Meet Gene Delvecchio, Pioneer of USC’s Most Entertaining MKT Course
By Joy Ofodu ‘18
Foreword: I am so honored to have been in the guinea pig section for what is now known as MKT 461: Marketing Blockbuster Entertainment. I recommend this course to anyone at USC, Marshall student or not, who loves entertainment, brainstorming and courses that analyze markets in real time/ have real-world implications. This is one class you won’t regret taking!
MKT 461: Marketing Blockbuster Entertainment (4.0 units) examines the business of creating, marketing and managing massive entertainment franchises in movies and television with reference to video games and toys. It is scheduled for the Fall ‘18 on TTh 4:00-5:50 p.m. There are no prerequisites, other than your love of entertainment.
Joy: How does MKT 461 directly prepare students for careers in entertainment, marketing, or gaming?
Professor Gen Delvecchio: This class will help students develop the marketing skills and entertainment knowledge they will need to enter a major movie studio or network. They will get an in-depth understanding of total franchise management that includes target audience selection, story and character development, positioning, distribution, advertising, publicity, sales promotions, theatrical and home revenue streams, and franchise extension via consumer products, interactive & games, theme parks, and partnerships.
Who is an ideal student for this course?
With the explosion of platforms from Netflix to Hulu, the corresponding increase in creative content, and the rise of massive blockbuster franchises from Star Wars to Game of Thrones, we have entered an amazing renaissance in entertainment. This class is directed to those students who wish to understand and be a part of that renaissance. For those interested specifically in marketing, this class will help them understand the elements of story that can best lead to great marketing. For those students interested in becoming screenwriters, this class will help them understand the key elements to insert in narratives that will make their stories more marketable to studios and ultimately to audiences.
What have your undergraduate students gone on to do?
This class has been offered only twice thus far on an experimental basis (formerly as MKT 499), and students have found internships at major studios in Hollywood including Disney, Amazon Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Sony in various capacities.
Do you have guest speakers? Who visits your class, and what unique perspective do they offer?
We typically invite 5 speakers each semester. In the Fall of 2017, senior executives from Disney, Sony, Netflix, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Pictures spoke to the class. Each was chosen to represent a different discipline within the studio environment; production, marketing, marketing research, franchise, and finance. I anticipate a similar group in the Fall '18. They each bring examples of work they have actually done, and they spend added time providing advice regarding how to break into the entertainment industry.
What struggles have you faced trying to merge right and left-brained disciplines into this course?
This class employs the use of four team “Invention Sessions” that help students enhance their right and left-brain thinking skills. Principles learned in class are combined with ideation tools to help students generate ideas for stories and marketing components that are strategically sound and creatively attention-getting.
What has been your favorite project to receive from students?
There are too many to mention. Along with the four team Invention Sessions and a final team project, there is a vast array of innovative ideas.
What was your favorite film from the past Academy Awards cycle?
Among the nine 2017 films nominated for Best Picture, my favorites were The Post and The Shape of Water, in that order. But of all 2017 films, my favorite was Wonder Woman. I think she was the right character, with the right story, at the right time to align with today’s female empowerment. I felt strongly that Wonder Woman should have been nominated for Best Picture, but the Academy tends to nominate smaller, more actor-driven dramas. And because highly successful blockbuster films rarely get nominated, I have been lobbying the Academy for a new award; Oscar for Best Blockbuster. You can find my recent USA Today article here!
What (television) are you watching right now?
I love TV and my interests are broad! My favorite shows include This Is Us, Game of Thrones, Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, The Crown, Westworld, Black Mirror, Big Little Lies and The Good Doctor. Students last semester recommended Orphan Black and I loved it. Great storytelling. Great characters. I am still a BIG fan of Supergirl, Supernatural, Lucifer, The 100, Big Bang Theory, The Blacklist, Modern Family, Madam Secretary, Mom, and The Middle. And I like Grace and Frankie (probably due to my age).
You can research/register for MKT 461 Marketing Blockbuster Entertainment here!
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