Publications

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November 1993
Case

Edgar J. Scherick Associates

Edgar Scherick, a leading television movie producer, must determine whether fact-based movies garner higher Nielsen ratings than fictional movies. Scherick has data for all 1992 TV movies broadcast on major networks. Ultimately, Scherick must decide whether it is... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Film Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

Nov 2009
Conference Presentation

The Reach of Online Movie Trailers

By: Anita Elberse

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Film Entertainment

December 1994
Case

Being There: Sony Corporation and Columbia Pictures

By: Debora L. Spar

In September 1989, Sony Corp. of Japan bid $3.4 billion for Columbia Pictures. It was the highest bid ever by a Japanese company for any U.S. property. The case examines the validity of Sony's objectives in making this purchase, and also the political uproar that the... View Details

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Film Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Japan; United States

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October 2014 (Revised December 2016)
Case

NBCUniversal

By: Anita Elberse

In September 2014, Stephen Burke, chief executive officer at media and entertainment company NBCUniversal, has to decide between possible priorities for the company's 'Project Symphony,' guaranteeing the winners a high level of visibility and support across the media... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Film Entertainment; Product Marketing; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

November 1995 (Revised March 2000)
Case

Jurassic Park

By: John A. Quelch

Managers at MCA/Universal Merchandising are reviewing worldwide merchandising and licensing arrangements for the movie Jurassic Park. View Details

Keywords: Commercialization; Globalization; Film Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

17 Aug 2011
Research & Ideas

Protecting against the Pirates of Bollywood

In 2007, Sony Pictures became the first multinational studio to enter the India film business known as Bollywood with its $7 million film Saawariya. The movie grossed only $9 million. That same year, Walt... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Motion Pictures & Video

September 2018
Supplement

AMC Entertainment: Creating a Spectacular Moviegoing Experience (B)

By: Henry McGee and Aldo Sesia

The (B) case describes how AMC reacted to the threat from the subscription service MoviePass and provides AMC’s second quarter fiscal year 2018 results. View Details

Keywords: Exhibitors; Movies; Film Entertainment; Competitive Strategy; Finance; Performance

July 2010
Teaching Note

Xanadu on Broadway

By: Anita Elberse

Teaching Note for 508062. View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Film Entertainment; Decision Choices and Conditions; Failure; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

09 Aug 2006
Research & Ideas

Career Advancement Without Experience

do I get there?" For their study, O'Mahony and Bechky surveyed two strikingly different groups: high-tech contractors and film crew members. While roles in the film industry tend to be more fixed—a key... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Motion Pictures & Video; Technology

03 Jul 2012
First Look

First Look: July 3

enhance earnings/share through share repurchase in an environment of low interest rates. Purchase this note:http://hbr.org/search/212101-PDF-ENG Cahiers du Cinéma and The French Film Industry Mukti Khaire, Elena Corsi, and Emilie... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2004 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Finding a Response: Pixar and a Coy Story

Pixar, Inc. is the subject of an article that suggests its share price is currently overvalued. The article is picked up in summary by several wire services. Pixar's management must determine the appropriate public response. Its choices range from ignoring the article,... View Details

Keywords: Media; Animation Entertainment; Decision Making; Film Entertainment; Communication Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

31 Jan 2005
Research & Ideas

Rethinking Marketing’s Conventional Wisdom

position in the market. Q: Do you have a favorite case? A: One of the cases I wrote is about BMW Films' award-winning marketing campaign. These were eight beautiful short films by famous directors, each less than ten minutes long, stuck... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons; Service

Article

Scandal, Social Movement, and Change: Evidence from #MeToo in Hollywood

By: Hong Luo and Laurina Zhang

Social movements have the potential to effect change in firm decision-making. In this paper, we examine whether the #MeToo movement, spurred by the Harvey Weinstein scandal, led to changes in the likelihood of Hollywood producers working with female writers on new... View Details

Keywords: Gender Inequality; Social Movement; Scandal; Creative Industries; Project Selection; Gender; Equality and Inequality; Social Issues; Film Entertainment; Projects; Change

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07 Aug 2012
First Look

First Look: August 7

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/13-008.pdf Risky Business: The Impact of Property Rights on Investment and Revenue in the Film Industry Authors:Venkat Kuppuswamy and Carliss Y. Baldwin Abstract Our paper tests a key prediction of property... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

2022
Working Paper

Gender Inequality and the Direction of Ideas: Evidence from the Weinstein Scandal and #MeToo

By: Hong Luo and Laurina Zhang

How do the Harvey Weinstein scandal and #MeToo affect women’s likelihood of working in male-dominated domains and the types of ideas developed in Hollywood? To discern these events’ impact, we exploit the variation in whether a producer previously collaborated with... View Details

Keywords: Gender Inequality; Gender Segregation; Social Movement; Direction Of Innovation; Creative Industries; Gender; Equality and Inequality; Social Issues; Creativity; Film Entertainment

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April 2025
Case

Netflix in 2024

By: Jan Rivkin and David Allen

In 2024, Netflix appeared to emerge victorious from the “streaming wars” that it had waged in recent years with the likes of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple, and Amazon. What had allowed Netflix not only to succeed in the streaming wars but also to thrive for... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Organizational Culture; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; United States

November 2007 (Revised March 2010)
Case

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Tom Cruise

By: Anita Elberse and Peter Stone

In November 2006, Harry Sloan, chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM) offers movie star Tom Cruise and his business partner Paula Wagner a chance to run United Artists (UA), a dormant studio within MGM's portfolio. Just over two months earlier, Viacom... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Talent and Talent Management; Film Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Partners and Partnerships; Value Creation; Motion Pictures and Video Industry