My answer to question three of my AS Media Studies presentation

1. WHAT KIND OF MEDIA
INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE
YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?
Evaluation Question Three
Paige Crossland

2. Response
I think that an independent media institution might
distribute our film and this is because the film has been
made in a local, regional area on a very low budget with
unknown actors who are local to he area. While
completing research into a possible distributor whilst
planning the film, I found two suitable independent
distributors for our film:
 StudioCanalUK
 Lions Gate Entertainment
However, separate companies may have produced the film
in different ways to each other...

3. Example of an Independent Distributor-Warp
Warp Films is an independent film production company and
distributor based in Sheffield and London in the UK. Warp is a
small company which makes low-budget films, so cannot
afford to have special effects. If Warp had produced our
film, there are several things they would have differently to a
large, mainstream company:
•The film would have been made in a regional area that is
notable to a British audience.
•Unknown actors who are local to that area or actors from
British television would have been used.
• No special effects, as the company’s low budget means they
would not be able to afford it.
•They would have targeted a specific audience or age group
because they are a small company.
•The film would have had to rely on realistic drama so an
audience could relate to the characters and their situations.

4. Example of a Mainstream Distributor-Warner Bros.
Warner Bros is an American production company of films, television series
and music entertainment. It is one of the major film studios and owns
several subsidiary companies including New Line Cinema, The DC
Entertainment and Warner Bros Television. The company has produced
and distributed several horror films such as Taste The Blood of
Dracula, Black Christmas, The Exorcist and The Shining. If Warner had
produced our film, these are some of things that would have been done
differently or affected:
 The budget would have been a lot bigger.
 Because of the bigger budget, the search could have been extended and
we could have found a better filming location.
 More well-known actors may have been used because the higher budget
means they can afford bigger actors and people may have watched the
film just for the actors, not because of the content or storyline.
 The higher budget means special effects could have been used, which
would target a mainstream audience.

5. StudioCanalUK and Lions Gate Entertainment-Our Possible
Distributors
StudioCanalUK is a subsidiary of StudioCanal, a French
distributor company which owns the third largest film
library in the world. It is headquartered in London and
operates in both the UK and Ireland and releases many
independent British films. Two similar horror films the
company has released are Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark
and The Awakening and the company also releases films
from a wide genre, from dramas such as Tinker Tailor
Soldier Spy to comedies such as Attack the Block.
This is why I think that StudioCanalUK might distribute our
film, because the company has released films from a
wide genre and also releases independent British
films, so would help us to reach our target audience and
would be able to afford our budget.

6. StudioCanalUK and Lions Gate Entertainment-Our Possible
Distributors
Lions Gate Entertainment is a North American
entertainment company and as of 2012, is now the most
successful independent film and television company in
America. The company has released films of a wide
genre from horror (Saw franchise) to fantasy films like
Dogma and Sci-Fi films such as Total Recall.
Because of this, I think that Lions Gate Entertainment may
also be another possible institution that might distribute
our film, as not only do they release films of a wide
genre, but are a successful independent company so our
film budget may have been higher if they had produced
our film and also our film may have received more
attention upon its release.