This document discusses potential film distribution companies for a horror movie. It analyzes companies that have distributed similar horror films like House of Wax (Warner Bros.), Drag Me to Hell (Universal Pictures), Scream (Dimension Films), It Follows (RADiUS-TWC/Dimension Films), and Carrie (MGM/Screen Gems). Based on the genres and budgets of films they've released, the author identifies Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures as potential options. The document concludes that Columbia Pictures may be the best fit given their release of similar low-budget horror films like Evil Dead.

1. What kind of media institution might
distribute my product and why?
Sam Ellerton

2. What is an Institution?
• An institution is a company that can release media
products out to the public, they can do this through the
release of a movie or DVD’s. A film can be released
internationally or locally to a specific country, DVD’s
can be released out to shops.
• Before a film is released an institution could possibly
help with the final product such as with funds, editing or
even production.

3. Stages Of Production.
• The usual stages of production begins with a key concept,
Someone would go to the company and present them with a key
idea, if the company agrees they will carry on with the film and
support it through the process.
• Storyboards would initially be made with casting and script
making. Then it would go to filming in specific locations then to
editing and possible re-shoots encase any scene went wrong
however they are quite expensive. Lastly it would be finalized then
released in a premier if it is a cinema blockbuster, in contrast the
film could be direct to DVD or direct to TV depending on what the
distributors want.

4. What companies distribute films in
the genre?
After looking in depth at the following films I can
see which institutions distributed their product and
also see which might distribute mine;
• House of Wax
• Drag me to Hell
• Scream
• It Follows
• Carrie
• My Bloody Valentine
• Prom Night

5. House of Wax
• House of Wax used Warner
Bros. Pictures to distribute
their film, Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. is an
American company that
produces film, television and
music entertainment and is
one of the major film
studios. WB has distributed
some of the biggest horror
films of the 21st century,
including most recently,
Annabelle, The Conjuring,
Texas Chainsaw, A
Nightmare on Elm Street
and Final Destination 5.

6. Drag Me to Hell.
• Drag Me to Hell was
distributed by Universal
Pictures, Universal Studios
is an American film studio,
owned by Comcast and is
one of Hollywood's "Big Six"
film studios. Universal has
distributed some big horror
films including most
recently, The Purge and
Unfriended.

7. Scream.
• Scream was distributed by
Dimension Films, Dimension
Films is a mini-major American
film production and distribution
studio formerly owned by The
Walt Disney Studios and now
owned by The Weinstein
Company. Dimension have
also distributed blockbuster
horror movies including most
recently, It Follows, Horns,
Dark Skies, Piranha 3D and
the sequel, Piranha 3DD.

8. It Follows.
• It Follows was distributed by
RADiUS-TWC (Weinstein
Company) and Dimension
Films. The Weinstein
Company (TWC) is an
American mini-major film
studio founded by Bob and
Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after
the brothers left the then-
Disney-owned Miramax Films.
Dimension Films is a mini-
major American film production
and distribution studio.
RADiUS Films have distributed
films in the genre including
Horns.

9. Carrie.
• Carrie was distributed by Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Screen
Gems. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc. is an American media
company, involved primarily in the
production and distribution of feature
films and television programs.
Screen Gems is an American film
production company and division
company of Sony Pictures
Entertainment's Sony Pictures
Motion Picture Group. MGM and
Screen Gems have distributed
several big films in the genre
including, Deliver Us from Evil, The
Roommate and The Stepfather.

10. My Bloody Valentine.
• My Bloody Valentine was
distributed by Lionsgate Pictures.
Lionsgate Films is a Canadian-
American production and
distribution studio and a division of
Lions Gate Entertainment. It is the
largest and most successful mini-
major film studio in North America.
It has distributed various
commercially successful films in
the genre, including Saw and The
Cabin in the Woods.

11. Prom Night.
• Prom Night was distributed by
Screen Gems. Screen Gems is an
American film production company
and division company of Sony
Pictures Entertainment's Sony
Pictures Motion Picture Group that
has served several different
purposes for its parent companies
over the decades since its
incorporation. Screen Gems have
distributed several big films in the
genre including, Deliver Us from
Evil, The Roommate and The
Stepfather.

12. The Companies.
• Overall the companies that produce films that would be similar to
mine are; Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Universal
Pictures, Studio Canal, Warner Brothers and British film council.
With then a TV show could be AMC.
• I feel as though the ‘big six’ film companies would be the best to
distribute my film.

13. Advertisement
• Films are generally advertised by; trailers, posters, magazines,
interviews etc. however the most common is by trailers. Trailers help
show off the film subtlety to give a little bit of the plot to let people
get an idea of what the film is about to allow them to decide whether
to go see the film or not. If the film is released direct to DVD there
would not be many trailer advertisements and only really
advertisement for the release date of the DVD.

14. Paramount Pictures
• Paramount Pictures have released many successful films including the
highest grossing being, Titanic, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Forrest Gump and Shrek the Third. A
lot of Paramount's highest grossing films are sequels. Paramount have
released a lot of popular films in my genre including Friday The 13th,
What Lies Beneath and Case 39. As Paramount have worked with a lot
of films in my genre I think they would be welcoming to distribute my
product.

15. Columbia Pictures
• Columbia is a subsidiary to Sony Pictures, they have released over
100 films from a wide range of genres including the highest grossing
being the original Spider-Man trilogy. Columbia have released
several blockbuster horror movies but not as many as other
distributers (e.g. Paramount Pictures). Columbia released I Know
What You Did Last Summer and it’s sequel as well as the original
Evil Dead. I think Columbia might distribute my film.

16. Universal Pictures
• Universal pictures have a lot of blockbuster films under their belt and
work with a lot of different genres from Jurassic Park to Bridesmaids. I
feel as though they would be good to distribute my product since they
can work with what type my film is. Universal also work with horror films,
some of their popular films include, Unfriended, Ouija and The Unborn.
Seeing as Universal Pictures have a lot of horror films already released
and they are adding more to their list I think that they would distribute my
film.

17. Warner Bros.
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an American company that produces
film, television and music entertainment, Warner Bros. may be known by
some people a company that distribute films in the children/family genre.
Although people may think this, Warner Bros. have had some of the
highest grossing horror movies of all time, including, The Exorcist, The
Conjuring (and Annabelle) and the Shining.

18. Conclusion
• Overall I think that the company that would work the best would be
Columbia Pictures, as they have released several films in the genre with
the same sub-genre. However my product does not have a big budget,
although Evil Dead was released by Columbia and at the time was a small
budget horror movie using practical effects as oppose to special effects.
Also my film would be a direct-to-DVD release as this is what happens
with small budget movies, especially horror as there are so many released.