Distribution - Recap.

Distribution - Recap

• Film distribution, describes everything in between production (The film making) to the exhibition (People watching the films in cinemas e.t.c).
• Distribution involves all the deals done, to get this film shown while promoted. (The promotion includes the 'above the line' advertising, which is funded as part of the project. e.g. Trailers, posters, billboards. 
• Distribution also includes related merchandising and 'below the line' publicity which is not paid for. (This generates mutual interest.)
• These films are loaned out to cinemas for a finite period and release deals are done that secure access to a certain number of screens at a time. (While in the UK film market, an increase in the quantity of screens showing films, there has been an increase in the number of films shown.)
• The five major distributors who dominate the UK film industry are: United International Pictures (Universal being a part of this), Warner Brothers, Buena, Vista, Twentieth Century Fox and Sony. 
• In many cases shown, these distributors are linked directly to the Hollywood production companies who actually make the films.
• Many Blockbuster films that are familiarly known with, are distributed via 'Blanket Release', so even if the the small UK independent company manages to get its product into cinemas, it is usually competing for attention with one or more films that take on the status of an 'event'.
• On of the outcomes of the distribution arrangement outlined above this fact, is that half of the films released in Britain do not actually reach the whole country. 
• One of the obvious problems that smaller companies face is known to be a rather old fashioned ones. While major companies can afford to produce far more prints, than the smaller companies. 

Keywords:

Prints - Producing physical copies of a film for cinema/ home release and finding the exhibitors/retailers to sell the film.

Marketing - Raising audience awareness and anticipation of a new release

A distributer may:

• Be a part of the same parent company as the production company
• Have a long term arrangement with a production company and provide financial assistance for many of their productions
• Provide financial assistance for a single film by a production company 
• Acquire a film after it has a completed production

A film is likely to have different distributors for:

• Releases in different countries 
• Cinema releases 
• Home-Video releases

360-Degree branding:

• Films promotion seeks to surround us with their brand, multi-platform, converged media forms.
• Your case studies should show this.
• They want to 'trigger engagement' (Csigo), in audiences. 
• You watch a film for half price from your orange phone contract, then join in the trending.  #convergence.

360-Degree marketing:

• It communicates with your prospects and customers from all directions and across long periods of time.