Film Distribution.

1). What is meant by the term film distribution?

Film distribution is the process that a film will go through to be able to be reached by it's audience. The film is made available by a film distributer.

2). What does a film distributor do?

A Film distributers job is to identify and deliver the largest possible audience for every film. They do this by intially identifying the audience through psychographics and demographics. They will also consider why the audience will go and see it. Once they understand their audience the film distributer will then estimate the revenue across every format of the film. Plans and partnerships will then be developed in order to raise awareness, and the film distributer will try to convert as much of this interest as possible into persuading the audience to visit the cinema. The final part of the film distibuters job is to get the cinemas to play the film.

3). How does reach relate to film distribution?

Reach is all about the advertisement of the product (film). Reach refers to the total amount of different people that will be exposed to the film during a specific period. It's also about how you reach out to your audience. For example if your product is available on numerous different platforms, then you will be exposing a larger population to your product.

         

4). What is meant by the marketing plan?

          The marketing plan is how the film is promoted to particular audiences. There are alot of factors that go into a marketing plan, and therefore alot of things to think about and design.

Word of mouth:

This is when the film is starting to be talked about within social circles and reviews. This can either be positive or negative, so you have to make sure you really sell the film.

Posters:

These will feature on billboards, magazines and shop walls therefore getting alot of attention. There will sometimes be a teaser poster out months before of the actual film release, however every poster has the potential to either make or break the film in one image. It will often portray the genre; include names of the big stars; credits, and tag lines from the film in order to draw in the audience.

Trailers: 

Often the trailer will appear online along time before the release of the film. People have very easy access to trailers which is extremely helpful, easy, free advertising especially on youtube. Not only this but trailers also feature before films in the cinema to advertise to audiences there.

Online & Mobile: 

Films will normally have their own website which will include clips, soundtracks, pictures and behind the scenes informtion. This help to get people excited about the film, and they might even buy their ticket online because of it. Also this allows bloggers to get easy information on the film, therefore creating hopefully good reviews.

Social Media: 

People will often go to see a film and then either tweet, post, blog about it therefore spreading word across social media. Also films can advertise on social media sites by creating their own facebook page, twitter account etc.

Broadcast, ambiant & print media: 

Advertising the film can occur on many different platforms and materials. From radio advertisements, tv ads and even posters around the streets. All drawing attention in their own way, however each has to be gripping and attracting the audience.

Publicity:

Journalists are very important for films, their review has to be a good one. Also with the cast getting air time and interviews, more and more people will hear about the film.

Promotional partnerships: 

Often film posters will appear in shop windows and restaurants, therefore advertising to their customers. For example McDonalds often partners with childrens films and creates toys which are characters from the films within happy meals. This makes the kids love the charcters and also want to watch the film.

Merchandise:

Creating merchandise such t-shirts, key rings, posters, jewllery etc, brings in income mainly from the avid fans. This is also a source of free advertisement for the film because these people will be walking around wearing such merchandise.

Premieres and experiences:

Exclusively showing the film before the release date builds up excitement and anticipation for those who cannot see it. Also creating experiences for fans to meet the cast and characters from the film.

Festivals:

Attending film festivals can build a great awareness of the film to huge film fans, bloggers and journalists.

Inspiring young audiences: 

Some films will offer schools, colleges, and universities free trips to partnered cinemas to watch their film, often for free. This then means the audience will hopefully enjoy the film and want to buy it on dvd.

Accessible cinema: 

Making the film accessible to everyone is key. This means that creating screenings with digital subtitles for the hearing impaired, but also supplying kits for those visually imparied.

5). What is meant by the distribution plan?

    The distribution plan is all about finding out when and how to release a film in order to optimise it's chances of a high revenue. To understand this a distribution company has to find out market research, Comercial experience, statistics, and also carry out a professional judgement on the found results.

    Looking at the genre, and similar films, helps to know who the audience will be. Also the release date will play a big part within the sales and attraction of audience. For example is the film released at the same time as similar genred films? if so, then there is going to be a lot of competition. Or is it a seasonal film, and therefore will attract alot of families.

    Things the distribution company have to think about when conducting a distribution plan are:

Distribution Risk: 
The populations taste in film will always be unpredictable. Whether or not a previous Rom-com done exceptionally well a week before doesn't mean that your one will. So creating a film that will be a hit is always uncertain.

Focus on Audience:

Thinking about your target audience. Who are they? What is there age, gender occupation. Not only these basic demographics are needed but also psychographics such as: lifestyle, hobbys, values, attitudes and so on.

Competition:

Competition is always one to think about, especially if there is a similar film being released at the same time. Key factors such as: who is in your film; who attends your premieres; reviews; is it released in a holiday; nominations; a social buzz; sequels/franchise; worldwide release and which certificate your film is will all affect how big your competition will be.

Satisfying Anticipated Demand:

This depends on how big your audience is. If it is going to be huge release then the film will need to be shown simultanously at alot of cinemas and have alot of screenings within the first week specifically. This allows your audience easy access to the film. However if the film has a small target audience, and is a specialised film. Then releasing the film in cinemas in areas near your target audience is a good choice, allowing a buzz to rise, and then perhaps start screening in more cinemas.

Digital Transformation:

Digital transformation has allowed old films to come back to the big screen. This will attract an older audience, but also gives the youth to experience big cinema hits from many years ago.

Budgeting the Release:

As early as possible the the distribution company will have review the  finished film and the release plan. Contemplating every aspect of the film they will need to draw up a detailed budget covvering the launch of the film and sustaining the film after release.

6). What is the difference between advertising, publicity and promotion?

Film companies use advertising, publicity and promotion to encourage a wide audience to watch their film. Although all having a similar outcome these three methods all work in different ways. Advertising is what the film company does to bring their product to the audiences attention. Publicity is something which is out of the companies control, this is how the media world talks and reviews the film. This can be either good or bad, but either way will promote the film further. Promotions are used to attract even a wider audience by giving them offers or just by engaging the audience with the film, therefore making it memorable. All three things make the audience aware of the film, and help to persuade them to watch it.

7).Find a teaser poster, teaser trailer, main poster and main trailer for a horror film and put them on your Blog – who was the distributor and in how many countries was it released? Can you find how many screens it was shown in on the opening weekend?

Above is the teaser poster (left) and the main poster (right) of The Conjuring, which was released in 2013. Both poster's give away little information about what the film is about, although the title is pretty self explanitory. Because the title gives alot away already, it's important that the images on the posters don't, mystery is what helps to sell films. It makes the audience want to know more. Both posters feature basically the same information except the main poster also includes the date of release. Therefore telling us that it is the main poster.

The Conjuring Teaser Trailer

The Conjuring Main Trailer

These two trailers show two similar yet slightly different stories. We get alot more information about the film in the main trailer. In this trailer we understand that there is infact paranormal researchers included within the film. Whereas in the first trailer it appears to just be a family. This shows the audience that the case is serious, and therefore it becomes alot more realistic and frightening. The main trailer also includes alot more jumpy scenes, where creepy voices and faces pop up to scare you. The teaser trailer is gripping however it doesn't frighten you too much, it leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting to feel frightend. The main trailer on the other hand, does make you jump and you even get glimpses of the 'evil creature'. 

Using both posters and trailers the distributers were able to increase the profile of the film, therefore attracting alot more attention. The main distributers of this film were Warner Brothers. Overall the film was released in 3 countries and on about 3,000 screens on the opening weekend. It then expanded to a few other countries and eventually 'worldwide'.