Film: Distribution

1.The Majors Film: 2.Independents 3. Selling A Film 5. Logistics 4. Launching A Film

Film: Distribution 1.It has been said that making a movie, is not nearly as difficult as getting it distributed. 1.When investing in a film, an enormous amount of cost in time & money is required to fund the separate stages. 2.For distributing a movie, a distributor must feel confident that they can make a sufficient return on their original investment. 3.Being backed by a Major Studio/Actor/Director, can improve the chances of securing a good distribution deal (As the film has a larger chance of success)

Film: Distribution A Film Distributor can either be: a)An independent company b)A subsidiary company of a ‘Major’ c)A private individual investor. They act as an agent between a film production company & film exhibitor, by securing placement of the producer's film on the exhibitor's screen. Independent filmmakers often use film festivals as an opportunity to attract distributors.

Film: Distribution

Film: The ‘Majors’ Distribution is about releasing & sustaining films in the market place. For Hollywood ‘Majors’, the phases of production, distribution & exhibition are often 'vertically integrated’. Vertical integration is a term used when production, distribution and exhibition are all part of the same larger process, under the control of one individual company. For Example: Warner Bros is vertically integrated as they not only develop & produce films, they also have their own distribution systems that sell their films worldwide:

Film: The ‘Majors’ Most of major studios have their own distribution companies. For example, Disney owns Buena Vista, a major distributor. Advantages: It is very simple to set up a distribution deal The parent company does not have to share the profits with another company. Disadvantages: When an expensive movie is a flop - there's no one else to share the costs. This is the reason why several studios partner on major movies. For example, "Star Wars: Episode One" was produced entirely by Lucasfilm but distributed by Fox.

Film: Independent

Film: Independents International distribution requires films finding their way to the 90+ market 'territories' around the world. The major US studios generally have their own distribution offices in all the major territories. By contrast, independent producers have to sell their films to different distributors in each territory. Therefore in the independent film sector, vertical integration does not operate. Producers tend not to have long-term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors. With no worldwide distribution offices (like the majors), independents have to sell the legal right to exploit their film to a distributor. This process is called licensing.

Film: Selling A Film

Film: Selling A Film Distributors must have knowledge of the marketplace & costs involved in releasing a film in that territory: – Which cinemas/video outlets/broadcasters will draw an audience? Factors that help sell a film: These factors help a distributor determine: – The number of prints to make. Each print costs about £1000, so they must consider which cinemas a movie can successfully open in. – Which cinemas. Many screens in the UK are in urban areas. A popular movie might fill seats in several cinemas in the same city. – Opening a movie on 3,000 screens can cost £3m in prints alone! The distributor must be sure it can draw crowds to justify the costs.

Film: Launching A Film

Film: Launching A Film In the UK, films are released theatrically (in cinemas). The schedule for releases is coordinated by the Film Distributors Association. A distributor will assess this schedule & identify a release date. The Distributor will: Look for a 'light' week that will ensure both screen space & adequate review column inches in the press. Consider the seasonality of the film if necessary. Try to avoid a release date occupied by other films with similar traits (story, subject, country of origin). This release planning has become increasingly difficult in the UK as up to 10 new features are released each week.

Film: Logistics

Film: Logistics The distributor is responsible for supplying and circulating copies of the film to cinemas (reels). Individual films are distributed to projectionists on separate reels on separate days for security. – Specialised films will often be released with fewer than 10 prints. – Commercial mainstream films will often open on over 200 prints. – Film popularity determines how many screens it will be shown on The distributor is also responsible for managing the effectiveness of supply to all Retail & Rental companies. 18 weeks after its theatrical release, the film is packaged & released on many different formats: DVD Blu-Ray Download Pay TV Free-to-Air TV

Film: Distribution