The Jungle Book Exam Question

Explain how the production and distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960’s. Refer to the two versions of the Jungle book in your answer.

In your answer you must:

•Explain how historical and economic contexts influence the production and distribution of major Hollywood films.

During the production of The Jungle Book, Xerography was used to duplicate images which was easier than constantly having to hand draw them to produce fluid animation. Of course, much of the film still needed to be hand drawn. The films would have been physically distributed through shipments in lorries as would any physical product. The film would have been exhibited in cinemas for a limited time before Disney would recall them and have them inaccessible to audiences for a few years before re-releasing them. This method of scarcity would give audiences the impression that they may not have another chance to view the film which would keep anticipation to watch the film high amongst audiences. Disney infamously did this with many of their older films until it was possible to record them onto a VHR and own personally. Another way audiences may have been able to view the film would have been on television; after the film's initial release Disney would have auctioned the right for The Jungle Book to be broadcasted on television to the highest bidding TV station. These films would typically be broadcasted around the time of Christmas, being the most likely time for audiences to view the film.

The Jungle Book 2016 was produced mainly through the use of CGI and relied entirely on modern technology. There was no need for traditional methods of hand drawn images to be animated. The 2016 version is considered "live action" although most of the film is computer generated and its primary appeal is to children whose parents may have grown up with The Jungle Book 1967 and want their children to enjoy a similar experience as a form of sentimentality. Unlike the original Jungle Book, 2016's version was entirely digital therefore could be distributed digitally as well. There were no physical copies needed to be sent to cinemas for exhibition. The film would have been mass distributed, sent globally around the same time. The film would similarly be exhibited at the same time globally and also available on licensed streaming services to view.