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Page 1: Production,distribution,exhibition   an intro final for media

An Introduction to Film Production

Section B – The Film industry (Exam)

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The basics….

The first three things you will need to know about are:

Production Distribution Exhibition

With your partner – discuss which aspects of the film industry you think these terms refer to.

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The Chain

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

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Production - The “Big Six” These six “majors” command approximately 90% of box office takings:

Paramount Pictures Universal 20th Century Fox Warner Bros. Pictures Walt Disney Columbia Pictures

They are part of vast conglomerates that are both vertically and horizontally integrated.

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The “Indies”

Studios that work outside the major studio system are know as “independents” or “indies”

Summit Entertainment Film 4 Productions Icon Productions

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The “mini-majors”

Some of the leading “independent” studios have come to be known as “mini-majors” these include studios such as:

DreamWorks The Weinstein Company Lions Gate Entertainment

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The Chain

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

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Vertical/Horizontal Integration

Production

Distribution

Exhibition Warner Village

Cinemas*

Warner Home Video

Warner Bros.

PicturesDC Comics Rock Steady

Games

Vertical Integratio

n

Horizontal Integratio

n

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Research Task

Find out about one of the big six:

Who owns the studio?Do they have an “art house” branch?

Have they absorbed any smaller film studios?

Which other companies are owned by the same conglomerate?

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Production

Refers to the making of the film:

Finding the idea Writing the script Pitching it to a studio Setting a budget Casting stars and employing a crew Filming Editing

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Production – Investors

For a film to go into production it needs investors to provide the necessary funding.

Box office is success is never certain and so investors try to reduce the risk of losing their money by becoming involved in important decisions

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Production – Investors

Key questions that they will ask are:

Is the film’s storyline similar to other films that have made money recently?

Does it offer easy selling points? Are there obvious marketing spin offs to give added publicity?

Is the star popular? Had the director had previous successes?

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Production – Risks :

If the answer to any of theses questions is no then changes will be made to the “package” (the details of the film) to make sure all the answers are yes! Otherwise the investors will take their money else where.

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Assess the level of risk for each of these films:

Wuthering Heights

Avengers Assemble

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Production - Greenlit Before a director can start filming a film has to be

“greenlit” – this meaning that funding has been made available by the investors

At this stage a project will have most of the key elements such as:

Principle cast, Director Cinematographer Screenplay

It is the job of the producer to bring all of these elements together.

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A Film “Franchise”

Why is a film franchise such an important asset to a studio?

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Research Task Choose a popular film franchise and prepare a

comprehensive presentation that includes information such as:

Origins Acquisition of rights Products The studios and distribution companies involved Budgets Directors & Casts Marketing Strategies Box Office Figures Notable issues Future plans

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Issues Surrounding Film Production: Watchmen

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Film Rights When an existing story (book, play, comic) is made

into a film the “rights” have to be bought from the author – the product is their “intellectual property”

E.g. Warner Brothers bought the rights to make the first 4 Harry Potter for £ 1 million. (They bought the remaining 3 when the first had been a success.)

Film makes may “option” a script – meaning they only pay 10% of the fee and then pay the full amount if the project is “green lit” ( goes into production) .

There is normally a time limit on an “option” – usual two or three years. If the film isn’t made in this time the rights can be re-sold.

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Film Rights Establishing who has the “rights” to make a film can result in a long legal battle and the delay of a film being made.

Case Study: Watchmen

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Watchmen There have been numerous attempts to make a film

version of Watchmen since 1986, when producers Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver acquired film rights to the series for 20th Century Fox.

In 1991, Fox put the project into “turnaround” and was moved to Warner Bros.

A turnaround is an arrangement in the film industry, whereby the rights to a project one studio has developed are sold to another studio in exchange for the cost of development.

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Watchmen Gilliam later abandoned the project because he decided that Watchmen would have been “un-filmable”. Subsequently it was dropped by Warner Bros.

In 2004 the film went to Paramount Pictures but again it was placed in turnaround when the lead director left to work on other projects.

In 2005 Lawrence Gordon took the film back to Warner Bros where it was eventually brought to life.

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Watchmen 20th Century Fox filed a lawsuit to block the

film's release, stating that they still had the “rights” to the film and that L. Gordon was supposed to resubmit Watchmen to Fox every time he came up with a changed element.

Warner Bros fought this claim but eventually the studios eventually settled.

Fox received an upfront payment and a percentage of the worldwide gross from the film and all sequels and spin-offs in return.

The film was released to cinemas in March 2009 a year after the original release date.

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Digital Production

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What is a non-digital film? Traditionally films were made up

images printed on to acetate negatives.

These are then “spliced” together to form a reel of film.

These are then feed through a projector at a constant speed of 24 frames a second which makes the pictures appear to be moving.

This is known as analogue

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Digital Cinema – Production Advantages of Digital

Production Digital camcorders using a high-

definition format called HD-CAM are much cheaper than standard film cameras.

New digital camera technology rivals traditional film for quality

High quality film production is now far more accessible to film makers outside of the major studios.

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Digital Cinema – Production Digital technology can be store,

transmit and retrieve a huge amount of data exactly as it was originally recorded.

The quality of digital film does not deteriorate.

Analogue technology (film) loses information in transmission and generally degrades with each viewing

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Digital Cinema – Production Memory Cards can be re-used many

times – unlike film

Footage can be viewed immediately on set

Production time is cut and so are costs

BY HOLLYWOOD STANDARDS DIGITAL VIDEO COSTS VIRTUALLY NOTHING

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Digital Cinema – Production Digital information is a lot more flexible

than analogue information A computer can manipulate bytes of

data very easily Virtually no processing necessary before

the editing stage E.g. ease of editing using a program

such as Final Cut/AVID/Premiere This saves time and therefore saves

money.

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Digital Cinema – Production Example: Attack of the Clones (The first digital

film) $16,000 on 220 hours of digital tape

Would have spent: $1.8million on 220 hours of film

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Digital Cinema – DistributionAdvantages to Digital

Distribution Digital films are basically big

computer files Can be written to DVD-ROM Sent via broadband Transmitted via satellite Virtually no shipping costs Not much more expensive to show in

100 cinemas as 1

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Digital Cinema – Distribution Film prints are very expensive (£1500-

£3000 per print) Expensive to ship heavy reels of film and

then to collect them when film finishes its run

Because of cost you have to very cautious about where films are played – unless it is a guaranteed hit it is a risk to send film to a lot of cinemas

Digital films can be opened simultaneously all over the world

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Digitisation in UK 2000 - 2011

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

2250

3d screensdigital screens

Num

ber o

f UK

scre

ens

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Digital Cinema – Exhibition A good analogue film projector

produces a clear, crisp vibrant image but every time the print is projected the film is damaged.

A digital projector produces a high quality image and sound every time.

The 1000th view is a good as the first!

A digital projector does not need a trained projectionist!

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Digital Cinema – Exhibition Advantages to Digital Exhibition A digital projector does not need a

trained projectionist! With a film reel, once it begins playing it

can not be stopped. If there is a problem with the print it is very problematic to re-start the screening.

Cinemas are looking to run from “hubs” meaning the projection for each screen is centralised.

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Digital Cinema – Exhibition Staff could be cut to a bare

minimum. According to Edward Fletcher (Soda

Distribution): ‘In place of the projectionist, you

could have one person in a business park in Stevenage sat in front of a bank of screens. That person could programme their entire group of cinemas by doing some drag-and-drops on a laptop’

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Film Distribution

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Distribution The distribution phase of the film industry

is a highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the “market place”

You must remember that the film industry is a business and the films are products to be marketed and sold.

Every film has its own distribution plan to ensure it reaches the right audiences.

Clip: Target Audience http://www.launchingfilms.tv/planning.php?video=2&autostart=1

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Distribution Costs The distribution of

a film in the UK can cost any where between a few thousand pounds to 4 or 5 million!

Clip: P + A Budget http://www.launchingfilms.tv/planning.php?video=4&autostart=1

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Release Date Release timing is critical in the film industry

There is significant “seasonality” in box office figures.

Major holidays such as Christmas, New Year Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving (US) Independence Day (US), the school holidays all play a role in the success of a film.

Clip: Competition http://www.launchingfilms.tv/planning.php?video

=3&autostart=1

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Release Date Studios make and pre-announce the release

date decisions on a weekly basis. Film release dates can be announced years in

advance. Pre announcing dates in the film industry is a

bit of a game played by the studios. Dates will be announced and then shifted to

reflect various new additions to the calendar. Distributors have to position their films

carefully to avoid disastrous clashes.

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Seven months before The Hunger Games was released Lionsgate announced the date for its sequel. Catching Fire will debut on 22nd November 2013

Here are the released scheduled for July 2014

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On the website www.launchingfilms.com I can look ahead to March 2016!

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The opening weekend

For a film the opening weekend is make or break!

If a film doesn’t make very much money on the opening weekend – on Monday cinemas will make the decision to remove it.

Clip: Opening Weekend http://www.launchingfilms.tv/licensin

g.php?video=2&autostart=1

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Release Strategies

There are a number of different ways of releasing a film. Each has its pros and cons.

Films are released in “release windows".

This keeps different instances of a film from competing with each other.

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Standard release

In the standard release, a film is first released in the cinema (theatrical window),

After approximately 16 and a half weeks, it is released to DVD (video window).

After an additional number of months (different for each film) it is released to Pay TV and On Demand services and

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Simultaneous release

A simultaneous release takes place when a film is made available on many media (cinema, DVD, internet) at the same time or with very little difference in timing.

What are the pros and cons of a simultaneous release?

Consumers have more choice Producers only need one marketing campaign

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Route Irish – Ken Loach The film was released on multiple platforms

on he 18th March 2011:

20+Cinemas Sky Movies Box Office Curzon On Demand.

It was the fourth collaboration between Artificial Eye and Sky, with previous simultaneous releases including Edge of Heaven, Julia, and Life During Wartime.

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Straight-to-video release

A straight to video (DVD/BluRay) release occurs when a movie is released on home video formats without being released in cinemas first.

STV releases used to be seen as a sign of poor quality

Have become a more profitable option in recent years. Especially for independent moviemakers and companies.

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Shrinking the theatrical window

Originally a six months duration Today’s theatrical window is usually around

four months. Studios have reportedly been pushing to shrink

the duration of the theatrical window. Cinema owners have fought fiercely against

this. Why do you think studios are

in favour but cinema chains are against shrinking the theatrical window?

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Shrinking the theatrical window

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland cause great controversy as Disney wanted to reduce the theatrical window to 12 weeks!

Odeon and VUE threatened to boycott the film!

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Film Distribution: Marketing

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Distribution In starting to plan a marketing campaign, the film

distributor has to decide how it will present a film to a potential audience.

They need to decide what sets this film apart from all the other films that are released – they look for a film’s ‘unique selling point’ (USP).

If, for example, the distributor is handling an adventure film, they will need to look for aspects of the film which set it aside from the other action adventure films.

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Distribution - USP

What you think is the USP of each film?

The Kings Speech

Shaun of the Dead

Avengers Assemble

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Distribution

After this they will look at such things as who stars in the film, are there new and spectacular special effects in the film and who is the director?

Taking all of these into consideration, the distributor will then decide which elements to stress in the marketing campaign (posters, trailers, etc.) i.e. how to position the film in the market place.

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Distribution

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Star Trek Selling Points

The passion & vision of JJ Abrams

A complete re-invention of an iconic

property

Completely new cast portraying much-loved characters

Supreme production values

* Quote from Paramount Star Trek Roadshow, 2008

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Building the audienceIF this was just another Star Trek sequel, not the biggest blockbuster of the

summer 25+ male sci-fi fans (Trekkies)

Mean age = 42ABC1 skew

MarriedNo children in household

Love to buy new gadgets (199 index)Influenced by internet reviews (172

index)First place I look for info is internet (159

index)I am introverted (142 index)

Know what the Kobayashi Maru isSpeak fluent Klingon

Cringe whenever a red shirt enters the screen

NOT traditionally drivers of strong blockbuster

performance

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Making Star Trek the Biggest Blockbuster

MINIMISE

LEGACY (STAR TREK)CONTEXT (SCI FI)

RETRO FEELINSULARITY (TREKKIES)

MAXIMISE

NEW CASTACTION/VISUAL EFFECTS

CUTTING EDGE COOLUBIQUITY

SPECTACLEGEEK FEST

JJ ABRAMS’ STAR TREK

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Trailer Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/wat

ch?v=kHfbn8jtiBM

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Marketing Independent FilmLOOKING FOR ERICA Case Study

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STRENGTHSPEDIGREE OF DIRECTORBRITISHNESSHUMOURTHE FILM ITSELF

S.W.O.T

OPPORTUNITIES

ERIC CANTONA

MANCHESTER UNITED

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

END OF FOOTBALL SEASON

GO WIDE

WEAKNESSES

GRITTY / LACK OF GLAMOUR

LOOKS LIKE A DOCUMENTARY?

WILL IT APPEAL TO WOMEN?

THREATS

TOO ASSOCIATED WITH FOOTBALL

ERIC CANTONA

COMPETITION – 44 INCH CHEST

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A Ken Loach movie... A football movie... A romantic comedy... Or a quirky British comedy...?

Positioning. So, what is it?

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A Ken Loach film…

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A football film…

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A romantic comedy…

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A quirky British comedy…

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Final Posters

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Distribution - Marketing Marketing is one of the most important

aspects of a film’s distribution and there are many different ways to market a film.

Make a list of the different the ways you can market a film.

Posters Trailers Online and mobile content Special Screenings/Premieres Interviews/ articles Merchandising Festivals/ Awards

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Distribution – Marketing -Task: www.launchingfilms.com/releasesche

dule Choose a film that has either been

released this week or is just about to be released.

Create a PowerPoint presentation that covers as much about the marketing strategy for that film as possible

Make a note of whether your chosen film is British or America

Record the name of the distribution company

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Film Exhibition

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Exhibition The cinema release of a film marks the final

stage of one part of a film’s journey from idea to audience.

After the cinema release, the film will then be available on several different formats.

Each of these “exhibitions” of the film offer the opportunity to generate profit.

List as many different ways to watch as film as you can.

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Small Group Task

Make a poster displaying the pros and cons of a particular type of exhibition (watching a film).

You will present your findings to the rest of the group and as a class we will try to decide which way is the best.

The options are: Cinema (theatrical), Television (All types), DVD/BluRay, Online Service

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The Film Value Chain

•Cinema

•DVD/BluRay/Downloads

•Subscription Television

•Free to air television

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Key Questions

Of the “Film Value Chain” where do you think that films make the most money?

Why do you think this is?

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Cinema – the first and the best way!There are several different types cinema :

Multiplex ImaxArt-house screens

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Group Task

Cinema Chains:OdeonVUEEverymanCurzon EmpireCineworldPicturehouse (see printed sheet)

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Changes in Exhibition

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Using your research notes answer the following questions:

How does the range of “cinematic experiences” offered vary between the Odeon/VUE and Curzon/Everyman chains?

Do all cinemas within the same chain show the same films? If not why not?

Do you think all these cinema chains attract the same types audience? Why