Abstract

In this article, a rather comprehensive analysis of the animation industry is provided. I start describing technological and business characteristics of animated products, and then I concentrate on the many interesting economic issues they raise both on the supply and demand side. Just to mention a few, we could think about the global dimension of the market, the multifaceted contractual relations between buyers (such as TV broadcasters) and production studios, the significance of co-productions (above all those carried out at international level) and licensing. Throughout the analysis, I dedicate special attention to the Italian situation. As our animation industry structure is rather weak (in comparison to those in other countries), more effective public policies should be promoted and coherently implemented. In particular, public intervention, which is even more justified from a cultural perspective, would need specific funding and well-targeted instruments.