DISTRIBUTION

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.