If the film fails, they would both have to take the fall instead of just Disney Studios. “When our

Based on the previous module assessments, NBC Universal’s preliminary focus should be geared toward the film industry. The recent trade deal, between both the U.S. and Chinese Governments, lowered a 20-year-old quota on U.S. films and distribution fees in the Chinese film industry. This signifies productive progression within the film industry, even though small in nature, but nonetheless this could equate to significant profit gains for all the FMO’s within the market.

DCF models underestimate the value of investments where there are embedded options to follow up with a second investment if the first one does well (follow-on option)

a reputation from film critics and a return on investment in the movie at the same time. The problem statement proves that they fulfilled the purpose of the contract as follows. "The movie was critically acclaimed and exceeded box office predictions."

4. The bargaining power of buyers: The outlook for the target market isn’t favorable for the movie industry because it will not be growing as fast as the overall population. Buyer power is a strong force because of the target market and several other factors including: the undifferentiated product offered, switching to an alternative is simple and low cost, and customers can stay home and watch movies. The consumers are also complaining about concession and ticket costs, along with the advertisements before the film is shown.

An External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix allows strategists to summarize and evaluate various factors that include technological and competitive information (David, 2009). An EFE weighted score of 2.56 determines that Disney is performing rather well, however, there is still need for improvements in regards to their ratings. The most important factor in this matrix is “More Hit Disney Films,” this is key due to the fact that the media business

Pixar Animation Studios as we know today, was started as in 1984 when John Lasseter, chief creative officer of both Pixar

Thirdly, future is an obligation, which could induce some potential risks given Disney’s inaccurate forecast.

Known to be one of the largest producers of multi-media content, Walt Disney and Pixar greatly impacted the entertainment industry with the use of three-dimensional generated content. It quickly gained popularity with the release of its animated movies and especially got the attention of children from their sequels. With the growing popularity, the competition in the media industry began to increase. Disney was then faced with a difficult decision regarding its relationship with Pixar on whether they should acquire or not acquire the company.