UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAMarshall School of Business

Spring 2016

GSBA 555 – Management and Organization of the Creative Industries

Instructor: Professor S. Mark Young, Ph.D.George Bozanic and Holman G. Hurt Chair in Sports and Entertainment Business; Professor of Accounting; Management & Organization; Professor of Communication and Journalism (Annenberg School)

Teaching Assistant: Abby Slovick (slovick@usc.edu) and Rachel Thundat (thundat@usc.edu)

Class Hours: Wednesdays 3:30-6:20 pm; 6:30 – 9:20 pmClassroom: Bridge 202 (Media Capture Room)Office: Leventhal School of Accounting (LSOA), Room 123

(Go left at the LSOA library, take the first left down to the landing, go through the door and turn right)

Office Hours: Wednesdays: 1:30 – 3:00 pm, unless otherwise stated, and by appointment. Please contact me directly at any time by email. I am happy to talk with you about any aspect of the class or your career.

Office Phone: (213) 740-4848Email: mark.young@marshall.usc.edu

COURSE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This course has three major objectives. The first is to provide a comparative overview of how the creative industries (e.g., motion pictures, television, music and games) are organized and operate. The second objective is to discuss some of the pressing issues that these industries face. Apart from the assigned reading materials, leading industry executives will also present their perspectives on these topics. The third objective is to provide students an opportunity to conduct a research project on an important topic in the entertainment industry. The goal of the project is to deepen each student’s knowledge of a particular industry and issue, and provide a chance to use the many skills that you have acquired in your graduate school experience.

COURSE MATERIALS

The course will rely on texts, cases, readings from academic journals and the popular press as well as media of all kinds.

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Required Texts:

Edward J. Epstein, The Hollywood Economist – The Hidden Financial Reality Behind the Movies, 2.0 (New York: Melvillehouse, 2012).

Alan Wolk, Over the Top, How the Internet is (Slowly But Surely) Changing the Television Industry (2015).

Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young, The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Endangering Our Families and How to Save Them (New York: Harper Collins, 2010).

John Seabrook, The Song Machine – Inside the Hit Factory (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2015).

Readings: Apart from the texts, Readings will come primarily from academic journals and the business press. Most will be handed out in class or through links online.

Class Notes and Cases – Handed out in class.

Other Readings from Speakers: Please note that other reading assignments may be added based on what our guest speakers would also like us to read in advance of their talks. These will be posted on BLACKBOARD or handed out in class.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Your performance will be evaluated in this class using four criteria, class participation, in-class quizzes, a company SWOT analysis, and the team research project.

Class Participation and the Classroom Environment (10%)

As in any advanced seminar of this kind, I expect all of you to come to class fully prepared to discuss the material. I expect that you will voice your opinions and ideas and I will also cold call you. Tent cards will be made for and please bring these to class. We will also use a seating chart.

I expect you to attend class and arrive on time. Coming in late disrupts the attention of students and mood of the class especially when we have a guest speaker. If you have to miss class or have an unavoidable reason to come late please email me ahead of time. Coming in late and/or missing more than one class (without a very compelling reason) could hurt your participation grade. Your final class participation score is at my discretion and is not open for debate.

Please do not use smartphones or your laptop during class. Doing so will also adversely affect your participation grade.

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Regarding speakers, you may not ask them any questions about their personal lives and any materials that they hand out and any content that they discuss during class must remain within the confines of the class. That means that you are NOT PERMITTED to either tape or video record any of their presentations.

Please do not approach anyone for an interview or a job. If you would like to get in touch with any of the speakers you must clear this through me first.

Quizzes (15%)

A total of four quizzes will be given based on the required books. You will be able to drop your lowest score on the quizzes and thus only 3 of the 4 quizzes will be counted. No makeup quizzes will be given for any reason so please do not ask for a makeup. Quizzes are given at the beginning of class sessions and you will not be eligible to take the quiz if you are late.

Industry SWOT Analysis (25%)

The assignment is to conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) on a particular company within one of the industries that we are covering. You may work in groups of up to three students. Your analysis should be no more than 6 pages long with 4 pages for tables, appendices and references. The paper should be double-spaced with standard margins (1” from bottom and top and 1.25” on each side) and in good form. The paper is due at the beginning of you class session on March 9, 2016 with no exceptions. You will be asked to turn in a hard copy to Abby or Rachel and to send me a soft copy (mark.young@marshall.usc.edu). Each team’s analysis will be posted to the class website. Details are given below.

While many of you have already conducted SWOT analyses, some of you may not be as familiar as others. To this end, I am including three references for you. These are meant to be background information.

http://articles.mplans.com/how-to-perform-a-swot-analysis/

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/lanre-81770-swot-analysis-2-business-finance-ppt-powerpoint/

http://marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-swot.html

The companies from which you may choose are listed below. Choices are on a first come, first served basis (one group per company) and must be sent to Abby (Slovick@usc.edu) by February 12, 2016. If you have not chosen your company by that date, one of the companies that has not yet been chosen will be assigned to you.

1. ABC2. NBC Universal

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3. CBS4. Hulu5. HBO6. DirectTV7. Paramount8. Universal Pictures9. Universal Music10. Netflix11. Walt Disney Studios12. Disney Marvel13. 20th Century Fox Pictures14. COMCAST15. Sony Pictures16. Universal Music17. Warner Brothers Music18. SONY19. Lionsgate20. Spotify21. Eros International (India)22. Regal Cinemas23. AMC Theaters24. China Film Group25. Regal Entertainment Group26. The Times Group (India)27. Activision28. Nintendo29. Redbox30. Electronic Arts31. Huayi Brothers (China)32. Pandora33. Livenation34. Dalian Wanda Group (China)35. Zynga36. MGM37. Media Asia Entertainment Group (Hong Kong)38. Alibaba39. (Your Choice, but it must be approved; consult with me).

Team Research Project (50%)

For the team project, you will be assigned (in part based on your preferences) as a member of a self-managed team of students. Teams will be limited to 6 students.

Teams will begin to meet in early March. You will most likely be assigned an industry specialist with whom you can converse during the course of your project. During the last two class sessions, you will have an opportunity to make formal presentations of the

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project and your findings to the class and to your respective company executives (who will share grading responsibilities with me). Presentation times will be based on when company executives are available.

DETAILS OF THE PROJECT AND PRESENTATION

A list of topics will be handed out at the beginning of March. You will also be graded on your attendance and participation at these sessions.

For the team project, you may form a group of no more than 6 students. The minimum number of students is 4 to a team so that everyone will have a team experience. I strongly suggest that you think about team composition carefully so that you have people with a variety of skills on your team. Since you are forming your own teams I will not adjudicate any problems that your team might have. As graduate students you should be able to work out any problems. However to ensure that each team member pulls his or her weight, I will given each team member a form so that they can evaluate each person in their group. This input will be used as part of the final evaluation process for the presentation and project.

Each group will have 30 minutes to make their final presentation and answer questions from the audience. I do encourage all students to attend everyone else’s presentations ask questions especially since participation will continue to be graded during these sessions. I will determine the order of presentations randomly a week before they are due.

I suggest that you plan on a 20-25 minute presentation with 5 minutes for Q&A.  As a group you must decide how many presenters you would like to use. The number can range from 1 to everyone in the group.

Every group regardless of whether you are presenting on April 20 or April 27 must turn in their presentations to Rachel or Abby at the beginning of your regularly scheduled class on April 20. This ensures that no groups have any time advantages over others.   The deliverables, due on April 20 are (a) hard copy of you slide deck and (b) a hard copy of your paper. The paper should summarize in narrative form the findings of your research. Also, on the same day, please email me (mark.young@marshall.usc.edu) soft copies of your paper and slide deck before your class classes begin. If you are in the 3:30 class, please copy Abby Slovick (Slovick@usc.edu) on any emails and copy Rachel (thundat@usc.edu )if you are in the 6:30 pm class.

YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET EVERYTHING TO US TO CONFORM TO THESE DEADLINES. IF YOUR MATERIALS ARE LATE, I WILL HAVE NOT CHOICE BUT TO PENALIZE YOU BY LOWERING YOUR GRADE ON THE PRESENTATION AND PAPER BY 20%. FURTHER, PLEAE DO NOT TURN IN THE MATERIALS AND THEN SUBMIT REVISED VERSIONS LATER. I WILL ONLY GRADE THE FIRST PRESENTATION AND PAPER THAT YOU SUBMIT!

For your presentations, there are no restrictions on the number of slides, but keep them to a manageable level. Regarding the paper, the length cannot exceed 20 typewritten, double-spaced, single-sided pages with standard margins. I leave it up to you to all these pages to text, tables, appendices and footnotes.

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The dress code for presenters is business casual but you may also present in business formal if you so desire.

IMPORTANT DATES

January 20, 2016 - Your Entertainment Influences Essay (2 page write-up due) January 27, 2016 – Quiz #1 – Hollywood Economist February 10, 2016 – SWOT Choices sent to TAs by 3:30 pm March 2, 2016 – Quiz #2 – Over the Top March 9, 2016 – SWOT Analyses Due (See details on syllabus for procedures) March 30, 2016 – Quiz #3 – The Song Machine April 6, 20156– Quiz #4 – Celebrity Narcissism April 20, 2016 – Final Presentation Materials and Final Paper Due for ALL

GROUPS regardless of when you are presenting. April 20 and April 27, 2016 – Final Group Presentations

STATEMENTS ON ACADEMIC CONDUCT, SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

ACADEMIC CONDUCT Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards https://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriate-sanctions/. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/. Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu/ or to the Department of Public Safety http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety/online-forms/contact-us. This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage sarc@usc.edu describes reporting options and other resources.

SUPPORT SYSTEMSA number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html provides

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certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/ will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology. If you have any difficulty with the uploading of the doc, please reach out to your admin support person.

STATEMENT FOR STUDENT WITH DISABILITIES

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to the TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY

Dr. S. Mark Young holds the George Bozanic and Holman G. Hurt Chair in Sports and Entertainment Business within the Marshall School of Business (MSB) at the University of Southern California. Dr. Young is also a Professor of Accounting in the Leventhal School of Accounting and holds joint appointments as Professor of Management and Organization in the MSB, and Professor of Communication and Journalism in the Annenberg School of Communication. Young has also served as the Associate Dean and Academic Director of the Marshall MBA Program. Currently, he also holds an appointment of Visiting Term Professor at Peking University. Mark also chairs the Oversight Committee for Academic Athletic Affairs and is the official team historian of USC Men’s Tennis Team.

Professor Young received an A.B. from Oberlin College (Economics), an M. Acc. from the Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. (Accounting) from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests are in the areas of the business of entertainment, management accounting and the sociology of collecting and futurism. His most recent book (coauthored with Drew Pinsky, The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America, (Harper Collins, 2009), is an analysis of how celebrity acting out behavior is having a profoundly negative impact on today’s youth and our society. This book was on both the New York Times and LA Times Best Selling Lists. Within the Marshall School of Business, Mark developed the Business of the Creative Industries concentration, an academic program in which MBA students can learn about the business side of the motion picture, television, music and games industries. Young teaches the core course in the program, “Management and Organization of the Creative Industries.”

Within management accounting he has published over 40 articles that focus on how the design of management accounting and control systems influences human behavior and performance in a wide variety of organizational contexts. In 2006, his book Implementing

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Management Innovations: Lessons Learned from Activity Based Manufacturing in the U.S. Automobile Industry (co-authored with S. Anderson, Kluwer Academic Press) won the Notable Contribution to the Management Accounting Literature Award from the American Accounting Association – the highest research award given in academic accounting. He has also published 6 editions of his textbook with Robert Kaplan (Harvard), Tony Atkinson (Waterloo) and Ella Mae Matsumura (Wisconsin), Management Accounting, Information for Decision Making and Strategy Execution (Prentice Hall, 2011).

Mark also conducts research in the sociology of collecting and futurism. His research has focused primarily on how vintage space toys have influenced science fiction and popular culture. His book, Blast Off! Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns and Rarities from the Golden Age of Space Toys (with Steve Duin and Mike Richardson; Dark Horse Books, 2001) is a social history of space toys.

Dr. Young has won several outstanding teaching awards at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including the Golden Apple Teaching Award at USC and the Jim Bulloch Award for Innovations in Management Accounting Education given by the American Accounting Association. Young is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Teaching Excellence and has won the Mellon Mentoring Award (twice) at USC. He has also taught in senior executive programs including the Global EMBA in Shanghai and is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Peking University. Young is currently a member of the Board of Governors of Fremont College and served as a Board Member for StoriedLearning.Com. He has consulted and conducted research with Warner Brothers, Chrysler, GM, StorageTek, Texas Instruments and Southwest Airlines.

Mark comments regularly in the business and entertainment presses and has appeared on CNN’s Situation Room, The View, The Howard Stern Show, ABC News, Fox Business Channel, the KTLA Morning News, and the Fox Strategy Room, and has been interviewed by The Economist, The Financial Times, Bloomburg-BusinessWeek, Laura Ingraham, the British Broadcasting Company, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, Marketplace, The London Times, Scientific American Mind, the Associated Press, Newsweek, Forbes, People Magazine, Men’s Fitness, Daily Variety, Allure, and Woman’s Wear Daily. He has also appeared in documentaries on Hollywood including Inside Hollywood, Killer Comebacks, Hollywood Scandals (Reelz Channel) and in two films, Heckler (Jamie Kennedy, Producer) and The Bling Ring (on the Blu-Ray Extras).

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SESSION NUMBER, DATE AND TOPIC

READING ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS GUEST SPEAKER(S) and EVENTS

Session 1: January 13, 2016Topic 1: Introduction to the Course

Topic 2: Understanding Hollywood: An Historical Perspective, Part 1

Assignment:

1. Go over Syllabus (handed out in class)2. Course Introduction and Overview - Class Notes3. Take 20 Questions Knowledge Quiz (handed out in class)

No Class Speaker

A&E Video: Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own, Part I.

Golden Globes, Sunday, January 10, 2016 (NBC)

Session 2: January 20 2016

Topic 1: Understanding Hollywood: An Historical Perspective – Part 2

Topic 2: Motion Picture Studios

Assignment:1. Hand in Entertainment Influences Essay (2-3 page).2. E. J. Epstein, The Hollywood Economist, Parts I-III (up to

page 128).3. Will Steven Spielberg Drop the DreamWorks Name?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-steven-spielberg-drop-dreamworks-826201

4. DreamWorks Studios Hires Lyndsay Harding as New CFOhttp://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-studios-hires-lyndsay-harding-as-new-cfo/DreamWorks Studios to Part with the Walt Disney Co. Next Yearhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-dreamworks-expected-to-split-from-the-walt-disney-co-20150902-story.html

A&E Video: Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own, Part II.

Lyndsay Harding, CFO DreamWorks

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Session 3: January 27 2016Topic 1: Operations and Strategy in Media and Entertainment, Part 1

IN CLASS QUIZ # 1 on The Hollywood Economist.

Assignment:1. Read E. J. Epstein, The Hollywood Economist, Parts IV-V

(up to page 224).2. T. Spangler, “Why Yahoo’s Foray Into Original TV Series

Failed,”http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/yahoo-community-other-space-money-loss-1201627039/

3. Kara Swisher, Yahoo Hires Longtime McKinsey Exec DeVine to Head Global Opshttp://allthingsd.com/20130523/yahoo-hires-longtime-mckinsey-exec-devine-to-head-global-ops/

John DeVine, SVP Global Operations, Yahoo!

SAG Awards January 30, 2016 (TNT)

Session 4: February 3, 2016

Topic 1: Operations and Strategy in Media and Entertainment, 2

Assignment:1. S. M. Young, J. Gong and W. Van der Stede, “The

Business of Making Movies,” Strategic Finance (February 2008): 26-32. http://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/SF/2008_02/02_08_young.pdf

2. R. Faughnder, “$40 Billion in Global Box Office? Thank China and Star Wars,”http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-global-box-office-20151231-story.html

3. A. Truong, “Comparing Fox to Other Studios, Box Office Results by Studio”http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view=company&view2=yearly&yr=2015&p=.htm

Dean Hallett, Executive Vice President, Operations and Strategy, Chief Financial Officer, Fox Filmed Entertainment

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Session 4: February 3, 2016:

More Readings for Dean Hallett: Theatrical Trends 2015- Box Office 2015: How Revenue (Narrowly) Hit a Record $11B in the U.S.http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-2015-how-revenue-851167- Box Office: 5 Lessons for 2016 From Hollywood's Record Highs and Lowshttp://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-5-lessons-2016-852391

Home Entertainment Trends 2015- Home-Ent. Sales Fall Again - Overall sales in U.S. drop 6% to under $13 billion as digital growth slowshttp://www.wsj.com/articles/home-entertainment-sales-fall-again-1452115876- Why 2015 Home Entertainment Figures Should Worry Studioshttp://variety.com/2016/digital/news/home-entertainment-spending-2015-studios-1201673329

Big Media Stocks- Turbulent TV Scene Shook Up Media Stocks in 2015http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/media-stock-shaken-up-in-2015-by-turbulent-tv-scene-1201671530- Viacom, Time Warner among 2016 merger wannabeshttp://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/12/31/viacom-time-warner-among-2016-merger-wannabes- Apple keeps close eye on potential Time Warner spinoffhttp://nypost.com/2016/01/12/apple-keeps-close-eye-on-potential-time-warner-spinoff

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Windowing- Paramount to Speed Up Home Release of Movies - Studio, two cinema chains agree to shrink the long gap that comes after a theatrical runhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/paramount-to-break-hollywoods-home-video-window-1436377631- Theater Owners Are Furious About Netflix’s New Moviehttp://www.wired.com/2015/10/theater-owners-are-furious-about-netflixs-new-movie

SVOD / OTT- Netflix: The most feared force in Hollywood?http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-netflix-hollywood-20160118-story.html- Sundance: How Amazon, Netflix Turned the Market on Its Headhttp://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-how-amazon-netflix-turned-859372- How Amazon and Netflix Have Transformed Sundance with Piles of Cashhttp://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/amazon-netflix-sundance-2016

China- Movie ticket sales jump 48% in China, but Hollywood has reason to worryhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-1230-ct-china-box-office-20151230-story.html- Wanda’s Legendary Buy Is Just the Beginning of China’s Investment in Hollywoodhttp://variety.com/2016/film/news/wanda-legendary-buy-china-

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1201678463

 Virtual Reality- Virtual Reality In CES 2016 Spotlight As Sony, HTC And Facebook’s Oculus Show Off VR Gear, Contenthttp://www.ibtimes.com/virtual-reality-ces-2016-spotlight-sony-htc-facebooks-oculus-show-vr-gear-content-2248202- Oculus, Playstation prep VR hardware launches, as Fox leads content landgrabhttp://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/05/oculus-playstation-prep-vr-hardware-launches-as-fox-leads-content-landgrab.html- Digital Hollywood: the rise of virtual reality studioshttp://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/01/07/digital-hollywood-rise-virtual-reality-studios- 21st Century Fox to Acquire Minority Stake Smart Glasses Designer Osterhout Designer Grouphttp://variety.com/2016/digital/news/21st-century-fox-osterhout-design-group-1201672686

In Class Handout: The Business of Motion Pictures

Session 5: February10, 2016Topic 1: Film Marketing and Virtual Reality

Topic 2: The Economics of Major Hollywood Awards, Part 1

Assignment:Send SWOT Choices to Abby or Rachel by 3:30 pm today

Read:CONTENTCNET Founder Halsey Minor Launching Virtual Reality Network - FortunePreviewing Sundance’s New Frontier 10th Anniversary Programming - CoolHuntingLANDSCAPEGoldman Sachs says VR   will be bigger than TV in   10 years  -

Jake Zim, SVP Digital Marketing, SONY Pictures

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Business InsiderINDUSTRYGoogle Now Has an Official   Virtual Reality Boss to Take On   Facebook’s Oculus  - Re/CodeTECHThe Jaunt ONE.   Development of a VR   Camera  - Filmmaker MagazineMISC.Werner Herzog Talks   Virtual Reality  - New Yorker CONTENTFunnyOrDie brings The Interrogation VR Comedy to Sundance - CNETFox’s ‘The Martian’ VR   Experience Is Out Of This   World  - DeadlineThe Martian VR Experience Confirmed for Consumer Release - VRFocusVirtual Reality Drama Defrost Debuts at Sundance - VarietyYou Can Watch Sundance’s VR Films Right on Your Smartphone - WIREDClever Fox Announces VR Horror Film Release and Festival Panels - VR FocusStarbreeze Studios Opening   Virtual Reality Arcade In Los   Angeles  - Tom’s HardwareKCRW Radio Station Launches Free VR App for Google Cardboard - VRFocusSamsung & Skybound VR Series GONE Returns with 3 New Episodes - VRFocusSamsung Announces Winners of Gear Indie VR Creator Challenge   - VRScoutElijah Wood's Film Company Partners With Ubisoft for VR Content - GameSpotAdi Roberton’s Comprehensive Coverage of Sundance VR - The

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VergeTECHThe Oculus Rift Will be in Retail   Stores Come April  - RoadToVRThe VR Company Helping Filmmakers Put You Inside Movies - WIREDNew Apple hire suggests increased interest in immersive virtual reality - Apple InsiderFacebook Never Wants You to Wait to Stream Its Videos—Even In VR   - WIREDGoogle Developing “High Volume”   Consumer VR Hardware, New Job   Postings Suggest  - RoadtoVRINDUSTRYGoogle’s YouTube Hires Scott Broock, Virtual Reality Content Deal Exec - Re/codeSamsung to open a VR studio in New York - The VergeLANDSCAPEApple CEO Tim Cook Calls Virtual Reality ‘Really Cool,’ Not a Niche -  Re/Code

Google’s New Head of Virtual Reality on What They’re Planning Next - TIME

CONTENT UK Amusement Park Alton Towers Resort to open Galactica roller coaster with VR experience in April·         Engadget·        RoadtoVR (ride stats) Universal Music and iHeartMedia to launch VR concerts this year·         Billboard Jimmy Fallon demoes HTC Vive on the Tonight Show

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·         UploadVR Hands on with Audi’s VR showroom experience·         RoadtoVR Vision VR/AR Awards, a VR/AR awards program sponsored by Facebook, Valve, Google and Sony, announced 2016 finalists·         UploadVR·         visionsummit2016.com Animal Planet releases Puppy Bowl Practice in 360 video·         Animal Planet Hands on: VR eSports with the Virtuix Omni·         RoadtoVR

ANNOUNCEMENTS Google forming dedicated VR division; former VP of product management to run division·         Recode HTC Vive preorders to open February 29 th ; company to refocus priorities on VR·         Telegraph DEALS Envelop VR, a productivity oriented VR platform, closes $5.5M Series A round with Google Ventures·         RoadtoVR COMMENTARY

Investors.com: “Sony poised to dominate virtual reality market”·         Investors.com Redefining The Axiom Of Story: The VR And 360 Video Complex·         TechCrunch Virtual Reality And A Parallel Universe Of Cyberclones

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·         TechCrunch The Value In Virtual And Augmented Reality·         TechCrunch Digi-Capital analyst lowers 2020 mixed reality market projections by $30B to $120B·         UploadVR TECH Google Cardboard to now offer spatial audio·         UploadVR Leap Motion’s ‘Interaction Engine’ Aims for Effortless VR Input·         RoadtoVRCONTENTCNET Founder Halsey Minor Launching Virtual Reality Network - FortunePreviewing Sundance’s New Frontier 10th Anniversary Programming - CoolHuntingLANDSCAPEGoldman Sachs says VR   will be bigger than TV in   10 years  - Business InsiderINDUSTRYGoogle Now Has an Official   Virtual Reality Boss to Take On   Facebook’s Oculus  - Re/CodeTECHThe Jaunt ONE.   Development of a VR   Camera  - Filmmaker MagazineMISC.

Werner Herzog Talks   Virtual Reality  - New Yorker

In Class Handout: Media Concentration

The Golden Globes: Hollywood’s Dirty Little Secret

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Session 6: February 17, 2016

Topic 1: The Chinese Movie Industry

Assignment:

1. Hollywood’s Global Appeal: http://www.pressreader.com/usa/los-angeles-times/20160101/281479275390308/TextView

2. His Bid to be Legendary:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-wang-wanda-20160113-story.html

3. Alibaba’s Film Chief Grants First Interview:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alibaba-film-chief-grants-first-846685

4. Box Office: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Not Catching Fire in China.http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/01/12/box-office-star-wars-the-force-awakens-not-catching-fire-in-china/#4c4fcf9c4b11

5. 5 Lessons from a Record Year:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-5-lessons-2016-852391

In class Handout Comparing the Film Industries in the U.S. and China.

David U. Lee, CEO Leeding Media

Session 7: February 24, 2016

Topic 1: Hollywood Accounting: Royalties and Participations

Topic 2: The Economics

Assignment:Oscar Predictions:

1. Pardoe, I. (2007). Predicting Oscar winners. Significance 4(4), 168-173. (an overview). http://www.iainpardoe.com/research/other/07significance.pdf

Steve Ambers, Head, Royalty Department of Gudvi, Sussman & Oppenhim (GSO) LLC

Watch Oscars, February 28, 2016.

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of Hollywood Awards, Part 2

Optional Readings:

2. How Much is An Oscar Really Worth?http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/how-much-is-an-oscar-really-worth/

3. There’s More to Winning the Oscar Than Meets the Eye.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/arts/international/theres-more-to-winning-an-oscar-than-meets-the-eye.htmlFrank Darabont Given Green Light to Pursue Larger Cut of ‘Walking Dead Profitshttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.hollywoodreporter.com_thr-2Desq_frank-2Ddarabont-2Dgiven-2Dgreen-2Dlight-2D863284&d=CwIFAg&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=8BkHBuJy-bJfpDi5_HY2cSBcfq9Aa_d8xdROj-_JJvw&m=pKrUNyUBB5XxyBuvgL2jbv08e51O0uFAxObIk9EWfRU&s=Uddp3DwNItfDa4oZoMuUWw5zKqFZQMkl1eXIoY9Foig&e=  relates to Frank Darabont's television lawsuit against AMC

Ladd Versus Warner Bros. Inc.https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__caselaw.findlaw.com_ca-2Dcourt-2Dof-2Dappeal_1525051.html&d=CwIFAg&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=8BkHBuJy-bJfpDi5_HY2cSBcfq9Aa_d8xdROj-_JJvw&m=pKrUNyUBB5XxyBuvgL2jbv08e51O0uFAxObIk9E

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WfRU&s=YHuSgf09vlZbx8GksNwdcdwAB160WOX8iBX2H5vooms&e=  relates to Alan Ladd Jr's movie lawsuit against Warner Bros.

Spotify Discovers the Marginal Value of Infringement in the Wrong Tailhttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.huffingtonpost.com_chris-2Dcastle_spotify-2Dlicensing-2Dinfringement-5Fb-5F8998194.html&d=CwIFAg&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=8BkHBuJy-bJfpDi5_HY2cSBcfq9Aa_d8xdROj-_JJvw&m=pKrUNyUBB5XxyBuvgL2jbv08e51O0uFAxObIk9EWfRU&s=7Wg-rX-NK0fsjm3bKZTzF6QIaYl_Nnb57463OTtE8NE&e=  relates to the current class action lawsuits against Spotify

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SESSION NUMBER, DATE AND TOPIC

READING ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS GUEST SPEAKER(S)

Session 8: March 2, 2016Topic 1: The Business of Television, Part 1

Topic 2: How Do Business Management Firms Work in Hollywood

IN CLASS QUIZ #2 –Over the Top – How the Internet is (Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television Industry

Read: Michael Karlin Receives Variety’s Business Manager Elite Award

http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/michael-karlin-receives-varietys-business-manager-elite-award-1201637136/

Read: About NKSFB:

http://www.nksfb.com/about-us/

Video: How Television Works

Michael Karlin and David Bolno, Nigro Karlin Segal Feldstein & Bolno

Session 9: March 9, 2016

Topic 1: The Business of Television: Part 2

Topic 2: Streaming Video on Demand

SWOT Analyses are due at the Beginning of class time. Late papers will not be accepted.

1. Send me a soft copy before your scheduled class time on this day (mark.young@marshall.usc.edu).

2. 3:30 class copy Abby (slovick@usc.edu)3. 6:30 class copy Rachel (thundat@usc.edu)4. With your permission I will post these on Blackboard (without

your names listed unless you approve. In this way, everyone will be able to see what others have done.

5. Turn in a hard copy to Abby or Rachel when you arrive to class.

Elaine Paul, CFO HULU

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Readings from Elaine Paul:

Context on Hulu

Hulu had a great year in 2015 – these two articles give an overview of some of what we’ve been up to and how we’re looking towards the future:http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/hulu-ceo-mike-hopkins-original-series-netflix-amazon-1201480770/

http://www.wired.com/2016/02/hulu-11-22-63/

We also made a number of important announcements last year. Here’s some to consider:

What it is: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hulu-unveils-ad-free-subscription-819720

Impact on our business: http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/hulu-ad-free-plan-ad-business-growth-1201709761/

Showtime Add-On: http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/06/23/hulu-will-offer-showtime-for-extra-8-99-a-month-differentiating-itself-from-netflix/

Our New Brand Campaign: http://www.hulu.com/watch/863381Hulu Plus Rebranding: http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/16/hulu-officially-drops-the-plus-but-service-remains-the-same/

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Originals Release Strategy: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2016/02/23/cutting-cord-prime-time-streaming/80401268/

Seinfeld Licensing Deal: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/hulu-seinfeld-licensing-160-million-1201483537/

In the event you want to see where we work: http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/tc-cribs-a-trip-to-tv-land-with-hulu/

Context on the Industry

The streaming video industry is one of significant growth in consumer time, types of business models, and competition. Below, you’ll find a selection of articles that detail some of these trends and provide information about some of our competitors

Streaming Predictions for 2016: http://recode.net/2016/01/06/five-streaming-video-predictions-for-2016/

Profitability Challenges in Streaming: http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/verizon-cfo-go90-mobile-video-wont-be-profitable-in-next-2-years-1201684903/

Growth in Digital MVPDs: http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/sling-tv-reach-2m-subs-year-analyst/396570

Big Data & TV: http://adage.com/article/media/predictions-data-change-tv-season/295670/

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Netflix Global Expansion: http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/netflix-global-expansion-ces-reed-hastings-chinese-arabic-1201673375/

Importance of Ratings in OTT: http://www.adweek.com/news/television/symphony-brushes-netflix-attacks-its-ratings-metrics-169087?mod=djemCMOToday

With this plethora of options, many consumers are shifting their habits away from traditional media consumption. Still others are held back as they primarily get value out of live sports or other similar programming that they can’t find on digital video platforms. These articles will provide some context on the cable business model and why things aren’t as easy as they seem:

The Rise of Cord Nevers: http://www.wsj.com/articles/tvs-looming-threat-cord-nevers-1444151008

The Cost of Direct-to-Consumer Models: http://recode.net/2016/01/22/would-you-pay-36-a-month-for-espn/

Sustainability Challenges for MVPDs: http://www.forbes.com/sites/amadoudiallo/2013/10/14/cable-tv-price-hikes-unsustainable/#5bcd47033625

Class Handout: The Business of TelevisionMarch 16, 2016

SPRING BREAK

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March 23, 2016How is Media Consumer

John Nendick, Global Leader and Raghav Mani , Knowledge Leader (Ernest & Young Media and Entertainment Consulting)

March 30, 2016Read all of The Song Machine

IN CLASS QUIZ #3 – John Seabrook, The Song Machine – Inside the Hit Factory (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2015).

In Class Handout on Introduction to the Music Industry

Gary Kelly, Head of Sales and Revenue and Daniel Sena, Head of Strategic Marketing, Interscope Records

April 6, 2016

Topic 1: Talent Management and the Celebrity Personality

Read all of The Mirror Effect

IN CLASS QUIZ #4 – Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young, The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Endangering Our Families and How to Save Them (New York: Harper Collins, 2010).

In Class Handout on Celebrity Narcissism and Talent Management, Parts 1 and 2.

Ken Werner, President of Warner Brothers Television Distribution

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April 13, 2016

Topic 1: Virtual Reality and the Games Industry

Topic 2: Data Analytics in Entertainment

No reading assignment today

In class meetings with me regarding your group project

Anthony Borguez, President, Grab. Com

Dave Bakula, Senior Vice President Analytics & Client Development at Nielsen Entertainment

April 20, 2016Group Presentations: Please reread all instructions

All materials for ALL groups are due today in your respective class sessions.

April 27, 2016Group Presentations: Please reread all instructions

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