Film
Distribution
is one of the final processes when creating a film, as this is the way in which
you release your film to your specific audience. It is the process of getting
the film into the hands of the broadcasters, theatre chains, video stores and
video on demand operators. The companies that do this are called distributors. A
distributor is the link between the filmmaker and the public, therefore they
have many responsibilities. These include, deciding on a release date, creating
advertisement campaigns, creating posters and flyers, designing art work, organizing
premiers and arranging press interviews. The distribution of the film is just
as important is the making of the film, as it allows people to see and enjoy the
film created. Worldwide spend of films is around $65 billion a year, of which
the distributors share is about $35 billion.
I
recently researched a lot on distribution at the FDA website, this gave me
a lot of detail about distribution. As well as the FDA website I signed up to
the 'The Business of Film' course online at ‘Future Learn’. When I signed up for this course I learned how
large film companies produce their films and how important distribution is when
you make a film. I recently visited the BFI on an A level study day and had a talk from Rob Miller about distribution.
I also watched an interview with Stuart Williams on the FDA website. Stuart Williams told us that "word of mouth is the king" in terms of distribution. However this is not a type of distribution that you can control.
The
distribution of a film is also very dependent on the marketing of the film. The
marketing can be split into two sections, above the line and below the line.
Above the line marketing is targeted towards a more general audience in the
mass media. Here the mass media would be print ads, television and cinema, and
radio. These are not targeting a specific audience, therefore may not be as
successful as below the line. This kind of marketing is mostly used for building brand
awareness to a larger audience.
Below
the line marketing tends to reach a more direct and targeted audience. This is
done through social media, special events, paid searches and search engine
marketing. By using below the line marketing people can build close relations
with their customers and have direct contact. This is also drives individual
responses. In terms of cost below the line marketing below the line costs a lot
less and is a lot easier to organize. Online marketing is a very popular way to
market a film. In 2013 £6.3million was spent on online advertising.
Gareth Lowrie from NBC Universal explained how
he had worked on the marketing of the film Jurassic World. Gareth taught us
that marketing is one of the most important aspects to creating a successful
film. We learnt that viral marketing is one of the key ways to capture an
audiences attention. For example, when he took part in the marketing for
Jurassic World they decided to use Waterloo Station in London. They filled it
with props and decorations from the film and made sure the main theme was put across
to their audience. This targeted many people at once, therefore making it more
likely for people to go and watch the film. Jurassic World turned out to be one
of the top 10 highest grossing films of 2015, showing us that viral marketing
must have an effect on how successful the film is.
