 |
The
good guys and the bad guys.
The
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
published an analysis of top-grossing films that
reported that the three studios that had implemented
policies designed to reduce smoking in their films
had cut over 96% of the smoking in their youth-rated
films between 2005 and 2010: Time Warner (A in
the CDC report), Comcast (B), and Disney (C).
The other three studios -- Viacom (D),
News Corporation (E), and Sony (F) -- and the
Independents (I) showed only 42% drops. Read
the CDC report. |
Hollywood
studios used to have producers, editors and property
masters on staff and held directors, writers and actors
under contract, like major league sports teams do their
players. Many studios even owned their own national
theater chains.
Now
major studios are like a cross between property developers
and wholesale distributors. Today, Hollywood agents
assemble project teams of writers, directors and actors
from their client rosters. If a studio “greenlights”
a project, it will distribute the finished film, assuring
the production financing. It then develops the project
to fit into the larger corporate matrix of its parent
company's print, TV and cable franchises.
Who's
in charge here?
Studios
commit as little of their own money as possible while
maintaining maximum control. Studio-developed films
depend on outside investors as much as small independent
films do. And top directors and actors (who alone may
account for $30-$40 million of the film's cost) work
for a deferred amount guaranteed by a share of the movie's
gross box office receipts. To manage cash flow, studios
carefully balance expenses, such as advertising, against
ticket income over the few short weeks of a movie's
theatrical life. The studios' real payday comes later
— on video and overseas revenue at least twice
that from domestic (North American) ticket sales.
How
closely do studios manage film productions? They specify
the MPAA rating the delivered
film should earn. They usually have the right to re-edit
the film, before release, for commercial reasons —for
length, clarity, even to change the ending. They can
also replace key personnel on a production — writers,
directors, actors. To cut their losses, they can decide
to send a disappointing or ill-conceived project direct
to video to save the costs involved in theatrical distribution
and advertising.
Smoking on screen? The buck stops over there.
When
shareholders challenged media companies to study the
health impacts of on-screen smoking, the companies excused
themselves to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), claiming that their executives have day-to-day
charge of movie content, including tobacco content,
and such "ordinary business" is off-limits
to shareholder questions. At the same time, studios
tell the public that smoking content is the purview
of "independent" creative talent and they
do not interfere out of "respect." Both statements
cannot be true.
The
most important thing to know about the major studios
is that none stands on its own. All are now part of
gigantic, vertically-integrated media conglomerates
with other brands and larger concerns. In fact, almost
any movie studio, cable channel, TV network, theme park
or video chain you can name is now owned by just six
companies. The CEOs of these companies are ultimately
responsible for what their studios do and don't do.
Media
Company Policies on Smoking in Movies
(as of June 2011)
|
COMPANY |
Share of 2005-2010 tobacco impressions |
Date |
Films covered |
Policy exceptions |
Adds anti-tobacco messaging? |
Bars tobacco deals? |
Bars brand display? |
Markets covered |
Comcast*
Read
policy
|
21% |
April 16, 2007 |
Films from Universal- owned labels released in
U.S. with G, PG and PG-13 ratings |
“Importance of incident,” “factual
or creative” factor, “difficulty in
removing” incident from film.
Co-productions; films acquired complete or in
post-production; films distributed “on behalf
of a third-party producer” |
“Tobacco
labeling in certain distribution channels...may
appear” in “end credits, DVD content
and packaging, and marketing materials”
—
California
spots on youth-rated DVDs only |
Universal only, not production companies; no certification
|
Only
paid placement |
Ambiguous |
Disney*
Read
policy |
2% |
March 20, 2012 |
“Disney”
labeled (G/PG) |
“Creative vision” of directors, actors,
etc. who believe smoking depiction is “important.”
“Limited circumstances” for Disney
brand.
Touchstone and Miramax labels (PG-13 and R); produced
outside U.S.; distribution only deals. |
California spots on youth-rated DVDs |
No |
No |
US only for “Disney” label; ex-U.S,
“seeks to discourage ...where appropriate
and practical.” |
News Corp.* |
8% |
—
|
— |
— |
California spots on youth-rated DVDs only
|
Not public |
Not public |
Not public |
Sony*
Read
Policy |
13% |
December
1, 2012
|
Sony
Pictures Entertainment films "produced by
the company or any wholly-owned film division" |
With
regard to film acquisitions, co-productions, and
films produced and distributed outside of the
United States, Sony Pictures Entertainment may
have limited influence over the content. In these
instances, SPE will discourage depictions of tobacco
use where reasonable and practical. |
California
spots on youth-rated DVDs only |
SPE
does not enter into product placement arrangements
to depict of tobacco products. SPE will indicate
in the end credits of films with tobacco depictions
that no product placement arrangement was made.
|
No |
United
States |
Time
Warner*
Read
policy |
19% |
July 2005, revised July 2007 |
English-language G, PG and PG-13 films produced
and/or distributed in US |
Youth-rated: “actual historical figure...compelling
historical accuracy ... conspicuous anti-smoking
reference.”
R-rated: “compelling creative reasons.”
Ex-US; co-productions; distribution only. |
California spots on all DVDs |
TW companies only, not production companies; covered
films and DVDs state "No person or entity
associated with this film received payment or
anything of value, or entered into any agreement,
in connection with the depiction of tobacco products.” |
No |
US only |
Viacom*
Read
policy |
18% |
January 1, 2013 |
—
|
—
|
California
spots on youth-rated DVDs only |
—
|
—
|
—
|
“Indies”
|
18% |
—
|
—
|
—
|
Weinstein
used truth® spots 2007-9 |
—
|
—
|
—
|
*Motion
Picture Association of America member companies.
All companies' top-grossing films delivered 110
billion tobacco impressions to US theater audiences
and 330 billion (est.) worldwide, 2005-10. |
The real Hollywood map.
Who owns whom in the U.S. motion picture industry:
COMCAST
CORPORATION
2010 sales: $37.9 billion
CEO: Brian Roberts
• NBC Universal (51% share)
2010 sales: $16.9 billion (inc. non-studio revenue)
Chief executive: Steve Burke
Universal Studios
President & COO: Ron Meyers
Universal, Focus Features
Comcast also owns: E! Entertainment Television, Golf
Channel, VERSUS, G4, Philadelphia Flyers (hockey) and
76ers (basketball), interests in Internet and VoD services,
and cable access for more than 26 million households.
General Electric retains 49% share of NBC Universal.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Comcast
THE
WALT DISNEY COMPANY
2010 sales: $38.1 billion
CEO: Robert (Bob) Iger
• Walt Disney Studios
2010 sales: $6.7 billion
Chairman: Alan Horn; President: Alan Bergman
Walt Disney Pictures,
Marvel, Pixar,
Touchstone, Buena Vista
Also owns: ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel,
A&E, 40+ TV/radio stations, a cruise line, theme
parks worldwide.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Disney
NEWS
CORPORATION
2010
sales: $32.8 billion
CEO: K. Rupert Murdoch
• Fox Filmed Entertainment
2010 sales: $7.6 billion
Co-Chairs: James N. Gianopulos, Thomas E. Rothman
20th
Century Fox, Fox
2000, Fox Atomic, Fox Searchlight, 20th
Century Fox Animation
Also
owns: Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports Networks, DIRECTV
(35%), HarperCollins, The Times of London,
New York Post, 35 TV stations in U.S., cable/satellite
units on five continents.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
News Corp.
SONY
CORPORATION OF AMERICA
2010
sales: $86.7 billion
CEO:
Michael Lynton
• Sony Pictures Entertainment
2010 sales: $8.7 billion
Chair and CEO: Michael Lynton
Sony
Pictures, Sony Classics, Columbia Pictures, Columbia
TriStar, Screen Gems
Also
owns: Consumer and professional electronics units, PlayStation,
music labels.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Sony
TIME WARNER
2010
sales: $26.9 billion
CEO:
Jeffrey L. Bewkes
• Warner Bros. Entertainment
2009 sales: $11.1 billion
CEO: Barry M. Meyer
Warner
Bros.
Also owns: Time, Entertainment Weekly, Times Mirror Magazines, IPC Media (UK), Warner Books, America Online, Time Warner Cable (79%), HBO, UPN (co-owned), The WB TV Network, TNT, CNN, Atlanta Braves, DC Comics, etc.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Time Warner
VIACOM
(controlled by National Amusements, Inc.)
2009
sales: $13.6 billion
CEO:
Philippe P. Dauman
•
Paramount Pictures, Paramount Classics,
Paramount Vantage, MTV Films,
Nickelodeon Movies; DreamWorks Animation and
Marvel (distribution
agreements)
2009 sales: $5.5 billion
CEO: Brad Grey
Also
owns: MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Black Entertainment
Television (BET), Spike. Broadcasting and publishing
interests split off as CBS Corp.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Viacom
Some
companies independent of the large media conglomerates
that have a history of developing and distributing high-grossing
films:
DREAMWORKS
2010 sales: $150 million (est.)
Co-chairs: Stacey Snider (CEO), Steven Spielberg
(Note: DreamWorks Animation is a separate company.)
Studio
scorecard | Contact
DreamWorks
LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT
2010
sales: $1.1 billion (films only)
CEO:
Jon Feltheimer
Lionsgate
Films, Trimark,
Artisan,
Mandate, Redbus, Roadside
Attractions
Also
owns: EPIX (share), FearNET (share), Debmar-Mercury
(TV distributor). Lionsgate’s TV unit produces
10 cable series, including Mad Men, Weeds,
Crash and Nurse Jackie.
Studio
scorecard | Contact
Lionsgate
THE
WEINSTEIN COMPANY
2010
sales: $250 million (est.)
Co-chairs:
Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein
The
Weinstein Company,
Dimension, Genius
Studio
scorecard | Contact
The Weinstein Company
Updated:
March 2013 |
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