Entrepreneurship for the Creative Industries

Course Aims

Over recent decades, the European audiovisual and creative sectors have grown significantly in size, cultural impact, and economic importance. These sectors contribute strongly to innovation, cultural identity, and social cohesion by connecting specialised knowledge (know-how), professional networks (know-who), and societal impact (know-what).

At the same time, the sectors face structural challenges that affect sustainability and future development. Future animation professionals must therefore develop entrepreneurial skills and strategic awareness to address issues such as:

• Uneven access to funding, particularly for promotion and distribution compared to international content.
• Limited circulation of locally produced works and concentration of globally oriented businesses.
• Employment insecurity and changing working conditions within the sector.
• Uneven policy environments across Europe, including implementation of the Audiovisual and Media Services Directive (AVMSD).
• Reduced access to diverse local content and increasing dominance of major digital platforms (GAFAN: Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix).

Building on previous courses related to management, this curricular unit focuses on the final stages of the audiovisual value chain — promotion and distribution — fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and practical strategic competences.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will understand the fundamentals of promotion and distribution within a digital media environment and apply management and marketing concepts to the animation industry.

• Identify and describe the core elements of the film and media industry value chain.
• Recognize key international competitive drivers.
• Understand financial drivers and business variables within the industry.
• Explain the roles of different industry actors, including audiences, producers, and distributors.
• Understand differences between European and international markets (e.g., USA, India, others).
• Identify opportunities emerging from technological change.
• Recognize new formats and genres within contemporary media production.
• Understand principles of promotion and strategic positioning.
• Design a distribution and promotion strategy.

Course Content

• Media industry: defining the sector
• Industry value chain
• Distribution
• Promotion
• New formats: media convergence
• New formats: future cinema
• New formats: creativity and innovation of viewers/users
• New opportunities: the big picture
• New opportunities: storytelling strategies
• New opportunities: consumer experience
• Distribution and promotion: the role of brands
• The industry: pitching a project
• Preparing a distribution and promotion strategy file
• Presentation of a promotion and distribution dossier

Evaluation

Assessment is based on the development and presentation of a distribution and promotion strategy document (preliminary plan).