This document discusses potential film distribution companies in the UK for a new horror/slasher film. It analyzes Studiocanal, Lionsgate UK, and Entertainment 1 UK, providing examples of successful horror films each company has distributed in the past. Studiocanal and Lionsgate are highlighted for distributing popular slasher films like Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods. Entertainment 1 UK is noted for its worldwide partnerships and distribution of nominations films like Insidious: Chapter 2. Overall, the document argues these three companies could effectively distribute the new slasher film given their proven success with similar genres in the past.

2. A film distributor usually distributes and markets a film, they are usually an
independent company that secures the placement of a producers film. The
distribution company is usually different from the production company. They usually
advertise and release the film, there aim is to also make as much profit from the film
as possible, making it successful by distributing it as far as possible, reaching the end
user quickly, further marketing the film.
Film Distributors of UK film

3. STUDIOCANAL
Given that we are a UK film company, Studiocanal is one of Europe’s leading
distribution companies in the market, Studiocanal operates in 3 main parts of
Europe, including France, the UK and Germany, therefore making it a appealing
choice. On average the company distributes over 50 films across Europe every
year. They have distributed some of the most successful films across Europe,
including slasher movies that relate to our movie, this is better than choosing a
company that doesn’t distribute any slasher movies, therefore this company
appeals to our movie as their successful distribution is promising.
These are some of the most successful horror movies that STUDIOCANAL have
distributed, which we have also got inspiration from, due to the brutal slasher murders in
these films.

4. STUDIOCANAL Evil Dead (2013)
Evil dead (2013) is a horror movie about how five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the
Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them
until only one is left to fight for survival.
STUDIOCANAL distributed this movie very successfully as it reached worldwide countries. The film is extremely bloody
due to it’s slasher aspects, The film was even banned in Ukraine for its extreme violence, this has inspired our opening
sequence as we are striving to create the opening to fit all the horror conventions.
The target audience for this movie are teenagers from ages 15-18 as the age restriction is from 15 to 18. This first
‘Evil Dead’ movie was shot in Woodhill Forest, which is a similar location to our opening sequence which is also in
a forest, appealing to both target audiences. The film also has mild references to drugs and alcohol which again
relates to our movie, it also was rated a 10/10 on violence and gore which appealed to the movie’s target
audience as the movie was successful, we also aim to use strong violence to appeal to the similar target
audiences.The estimated budget for the first Evil Dead was $17,000,000 but grossed around $54,239,856, due to
STUDIOCANAL’S successful distribution, the film profited.
The stills above are set in a forest which again links to our opening sequence in which we used distorted tilting
shots to set the eerie atosphere of the movie. We also used a tracking shot throughout the opening to establish the
location and to set the mood.

5. STUDIOCANAL The Last Exorcism (2010)
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the evangelical Reverend Cotton Marcus was raised by
his father to be a preacher. He agrees that the filmmaker Iris Reisen and the
cameraman Daniel Moskowitz make a documentary about his life. Further, he tells
that exorcisms are frauds but the results are good for the believers because they
believe it is true. When Cotton is summoned by the farmer Louis Sweetzer to
perform an exorcism in his daughter Nell, Cotton sees the chance to prove to the
documentary crew what he has just told. Cotton performs the exorcism in Nell,
exposing his tricks to the camera, but sooner they learn that the dysfunctional
Sweetzer family has serious problems. (Taken from
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320244/plotsummary)
This movie won 7 awards and was nominated for 10, including the Empire Awards in 2011 for best horror movie,
and we strive to achieve this too. The budget for this movie estimated was $1,800,000, which represents the
succession of the movie as it overcame the budget by over 30 times as it grossed $40,990,055.
The stills here also relate to our opening sequence due to the blood which connotes evil and death, which are
also key themes in our movie.
The film is rated 18, which again shows how this movie’s target audience is 18 and
above which is also going to be our film rating too,

6. Lionsgate UK
Lionsgate UK is a world renowned distributor of quality entertainment around the globe. This
includes the extremely successful ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy and ‘The Expendables’. They
have distributed and are yet to distribute over 170 films, some that have become very
successful worldwide. They are also known to have distributed some of the world’s known
horror movies including ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ (2012) which is one of the most talked
about horror movies of all time, so this company will promote our movie to success as the
past slasher movies where also a success, making Lionsgate UK a top contender for our
movie.

7. Lionsgate The Cabin In The Woods (2012)
The Cabin In The Woods appeal to teenagers the most which is like our film as 65% of
the audience where ages 15 – 24 years, supporting evidence that teenagers enjoy more
gory films, the movies are both similar genres giving us similar target audiences. The
movie is about how 5 friends go to a remote cabin in an isolated woods and things take
a bad turn in which they wake up a family of dead killers. This is extremely similar to our
story line as 3 friends go into the woods and things also take a bad turn in which there is
an unknown killer.
The film was also very successful and grossed more than the budget of the movie which
was estimated to be around $30,000,000, the Opening Weekend was also around
$14,743,614 (USA) but the film ended up grossing around $42,043,633 (USA). The film
was also very successful which won the ‘British Fantasy Award’ which also relates to our
film as we aim to make it similar to this one and as it’s won a British award, this
supports our British movie.
The film is also set in the woods just like our film, teenagers are more attracted to
these types of movies which supports the fact that our movie will also appeal to
the same target audience. The film’s trailer also starts as if everything is fine, then
things start to turn which is similar to our movie as everything seems okay, and
the characters are having fun and doing stereotypical teenage acts like smoking
and having fun, our opening sequence also cooperates these things.

8. Lionsgate Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
This film was also very successful as the budget for the film was
$10,000,000 but it grossed three times more at $34,334,256.
The film is about about a woman that travels to Texas to collect
an inheritance with her friends but there is a killer living in her
basement. This movie is very successful due to it’s remake of
the famous ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ that was also extremely
successful. Gunnar Hansen who was the original Leatherface in
the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre film which was made in 1973
was also in the recent one made in 2013, as he was seen at the
beginning. The film is also 3D giving it a new aspect with
dimensional features, subverting it from the original.
The film is also set in
some areas of the
woods, which is
similar to our film as
ours is also set in a
forest area where the
victims need to
escape from, this film
also includes this.

9. Entertainment 1 UK are an industry that create and distribute music and
television, but are widely known for distribution of films, Entertainment 1 UK
find, sell and distribute thousands of films with hundreds of partners. Them
having partners worldwide could make our movie an international success.
They are the largest independent company and distributor that also have
thousands of partners in Canada and the United States, even if our movie
doesn’t appeal to Entertainment 1 UK, the partners could also take our film
into consideration, giving our film a much wider choice for being distributed,
them being worldwide could also foreshadow a success of our movie as the
horror slasher movies in the past, have been very successful, making this
company also appealing to our movie idea. They are also partners with other
independent UK film distributors like STUDIOCANAL and Lionsgate which I have
also researched.
They also have distributed some of the most well known and successful horror movies like ‘Insidious:
Chapter 2’ (2013) that was nominated 15 times for the movie. The majority of their horror movies are
rated 15 + making this their main target audience which is also ours.
Entertainment 1 UK

10. Entertainment 1 UK The Hallow (2015)
A family who moved into a remote mill house in Ireland finds themselves in
a fight for survival with demonic creatures living in the woods. This movie
was distributed in the UK by Entertainment 1 UK, and was filmed in
Letterfrack, County Galway, Ireland. This film is also very similar to our one
as they are both set in the woods, this film was also called ‘The woods’ but
was later renamed, our film was also going to be called ‘The woods’ but was
changed to ‘Bird Call’ as it appealed to our opening sequence more. The film
was very successful and won 10 awards and was nominated for 3, including
the British Independent Film Awards UK Empire Awards for the best horror,
and even reached Toronto and won 3 awards at the Toronto After Dark Film
Festival. The trailer also starts like a normal film using establishing shots of
the woods, which is also how our movie opens, with establishing shots also,
as the opening doesn’t have any horror aspects to it, this is a horror
convention as what appears to be normal at the start always takes an
unexpected turn.

11. Entertainment 1 UK The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death
(2014)
40 years after the first haunting at Eel Marsh House, a group of
children evacuated from WWII London arrive, awakening the
house's darkest inhabitant. This film is rated PG-13 due to
disturbing and frightening images also appealing to our target
audience as we will make our film a teenager targeted movie.
The budget for this movie was estimated at $1,000,000 and
profited from that by 26 times as the movie grossed around
$26,496,583. This movie was also filmed in Greenwich London
and was nominated for the best movie at the Rondo Hatton
Classic Horror Awards. Empire critics also rated this movie a 3 out
of 5 stars and said that it’s ‘A much bolder, braver horror sequel
than most. Except for a wispy ending, it’s a match for the first.’