Focus Features was considered as a distributor for the independent neo noir film "Red" because it distributes independent films. However, Focus Features only has 3.5% of the market share, so it may not be able to reach as wide an audience as other distributors. Additionally, the genres of films Focus Features has been most successful with in the past, such as Brokeback Mountain, do not match the genre of "Red", so Focus Features may not be interested in distributing a neo noir film.

2. Film festivals
 We would like our film to be previewed at the Cannes film festival, this is an annual occasion,
previewing new films of all genres. Therefore our film would be adequately fitting because it does not
specify a particular genre that can be aired at this film festival. Also, there’s the opportunity to rent a
booth near the screenings of the film, this might be a good way for a small British company, like our own,
to advertise our production to distributors that might be attending the event. There is also the opportunity
for digital printing (at a cost) to help advertise our booth to these distributors further with marketing
methods of posters. This particular film festival also offers other marketing methods to companies like us,
these include double sided panels, 4 sided pillars and on the screening rooms. Although this would all
come to a cost, it would be a good opportunity because it is considered the most prestigious film festival
in the world and is one of the most publicised. So it would enable us to get our production name out to
potential distributors. The 2015 documentary, ‘Amy’, was marketed through its screening at this festival,
this then went on to be the highest grossing British documentary of all time, taking £3million at the box
office in its first weekend. This is potential evidence of the mass success this festival can lead to.
 At the Edinburgh International film festival, successful submissions will be showcased at the ‘longest
continually running film festival in the world’. It does not specify a particular genre that each film has to
be, in order to gain a screening at this particular festival. It is especially interested in ‘screening films by
emerging filmmakers whose work manifests stylistic boldness, strength of form, and the ambition to use
the medium in a way that resists cliché’. Our film could be considered as doing all of the above listed,
hence it would be likely that it could gain a preview at this film festival. It is stylistically bold because it
isn’t alike other neo noir films because in many ways it challenges the conventions of these films (for
example, it does not include a city location in the sequence currently). So for the reason that it is the
longest continually running film festival in the world, it is a very popular film festival for potential
distributors to attend, and so it would be a wise choice to attempt to have our film previewed at this
particular film festival.
 Noir city is a genre specific film festival that only screens films from the Film Noir genre. It is the most
popular Film Noir festival in the world. Hence this would be a good opportunity for us to show our
production to more genre specific distributors. It also might be a great chance because it supports
smaller British companies, like ours.

3. A first option for distribution: BFI
funding
 The BFI aims to ensure there’s a wide variety of choice of film available to a national audience
using many different platforms. An aim of the BFI is to build ‘a lifelong relationship with film
and enable film culture to be enjoyed by everyone in the UK’.
 Due to our film being made by our small independent British film company, it would be likely
that it would qualify for BFI funding, this would ease the cost of distribution, production and
exhibition for us. Films like London road, sunset song, a patch of fog and Bill have all received
funding from the BFI.
 To be classed as a British film, it must pass the cultural test made by the BFI. The
specifications for a British film include the director being classed as British and the location
being somewhere typical of Britain. If our film was to qualify for the 25% tax relief through the
BFI cultural test, this would also help us to distribute, produce and exhibit the film. Our film
would be classified as British by the cultural test because all the locations that would be used
would be British, all the crew and actors were British and the themes of the film could be
thought of as typically British, for example raining weather.
 The BFI can also aid with the role of distributing the film on DVD, downloads and in the
cinema.
 As the BFI has a great amount of funding, they can also help our media product be
marketed/promoted and attract the film a wider audience.

4. BFI (continued)…
 It is thought of as risky to distribute both British
and international independent films due to the
high advertising costs, DVDs gradually fading out
and a virtual print fee mechanism that is currently
inflexible in its cost. These would all be things that
would hold back distribution companies from
getting involved with our production due to it being
made by a British Independent company.
However, the ‘BFI Distribution Fund’ supports
original ideas that involve different uses of digital
technology, they also support ambitious release
ideas to give audiences a great range of British
and Independent films, such as our own.

5. Film4 – Independent film
production/distribution company
 For our film product, ‘Red’, we would like it to be distributed by Film4; we would have to pitch our film to
them in order to gain their approval. This was our decision because we are aware that this company along
with Warp, Focus films, DNA, BBC films and vertigo films, often support lower budget films.
 However, we chose Film4 in particular because, following research, we found that Film4 has niche interests
that fit the themes of our production. Films that Film4 have previously distributed include Once upon a time
in the Midlands (2002) and Secrets & Lies (1996), these both involve either the theme of drama or romance
and are British, our film will include both of these themes, and is British, so it is deemed appropriate that
Film4 might find this fits in with the usual themes of the films they distribute also.
 As Film4 often distributes similarly themed productions to their audiences, they know what to expect,
therefore Film4 may already have an established audience demographic because it would be expected by
them given the genre of our choice. Thus, this will widen our audience and hence increase the market
share, finally meaning a greater profit.
 Channel 4 owns Film4, this means they’re given guidelines to uphold a public image. Our film doesn’t
contain any content that is overtly explicit or controversial and so it would be fitting for it to be exhibited on
Channel 4 without any hesitation. The film was rated a 15, this is acceptable for a wide audience and won’t
displease any regular Channel 4 viewers. Our film does have content that regards some foul language and
themes of drug use, however neither of these are encouraged throughout and are portrayed as morally
wrong. According to the BBFC this is subject to approval for a 15 age rating.
 Film4 generally aim to invest around £500,000, at a rate of around 20 films per year. They also offer a
platform for British and Independent cinema on terrestrial television by committing to show each one of
Film4 productions on Channel 4 and its sister station Film 4. Hence I believe that Film4 would be a good
option because it would mean the film has a greater chance of achieving a wider audience and the
company supports independent/British cinema, so it is likely that it is not very vertically integrated and
would not want to interfere with the original, British production.
 Film4 would exhibit our film to a larger audience because they are a well known broadcaster. This means
they allow the film to reach a wider audience through being distributed by Film 4.

6. Buena Vista
 One of the big six conglomerates, Disney’s distributor Buena Vista, was
considered as a distributor because it would get the film out to one of
the widest possible audiences and owns other companies like Marvel
that would be more fitting to distribute our production because of its
genre, Disney is often associated with younger audiences. However,
Disney often sticks to a formula that they know will achieve success,
because it is highly vertically integrated it may mean they would alter a
great deal about the film. As a small British independent film company,
we would like our film to stay original and not become generic.
Examples of such including typical hero and villain films like Thor, Iron
man and Cinderella.
 On top of this, because it is highly horizontally integrated also, it means
they would be likely to take a great cut from the profit.
 Buena Vista is the distributor with most of the market share amongst all
the film distributors in 2016, claiming 25%. This reinforces the power of
this distributor and the audiences that it has the capabilities of
reaching. However, with big media conglomerates like Buena Vista and
Disney ‘taking over’ the film industry, we would like to support an
independent film distributor rather than a large conglomerate.

7. A24
 DNA films distributor, A24, was also contemplated as a film
distributor for our media product Red, however it was decided
that the films DNA/A24 have produced/distributed like Ex-
Machina, Sunshine on Leith and Twin town weren’t similarly
fitting with the genre of our film because these are generally
comedy or sci-fi which obviously do not correspond to our
themes of drama, romance, thriller and action in our neo noir
production.
 Although, it is a small British film company and this is something
we see as a pro because it would mean that the film would be
kept original (low vertical integration), it would not be able to
reach a very wide audience because of its lack of funding. It is
not one of the ‘Big 6’ and does not generally have much funding
behind it, this may thus lower our overall potential profit.
 A24 only holds 1% of the market share in 2016, this reinforces
the suggestion that A24 does not have the power to reach a
wide audience for our film. This would ultimately lead to a
smaller profit.

8. Momentum Pictures
 Momentum Pictures won 8 BAFTA awards in 2011, this is more than any other
UK distributor. It was originally one of the leading independent motion picture
distributors in the UK and Ireland, releasing around 20 films a year. This
suggests that Momentum pictures is relatively. As it is an independent
distributor, this suggests that they are not likely to have the funds in order to
take over too much of the production, therefore our film should remain original.
However, because it was one of the leading independent distributors, this tells
us that it is likely to have more funding than most other independent distributors.
This would be an advantage to using this distributor because they would be able
to distribute our film to a wider audience and thus ultimately gain a greater profit.
 Being owned by Alliance Communications, Alliance Atlantis Communications
Inc., Alliance Films and Entertainment One Films informs us that this distributor
would have links with other distributors and so they would have the ability to use
the brand name of one of the above. This would be a pro because it means that
people who have trust in these distributors would already be an audience to our
product if they were to distribute it. Hence, this would mean that ‘Red’ would
generate a greater profit from the wider audience that it has reached.
Entertainment is ranked 28th with regards to market share, it has only grossed
$1.4million in comparison to Warner Bros that grossed $457million in 2016. This
small amount of gross suggests to me that this distributor actually doesn’t have
the capabilities to reach a wide audience for our film.

9. Focus Features
 This option is both a producer and distributor for its own films and a
distributor for independent and foreign films. As our film is an independent
film, because it was produced completely outside of the major film studio
system, it would thus meet the criteria for Focus Features to distribute our
film.
 The company is owned by Universal studios, thus this suggests that this
particular film distributor may have more funding behind it than some of our
other options. More funding means the distributors can exhibit the film to a
wider audience and therefore produce a higher profit.
 However, Focus Features only accounts for 3.5% of the 2016 market
share, this places it in the top 10 distributors with regards to market share,
this suggests that it has the capabilities to gain a relatively wide audience
but not to the extent that Buena Vista and 20th Century Fox do.
 Focus' most successful release to date is Brokeback Mountain (2005) that
grossed $178,062,759, although it gained an admirable profit, the genre of
this film (romantic drama) does not match that of ours(neo noir) and so it
comes to our attention that this distributor may not be interested in
distributing our film because its genre isn’t one they’re accustomed to
distributing (as it’s so different to most other genres).