Film Production, Distribution, and Marketing: Understanding the Process

1. In the exam you will need to understand the following and talk about them in the exam. • Production – Processes and decisions that take place when making a film. • Distribution – Advertising, merchandising and delivering the film to the market • Marketing and Exchange • Exhibition – The different ways in which the audience can ‘consume’ the film. • British audiences’ reception and consumption. • Your experience as a consumer and audience You should also make reference to…synergy and convergence.

2. Three stages production • The first stage of production is getting financial backing. • Independent companies and particularly smaller British companies, which are not linked to a an American conglomerate have to rely mainly on money from the National Lottery fund and also other government organisations i.e. EM media, East Midlands development agency, or an other regional agency ,which wants to develop local talent . If they are lucky a private investor or through pre-sales i.e. selling shares before a film is made, or through sales of television rights • Independent and smaller companies like Film 4 have to focus on social realism as these films are cheaper to make as they don't have the big Hollywood finance for production or distribution to market their films. They may also link up with one of the main distribution companies by selling the distributor pre-sales in order to get money for the production. • Larger studios can draw upon finances from their parent company, also because they focus on big blockbuster they can make money from investors who see blockbusters as attracting a global market, or also private hedge funds or product placement and big merchandising deals . • Also big studios not only have more money for 3d, special effects, but more money for big names actors, which means films more likely to be a commercial success.

3. Production • Once the film has got financial backing this is referred to as getting the green light and filming begins. • Post-Production stage: Editing. • Above the line cost: cost of people involved in the films i.e salaries and how much the film costs to make. • Below the line: Cost for locations, costumes and film stock.

4. Film Distribution • Film distribution is the process of launching the film. In order for a film to be financially successful it has to be publicised, marketed and position. • Why is it blockbusters are posited to come out at certain times of year.

5. Distribution • The first stage of distribution is the acquisition of rights to a film. There are three stages that a distributor might become involved with a film • Pre-production: distributor might invest in the early stage and invest in the production of a film, and have some say over the film. • Production: Distributor might buy the rights to a film when it has already been made. • Third: If the studio is already part of a large conglomerate like News Corps they will use their own distributor i.e. Twentieth Century Fox. Most of the Major big 6 studios own both production companies and distribution companies, but due to the law cannot own cinemas. This joint ownership of both owning both production studios and distribution companies means these companies generally dominate the box office. • Who is your films production company and distributor? Who has invested in it?

6. A HOLLYWOD EXAMPLE OF DISTRIBUTION Universal Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical) Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD) Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) FilmesLusomundo (2003) (Portugal) (theatrical) Mars Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical) RTL Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL5) Studio Canal (2003) (France) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Germany) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Spain) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (UK) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Italy) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Singapore) (theatrical) United International Pictures (2004) (Japan) (theatrical) Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD) Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (VHS) Universal Pictures (Spain) (2004) (Spain) (DVD) Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) Universal Pictures Canada (2004) (Canada) (DVD) (as Universal Studios Canada) LOVE ACTUALLY How many different distributors would you expect to be involved with this film? There are 21 in total if you include both cinema and home video distributors. 14 of these companies are owned by Universal (or part owned as UIP is joint owned with Paramount) – a great example of vertical integration!

7. Positioning • Distributors have to position films to reach their target audience. If released in a slow period, or when their is intense competition their film maybe a failure. • Films rarely break even through cinema releases alone, but they rely on the success of the cinema to increase DVD and merchandising. • 15-24 year olds the most frequent cinema going age, so lots of films are targeted at them i.e. Robert Paterson films. • Distributors love films aimed at this target audience but also films that can also bring wider audiences in too. Avatar, Alice Wonderland etc. • A publicity campaign that misidentifies an audience will jeopardise the audience. Consider the last time you went to the cinema if it was to see Avatar notice how may other 3d films were advertised. You were their target audience, remember the glasses you had and if you kept them you would get a discount? This is clever marketing to get you back again, is it a coincidence that all the 3d films came out at the same time, no it was to keep you coming back for more.

8. Thinking Point • Now 3d TV will let you watch the DVDs of these films on the TV or in some cases stream them. Remember technological convergence. Sony has brought TV out with 3d and you can stream movies through their internet. Sony also own Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese conglomerate which also make Blue Ray, I wonder how much money they are making through convergence.

9. Test Screening • Test screenings help to identify potential target audiences, films ending have been changed to suit the audience. A directors cut as a dvd release is usually how the director intended it, before it was changed us usually for commercial reasons.

10. Circulation release • Average 35mm print cost £1000 • Saturation release is 700-1000 prints to mainstream cinema this would be more mainstream audiences, why? • Art house release 20 print to art house cinemas i.e. low budget indie or foreign films. • Timing of a release is crucial to the success. School holidays or to win an award January to March and what competition is out there. • Marketing: Marketing can cost as much as the film to make in order for the film to be a success the film has to be market to the right audience and the right time and to build the feeling this is a must see. Also marketing might link up with other brands to push or merchandise the film . • Studios not only own the film, but also create the technology i.e. fusion 3d. DVD’s are Blue ray which is Sony.

11. Marketing Campaign • Posters: A tease poster released before the main poster to generate information. This is expensive marketing because of printing and time costs, but is an effective way of generating pre-release interest. Film posters include key elements, i.e generic codes of the film i.emise-en scene- guns for actions, a well known star or director will have their name on it to promote the film. • Trailer: Higher budget films will also have a teaser trailer, watch teaser trailers for Avatar and the main trailer what do you notice. James Cameron and all his films are promoted, why do this? • Trailers in the UK have to get BBFC certificate rating just like the films. • Distributor will want the trailer that appears to a wider audience as possible remember who goes to the cinema the most. • Genre of the film has to be apparent in the film. Key scenes, dialogue but not to ruin the surprise, if the film is star driven like Alexander the trailers will show this. • All films need to have a USP, what is your films poster, trailer saying?

14. Media Advertising • Scaled down version poster appear in magazines and print media (remember the right media to target your audience there is no point advertising a “Dead Zombie movie” in Cosmopolitan. • Trailers can be placed between TV and radio programs. • Stars of the movie can appear on TV to promote it especially if low budget to publicise it. • If movie is low budget they might promote it online. • Chat rooms, forums and films may even have their own websites.

15. Marketing of Film • Promotions: Big budget films have tie in promotions campaigns i.e fast food or toys. Low budget indie films struggle to get these tie ins. • Merchandising: Alongside sales DVDs, merchandising connected with the film is where the profit is. Think Star Wars, Transformers, Harry Potter • Stars can take a percentage of the fee for merchandising i.e. using their face for an action figure. • Film Premiers: Organised as a distribution tool, they generate press interest and publicise the film. • A no show by the films star would be disastrous. • Press Junkets: Endless short interviews to TV critics, journalists one after the other and often get asked the same question. • Preview screenings: Audience is shown final version after a test screening which can alter the film or cut scenes. Distributors are careful to attracts group to screening who are part of the target audience.

16. Making of Avatar • Moviegoers in more than 100 IMAX 3-D theaters worldwide watched 16 minutes of footage from a new James Cameron movie. That same day, Ubisoft debuted a trailer for a videogame based on the film, and Mattel unveiled action figures inspired by the film's characters. A day earlier, the teaser for the very same film broke a record on Apple.com after beng streamed more than four million times on its first day.August 21 was celebrated as "Avatar Day." Today, it should be remembered as the dawn of the most comprehensive digital marketing campaign ever developed to support a film. Link: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/02/how-digital-marketing-helped-avatar-break-the-box-office039.html • Listen to Avatar’s marketing:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121576406

17. Exchange • Exchange: How has the audience exchanged information about this film consider the important of web2.0. • Due to the proliferation of new media with more options to communicate and specifically web 2.0 where there is more user generated content people can now exchange info about films. Think about YouTube clips of films fans have made, reviews on Amazon, Twitter. • Avatar is a good example as this was the most talked about film before it was even released. This exchange helped it to be a success.

18. Consumption • Consumption: How well received was the film i.e. is their a sequel?

19. Exhibition: Festivals • Exhibition: how the institutions exhibit film i.e. through cinema, DVD, online etc. • Film festivals have a dual function because they are both competitions but also will get films publicity think how big Cannes Film Festival is. • Slumdog been a relatively low budget movie used the festival system to gain popularity. It first appeared at Telluride Film Festival and later screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival. Slumdog Millionaire initially had a limited North American release in 2008, to critical acclaim. It later had a nationwide grand release in the UK and won loads of awards at Golden Globes, Baftas and critics choice. • Big films like Avatar are also shown at film festivals, but they also rely on other forms of promotion.