INSTITUTIONS AND AUDIENCES FILM INDUSTRY LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION
TO PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING
AIMS
To understand the focus for the Audience and Institutions
section of your January Exam
To understand the structure of a Media Triangle
To understand the different sectors of the film industry
KEY TERMS Audience Institution Production Subsidiary Distribution
Marketing Exhibition Horizontal Integration Vertical
Integration
THE EXAM Section B: Institutions and Audiences
Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the
processes of production , distribution , marketing and exchange as
they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the
nature of audience consumption and the relationships between
audiences and institutions . In addition, candidates should be
familiar with:
the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media
practice;
the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in
production, distribution and marketing;
the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at
the levels of production, distribution, marketing and
exchange;
the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for
institutions and audiences;
the importance of technological convergence for institutions
and audiences;
the issues raised in the targeting of national and local
audiences (specifically, British) by international or global
institutions;
the ways in which the candidates own experiences of media
consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience
behaviour.
This unit should be approached through contemporary examples in
the form of case studies based upon one of the specified media
areas.
Film Four
Trainspotting
Looking for Eric
Slumdog Millionaire
MEDIA TRIANGLES Institution Target Audience Who has produced
the media text What they have produced Who it is produced for.
Media Text
THE FILM PROCESS PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION EXHIBITION There are
three distinct areas of the film industry. Each one of these could
be viewed as a type of media institution. What would you expect to
happen at each stage?
Production involves the creation of the media product and is
the responsibility of the PRODUCTION COMPANY
This includes all pre-production, production &
post-production processes.
Before that the writer/director/producer must find finance for
a film which may come from one or many production companies (a
co-production)
Figment Films is the production company who made Trainspotting.
Channel 4 (film 4) financed the film
Film distributors are responsible for prints and marketing
:
PRINTS producing physical copies of a film for cinema/home
release and finding the exhibitors/retailers to sell the film
MARKETING raising audience awareness and anticipation of a new
release
A distributor may:
-Be a part of the same parent company as the production
company
Have a long term arrangement with a production company and
provide financial assistance for many of their productions
Provide financial assistance for a single film by a production
company
Acquire a film after it has completed production
A film will likely have different distributors for:
-Releases in different countries
-Cinema Release
-Home-Video Release
Miramax distributed Trainspotting and bought the rights for
$750,000 in your case study look carefully at how it was marketed
and distributed.
Exhibition is divided into two sections:
Cinema the distributor is paid by the cinema for a copy of the
film
Home the distributor is paid by the company who is selling the
film for a copy
A films success is often decided on the amount of money it
makes during its cinema release. This is known as the Box Office
Takings
Home Exhibition is becoming an increasing valuable and varied
source for distributors to increase profits.
WHAT METHODS OF HOME EXHIBITION CAN WE THINK OF?
FilmFour made its reputation with films such as Trainspotting in
1996, which made 23m at the box office but cost only 2.4m and was
the highest grossing British film in 1996. However, it was far more
successful on DVD, spawning numerous versions and special editions
Why would this film be more successful on DVD than in the
cinema?
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL INTEGRATION PRODUCTION Often a single
parent company will own multiple companies in the film industry.
This is divided into two types of ownership: PRODUCTION PRODUCTION
HORIZONTAL The parent company owns multiple companies at the same
stage of the film industry. A smaller company, owned by the parent
is a subsidiary . VERTICAL The parent company owns multiple
companies across different stages of the film industry. What are
the advantages for a parent company of each type of ownership?
EXHIBITION DISTRIBUTION
For example Walt Disney also owns:
Miramax Films
Hollywood Pictures
Pixar Animation
For example Warner Bros owns:
Warner Bros Studios (Production)
Warner Bros (Distribution)
Used to own Warner Bros Cinemas in the UK (Exhibition
RESEARCH TASK - THE LIFE OF A FILM -SUBMIT AS A POST ON ABLOG
MAKE AS INTERACTIVE AS POSSIBLE -DUE SUNDAY 7PM email link to
[email protected] -STARTING POINT FOR RESEARCH SHOULD BE
IMDB.COM USE COMPANY CREDITS SECTION 1. YOUR FILM (EITHER SLUMDOG
MILLIONAIRE OR TRAINSPOTTING) Provide a brief synopsis of your
films story Include some of your films marketing materials
(trailers, posters, cast interviews etc.) 2. PRODUCTION What was
your films production budget? Which Production Company (s) provided
the finance? What other films have the company (s) produced? 3.
DISTRIBUTION Who are your films theatrical distributors? How many
countries has it been distributed in and what are they? Who are
your films home distributors? How many countries has it been
distributed in and what are they 4. EXHIBITION What was your films
box office takings? Would you expect it to be shown in BROMLEY
CINEMA? Why? What formats is your film available on for home
exhibition? 5. HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL INTEGRATION Is your films
production company a subsidiary of a larger company (Horizontally
Integrated)? Are there any signs of horizontal integration between
your films production company (s) and distributor(s)?
RECAP
What do the following terms mean in relation to the film
industry?