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?
Fridays.
3. Who schedules and coordinates forthcoming releases?
New releases are both co-ordinated and published by the Film Distributers Association.
4. What is a ‘light’ week?
This is a week where there are few films being released – this is the best week for a distributor to schedule the release of their film as it has little competition.
5. What three aspects have to be taken into account for a film to have the greatest potential to reach audiences?
*Release on a light-week
*Seasonality of the film; specialised films have a greater potential to reach audiences
*Distributor will try to position the film distinctively and avoid a release date occupied by other films that have a similarly plot/the same genre.
6. Why is this becoming increasingly difficult?
There are more and more films being made which makes it harder for distributors to find a light week. The release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases every week.
7. What are P&A?
P&A stands for Prints and Advertising. They are the “tools” used by the distributor to create a public for its film.
8. What are the costs of P&A?
They are a large amount of the distributor’s investment, after paying the initial fee for rights and can range from than £1,000 to over £1 million for the film’s release.
9. Who marketed your film?
There was a range of people in many teams to produce different marketing strategies such as posters, trailers, Facebook page etc. No website will tell me who exactly this was.
LICENSING
1. Define the licensing process.
It is the process by which a distributor acquires the legal right to exploit a film.
2. How many levels are there?
There are two levels.
3. How many ‘market territories are there around the world?
There’s over 90 market territories internationally that films find their way to.
4. Why are smaller independent film companies unable to handle the licensing for their own films?
Independent productions often lack the necessary knowledge or contacts of each of the territories.
5. So what do they do?
They might choose to hire a specialist sales agent who will understand the value of the film in different markets, who will then set up stall at the film markets that take place.
6. What is ‘local’ distribution?
This consists of 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?
These rights include the showing of the film in cinemas, video rights for video and DVD exploitation, and TV rights (if the distributor can sell the film to a broadcaster which often depends on its success)
8. Who do they have to share royalties with?
The producer shares the royalties taken from the profits that the film generates after release. The distributors and the producer often share the profit money equally.
9. What is the most effective way to create interest in a new film in the UK?
By a theatrical opening; the big screen is still the optimum setting for a film for both audiences and the filmmakers.
10. What options are available after the theatrical (cinema) release?
Following the next few months, the film will be packaged and released on DVD (and sometimes VHS) then various forms of pay television, and after a minimum of two years, sometimes of free-to-air television.
11. What must a successful distributor do?
They must have an in-depth knowledge of the marketplace; which cinemas, video outlets and broadcasters would be most successful to the film’s target audience. They must also know the varying marketing costs involved in releasing a film in that territory.
12. Who was the distributor for your case study?
For the distribution of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, there were four key companies. These included “20th Century Fox”, “Fox Searchlight Pictures”, “Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E” and “Twentieth century Fox C.I.S”.
13. What techniques did they employ?
The distributors for this film took advantage of how many people actively used ‘Facebook’ by making a ‘Facebook’ page for the film. They also uploaded behind-the-scenes videos and the trailer to ‘YouTube’; the trailer also appeared a lot on television a couple of weeks before the release. There are also bus stops with enlarged posters for the film on it, along with a print of it on the actual buses.
DISTRIBUTION
1. How would you define the exhibition of film?
Exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry. It involves not the production or the distribution of motion pictures, but their public screening in a cinema. What the exhibitor sells is the experience of a film. Because exhibitors to some extent control how films are programmed, promoted, and presented to the public, they have considerable influence over the box-office success and, more importantly, the reception of films.
2. What number part of the film supply chain is distribution?
Distribution is the third part of the film supply chain.
3. How is it sometimes referred to?
It is often referred to as “the invisible art” as it is only well-known to people within in the industry.
4. Why is it argued that it is the most important part of the film industry?
Some people believe it is one of the most significant parts of processing a film because it is where films are “brought to life” and “connected” with an audience.
5. What are the three stages of film process?
The three main steps of film processing are production, distribution and 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?
This is harder because producers of independent films tend to not have long-term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors.
8. What are the three stages of distribution? The three stages of distribution are licensing, marketing and logistics.
LOGISTICS
1. Who decides on the 'play date'?The distributor will enter into an agreement with the cinema to screen the film on certain 'play-dates'.
2. What is the distributor’s 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?
There's an imperative for the distributor to deliver the film on time as cinemas spend their money publicising film play-dates and times in local papers or through published programmes.
4. About how much does a 35mm print cost?
Each print can cost around £1,000 - or twice that if subtitled - so a degree of care is required of everyone involved in handling the print.
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 minutess when run through a projector at 24 frames per second. So a feature print, in its physical form, will usually be 5 or 6 reels, stored and supplied in a single hard case, weighing in at 20-25kgs.
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. The distributor will invest in sufficient prints to provide optimum coverage through the first period of theatrical release, usually lasting up to 6 months. From this point on, 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; was it digital or 35 mm film, or a combination? Can you find out how many prints were developed?
The film was distributed in 35mm format. It was filmed by varied cameras including Fuji Eterna Vivid 160T 8543, Eterna Vivid 500T 8547 and Eterna 500T 8573)
BULLET BOY
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/distribution/distribution6.html
1. Who is the director of Bullet Boy?First-time feature director, Saul Dibb.
2. Where was the film first screened?
It was first shown in various festivals during 2004.
3. Who handled the release?
The release of ‘Bullet Boy’ was handled by Verve Pictures.
4. What is their most recent release?
‘BREATHING’ will open in selected cinemas nationwide on April 20
th 2012, which is the newest film released by Verve Pictures.
5. What percentage of their releases are from first time feature directors
Verve Pictures have a proven track-record of working with first time filmmakers who have previously excelled in other visual fields. Over 75% of their 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)
20th Century Fox Corporation handled the release of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. This link is to their website; http://www.fox.co.uk/cinema/the_best_exotic_marigold_hotel-20655/20655
The website could be much more effective as it is very blank and doesn’t describe the attributes of the film as best as it could. Here is a screen-shot of what the website looks like.
7. How did Verve manage to broaden the theatrical release?
8. How many prints did it have in the UK?
75 prints
9. What did the advertising campaign consist of?
They produced posters with supporting key press quotes, advertising in all of the national daily newspapers that contain a space for film reviews. They had two tabloids, newspapers with a black perspective, a selective London Underground campaign and also the use of radio stations.
10. How does this compare to the ad campaign for your case study film?
There is a similar range of campaigns for ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ as there is for ‘Breathing’, as both campaigns include reviews, cinemas trailers, radio and TV adverts.
They widened their market beyond the art-house, especially with a young black audience
