Like a wave : Understanding the film and TV industries in Korea and Sweden

This doctoral dissertation is concerned with the complex dynamics of knowledge in the South Korean film and TV industry and Swedish filmmaking from a spatiotemporal perspective. The film and TV industries are highly dependent on knowledge and innovation. Production in the film and TV industries usually takes place in the form of projects in which creative professionals form teams for a limited time period to complete creative tasks. Moreover, the film and TV industries are facing rapid and constant changes to work practices, technology, markets and demand. Therefore, the dynamics of knowledge and interactive learning can be an important source of competitive advantages and project success in the film and TV industries. The aim of this thesis is to enhance understanding of knowledge creation and diffusion processes, relationships with institutional settings and the systematic character of business in the film and TV industries. The focus of this thesis is on the production value chain in which many independent production firms are active. It is argued that 1) the film and TV industries and their institutional environments co-evolve; and 2) project-specific knowledge sourcing takes places through local-extra local linkages. The case of the Korean film and TV industry indicates that its evolution strongly depends on the setting of the respective institutions and regulations, and on the institutional environments. In addition, it is argued that diverse actors, factors and sectors are involved in the emergence and development of the Korean film and TV industry. The Swedish filmmaking case study examines production processes and ecologies and argues that production managers are the key players in them, and their roles – investigator, bridge builder and gatekeeper – in knowledge creation and diffusion processes are central to this part of the production of film and TV. Exploring two case studies with a focus on the key (f)actors of knowledge creation and diffusion processes has resulted in the view that knowledge-based competencies can be an important source of competitive advantage and project success in high-velocity environments