Performance Implications of Economic and Network Analytic Concepts in the German Motion Picture Industry

This study offers a new framework for organizing a motion picture in such a way thatchances for box-office success are enhanced. We combine and expand two strands of researchfor the moviemaking industry: the economic approach and the social network perspective.Specifically, we integrate the product-inherent categories of creative sphere andfinancial resources as well as the product-induced categories of marketing support andcompetition with concepts from social network analysis (i.e., connectivity and density).We test our hypotheses on a sample of each year’s top ten German movies as to box-officeadmissions for the period 1990–2004. In particular, we find that extensive care and industryknowledge are required when organizing the economic and social framework in whicha film project is undertaken, since ultimately, movie success does not depend on individualstar power. On the contrary: The real star is the team.