Distribution.

What is distribution?
What is a distributor?
Distribution and Marketing.

• Tony Angelletti - 'audience has the greatest power.' '...if the audience likes a particular superstar, then Hollywood is forced to use them.' Summary: the audience is in control of what the film industry makes.
• Toby Miller - 'budget of a film often sees 50% going on promotion.' 'consumer can exercise authority is absurd.' Summary: Hollywood control the films that we want to see.

What is film distribution?
Describes everything that happens between making the film and people watching the film.
All the deals that happen are used to promote the film.
Above the line - everything the distribution company pays for eg. trailers, poster, billboards... ect.
Below the line - all the free publicity eg. interviews with the actors, fan sites and reviews.

Is it all fair?
Big companies control their own distribution and others.
Films are loaned out to cinemas and release deals are done that secure access to a certain number of screens.
UK film market - increase in the quantity of screens showing British films has not led to an increase of British films being shown.

Five major distributors in UK film industry (all are American companies):
1. United International Pictures (Universal is included in this)
2. Warner Brothers
3. Buena Vista
4. 20th Century Fox
5. Sony

• Roughly 9 of out 10 films are distributed by the above companies.
• Distributors are directly linked to Hollywood production companies who make the films, and the exhibitors who prioritise Hollywood films for profit.
• Blockbuster films are distributed via 'blanket release' meaning the other films are competing for attention.
• Blanket release - the film will be shown everywhere, covers the other films being shown at the time, considered to be 'an event' as there is such a big hype about it.
• Half of the British films being shown in Britain do not reach the whole country due to this.

Problems smaller companies face
Every film shown in cinemas needs a print, and a separate print for each cinema it is being shown in, which then uses the prints to project the film via a reel.
Smaller companies can't afford to make as many prints as larger companies can, therefore less cinemas will screen the film and less people will watch it, minimising profit.
UK Film Council is financially supporting British films by using Digital Screen Network.

The dominance of Hollywood
Marketing - Pirates of the Caribbean 2 made over £50 million in the UK box office and 1.5 million DVD's were brought after 10 days of release, despite bad reviews. Good marketing gave the film success.

The Dark Knight
First big blockbuster to use viral advertising to that extent.
Cost £185 million to make.
On 20th July 2008 The Dark Knight was shown on 4336 screens in the UK.
Compared to This Is England which was shown on 62 screens on 29th April 2007.

The piracy problem and film distribution
Piracy is a major concern of all film distributors, with Hollywood investigators claiming a 10% increase each year in revenue lost to illegal distribution.
The UK has the highest level of DVD piracy.
The UK Film Council reminded the public that they're hurting the small production companies by piracy.
Can digital film and projection stop this?

Digital distribution advantages
It promises to transform the film industry.
Downloading films via broadband means companies don't have to spend money on prints and cinemas ect.
It has the advantage of every film being identical versions as things can't go missing or get damaged, so you will still have the same high quality not matter how long you have the film for.
More controlled and has better security, almost impossible to pirate films.
Simultaneous global distribution via the internet will stop the 'time gap'.