Comparative study Indian and French film industries

Abstract

India is the largest movie industry in the world in terms of number of movies and French cinema is the birthplace of movies. There are many similarities and dissimilarities in both industries and we attempt to bring out these through this paper and finally recommend solutions to challenges based on this research.The industry structure is more or less common in both markets and broadly comprise of production, direction, distribution and exhibition. Production is the main driver of the film making process and provides the financing for the film. French cinema is heavily supported by Government subsidies with more than 50% of the production budget being sponsored by the Government. They also are supported by a pre-purchase model where TV Channels have to part with 20% of their revenue towards the film industry. India on the other hand is proficient in managing films within a tight budget. India produces within USD 2-3 million, whereas the average budget for French cinema is USD 5-6 million. Apart from this, Indian cinema has developed innovative risk mitigation models like the Minimum Guarantee system, which can be used throughout the world. In operations, both industries are technologically backward when compared to Hollywood. The French industry is more organized and structured, whereas the Indian industry is mainly individual driven. However, recently, India has started to consolidate many aspects of the film making process. The French cinema is more detailed and planned and makes use of the services of a screenwriter. Indian cinema is not as well planned as is indicated by the conspicuous absence of the screenwriter. However, surprisingly, even though French cinema is more organized and planned, producerstakes nearly twice as long to produce a film as compared to their Indian counterparts. Although this gives leeway to the creative process, it does add to the cost of the film. In distribution, multiplexes and digital distribution are the new seeds of growth in both industries. However, the markets in both countries are overloaded with too many films being produced in a year. Promotional and marketing efforts begin to overlap resulting in fragmentation of the market. One of the insights from Indian cinema is that song and dance, which is characteristic of Indian cinema, is being used as a marketing tool. Even before the release of the film, songs are used to generate interest and attention. French cinema on the other hand extensively makes use of film festivals to generate similar kind of interest. Also, in Indian cinema, the star himself is part of the marketing efforts of the film, whereas the French rely more on the quality of the film to drive success instead of actors. Studying both industries has given us an understanding of not just Indian and French cinema, but also the way businesses function in both countries. We have been able to appreciate not just the business aspects of both countries like financing, operations and marketing, but also the finer aspects of culture and the way it can significantly impact an entire industry.