Film Production Cycle

1. The Film Process
What are the key stages?
What happens at each key stage

2. The Film Process
Production
Distribution
Marketing
Exhibition/Cons
umption
Exchange

3. • Production involves the creation of the media
product and is the responsibility of the
PRODUCTION COMPANY
• Preproduction-Production-Postproduction
• Before this stage FINANCE must be arranged.
– British funding – BFI, Lotteries, Production
Companies, Businesses
– USA – Conglomerates provided financial backing
Production

4. Producers
• Producers are frequently the first person to
become involved in a project; they participate
directly in all the main producing phases; and see
the project through production, to post-
production, marketing and distribution.
• The Producer's is role to turn story ideas into
profitable cinematic entertainment, and to
persuade others to share in his or her commercial
and creative vision. Producers usually report to
the production company, or to the Executive
Producers appointed to supervise the production
on behalf of the financiers and Distributors.

5. Responsibilities
• Producers have overall control on every aspect of
a film's production, bringing together the
Screenwriters, Director, cast, finances and
production team.
• Their primary responsibility is to foster an
environment in which the creative talents of the
cast and crew can flourish - Producers are
therefore ultimately accountable for the success
of the finished film.
• Producers many responsibilities span all four
phases of production

6. Distribution
• The Invisible Art – process known only to
those within the industry, barely written
about and also imperceptible to everyone
else.
Producers AudienceDistribution

7. Distribution
Key Elements:
Positioning
Circulation
Release
Marketing

8. Distribution
• Releasing and Sustaining a film in the market
place
• Worked best when the three key stages
(Production, Distribution, Exhibition) are linked or
controlled by the same company
• UK system has more focus on marketing and
sustaining a film in the local market
• Independent Studios struggle to get distribution -
No formal connection between Producers,
distributors and exhibitors
• Collaboration – need to get a major company on
side - £££££££££££££$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

9. Distribution = Power
• Films can not be financed without the help of
distributors
• They have clout with theatre owners (or are
often the owners)
• Brand name recognition
• Own copyright
• Access to capital

10. Distribution
• Viacom
• Time Warner
• Walt Disney
• Fox
• Universal/Vivendi
• Sony

11. Distribution

12. • Key Terms
– Wide/Blanket/Saturation Release
– Platform release
– Limited Released/Art House Release
Distribution

13. Marketing
• What techniques can be used to market a
film?
• In recent years the general tactic has been to
‘go big’
• The movie business is cyclical and seasonal
– Summer
– Christmas
– Long holiday weekends (USA)

14. Marketing
• Every major Hollywood studio/distribution has
an internal department for promotion and the
resources to promote (TV, Magazines, Radio)
• The marketing campaign will be cohesive
across all media platforms
• Most common forms are teaser trailers,
trailers, Adverts in News papers and
Magazines, Television spots, Radio promo,
internet (official websites, viral sites, social
networking) and billboards.

15. Marketing
• Teaser Trailer – very little info but ‘cool’ looking
• Theatrical Trailer – done by specialist production
houses
• Official Website (with the Trailer), builds as release
date gets closes and is only the start of the internet
campaign
• Press Junket
• A few weeks before release - Publicity Blitz (esp
internet)
• Product tie-ins and corporate partnerships (Happy
Meal)
• Publicity Stunt (The Dark Knight, The Simpsons
Movie)

16. Marketing
• Newspapers: 10.1%
• Network TV: 21.6%
• Spot TV (individual stations) 13.9%
• Internet: 4.4%
• Theatrical Trailers: 4.2%
• Other media (cable TV, radio, mags,
billboards):24%
• Other non media (market research,
promotion/publicity, creative services): 21.8%

17. • Exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry.
• What the exhibitor sells is the experience of a
film (and, frequently, concessions like soft drinks
and popcorn).
• Because exhibitors to some extent control how
films are programmed, promoted, and presented
to the public, they have considerable influence
over the box-office success and, more
importantly, the reception of films.
• Exchange is about the relationship between the
audience and institution and what they ‘do’ with
the exhibition
Exhibition/ Exchange

18. • Exhibition is divided into two sections:
- Cinema – the distributor is paid by the cinema
for a copy of the film
- Home – the distributor is paid by the company
who is selling the film for a copy
• A film’s success is often decided on the
amount of money it makes during it’s cinema
release. This is known as the Box Office
Takings
• Home Exhibition is becoming an increasing
valuable and varied source for distributors to
increase profits.
Exhibition/ Exchange

19. PROMOTIONAL
SCREENINGS
CINEMAS HOSPITALITY DVD RENTAL PAY TV/VoD DVD RETAIL FREE TV LIBRARY
COMMERCIAL VENUE EXHIBITION EXHIBITION AT HOME
Copies of the film are released for exhibition in different stages.
Source: UK Film Council, CEA, BVA, ERA
Exhibition/ Exchange

20. • Cineworld and Odeon are the two biggest
multiplexes here
• In American there is a lot more choice but the
biggest ones seem to be Cinemark (294) Regal
Entertainment (545), AMC (378) and Carmike
(244)
• There are very strong laws in America about
the separation of Production Companies and
Exhibitors.
Exhibition/ Exchange

21. Exhibition/ Exchange

22. • Why are people not going to the cinema? Give
as many reasons as possible.
Exhibition/ Exchange

23. • Home Entertainment
– What is it? List as many examples of film based
‘home entertainment’
• This a thriving part of the industry esp here in
the UK. We buy or rent 350m films a year and
it is worth close to £3b a year (three times
that of ticket prices)
Exhibition/ Exchange