2. What is film distribution?
Film distribution is the process of anything that happens
between production until it’s released and exhibited on
various platforms.
This includes researching
Gaining legal rights to release a film
Making sure the movie will be sustainable in the
marketplace, correctly marketing a film to sell it to the
correct audience, distribution of files to cinemas and
DVD’s or Blu-Ray stores.
The action of getting all films to cinemas, DVD and Blu-
Ray stores.
I got this definition from a video featuring interviews with
multiple distributors.
3. Distribution Companies
Warner Bros. Walt Disney Pictures Sony Pictures
Below I have included examples of three of the main film distributors:
We took inspiration from the Sony
Pictures when creating our logo
because it’s black and white and we liked
how that looked as it gave
our film a more serious tone.
4. Big distribution companies
(Warner Bros., Disney, Sony)
They get a steady, reliable flow of potentially
big films to process and distribute
Often produce the big Hollywood films
They often make their own films themselves
in studio as they are very rich and can afford
to produce the big Hollywood movies.
5. Self Distribution:
In order to self distribute you could
Sell the video on iTunes- This is expensive and is not usually a popular option.
They could start a campaign to crowd fund the film, once raising enough they can
go on to produce the trailers and posters.
Theatres expect distributors to support films with promotion and advertising.
They need to place features in newspapers, magazines, buses, television
adverts and radio broadcasts.
They also run their own distribution accounts on social media in order to reach a
wide audience.
They need to set the date that they believe is best to release their movie.
They have to create the film trailers so to attract their target audience and people
outside the target.
Theatrical bookers program the film with theatre buyers, facilitate one sheets,
prints and trailers, collects receipts and helps place ads.
6. Smaller distribution companies
They tend to not make their own films as they
do not have the big studios or enough money
They are dependent on other film makers
They usually go to film festivals and watch
new films
During the time of the film they decide
whether to choose it to distribute.
7. What a distributor does
Their responsibility is to do market research into the typical target audience for their
genre, bearing the representation in the film in mind
They also go and collect primary research for themselves. This involves going out
into the street, selecting who looks like they may be a member of their target
audience and inviting them to watch the film and fill out a survey at the end. This way
they gather an accurate idea of what kind of people will be impressed or not with the
film and where they went wrong.
They have to find the best part of the film that will best communicate with their target
audience during advertising.
The distributer must find the films unique selling point of the film; it may be a line, a
star cast or the plot itself to use when advertising.
They have to pinpoint the part of the film that will hook people in, depending on the
genre, often it is a single action or line which they must then use in advertising as
part of a trailer or advert.
A distributor also decides when the best time to release a film is, this could mean
choosing to release a kids film during the school summer holiday months, or
releasing a romance movie around valentines day for example.
8. Difficulties a distributor may face
They have to work out the time of year when
the film will have the best chance.
A similar film belonging to a similar genre may
be released at the same time.
The distributor then may have to decide
whether to change the date or compete for
the same audience.
9. What a distributor is
Essentially, a distributor is a person who gets films onto
the market.
They are the people who work out who their audience
will be, how to get them to see it and why they would
want to see it.
They have to come up with a release plan to know
when the best time for their movie would be to release
it and how to do it.
Their job is essentially to have the movie seen by as
many people as possible.
They are the people who ensure their film makes
maximum profit make maximum profit off the film.
