Distribution

1. How would you define the exhibition of film?

The exhibition of film is a commonplace, shared cultural activity highly visible in every city and town in Britain, constantly feeding the popular memory.

2. What number part of the film supply chain is distribution?

The third part.

3. How is it sometimes referred to?

It is often referred to as 'the invisible art'.

4. Why is it argued that it is the most important part of the film industry?

As it is where completed films are brought to life and connected with an audience.

5. What are the three stages of film process?

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

6. In what way are they most effective?

They are most effective when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company.

7. Why is this more difficult for the independent film sector?

Producers tend not to have long-term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors.

8. What are the three stages of distribution?

Licensing

Marketing

Logistics

Licensing of Film

1. Define the licensing process.

Licensing is the process by which a distributor acquires the legal right to exploit a film.

2. How many level are there?

There are two levels.

3. How many ‘market territories’ are there around the world?

There are 90+ ‘market territories’ around the world.

4. Why are smaller independent film companies unable to handle the licensing for their own films?
Independent production companies are usually small concerns, sometimes set up for one film and often lacking the necessary knowledge or contacts of each of the territories around the world.

5. So what do the do?

Instead of doing this themselves, they might choose to hire a specialist sales agent, whose function is to understand the value of a film in many different markets.

6. What is ‘local’ distribution?

'Local' distribution, which involves the distributor acquiring the license to release and exploit the film in a particular country.

7. They purchase the theatrical rights, what does this consist of?

It consists of showing the film in cinemas; video rights, for video and DVD exploitation; and TV rights, if the distributor is able to sell the film to a broadcaster.

8. Who do they have to share royalties with?

They also share royalties with the producer.

9. What is the most effective way to create interest in a new film in the UK?

The most effective way to create interest is a theatrical opening.

10. What options are available after the theatrical (cinema) release?

A film will be packaged and released on DVD and VHS video, then on various forms of pay television and eventually, two years after opening in cinemas, on free-to-air television.

11. What must a successful distributor do?

The successful distributor must have an in-depth knowledge of the marketplace - which cinemas, video outlets and broadcasters can best draw an audience for its films - and of the variable marketing costs involved in releasing a film in that territory.

12. Who was the distributor for your case study?

The distributor for my case study was 20^th Century Fox.

13. What techniques did they employ?

Marketing

1. What are the two questions around the marketing of a film release?

‘When?' and 'How?'

2. What day of the week are new films released in the UK?

In the UK, new films are released theatrically on Fridays.

3. Who schedules and coordinates forthcoming releases?

The schedule for forthcoming releases is coordinated and published by the Film Distributors Association.

4. What is a ‘light’ week?

Finding a 'light' week will ensure that there will be both screen space and adequate review column inches in the press allocated to any potential release.

5. What three aspects have to be taken into account for a film to have the great potential to reach audiences?

Screen space and adequate review column inches in the press allocated to any potential release. A further consideration for scheduling a release is the seasonality of the film. Finally they will try to position the film distinctively and avoid a release date occupied by other films with similar traits (story, subject, country of origin).

6. Why is this becoming increasingly difficult?

As the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases in a week.

7. What are P&A?

Prints and Advertising.

8. What are the costs of P&A?

It can range from less than £1,000 to over £1 million.

9. Who marketed your film?

20^th Century Fox and Pathe.

Marketing P&A

1.    What are the 7 elements of P&A?

The quantity and production of release prints and trailers.

Press materials, clips reels, images, press previews, screener tapes.

The design and printing of posters and other promotional artwork.

Advertising campaign.

Press campaign / contracting a PR agency.

Arranging visit by talent from the film.

Other preview screenings.

2.    About how many prints might a specialised film have and how long will the tour be?

Specialised films will often be released with fewer than 10 prints into key independent cinemas, with these prints subsequently 'toured' over a 6-month period to all parts of the UK.

3. How many prints might a commercial mainstream have?

Commercial mainstream films will often open on over 200 prints.

4. How many did your case study film have?

I was not able to find this out.

5. Why is a favourable press response a key factor?

Favourable press response is a key factor in developing the profile and desirability of a film.

6. What is the standard format for a cinema poster?

The cinema poster - in the UK this means the standard 30" x 40" 'quad' format.

7. Why is a poster important?

Numerous recent examples indicate that the poster design is highly effective in 'packaging' the key attributes of a film for potential audiences.

8. Please insert a copy of your case study film poster and analyse how it features to key attributes.

There is picture of Meryl Streep who plays Margaret Thatcher, the main character. This is used to draw the audience in as they are advertising who the main actress is, which could make people come and see the film because Meryl is starring in it, if they liked her in other films. Her name is also the only name on the poster.

The other half of the picture is a outline of the Houses of Parliament. This is key as it shows that it is a British film but also and outline of where the film is mainly based and what it is about.

9. What is the word to express coverage working at the same time?

Tandem

10. What is the key aspect for mainstream film?

For mainstream films, scale and high visibility is the key.

11. Why is distribution in the UK seen as riskier than in other countries?

The cost of print advertising in the UK is comparatively high, and is seen as making distribution in the UK a riskier business than in most other countries.

12. How are distributors trying to get around this problem?

In order to extend the reach of advertising and develop more effective communication with audiences at low cost, distributors are looking increasingly to 'viral marketing' - different forms of electronic word-of-mouth via the internet, email and mobile phones.

13. Who was the press agency for your case study?

I could not find this.

14. What is another name for the actors or director?

The use of talent.

15. What sort of coverage did the key players in your case study have? Did they appear on Jonathon Ross?

Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Actress.

There was coverage in many newspapers such as the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, and the Independent etc.

There was also coverage on the radio.

16. What is the ultimate aim of marketing?

To create word-of-mouth and advance 'buzz' around a film.

The Logistics of Distribution

1. Who decides on the  'play date'?

The distributor

2. What is the distributors responsibility?

It is the responsibility of the distributor to arrange the transportation of the film to the cinema, as part of its wider coordination of print use across the UK.

3. Why is it imperative that films are delivered on time?

Cinemas spend their money publicising film play-dates and times in local papers or through published programmes. There's an imperative for the distributor to deliver the film on time.

4. About how much does a 35mm print cost?

Each print can cost around £1,000 - or twice that if subtitled.

5. How are prints usually broken down?

In the UK, prints are generally broken down for ease of handling into smaller reels, each lasting around 18-20 mins when run through a projector at 24 frames per second.

6. What are the disadvantages of using film prints?

35mm theatrical prints invariably suffer cumulative damage as they pass through different projectors, and the hands of various projectionists. There are also overheads incurred by the distributor for the storage of prints at the UK's central print warehouse in West London. For these reasons, each theatrical print has a finite lifespan.

many of the now used release prints will be destroyed, leaving only a small number to be used for second-run and repertory theatrical bookings through the remainder of the film's licenced period.

7. How was your case study film distributed? Digitally or 35 mm or a combination? Can you find out how many prints were developed?

It was distributed in digital 2D and also 35mm.

Bullet Boy

1. Who is the director of Bullet Boy?

Saul Dibb

2. Where was the film first screened in 2004?

Hackney

3. Who handled the release?

Verve Pictures

4. What is their most recent release (look on their website)

Roman Kogler (Thomas Schubert) is 19 years old and has lived all his life in institutions.  Abandoned by his mother as a young child and raised in an orphanage, he is now serving time in a juvenile detention centre having accidentally killed a boy of his own age in a brawl.  A solitary boy with an uncommunicative attitude, he has no friends, family or connections to turn to in the outside world.  But when threatened with a life behind bars unless he finds a job and sticks to it, he eventually finds a probation job shifting dead bodies at the municipal morgue in Vienna. The work is physically and emotionally draining and his co-workers are not exactly welcoming.  But when Roman is one day faced with a dead woman who bears his family name, it occurs to him that this may be the mother who gave him up for adoption and he begins to explore his past. 

5. What percentage of their releases are from first time feature directors(look on their about us link)

Over 75% of our releases are from first time feature directors.

6. Who handled the release of your case study, provide the link to their website, consider how effective their webpage is. 

20^th Century Fox handled the release of my case study on behalf of Pathe.

http://www.fox.co.uk/

I feel this page is effective as it advertises what is being released and what is currently in the cinemas. It also allows the user to view the trailers see what has just been released on DVD and enter competitions.

7. How did Verve manage to broaden the theatrical release?

In order to broaden the theatrical release of the film, Verve applied successfully for funds from the UK Film Council's P and A Fund.

8. How many prints did it have in the UK?

75 prints

9. What did the advertising campaign consist of?

The campaign included advertising in all of the national daily newspapers that allocate significant space to film reviews, plus two tabloids, newspapers with a black perspective, a selective London Underground campaign and extensive use of radio stations with a concentration on R 'n' B and Garage, the musical forms with which Walters is associated.

10. How does this compare to the ad campaign for your case study film?

There were articles in newspapers and they were nominated for the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Posters were release, which also featured on buses. The trailer was put on YouTube along with behind the scene footage. Podcasts were also produced for Itunes.

Digital Distribution: A revolution in progress

1. When did UK distributors and exhibitors start to move towards digital distribution?

Towards the end of 2005, the UK distribution and exhibition sectors were starting to move towards digital distribution and exhibition.

2. What are the advantages of digital distribution compared to film?

The advantages of digital technology are even clearer, though perhaps longer term. Digital technology is seen to offer a more cost effective and logistics-light alternative to the tried and trusted, but unwieldy model of 35mm print distribution.

3. In which countries has it been particularly successful?

China and Brazil

4. In the UK, which institutions have particularly got to grips with it?

In the UK, digital technology has been embraced by the non-theatrical sector, in film societies and schools, where the use of DVD and mid-range digital projection has replaced 16mm.

5. What is the national body charged with encouraging digital film in the UK?

UK Film Council

6. How many cinema screens are there in the UK?

Just over 3,300 screens in the UK

7. How many of these are digital?

211 screens

8. In how many cinemas was your case study shown?

It is showing at 16 cinemas.

9. Describe briefly the process of digital transfer.

The DSN will initially work with files transferred from a high definition digital master (either HDD5, or HD Cam). The compressed and encrypted files will be sent directly to cinemas to be downloaded, de-encrypted (unlocked) and opened as files for screening with digital projection equipment.

10. Which key film institution was disbanded in 2011 and who took over their work?

11. What are the implications for the future of digital distribution?

It will be less expensive in the coming years to offer a wide theatrical opening with many copies, and also conversely, to screen a film for just one performance at any cinema. In theory at least, it will be possible for both distributors and exhibitors to respond more precisely to audience demand.

12. How might the share of profit change in the light of digital distribution?

Thereafter, films will enter into a second-run and repertory programming market aided by lower costs.

13. Was your case study distributed digitally? 

Mine was distributed by saturation.