Walt Disney Studio

REMEMBER to ANSWER these questions (This is a very important part of the interview – to know why you are interested):

List 2-3 reason why you are interested in this industry?

List 2-3 reasons why you are interested in Walt Disney Studio?

List 2-3 reasons why you are interested in this position?

  1. Company general info.

Primary industry: Motion Picture Production & Distribution

The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923.

The Walt Disney Studios, the motion picture arm of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's largest film production businesses.Its live-action titles, including National Treasure and Herbie: Fully Loaded are produced and distributed through the Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, and Hollywood banners. Its Miramax Film Corp. acquires, produces, and distributes independent movies, and it co-finances and distributes animated movies developed in conjunction with Pixar. Disney Studios also runs its own animated movie division. Walt Disney Studios' other divisions are devoted to home entertainment, music, and live stage plays.

Disney Studio Entertainment
The Studio Entertainment unit is the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built, and at its heart are world-renowned animated features and live-action motion pictures. Disney name quickly became synonymous with quality entertainment for the whole family.

The Walt Disney Studios distributes motion pictures under Walt Disney Pictures - which includes Walt Disney Feature Animation and DisneyToon Studios - Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films. Buena Vista International serves as the studio's international distribution arm. Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International together distribute Disney and other film titles to the rental and sell-through home entertainment markets worldwide. Buena Vista Theatrical Productions is one of the largest producers of Broadway musicals, and the Buena Vista Music Group distributes original music and motion picture soundtracks under its four record labels: Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Records, Hollywood Records and Lyric Street Records.

President and Chief Executive Officer:

ChairmanRichard W. Cook

PresidentAlan Bergman

President, Buena Vista Pictures MarketingOren Aviv

SVP CommunicationsHeidi Trotta

Financials:

Company Type Subsidiary of Disney

D&B D-U-N-S Number825045826

Fiscal Year-EndSeptember

2005 Sales (mil.)$7,587.0

1-Year Sales Growth(12.8%)

Sources: Company website, Businessweek.com, Hoovers.com

  1. Products

Selected Operations

Sources: Company website, Businessweek.com, Hoovers.com

Film Production and Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Film Corp., Touchstone Pictures , Walt Disney Pictures

Music Labels and Publishing

Hollywood Records, Lyric Street Records, Walt Disney Records

Theatrical Production

Buena Vista Theatrical Group, Disney Live Family Entertainment, Disney Theatrical Productions

Sources: Company website, Businessweek.com, Hoovers.com

  1. In the news

12/27/2005- Chief financial officer Alan Bergman was promoted to president of The Walt Disney Studios. Bergman joined the Burbank, California-based company in 1996 as a director in the corporate controller's group; he became CFO in 2001.

Some recent facts:

- Disney Studios' two high-profile partnerships are severely strained. The company's 10-year, five-picture production deal with Pixar (The Incredibles, Monsters Inc.), in which the two companies split production costs and profits, is coming to an end. Pixar has elected not to extend the deal and will be looking for another studio to distribute its films starting in 2006. Disney Studios is continuing its efforts to get Pixar to change its mind, with new Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger trying to repair a relationship that strained under the previous leadership of Michael Eisner.

- In addition, Disney Studios, which distributes the films of its Miramax subsidiary, refused to release Miramax's controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. Disney also slashed Miramax's $700 million production budget and returned the studio to its indie roots. As a result, Miramax co-founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein opted out of their contract with Disney and walked away from Miramax in late 2005.

Top Competitors

DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Sources: Company website, Businessweek.com, Hoovers.com