Jungle Book 2016 homework

1) How did Disney successfully use cross-media promotion as part of The Jungle Book’s marketing campaign?
As part of the marketing campaign for The Jungle Book 2016 cross-media promotion was successfully used through social media in particular.An example of the cross-media production would be the snapchat filter used to promote the snake character Kaa (voiced by Scarlett Johansen). Favreau stated that ‘What’s interesting about the film is we are telling an old story with new technology, and that’s bled over into other aspects of film and promotion...We had an extremely sophisticated technological landscape that we were dealing with day to day as we created the film. Now, as we explore the means by which we share it with people, technology seemed like a very inherent part of the whole live action Jungle Book movie'. The film tied in with other partners for promotional opportunities, with competitions and other products, for example The Guardian produced a competition which encouraged young audiences to write a story to win tickets to see the new film, 'Write us a short story reimagining your favourite Jungle Book character to go in the draw to win tickets and merchandise for the new Disney film adaptation'. Clothing companies also endorsed the film with companies such as Kenzo collaborating with disney and releasing themed items of clothing.

2) To what extent were digital marketing techniques vital to The Jungle Book’s box office success?
The digital marketing techniques allowed The Jungle Book to target older audiences than the first film (for example young adults who saw the re-release of The Jungle Book in the 90s). By having Jungle Book 2016 social media accounts on Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, the promotion was received by a wider audience aged under 25 due to use of social media which furthermore proves why 51% of the audience was from that demographic. The accounts also released teasers and making of photos and videos (including behind the scenes) in the months before the theatrical release and kept up the promotion for the release on DVD and as downloads. 


3) List the ways the film was exhibited (shown). How did Disney’s strength as an institution enable the film to be exhibited in all these ways? (think about financial backing, use of 3D, marketing strength and vertical integration)

• Theatrical release 
• IMAX release (particularly in America) 
• 2D and 3D variations 
• DVD
• Blu Ray 
• iTunes
• Disney Life
• Amazon Prime Video
• Google Play
• Youtube (and other streaming devices that require payment) 

Disney's strength as an institution enabled the film to be exhibited in all these various ways due to their strength as a globalised company and vertical integration. Disney itself is a trusted brand which encourages audiences and companies to consume anything they make. Disney enforces its success through conglomeration and vertical integration. Many companies such as Disney music records and the Disney Store have been created to ensure the success as Disney is in full control of the companies.
‘Considering the highly developed corporate synergy in which every Disney product is both a commodity and an ad for every other Disney commodity, it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that each story the company tells, each theme the company deploys builds the Disney brand. In Disney’s case, the medium is also the advertisement. Disney products are themselves advertisements for Disney and for its ideological and cultural themes'. 


4) How did Disney attempt to broaden the audience for The Jungle Book? Was this successful?
The original audience for The Jungle book 1967 was targeted at families and was seen to be typically feminine. With the release of the new film the families were still targeted yet more people who saw the film in their childhood may be targeted due to nostalgia and  enjoyment of the first film. Children who enjoyed the re-release of the film may also be interested in the film for similar reasons. 
Male audiences were also targeted through the use of greater technology and CGI usage along with greater violence and action.  The films audience was also widened by the help of backing by critics, as when films are highly rated by professionals, audiences are more likely to spend the money and purchase tickets or a DVD. By targeting this wider audience it was another factor which influenced the great success of the film.
‘ Jungle Book has also wildly overperformed after being embraced by critics

and audiences alike, earning nearly $600 million to date in another defining moment for [Sean] Bailey and his colleagues. ... The movie is playing to not just the coveted Disney female audience, but to all demos. Males have flocked to the film, attracted by the cutting edge technology used for its visual effects...’

5) What is the difference between Copyright and Trademark?
Copyright is targeted towards literacy and artistic work, such as books and films (C) whereas a Trademark protects items which define a brand or company, such as a logo (TM)
Warner Brothers had been producing their own adaptation of Kipling’s The Jungle Book (possible because the book itself was out of copyright) but delayed the release date, probably to separate it from the Disney film and to give its version a chance at the box office.

6) What was Favreau’s approach to the remake?
Favreau wanted to create something new and different rather than an exact replica of the original film. He decided to use parts of the original film he could remember which were therefore more memorable to ensure that although the storyline may have changed, original ideas still remained within. The film was aimed to be more of a homage than a copy to the 1967 film. By using memorable parts of the original Favreau ensured that audiences would still want to see the film due to the nostalgic elements. He wanted to create a long-lasting legacy for the adaptions of classics. 

7) How did new digital technology impact on the production process (principally the use of CGI and previz)?
During the production some live-action was used (for example the waterfall) however the majority of what is seen on screen is CGI. Favreau wanted to ensure that the film was a homage to the original so therefore included drawings of the 'man-village' at the start of the film. Similar scenes from Bambi were also included to further promote the Disney classics. As well as this all the landscapes, animals etc were created on computers by the British digital effects house MPC.     

8) Explain how CGI works (re-watch video clips). Focus on blue screen and motion capture.
CGI (Computer Generated Images)involves five processes; script, storyboarding, layout (3D storyboard), animation and final revision. 
Blue screen/ Green screen allows a character/thing to be placed in any environment. Motion capture is the method used to digitally record character movements, which allows characters in films to be realistic copies of real life humans or animals. During the process of CGI in The Jungle Book MPC ensured that the animals were biologically correct and did not give them heightened emotions such as elaborate eyebrow movements that the represented animal would not be capable of in real life. 

9) Were there any similarities between the 1967 and 2016 versions of the film in term of the production process?
As a homage to the 1967 version, Favreau used cel animation for the opening shot as the scene moves from the trademark disney castle into the jungle. This however merged into CGI to link closer to the new adaption. Members of the 1967 production team also worked on the 2016 version however the production team was far greater for the 2016 version. They were therefore able to add input which wouldn't be available without their inside knowledge. Similarly, the re-make also used Disney's huge archives to source inspiration, such as deleted scenes from the original. Memorable scenes were included from the 1967 version, such as when Mowgli rides on Baloo down the river. The later version also included some songs from the original soundtrack, 'bear necessities' and 'i wanna be like you'.