89982 - Media Management (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - knows the organizational structure, business models and strategies of media companies; - has a diachronic perspective in the evolution of business models in the media sector and the related processes of adaptation to the environment; - knows some positioning strategies of the media companies, knows how to place them in a historical perspective, is able to understand their future developments.

Course contents

The course is designed to equip students with the skills required to evaluate the main aspects of audio-visual companies (cinema, television, over-the-top,...). It seeks to introduce students to the forms these companies take, the business models they practice, the organizational structures they adopt, and the strategies (editorial, commercial, communicative,…) they pursue in response to market challenges.

The historical perspective is also critical and relevant: what characterises the audio-visual sector more than any other is the incessant dynamism of technologies, production processes, forms of supply and consumption and therefore of the way of doing business. Students will, thus, be guided through the analysis of the diachronic evolution of business models and the related processes of adaptation to the environment.

Furthermore, much space will be given to the analysis of present models, marked by the pervasiveness of digital technology, as well as to the foreshadowing of what might happen in the near future.

Below is an indicative list of topics:

1. The audio-visual industry

Course presentation and practical information

The perimeter: the digital and converging market and the 'big chain' of audio-visuals

The large integrated groups: history and current profile; development strategies.

2. Studio SystemS

The film industry: fundamentals of the classical, post-classical and contemporary model.

Monographic focus on the history (industrial, political, socio-cultural, ...) of American cinema in Italy.

3. Rights management

Texts and contexts (socio-cultural, technological, regulatory, market...)

The 'long chain': subjects and business practices (theatres, home-entertainment, free and pay TV, VOD, ancillary exploitation)

Digitalization, convergence, globalization

4. The genius of broadcasting

The classic network model: radio and television

Retransmission and the role of distributors/aggregators (cable/satellite)

5. "The news of my death..."

Digital video and the future of TV. The Total Video Audience

Over-the-top: dis-intermediation and re-intermediation

6. Love and Audience

The film and television industry in Italy

7. Data, metadata and algorithms

The new digital ecosystem and 'big data' logics

Content description and Content Intelligence Recommendation / Personalization

8. Small professional orientation.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Readings/Bibliography

Students should supplement their course notes and materials published online by the professor with these texts:

- Mediamorfosi 2. Industrie e immaginari dell'audiovisivo digitale, numero speciale di “LINK, Idee per la televisione”, Milano, 2017.

- F. di Chio, Il cinema americano in Italia. Industria, società, immaginari. Dalle origini alla Seconda guerra mondiale, Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2021.

 

The course is compulsory: you must attend at least 5 of the 7 four-hour modules.

 

For NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: you will still be able to take the written test but you will have to supplement your bibliography with two additional texts:

- F. di Chio, American Storytelling. Le forme del racconto nel cinema e nelle serie tv, Roma, Carocci, 2016

- M. Scaglioni, A. Sfardini La televisione. Modelli teorici e percorsi di analisi, Roma, Carocci, 2017

 

Teaching methods

Teaching methods

The course will be divided into seven classes of four hours each, plus a final meeting of two hours dedicated to career guidance.

The classes will deal with the theoretical and conceptual principles of business strategy in the media & entertainment audio-visual sector. Specifically, the operational aspects will be addressed, with the illustration of case histories developed by the lecturer. Guided discussions will be added to the frontal lesson.

The course is compulsory: you must attend at least 5 of the 7 four-hour modules.

PLEASE NOTE: for as long as the health emergency lasts, the teaching of the course may be organised in a 'blended' mode (partly face-to-face and partly distance learning on Teams). Students are invited to monitor the teacher's web page and the course web page to find out about any changes.

Assessment methods

Students' learning will be assessed both during the course and at the end of the course by means of a WRITTEN TEST.

Active and constructive participation and critical capacity will be considered during the meetings.

The written test will focus on the contents of the lectures and the bibliography. Students who successfully complete this module should be able to demonstrate: the knowledge of the industrial sectors of cinema, television and on-line video, also considering their most recent developments; the ability to critically analyse the strategic behaviours examined; the expositive ability.

Teaching tools

During the meetings, the lecturer will present illustrative materials which will be made available on his webpage. Additional materials supplementing the content of the lectures will also be made available online.

Office hours

See the webpage of Federico Di Chio [https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/federico.dichio2]

Office hours

See the website of Federico Di Chio