Changes coming to the Disney Studios

The LA Times points out how the changes coming to the Walt Disney Studios under new studio head Rich Ross portend a titanic shift in strategy.

In less than eight weeks, Rich Ross has swiftly stamped his imprimatur on Walt Disney Studios. The novice movie chairman and his boss, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger, want to create a new business model for Hollywood to address the sweeping changes that are roiling the entertainment industry, including slumping DVD sales and the growing role the Internet plays in movie marketing.

Seeking to recast the studio for the digital era, Ross and Iger have set in motion a plan to dramatically challenge entrenched practices, potentially pitting Disney against theater owners, retailers and other business partners. The gambit, if it works, could be emulated by other studios.

A good place for Disney to start thinking about remaking how it makes and markets movies would be Chris Thilk of Movie Marketing Madness. Here’s a piece of his from 2007 in Brandweek I really like that addresses the needs of the modern day studio.

I personally like the idea of embedding a blogger or a team of bloggers in the production crew of the film. Build an audience from day one of production. Then when it’s time to roll out the two weeks to go stuff, you already have a build in group of trust agents to help you.