My case study on the limitations to change on media ownership and the impact it has on the employees, product and the different institutions within the film industry.

1. IDENTIFY THE CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITATIONS TO
CHANGES IN THE MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND THE IMPACT
IT HAS ON THE PRODUCT, EMPLOYEES AND
INSTITUTIONS (1200 WORDS).

2. Media Ownership
Within the film industry, there
are a number of production
companies that are either
independent, owned by
producers or companies that
were founded for producers. One
company like the latter is Warner
Brothers Entertainment Inc.
which is the production company
that has been creating
film/TV/music etc. for 91 years.

3. Warner Bros.
There have been many changes to Warner Bros.
over the 90 years since it was founded, these
identify the different limitations and constraints
that the company had to face when either
sacrificing or gaining within the changes, which
then potentially give a negative or positive
impact to the company. These in turn could
affect the products they made or will make, the
employees within the company and other
institutions.

4. 1930 -1945
 Introduced WB Cartoons
 These included; Looney
Tunes, Sinkin in the
Bathtub and Merrie
Melodies.
 1936 – Porky Pig was
introduced
 This meant they had
surpassed Walt Disney
Pictures as the most
successful animators in the
30s.

5. Impact
At this point, Warner Bros. had prospered and
had gotten very rich, however, as Jack Warner
refused to meet the Screen Actors Guild salary
demands, it led to strikes within the company
and a lack of films for a year or two. This
ultimately changed their income and profits
dramatically as a result.

6. 1950s
 The company rebounded from
the strikes.
 Started to become successful
again
 Studio was renamed to Warner
Bros.-Seven Arts.
 Jack Warner retired from his post.
 Audiences began to shrink.
 Created the idea of including
more famous actors in their
productions e.g. Clint Eastwood.

7. The Impact of this…
Within Warner Brothers Pictures, the constant
declining and rising change of the audience was
quite negative for the company. Almost to the
point of failure, the company installed the idea
of bringing in more famous faces, such as Clint
Eastwood. This was successful and gave a
positive impact on the company as well as the
employees that could keep their jobs and
profits began to rise again.

8. 1970s and 1980s
 Carrying on the idea of famous
faces, including Paul Newman,
Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand,
and Clint Eastwood, the company
was still at a success rate.
 Throughout the 1970s, the
company was safe and nearer the
end of 1980s felt confident
enough to start in the shares
business.
 In the 80s, the company made a
lot of money from Superman and
Batman because of their
subsidiary DC Comics.

9. Impact
Throughout this era, the impact on the studio,
employees and other institutions was a very
positive one as they were able to continue to
interpellate their audience. Enabling the idea of
DC Comic films was also a positive impact as
the other institutions within film would join the
competition, e.g. Marvel, as release their films
to co-inside with the superhero genre.

10. Since 1995
In the 90s Warner Bros. were
granted the rights to Harry
Potter, this allowed them to
produce the films throughout the
years basing them on the novels
by J.K Rowling. After 10 years
and 8 films, the franchise was
highly successful, therefore
increasing the popularity of WB,
as the audience as well as
filmmakers were encouraging
them to make more films.

11. Impact of this…
The impact of Harry Potter being involved with
Warner Bros. was the best positive outcome for
the company, after so many financial issues and
disinterested audiences, the film franchise but
the company back on the map. More and more
filmmakers are using WB nowadays as they are
not a genre specific company, and have a
brilliant success rate.

12. Warner Bros.
From everything explored over the
last 90 years for WB, there have been
ups and downs for the company but in
recent years, all the positive impacts
have rounded up and created a better
atmosphere for the company. The
employees throughout the decades
have all been treated right and
allowed for expansion, the products
released have had an increasingly
positive impact and the other
institutions within the film industry
are open to the competition set with
franchises.

13. Fact Page:
 They are owned by Time Warner which
means they are a subsidiary company.
 Bought out New Line Cinema
 Founded 91 years ago
 Not only a film production company
 Created Looney Tunes
 Produced Harry Potter, The Lord of the
Rings and The Hobbit.