The move, which merges Walt Disney Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Touchstone Pictures into the new unit, continues Disney's efforts to streamline production toward a goal of 15 films a year, which it expects to reach next year, Vogel said. The unit merger, which was widely expected following the May resignation of Touchstone president Don DeLine, also marks the first time since 1989 that all of Burbank-based Disney's live-action film companies have operated under one person.

``This helps focus our taste and our criteria into a single voice, not that the voice is necessarily mine,'' Vogel said, alluding to chairman Joe Roth, of Walt Disney Studios, and chairman Dick Cook of Walt Disney Motion Pictures' Group.

Vogel said he is charged with heading up the creative side of the live-action filmunit, OK'G production and steering films from development through final edits. Roth runs day-to-day operations of the studio, which includes animated films, and Cook oversees functions like marketing, distribution and publicity. In addition to reducing the number of films made by Disney -- just a few years ago Disney produced a number of films ranging in the mid-20's per year -- the merger also helps cuts costs by eliminating redundant functions and overhead costs. ``We don't have any plans to come through and say `everything goes,' '' Vogel said when asked about plans for a widespread layoff of personnel, ``but because we will be making fewer movies, the support system will shrink.

Vogel added most job cuts would likely come through attrition. He declined to comment on how much in annual costs the merger will save.

He said the names Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures will continue to exist but only as ``stickers'' applied to films to differentiate their content.

WaltDisney will continue to produce family-oriented pictures and Touchstone will concentrate on teens and adults.

Hollywood, which had found it difficult to differentiate from Touchstone, may specialise in certain genres of films, but Vogel said no definite plans had been made for the label. Vogel has served as president of Walt Disney Pictures since 1993 and president of Hollywood Pictures since 1997. Prior to joining Disney, Vogel ran his own feature film production company, based at Universal Studios.