Social realism films have limited budgets, so they use cheaper marketing strategies like social media, bus stop ads, and film festivals to build awareness. This allows distribution companies to see the films' potential before deciding to distribute them. The films target audiences that enjoy serious themes by advertising in magazines for arthouse films. Viewers of these magazines are looking for less mainstream films. Social realism films are often consumed at home on DVD or digital downloads since they rarely get major cinema releases.

1. Social Realism
Marketing
By Jordan Kent

2. 1) What are the distribution
channels for social realism films?
 Many of the distribution channels for social
realism films are to gain viewership and
word of mouth. Then they are more likely
for a distribution company to help them.

3. 


They could use social media, Bus stop adverts
and film festivals to help distribute their film.
Many social realism films do not have a large
budget, unlike Hollywood films, so expensive TV
adverts aren’t as much as a possibility. This is
why social media advertising and bus stop
poster are more likely as they are cheap but still
reach a big audience.
Films festivals are also a very good way for low
budget films to gain attention. By showing your
film at one of these events, distribution
companies will be able to see what films will
work and what ones will not make it.

4. 2) What does the style of the promotion and
publicity tell us about the kinds of audiences
distributors are trying to reach?

The style of the promotion tells us who they are
trying to distribute too. For example, many social
realism films aren't being advertised on TV,
mainly due to budget, but is also due to them not
wanting to attract every demographic, only the
ones that watch serious films. This si why the
are marketed in film magazines, as people
reading them are there because the enjoy
watching serious films and not just the latest
Hollywood blockbuster.

5. 3) Where do they advertise and
what is the format and style?
 They advertise in film magazines such as
‘Sight and Sound’. Magazines like this are
quite serious and help promote less
known, independent films. People reading
these types of magazines are also looking
for films with serious issues and themes.
So by putting their film in them, they are
reaching their target audience.

6. 4) What does this tell us about the
imagined audience?
 This tells us that the audience enjoy
watching serious films and don’t fall the
into the Hollywood trap of a spectacle film.

7. 5) Through what forms of exhibition can
the films be consumed?
 Films can be shown to the audience
through a number of ways. For example, if
bigger enough they could be a cinema
release. Unfortunately, most social realism
films don’t make it that big so are normally
released as a DVD/Blu-ray to be viewed at
home or even as a digital download.

8. 6) How do the companies/organisations
present themselves?
 The companies present themselves as
being professional so that they more likely
to be hired to help distribute the film and
make more profit for themselves and also
gain a better portfolio.

9. 7) How do they market the films
and what does this tell us?
 The way that they market their films is by
using cheaper types of marketing. This
tells us that they have a smaller budget so
can’t afford as expensive types of
advertising such as TV adverts. They also
market their film online, and can chose the
type of websites their adverts are shown
on, so that they can direct the film to the
target demographic.

10. 8) Who consumes or discusses social realism films
online and what can we gleam about them as
film watchers?
 People that discuss social realism films
are normally people that will watch a lot of
social realism films. This tells us that they
are serious about watching these films
and want to discuss the films with like
minded individuals. And the easiest way to
do this is on the internet.

11. 9) How is information about films
shared by users?
 Information is shared by users on sites
such as IMDb and other internet forums,
where like minded people can discuss the
film with other people that enjoy social
realism films. They allow for users to
reach other people with great ease and
efficiency.