Emerging opportunities of Finnish television productions - A videography approach

Abstract

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to understand how the opportunities in Finnish television productions are perceived and negotiated within the Finnish television industry. The study aims to reveal business opportunities, commercial potential and goals and their understanding among entrepreneurs or other creative players within the business. Especially the constructive understandings of opportunities in Finnish productions have been examined through case examples.

METHODOLOGY

The study follows a constructivist research philosophy and utilizes a videographic method as a primary research method. The main bulk of the study is a video, which can be found from appendix 1. The data collection was carried out with an ethnographic method guided by strong autoethnographic orientation. In total over 25 hours of material was filmed and thousands of photographs from previous productions were collected.

The theoretical framework of this study is based on the previous studies and writings from the field of entrepreneurship and more detailed writings of opportunities. In addition, creativity and socially constructed perceptions of agents in entrepreneurial process have been discussed. Also, television productions as a part of audiovisual industry have been unfolded.

FINDINGS

It appears that the professionals within television production industry are driven by their own passions. Therefore, opportunities are often perceived as an opportunity to express oneself rather than as an opportunity to make a profit. In addition, opportunities arise usually from subcultures, which are already close to creators themselves. Also, this study suggests that opportunities require a genuine story and an authentic idea, which appeals to viewers in real time. From the business perspective the television should be perceived as a tool for popularizing a brand that enables brand related merchandise sale, which can be considered as a business with higher profit margins.