The Business of Creativity: Managing in the Cultural Sector (Fall 2015)

Please note: some of the web links will be revised to ensure access where the
links are subject to paid subscriptions.
Week 1: Sources of creativity and nature of cultural products
Core Readings:
-

The Business of Culture Ch. 1 Introduction

Blockbusters and Trade Wars Ch. 3: Curious Economics, Note: on electronic
reserve

Additional Readings:
-

Cox, Dan, HWood Hunts The Great Idea, Variety, Feb. 2-8, 1998.

http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE
%7CA20520838&v=2.1&u=yorku_main&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w#.TkWckX8afd
A.email
Week 2: Rights to intellectual property What are they and why are they
important
Core Readings: No Core readings
Additional Readings:
-

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling: International News Service v. Associated Press, No.
221, Argued May 2 and 3, 1918, Decided Dec 23, 1918. Note: Reading is a Word
File on the Class CMD.

Kari, Douglas, Bassinger in a Box: Verbal Contracts in the Film Industry,

Entertainment Law Reporter, July 1993.
http://elr.carolon.net/BI/V15N02.PDF

Profit anticipation: with new media such as the Internet and mobile promising
untold riches, talent side attorneys vie for a new deal, by Jesse Heistand,
Hollywood Reporter, http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motionpictures/4892913-1.html

Creative Commons and the Creative Industries by Terry Flew, Media & Arts Law
Review (257), (2005).
http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/cmcl/malr/10-4-1%20Flew%20formatted
%20for%20web.pdf

A Coffeehouse Debate: Artists Contracts in the Evolving Internet Era, by Steve

Davis, 29 Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts 3 (Spring 2006)
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=ibh&AN=21975495&site=ehost-live
.

Week 3: Rights Management

Core Readings:
-

The Business of Culture Part IV: The Role of Technology, including Ch. 12:
From Technology to Content. Chapters 13 & 14.

Additional Readings:
-

Do They Still Want Their MTV? By David Carr, The New York Times, Feb. 19,
2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/business/media/19carr.html

Note: above two articles are interesting case studies of MTV.

Heres What Makes a Song a Rip-off According to the Law, by Reggie Ugwu,
BuzzFeed, March 6, 2015

http://www.buzzfeed.com/reggieugwu/what-the-law-says-about-music-plagiarism?
curator=MediaREDEF#.cgA6A9yYg
Week 4: Performing arts venues and producing arts organizations: underlying
business models
-

`Presenting in the New Millennium``, by Susan Elliott, Musical America

Directory, 1999.
http://www.musicalamerica.com/features/?fid=53&fyear=1999

``How much is too much, The Economics of Concert Ticket Prices``, Alan B,
Krueger, Pollstar, March 4, 2002.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/425431

``The Metropolitan Opera Turnaround Case Study``, by Ben Rosen,

www.huffingtonpost.com, July 6, 2008.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-rosen/the-metropolitan-opera_b_107924.html

Hitting a High Note: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Reverses a Decade of

Decline with New Programs, New services and New Prices, Philippe Ravanas,
International Journal of Arts Management, Winter 2008
http://search.proquest.com/docview/205766462/131AF6BEE5114323221/9?accountid=15182

``Accounting Fraud at Live Entertainment Canada, Incorporated, 1993-98`` , by

Anthony Vickery, International Journal of Arts Management, Winter, 2005. PDF
Link works:
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/docview/205809267/fulltextPD
F/131257F52B5615C5B73/1?accountid=15182

Week 5: Star Power Managing creative processes and people

Core Readings:
-

The Business of Culture Part I: The Process of Value Creation, including:

o Ch. 3: Conflicts over Creative Control: Example of conflicts that arise from
star power and the role of contracts in creative conflicts
o Ch. 5: Maestro or Manager; Examining the role of the Music Director in a
Symphony Orchestra: analyses the role of the Music Director of the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra during the musicians strike.

Additional Readings:
-

Beauty and the Beast: Harvey Weinstein has made some great movies, and a lot
of enemies. By Ken Auletta, Dec. 16, 2002.
http://www.kenauletta.com/beautyandthebeast.html
or http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ps/i.do?&id=GALE
%7CA96288060&v=2.1&u=yorku_main&it=r&p=CPI&sw=w

A Big Star May Not a Profitable Movie Make, by Eduardo Porter and Geraldine
Fabrikant, The New York Times, Aug.8, 2006.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/28/business/media/28cast.html
- Teen Titan: The man who made Justin Bieber, by Lizzie Widdicombe, The New
Yorker, September 3, 2012:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/03/120903fa_fact_widdicombe

Funny is Money: Ben Stiller and the Dilemma of Modern Stardom, by Tad
Friend, The New Yorker, June 25, 2012.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/06/25/120625fa_fact_friend

Week 6 The Process of Creative Development

Core Readings:

The Business of Culture Ch. 4: The Genius Behind the System; The emergence
of the Central Producer In the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry
o Analyzes the central producer system (and Irving Thalbergs role in
developing this system) to explain how this system addresses technical and
artistic problems of the film industry, in particular the tension between artistic
and commercial objectives.

Additional Readings:
-

The Pitch, by Mark Kingwell, Saturday Night, Oct. 1997.

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/docview/222407496/fulltextPD
F/13125B98BB55BD6362A/1?accountid=15182

Developing a Property, In Making It: The Business of Film and Television

Production in Canada, 2nd ed., by Lael McCall with Richard Craven. Toronto, ON:
Doubleday Canada, 1995. (OPTIONAL) There are 3 copies of the 2nd edition
(1995) at the Scott Library and have also requested electronic reserve

Working Title Films: Independent Producer: Internationalization of the Film

Industy, by Johanne Brunet, Galina Gornostaeva, International Journal of Arts
Management, Fall 2006.
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/docview/205767665/fulltextPD
F/13125735E6855677EB2/1?accountid=15182

``The Wasteland``, by Austin Bunn, The New York Times Magazine, June 23,
2002.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/magazine/the-wasteland.html?
pagewanted=all&src=pm
Kevin Spaceys Anti-Pilot Argument is Powerful but Flawed, by Rob Norman, Ad
Age Digital, Sept 5, 2013 http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/house-cards-tv-modelfuture/243967/?utm_medium=feed&curator=MediaREDEF&utm_campaign=Feed:
%20AdvertisingAge/Media&utm_source=Media
How Cable and Netflix are Strangling the Broadcast TV Drama, by Lacey Rose,
The Hollywood Reporter, Sept 4, 2013.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/breaking-bad-how-cable-netflix-619857?
utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+
%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories%29&curator=MediaREDEF

Week 7: Review the impact of regulation and national status and ownership
criteria (such as Canadian Content) on content strategies and the marketplace.
Core Readings:

The Business of Culture: Chapter 16 Surviving in the Shadow of Hollywood: A

Study of the Australian Film Industry.

`The Nationality of Culture`, Chapter 7 of Blockbuster.., Peter Grant.

Additional Readings:
-

`Profile 2014: An Economic Report on Screen Based Production Industries in

Canada``, Canadian Media Production Association, 2015
http://cmpa.ca/sites/default/files/documents/industryinformation/profile/CMPA_2014_eng.pdf

`Movie Mogul: Take 1 Canadian Edition``, by Denis Sequin, Canadian Business,

Sept13-26, 2004. http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/13583--no-risk-noreward-canadian-films

Week 8: Filmed content: underlying business models

Core Readings:
-

The Business of Culture Part II The Challenge of Positioning (i.e. how to

position creative products in the marketplace), including:
o Ch. 6: Game Not Over Competitive Dynamics in the Video Game Industry:
provides an example of the need to understand the competitive environment
and the importance of content
o Ch. 8: A Question of Timing Strategies for Scheduling TV shows: strategies
for scheduling, building on past success of other programs
The Business of Culture: Chapter 11: Skating on Thin Ice

Additional Readings:
-

`Financing your production``. Chapter 4 of Making It, by Steve Ord, 1995 There
are 3 copies of the 2nd edition (1995) at the Scott Library and have
requested an electronic reserve of the chapter.
The State and Future of Netflix V.S. HBO in 2015, by Liam Boluk, March 5, 2015,
Redif.com Feature (may have to subscribe to MediarRedef (see link below) for free to
access this really good article.
http://redef.com/original/the-state-and-future-of-netflix-v-hbo-in-2015?
curator=MediaREDEF

``Tax Breaks Around the World``, Variety, Oct.Nov. 2002 NOTE: that this article
is broken into individual countries on Varietys online service. Browse as
many as you can to understand the range of international incentives. Start
with this one:
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/iipa/results/13125DEB410124
8725B/1/$5bqueryType$3dadvanced:iipaft$3b+sortType$3drelevance$3b+search
Terms$3d$5b$3cAND%7CcitationBody:Tax+Breaks+Around+the+World$3e,+
$3cAND
%7Cpubtitle:exact$28$22Variety$22$29$3e$5d$3b+searchParameters$3d$7bch
unkSize$3d20$7d$3b+metaData$3d$7bUsageSearchMode$3dPublication,
+dbselections$3d1007571,+FDB$3dNONE$7d$5d?accountid=15182

Studios Latest Stunt: less risk less reward, Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2008;
Page B1, By LAUREN A. E. SCHUKER
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/docview/399035593?
accountid=15182

Why $ 0.00 Is The Future of Business, Chris Anderson, Wired, March, 2008.
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free

Week 9: International: markets for domestic content, opportunities to co-venture.

Core Readings:
-

The Business of Culture Part V: Impact of Globalization, including:

o Ch. 15: Muppets in the Middle East: discusses CTWs effort to bring Sesame
Street to the Middle East through a joint production
o Chapter 17: Uncertain Globalization

Additional Readings:
- Indie Films, Coming to a Small Screen Near You, Brooks Barnes, The New
York Times, May 25, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/business/media/25steal.html
- Sellaband makes talent scouts and investors of fans ONLINE MUSIC: An
Amsterdam-based start-up is asking internet users to back aspiring musicians by
buying shares in their albums, says Paul Sexton; [LONDON 1ST EDITION]
PAUL SEXTON. Financial Times. London (UK): Sep 22, 2006.

http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ps/i.do?
&id=GALE
%7CA151728305&v=2.1&u=yorku_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
-

Mathilde Puth, Severine Marteaux, Remi Mencarelli, Positioning Strategies of

Cultural Institutions: A Renewal of the Offer in the Face of Shifting Consumer
Trends, International Journal of Arts Management, Spring 2008
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/docview/2058
27091?accountid=15182

Week 10: Risk Management in performing arts and live theatre (Combined)
Additional Readings:
-

TBC

Week 11: Case Study: Bon Cop, Bad Cop and Tafelmusik
Additional Readings:
-

Bon Cop, Bad Cop to be posted on CMD.

Tafelmusik to be posted on CMD

Week 12: Final Class

-

No readings

Online Resources:
Government or industry association/guild web sites:
ACTRA: www.actra.ca
Canadian Media Production Association: www.cmpa.ca
Canadian Heritage: (note excellent links on this site)
www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/sujets-subjects/arts-culture/index_e.cfm
Canadian Media Fund: http://www.cmf-fmc.ca/
CAVCO www.pch.gc.ca/progs/ac-ca/progs/bcpac-cavco/index_e.cfm
This is the federal certification body of Canadian content.

CRTC: www.crtc.gc.ca
Ontario Media Development Corporation: http://www.omdc.on.ca/
Professional Association of Canadian Theatres:
http://www.pact.ca/Home.aspx
Telefilm Canada http://www.telefilm.ca/en/?q=en
Theatre Canada: http://www.theatrecanada.com/index.shtml
.Note this has a good web link for the live theatre business.
Association of Canadian Publishers: http://publishers.ca/
Canada Music Production Association: http://www.cirpa.ca/
This is the association web site of indie Canadian music labels.
Motion Picture Production Association of America
http://www.mpaa.org/
This web site is run by the Hollywood Studio association and has excellent
US industry stats.
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/
Great data base of talent/films/tv/trailers
Alexa: http://www.alexa.com/topsites
Alexa provides analytics on websites by country and type. Its excellent.
Web-based news and resources:
All of the web-based publications provide a certain amount of information
for free (e.g. a few free articles per month), and full access requires
subscriptions or pay as you go. Some may be 100% free if you access
through the York Library system.
A daily news clipping web service that is free but you must subscribe is
below:

jason hirschhorn's

(((MediaREDEF)))
media + tech + pop interest remix
www.mediaredefined.com

THIS IS FANTASTIC AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU

SUBSCRIBE AS THE SERVICE COVERS THE WHOLE DIGITAL
ECONOMY AND HAS LOTS OF INTERESTING ARTICLES.
Playback: www.playbackmag.com
Note: that Playback has "resource" pages and good Canadian industry links,
and is the number #1 publication in the Canadian TV/Film business.
Variety: www.variety.com
#1 authority/publication in Hollywood, and does include coverage of
Broadway.
Hollywood Reporter: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Hollywood Reporter Esq (Entertainment legal):
www.hollywoodreporteresq.com
SSN Insiders Inside scoop on Hollywood deals
http://www.ssninsider.com/category/television/
PaidContent: http://paidcontent.org/
This is a free online publication focused on the web based content/internet
business, and is a great source of up to date news. Its UK based.
Worldscreen: www.worldscreen.com
This is a free site, and is one of the best sources of news on the global
tv/internet business. Worldscreen is a UK based organization and is a good
counterbalance to Variety and Hollywood Reporter, while global in their
scope, do view the world from an American perspective
Television Business International: http://tbivision.com/
TBI is the top media publication from Europe.
IP Osgoode iposgoode@osgoode.yorku.ca
This is the Osgoode newsletter that deals with Intellectual Property. Its
very specific.
Revised: Sept. 9, 2015