Film Distribution and Exhibition

By Danielle Duffy

Introduction

Film distribution involves selecting the most appropriate way (form of media) to distribute our film to and make our audience aware of our film. In this piece of research I will find out the options available to us and at the end be able to conclude which is the most suitable for our film so that it can reach our desired audience. Film exhibition is the way in which we will display our film so that our audience is able to view it.

This will be useful for helping me decide which way I could present my own film to my target audience of ages 15 and up. I will look at the advantages of disadvantages of these methods and assess the overall suitability of them, selecting the one that I could use for my own film.

Marketing: Print MediaPrinting media such as film posters seen on billboards and in magazines is a highly popular method of advertising which is usually effective in attracting the attention of potential customers. Conglomerates with larger budgets can afford to place these posters in popular areas (such as busy cities) or in magazines distributed to larger audiences, reaching more people. Posters aim to give the viewer an idea of the film’s themes and inform us of the genre, selecting and designing one image that will attempt to draw-in the viewer. Film magazines such as ‘Empire’ are ideal as they are read by viewers who enjoy films and so increases an institution’s confidence that their expenditure was worthwhile.

Pros and Cons of Print MediaAdvantages• Will be seen by large numbers of people (especially if placed in popular

magazines)• Imagery is effective in captivating potential consumers’ attention• There are a range of magazines for different audiences and so you could

choose one that is read by your potential customers• Can select the size of the advert which also determines the cost

Disadvantages• Hard to target wider audiences• There is a lot of competition meaning your advert may not be noticed by everyone• Time consuming and flexibility issues

Marketing: Social Media

In modern times, technology is developing and increasing numbers have access to online sites and apps that could potentially be used to promote your film. Social media includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram etc. where you can post text and/or images, share links and videos. To increase your chances of having your advert noticed you may want to pay to have your posts appear on people’s dashboards.

An advertisement for film ‘The Scorch Trials’ on their Facebook page

Pros and Cons of Social MediaAdvantages• Very popular with our target audience (ages 15 and up), used

regularly by them• Pay per click – only pay for the views you receive meaning it is

rather cost effective

Disadvantages• Time consuming to set up and keep the page running• Is often ignored as many people find it irritating and unprofessional• Information is only visible for a short period of time before newer posts replace it

Marketing: Film Trailers

Many institutions choose to create a film trailer to introduce their film’s narrative and other elements to the audience in attempt to make them want to go and see the film.

These are often most commonly displayed prior to the screening of a similar themed movie at the cinema, or on official movie trailer channels on YouTube.

Trailer for film ‘Lucy’ on YouTube

Pros and Cons of Film Trailers

Advantages• Gives the viewer a taste of the film's narrative and themes• Raises anticipation for the film• Can be uploaded to YouTube free of charge and is accessible to all• Shown before similar movies at the theatre and so would appeal to those who are a

fan of the genre meaning there is a reasonable chance that people will take an interest

Disadvantages• Costly and time consuming to put together• May give away too much of the narrative, spoiling most of the movie and subsequently

deterring the viewer from wanting to watching it all• High cost of having it shown at the cinema• Could be misleading as clips in trailers are not always included in the final cut and this

may disappoint viewers

Presenting: YouTubeYouTube is an online site video sharing site that allows anyone to sign up and create an account to upload videos as well as rate and comment on others’ videos. It allows global viewing and those with videos containing their own content can earn money from views. From looking at trends I would say that the most popular types of videos include comedy, music, beauty and gaming. Popular content producers have millions of subscribers and growing proving YouTube is a promising place to share your creativity. I know that it is used by the majority of our target audience (ages 15-25 years).

Pros and Cons of YouTube

Advantages• Popular with my target audience• Costs nothing to set up your channel and post videos• Free for your audience to access• Chance of being ‘discovered’ by professional companies who can view

your work

Disadvantages• Small chance of your video being seen as you are a first time movie maker• As I found from my market research, thriller is not one of the most

popular genres and so views are not guaranteed as it is not the larger market in the film industry

Presenting: Cinema

Cinemas screen popular films to large audiences, allowing the owner to collect profit from ticket charges which the customer will have to pay to view the film. Cinemas are popular with my target audience as groups of friends like to visit together.

Pros and Cons of Cinema

Advantages• Can present your film to a large audience (cinemas seat many people)• Immediate viewing• Popular with my target audience

Disadvantages• Highly expensive• Customers have to pay for the ticket and travel to the cinema• May not raise much profit as it is not guaranteed that people will take a

chance and pay to see your movie• Very unlikely that a first-time film maker’s production would be shown• Lots of competition from institutions with established customer loyalty

Presenting: Netflix

Netflix is an international online streaming service offering a selection of movies to its customers who pay monthly for access to all of the movies whenever they like.

The standard current charge is £5.99 per month, highly reasonable when we compare it to the average cinema ticket price per movie which is usually higher than this. Although affordable for its consumers, this means Netflix is not likely to give movie producers much of a return in profits in exchange for featuring their movies.

Pros and Cons of NetflixAdvantages• Is popular with my target audience• Customers can watch the film in their home (do not have to travel to the

cinema)• The film is instantly available for whenever the viewer wants to watch it (and

will not be removed unlike cinemas when they stop showing a film)

Disadvantages• Not all families have Netflix as it is a service you must pay for and not

everyone watches movie very often• The company will want a share in the profits and so you may not get much in

return• Do not pay per view (of your film) and so profit is a fixedand limited amount, making it difficult to judge the success ofyour film

ConclusionAfter evaluating each method available to me for distributing my film, I have decided that social media would be the most suitable way. This is because as a first-time film maker I have a limited budget and print media is considerably more expensive than social media. Social media sites are free to use and I could easily set up a Facebook and Twitter page etc. as I am familiar with technology. I would be able to reference these links so my target audience would be able to view my production online and easily access key information, being able to subscribe to receive future updates. It is most popular with my target audience who spend many hours per day on these sites, and so there is a higher chance they will find my advertisements. Also due to our minimal funds we would not be able to produce a trailer as I believe this would likely show only the best parts of the movie spoiling it and raising expectations too high. Despite its benefits of being popular with my target audience and the prompt of having my movie available to viewers continuously over time, it would be very difficult to get Netflix to stream my film and they would not pay much resulting in low profits for me and therefore Netflix is unsuitable.

I have also selected YouTube as the best way to present (exhibit) my film to my audience as this is more suitable than a cinema. An important factor to consider is my position as a first-time film maker and so it is very unlikely that any cinema would agree to show my film. The cinema also requires customers to purchase tickets as oppose to YouTube which offers free viewing and so this would benefit my consumers and entice them to watch my film.