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Tag: Disney

  • Disney reorganises global home entertainment division Buena Vista Home Entertainment

    Disney reorganises global home entertainment division Buena Vista Home Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Less than a month after laying off 650 employees US media conglomerate Disney has announced a major restructuring of its home entertainment division.

    Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International will be integrated into one global division — Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment (BVWHE).

    BVWHE president Bob Chapek says, “With the rapidly changing landscape facing the home entertainment industry, we need to embrace not only new technologies but the global nature of our business as well. This new
    organisation addresses the need for global strategies and allows for market customisation.”

    Chapek will lead BVWHE along with executive VP worldwide sales, distribution and trade marketing Pat Fitzgerald; executive VP of worldwide marketing, creative content and business development Gordon Ho, VP worldwide HR and communication Richard Ramsey and senior VP worldwide business and legal affairs Kristin McQueen.

    In addition to this core worldwide team, Bill
    Segil has taken on the newly created position of senior VP worldwide operations. In this capacity, he will broaden his operational scope to include all worldwide supply chain strategies under Fitzgerald. Andy Siditsky has been named senior vice president of Worldwide Creative Services & DVD Production and will continue to lead the development of worldwide creative advertising and DVD production under Ho.

    Siditsky will also add new programming to his responsibilities. Eric Maehara will serve as VP of worldwide communications and will manage worldwide publicity along with trade and home entertainment communications for the new division under Ramsey.

    Commenting on the new global team Chapek said, “Pat Fitzgerald is one of the most aggressive and savvy executives in this industry. I am delighted that he will bring his considerable talents to overseeing our worldwide sales and operational teams.

    “Gordon Ho has been an industry leader and major force in our key marketing and product strategies for BVHE titles. His creative and strategic contributions will be critical to our continued success in the global marketplace. Richard Ramsey has helped build the best team in the industry and will play a key role in building our global team. Kristin McQueen
    possesses a tremendous ability to quickly assess legal situations and gauge their commercial implications. We are confident that she will continue to successfully lead BVHE business and legal affairs in the global marketplace.”

    In addition to the worldwide team, the new division will incorporate regional teams to manage day to day operations in the markets. The three regions include North America, Asia Pacific/Latin America, and Europe/Middle East and Africa. Lori MacPherson has been named the new GM for the US. Daniel Solnicki has taken on the role of GM for Asia Pacific and Latin America.Julie Sneddon continues in her position as GM for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

    Chapek adds, “Lori MacPherson’s tremendous managerial and leadership skills will continue to drive the North American business. Her successful track record as a marketing leader will continue to innovate with consumer and trade programmes and keep us at the forefront of the market.

    “Strong regional marketing, sales and distribution executives are key to the successful integration of BVHE product into the marketplace. Daniel Solnicki and Julie Sneddon have demonstrated their formidable talents and abilities to integrate our marketing and sales strategies into diverse cultures. We are delighted that they will help lead our international organisations.

    “Entertainment is a rapidly changing business and with our dynamic and talented team in place we are poised to maximise our opportunities across the globe,” said Chapek.

  • Disney & Adlabs give family entertainment a ‘Movie Magic’ experience

    Disney & Adlabs give family entertainment a ‘Movie Magic’ experience

    MUMBAI: The weekend is fast approaching and the family and kids are all geared up for some fun! What if you could catch a movie, play some games and maybe even watch a magic show, all in just a couple of hours? Well, Disney has given the family entertainment experience a new meaning, as they unveiled the Disney and Adlabs Movie Magic experience.

    Known for their story telling heritage, Disney has now tied up with Adlabs to bring to their audience what they call “experiential engagement.” The Disney Movie Magic experience is primarily based on getting kids to use their “pester power” to drive the whole family into the theatre every weekend. Adlabs across six cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Mangalore, Meerut and the National Capital Region (NCR), will be dedicated to showing classics from the Disney stable such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Aladdin, Tarzan, Chicken Little, The Princess Diaries, 102 Dalmatians and many more.

    This new initiative was kicked off here in Mumbai with newly launched animated feature Cars. What’s more, for this special screening about 150 kids from NGO’s including Make-a-Wish Foundation and St. Katherine were invited. From games, tattoos, face paint to a magic show, all the kids sported various Disney characters on their arms and faces and it seemed like they had a frolicking time. Also, Rand De Basanti star and avid Disney fan, Kunal Kapoor was present to pep up the kids.

    Keeping up this spirit every weekend, kids will be able to avail of special food and beverage offers along with monthly in-cinema contests and a chance to win Disney merchandise. The branding experience is taken a step further with specially designed movie tickets incased in Disney’s Movie Magic branded envelope, which will contain a token gift related to Disney movies. Adlabs locations will also be decorated in keeping with the fantasy world of Disney.

    Unveiling the new logo and commenting on their efforts to enhance the Disney entertainment experience, The Walt Disney Company (India) managing director Rajat Jain said, “There is no such concept as a children’s movie, but rather a family viewing experience. The endeavor of the brand will be to build the emotional connect between the content and the consumer and we are working on constant innovations to deliver this.”

    “‘We’re pleased to provide families with a new weekend entertainment option that engages the whole family together. Disney’s Movie Magic is a unique wholesome entertainment experience for families, which will be available through leading multiplex chains across India,” adds Jain.

    Disney’s Movie Magic will be promoted extensively through a comprehensive marketing campaign including television, in-cinema and print advertising bolstered by onground, ATL and online initiatives. Going forward, this initiative will include a loyalty programme, special schemes with schools and more exciting offerings to add the magic of Disney to special festivals and holidays.

    Adlabs Films Limited COO Tushar Dhingra said, “Movie going is a social activity and an emmersive experience and we attempt to create an experiential journey for the family. We should never underestimate the repeat power of this segment of the audience. The before and
    after experience will keep them coming back for more.”

    Commenting on their marketing efforts, Dhingra added, “We have the advantage of an in house inventory, that will produce advertisements to attract the kids segment and apart from the media mix, word of mouth should give it a good start.”

    When queried as to why this offer has strategically omitted other bigger metros Dhingra said that even tier 2 and tier 3 cities have reflected a great demand for such forms of entertainment however, they do plan to roll out similar initiatives in the other metros soon.

    The in-cinema promotions show a bored father and son playing table tennis in an unenthusiastic way, until they find out about the new Disney and Adlabs Movie Magic offer. The next scene catches the whole family enjoying the entertainment and fun. Similar advertisements have been rolled out in the print including the Mumbai Mirror and Bombay Times.

    This offer will be applicable to the morning shows on every weekend between 9 to10 and will be priced at a Rs. 90.

  • ABC.com streaming trial provides Disney with consumer insights

    ABC.com streaming trial provides Disney with consumer insights

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Disney-ABC Television Group has announced key findings from its ABC.com streaming video trial.

    The two-month-long trial this year offered ad-supported, full-length episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Commander in Chief and Alias. This marked the first time a channel made multiple series available for viewing online, free of charge to consumers. 10 US advertisers including AT&T, Cingular and Ford took part in the test.

    In May and June, ABC.com’s broadband player served over 5.7 million episode requests, totaling 16 million video streams. Based on survey research conducted for ABC by Frank N. Magid Associates during the trial, 79 per cent of those surveyed had a positive online viewing experience and 87 per cent responded that they were likely to recommend the site to others.

    The broadband player attracted a young, highly educated audience. The average age of users was 29, and more than half were college graduates. Users of the broadband player were almost equally split between males (47%) and females (53 per cent).

    The majority of online viewing for episodes occurred within the first 24 hours of their broadcast on ABC. Approximately two-thirds of those surveyed watched complete episodes, with partial viewing of episodes occurring mainly because viewers had already seen the episode on TV or were interrupted. The majority of users viewed from home, using a desktop computer. The number one reason given for viewing online was because users had missed the episode on TV.

    On average, 87 per cent of users surveyed were able to recall the advertiser who sponsored the episode they viewed. Those viewers embraced the interactive advertising, with over 50 per cent rating the advertising experience positively and 84 per cent believing that they were getting a great deal by being able to watch the episode online for free in exchange for watching the ads.

    Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney says, “The launch of ABC.com’s broadband player was a huge step for us as we strategically reposition our websites from marketing tools to rich entertainment platforms. The research that has come out of the trial helped prove true several hypotheses regarding our consumers and their online viewing patterns.

    “With the data we have collected, we are better equipped to move forward with our advertisers and affiliates to create new multiplatform opportunities for our consumers.”

    Disney-ABC Television Group executive VP, digital media Albert Cheng says, “The research we gathered from this trial has been invaluable as we move forward with next phase of the broadband player. We have been extremely pleased with the consumer feedback from the trial, and are busy working on some minor adjustments to the broadband player in order to again make full episodes available to consumers this fall. When we relaunch, the basic concept of ad-supported, free to the consumer full-length episodes will return along with some added features to enhance the consumer experience.”

  • Post Hungama, UTV to plan for second stage of growth

    Post Hungama, UTV to plan for second stage of growth

    MUMBAI: UTV will be cash rich by Rs 2.36 billion as a fallout of the Walt Disney deal, allowing it to pursue movie and animation businesses on a large scale.

    The preferential allotment to Walt Disney of 14.9 per cent of the expanded equity capital at Rs 192.5 per share will fetch UTV an aggregate value of Rs 654.5 million ($14 million). Founder-promoter Ronnie Screwvala will contribute Rs 360 million as UTV issues him 1,949,360 warrants, which are convertible into one equity share each, at the same price.

    A further $29.3 million (Rs 1.35 billion) will trickle in from Walt Disney’s buyout of Hungama TV, in a total deal size of $30.5 million with Screwvala getting $1.2 million for his 51 per cent holding in the Hindi kids channel.

    “The huge cash UTV will be sitting on will help us leverage funds for future expansion of the company. Once we set out exercising the synergies with Walt Disney, we can substantially scale up the movies and animation business,” says Screwvala.

    This line of optimism is making Screwvala protect his old stake in UTV. The issue of warrants will help him increase his shareholding in UTV from 42.38 per cent to 47.62 per cent before any issue of 3.4 million shares to Walt Disney. After alloting shares to Disney, Screwvala will hold around 44 per cent in UTV.

    Screwvala plans to use the fresh capital to wipe out UTV’s debt of Rs 900 million. “We will become a zero debt company,” he says.

    So what will the master of deals take up as his next challenge? “UTV, which is currently at the helm of affairs in its specific business segments in the Indian media and entertainment industry, is poised for its second stage of growth. As the Disney investment consummates over the next few months, post regulatory approvals, I am positive that UTV will enter a new phase of growth and strengthen its multi-revenue integrated model.”

    On Screwvala’s expansion plate is not just movies and animation but also new media content including gaming. Be prepared for acquisitions in this space. And Screwvala doesn’t rule out the launch of niche channels. “We incubated and grew Vijay TV and Hungama TV before we sold out to News Corp and Walt Disney. We have the experience in the broadcasting space. With the emergence of digital platforms, there is scope to launch niche channels,” he says

  • Disney on a job cutting spree; starts with studio head Jacobson

    Disney on a job cutting spree; starts with studio head Jacobson

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Disney is reorganising its film division. The movie studio is looking to axe 650 employees in an effort to trim $90 to $100 million from its annual bottom line.

    One of the first people to lose their jobs is Nina Jacobson who was the head of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.

    Media reports indicate that Disney Studio chairman Dick Cook had a conversation with Jacobson. Jacobson’s role will be taken up by Oren Aviv who was the marketing and chief creative officer.

    In a statement Cook says, “Disney is the number one name in filmed entertainment around the world. It’s the name on the door, it’s what we do best, and when we do it right, not only do moviegoers of all ages benefit from the finest in quality entertainment, but it lifts the entire company as well. The depth and breadth of great Disney movies range from Pirates of the Caribbean to Cars to The Chronicles of Narnia and we look to expand our global reach even more. Cutbacks such as these are difficult on so many levels, and we will do everything in our power to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

    As had been reported earlier by indiantelevision.com that Disney is set to cut the number of films made each year from 18 to eight. What is interesting is that Jacobson had argued with M Night Shyamalan about the script for his new film Lady in the Water. The tepid reviews that the film is getting indicate that her concerns were not misplaced. The relationship between Shyamalan and Disney came to an end as a result of the dispute.

  • ‘Lost’ producer Abrams leaves Disney for Warner, Paramount

    ‘Lost’ producer Abrams leaves Disney for Warner, Paramount

    MUMBAI: With one of the biggest television shows in the US Lost under his belt J.J. Abrams is hot property. The man who also directed Mission Impossible 3 has signed a five-year film deal with Paramount Pictures and a six-year TV contract with Warner Bros.

    Together, they are worth more than $55 million.
    With this, Abrams leaves Disney’s Touchstone. ABC later this year will unveil three Abrams-produced shows. Media reports indicate that he had been there for seven years making many shows.

    However what made the difference was the fact that Disney was firm on the fact that revenue from his current shows would be included in the amount of money it would have guaranteed him each year under a new deal.

    Reports add that if Abrams’ shows for Warner are successful the sky is the limit. He will get around 35 per cent of the backend. This means revenues from syndication, DVDs, net downloads etc. His production firm is called Brad Robot.

    Abrams will get around $five million for directing a Star Trek film for Paramount and he will get some backend, should the film make a tidy profit. He is said to be keen to make films that cost less than $25 million as there are important stories that can be told.

  • Disney set to cut down on costs with fewer films

    Disney set to cut down on costs with fewer films

    MUMBAI: Despite the fact that the Pirates of The Carribean sequel set a record by crossing the $100 million mark in the first three days of release, US media conglomerate Disney is set to cut the number of films made each year from 18 to eight.

    Media reports indicate that the trend among Hollywood studuios is to reduce their overall costs, whether it is in production, marketing, distribution or legal costs. Disney’s plan is to make less films under both Touchstone and Miramax. It will focus on making films under its own brand name.

    The number of people employed in its film division will be reduced by upto 25 per cent. Disney is said to be looking to focus more on family films as there is more revenue potential there in terms of merchandising opportunities.

    Apart from the Pirates sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia did really well last year. At the same time, there were failures with Alamo bing the biggest. Media reports indicate that studio revenue is being affected by production and marketing costs. The DVD market is also slowing down.

  • Ex Disney hand Montgomery to join DreamWorks Animation board

    Ex Disney hand Montgomery to join DreamWorks Animation board

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. has elected Michael J. Montgomery to its board of directors.

    Montgomery currently serves as president of Montgomery & Co., a leading investment bank for growth companies in the information technology, communications, healthcare and media sectors, where he is responsible for leading the firm’s media and entertainment practice.

    Before joining Montgomery & Co., he was CEO of Sega Gameworks, a joint venture between Sega, Universal Studios, and DreamWorks SKG. In 1995, Montgomery joined DreamWorks and was instrumental in raising $1 billion in private equity financing.

    Prior to his experience with DreamWorks, he was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of EuroDisney. Before assuming his role at EuroDisney, Montgomery was the vice president and treasurer of the Walt Disney Company where he was actively involved in the IPO of EuroDisney in 1989.

    “I am pleased to welcome Michael to our board of directors. I believe that his wealth of financial and industry experience with some of the largest names in entertainment coupled with his history at DreamWorks makes him an ideal addition to our world-class board,” said DreamWorks Animation SKG chairman Roger Enrico.

  • Disney to broaden mobile distribution channel in Southern Europe via Buongiorno

    Disney to broaden mobile distribution channel in Southern Europe via Buongiorno

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has inked a mobile content agreement with Buongiorno, a company in the field of multimedia content for telephony and digital channels. This move supports Disney’s strategy to make its highly creative and engaging content available to consumers in a wide variety of ways.

    Under the terms of the deal, Buongiorno will make Disney mobile content such as screensavers, wallpapers, ringtones and games available to consumers across Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. Content includes Mickey Mouse and Friends (e.g. Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck), Disney Classics (e.g. Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Finding Nemo and The Lion King.

    “This agreement with Buongiorno gives consumers another means to access Disney’s popular mobile content in southern Europe. Buongiorno’s expertise and local market reach will help consumers find Disney mobile content anytime and anywhere, and we are pleased to add them to our network of distributors,” said WDIG Europe vice president of mobile Sunil Gunderia.

    “We are delighted to be associated with a leading entertainment company like Disney to help bring their properties to market. Disney content will allow Buongiorno to offer several million customers in southern Europe a unique experience of entertainment on the move. We are looking forward to widening our collaboration to new markets, exploiting Buongiorno and its consumer brand Blinko’s global network,” said Buongiorno Group head of global products Matteo Montan.

    According to Informa, an international provider of specialist information and services, the fast-growing mobile entertainment market will be worth $42.8 billion by 2010, of which $11.2 billion will be generated from mobile games.

    Disney content will become part of Buongiorno’s portfolio of over 300,000 services and licensed contents, marketed to a potential target of more than one billion wired and wireless telephone users globally, through a multi-channel strategy that includes direct distribution through the brand Blinko as well as through partnerships with telecom companies and the most important media groups.

    All of Disney’s mobile content will be managed by Buongiorno through B!3A, its proprietary technology platform conceived to design, build, manage and provide high quality services to leading businesses and to mobile consumers globally. B!3A provides a full-blown set of components that allow performing all the main tasks to create a complete digital content marketplace embracing content acquisition, presentation, delivery, reporting, billing and CRM.

  • Disney’s ‘Pirates’ creates new box office records

    Disney’s ‘Pirates’ creates new box office records

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opened on 7 July to a record $132 million in its first three days at the North American box-office, shattering the record previously held by Sony’s Spider-Man, which opened to $114.8 million.

    The movie has set new benchmarks as it is the biggest opening weekend in Hollywood history and also the biggest opening day on Friday with collections of $55.5 million.

    In India, the film will hit the big screens on 21 July.

    It is also bigger than the four day opening weekend record holders – X-Men: The Last Stand, (grossed $122.9 million) and Spider-Man 2, (grossed $115.8 million in four days last summer).

    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is also the first film in history to cross the $100 million mark in just two days and is Disney’s biggest opening, surpassing The Incredibles, which had garnered $70.5 million in three days.

    The movie also led the way in the UK with a $25 million debut and grossed $9 million from South Korea and $8.2 million from Australia.

    Buena Vista (the theatrical distribution arm of Walt Disney) attributes the success of Dead Man’s Chest to the mass appeal it had with male and female audiences of all ages.

    Dead Man’s Chest reunites the cast and crew of the Curse of the Black Pearl including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, director Gore Verbinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

    Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl opened in 2003 to $46.6 million over the weekend and $70.6 million over five days, leading to a huge $305.4 million mark domestically (US and Canada) and $654 million worldwide.