Distribution - What is it?

Distribution

• Distribution is the third part of the supply chain 

• Distribution is often refereed to as the 'invisible art' 

• When discussing distribution, 'vertical integration' describes the three stages being seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company.

• Vertical integration is not so common in the independent sector. This is because producers tend not to have long term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors.

• The independent sector has three stages - licensing, marketing and logistics.

Licensing 

• Licensing referrs to the process by which a distributor aquires a legal right to exploit a film.

• There are two levels of licensing - International and local distribution

• Major US studios often have their own distribution offices. This comes as an advantage. 

• The three different types of rights you can acquire on a local level - theatrical, video, TV

• Royalties are when a film producer gains payment from film profit by the distributor

• Theatrical (cinema) openings are seen as the most effective way to increase interest in a film

• Two years after opening in cinemas, a film will reach 'free to air' 

Marketing 

• The two key questions surrounding the marketing of a film - when? and how?

• Typically, films are released on a Friday

• Before releasing a film on a Friday, a distributor will look at scheduling a release for the seasonality of the film 

• In terms of distribution, a 'light week' describes when there is both screen space and adequate review columns in the press

• When a film is positioned distinctively, it means it avoids a release date occupied with other films with similar traits

• This has become increasingly difficult in the UK because the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 releases in a week. 

• P&A describes the costs of theatrical distribution met by local distributors (prints and advertising) 

• P&A can range from costing less than £1000 up to over £1 million 

Marketing - Prints and Adverts 

• Typically, a specialized film will have fewer than 10 prints

• Mainstream films will often have over 200 prints

• A key factor in developing the profile of a film - favorable press response

• Awareness of a film can also be raised by advertising in magazines local or national newspaper

• Distribution in the UK is seen as risky because the cost of print advertising is comparably high 

• Companies are looking towards viral marketing to extend the reach of advertising and develop more effective communication with audiences at lower costs 

• A 'Talent visit' to create word of mouth and advance buzz around a film 

Logistics

• In the pre digital film age, a distributor was responsible for screening the film on certain 'play dates' and to arrange the transportation of a film to the cinema

• Typically, a 35mm print will cost £1000

• A typical feature print has 5 or 6 reels.

• 35mm prints get dammaged because they weigh 20-25 kg.

• prints are stored in a single hard case

• Theatrical release used to last around 6 months 

Digital Distribution

• Digital distribution began in the UK 

• The two advantages of digital distribution - 

• countries that adopted digital distribution early - 

• there were 211 screens that were digital in 2005 and 2K now

• digital distribution has radically altered the opening model of distributors 

• the typical release period for a dilm

• a loss leader is where a film is sold at below cost price and companies using cinema

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

distribution 

marketing

It may be argued, by a main stream audience,that the continuing development of digital media technology carries great significance in improving the quality of viewing and experience for an audience. (mainstream audience) In my opinion, the continuing development has little impact on my viewing experience,however it has had great impact on my ability to access films online or through iphone making them more appealing as i can watch from the comfort of my home. This is an example of media convergence. It may also be considered that the development of digital media has caused negative impact for media institutions and audiences. Film Buffs and aficionados may argue that the development of digital media technology has made all action and sci-fi films so similar that they are now only watched by mainstream audiences.  

Production practices have progressed due to the continuing development of digital media technology. The use of advanced media technology including computer controlled camera movements have made it easier for film producers to capture more action scenes that appear more intense. Mad Max: Fury Road examples the use of this. An 'edge arm' placed on top of a moving vehicle was used to capture fast paced action scenes with clever camera shots and angles. Mad Max: Fury Road was filmed using six ARRI Alexas supported by eleven Codex onboard recorders and a number of Cannon 5Ds. These new digital cameras have improved quality of picture for the audience and allowed director, George Miller, to use Eye Trace and Crosshair framing techniques to keep important visual information in one spot. However, the use of these new digital cameras and devices hasn't come easy to all film production teams. Mad Max: Fury Road was filmed in the coastal deserts of Namibia meaning frequent sandstorms and intense heat required special precautions by the camera crew. In an interview for Codex Digital, Cinematographer John Seale commented, ''I’d shot plenty of film-negative films in deserts and jungles under severe conditions, but never digital so I was a bit worried.'' Similarly, some directors prefer to use traditional celluloid cameras rather than digital. It may be considered that this occurs more commonly among British directors as stereotypically, the British favour tradition. This may then infer that the British film industry is so much smaller than the American industry because advanced media technology has allowed the American film industry to please a wider audience.    

Similarly, the ongoing advance of digital media for post production practices has benefited media institutions and audiences. Well established editing software's have allowed film editors to create faster paced, more 'realistic' continuity action. Mad Max: Fury Road, edited by Margret Sixel, consisted of 120 minutes showing 2700 individual shots. Thats 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer to reveal the story line in a clear concise manner. Mad Max features extensive action scenes including one battle scene in which character Nux practices a suicide jump from one vehicle to another blowing it up. Obviously during the film production no actors could be blown up or injured so clever continuity editing had to be used to create the illusion of this really happening. With the power of foremost editing programmes, Sixel could amplify and accelerate scenes like this to create an overall more intense experience for the viewer. Whilst this is considered a large advantage to media institutions, some media audiences for example film buffs or aficionados may feel that it is this editing that is creating identical films that show only explosions and large battle scenes therefore choose to watch films that avoid this. For example Ex Machina, edited by Mark Dey, uses a more simplistic editing technique. 

Furthermore, Distribution has been impacted by the development of digital media technology. The development of digital media technology has allowed for easier access and a wider range of digital distribution platforms for example, Netflix, itunes and YouTube. Smart phones, tablets and easy internet access support that media audiences can watch films anywhere at any time through these distribution methods. Most media audiences have benefitted from the development of digital distribution. It has allowed mainstream audiences to view films from the comfort of their own homes and it has allowed 

distribution
institutions - more competition, harder for indie films 
audiences - easier to access,  

The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That’s 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer. 2700 decisions that must guide and reveal the story in a clear and concise manner - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/the-editing-of-mad-max-fury-road/#sthash.22KAM3J4.dpuf

The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That’s 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer. 2700 decisions that must guide and reveal the story in a clear and concise manner - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/the-editing-of-mad-max-fury-road/#sthash.22KAM3J4.dpuf

The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That’s 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer. 2700 decisions that must guide and reveal the story in a clear and concise manner - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/the-editing-of-mad-max-fury-road/#sthash.22KAM3J4.dpuf

The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That’s 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer. 2700 decisions that must guide and reveal the story in a clear and concise manner - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/the-editing-of-mad-max-fury-road/#sthash.22KAM3J4.dpuf

The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots. That’s 2700 consecutive decisions that must flow smoothly and immerse the viewer. 2700 decisions that must guide and reveal the story in a clear and concise manner - See more at: http://vashivisuals.com/the-editing-of-mad-max-fury-road/#sthash.22KAM3J4.dpuf

June 2010 past essay question

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences

Topic: Institution & audience

Aspect: Digital media computers, cameras CGI, Social media, youtube, netflix

Viewpoint: continuing development

Instruction: what significance 

• includes development of new technology, such as cameras and viral marketing 
• big 6 companies can afford to use it 

Production

• Imax cinemas are special as they can project a larger much higher resolution image onto the cinema screen than in usual cinema and because of this increases the viewing quality for the film fan
• there are now around 700 Imax theatres in 52 different countries around the world

Post production 

• quality of special effects has allowed for a better quality experience 

distribution

•  in recent years companies have been introducing an online streaming platform, which gives the viewer the option to purchase the movie and stream or download that film directly to their computer at home

marketing 

There are now around 700 IMAX theatres in 52 different countries around the world.

Topic, Aspect Viewpoint, Instruction - Past Essay Questions

January 2010 Question

Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.'' To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Topic

Aspect

viewpoint 

instruction

June 2010 Question

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences? 

Topic

Media institutions and audiences 

Aspect

Computers - technology, editing - Mad Max, CGI - Ex Machina, Marketing - youtube, Netflix - Illegal download, social media

Viewpoint

continuing development 

Instruction 

What significance 

Essay Improvements

''successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.''

To what extent do you agree with this statement? 

It may be argued that successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices. In my opinion, successful media products (success defined by the amount profit made from a film and awards it is nominated for or wins.) are exceptionally reliant upon marketing and distribution to a specific target audience as this provides a film with the profit however, it is good production practices that will gain a film awards. I believe that the success of a film closely depends on the distribution to its specifically targeted audience. Generally, Four Quadrant films are amoungst the most successful as they appeal to a wider audience. The films Ex-Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road provide us with examples of how marketing, distribution and production practices impact the success of a film. Both films may be regarded as successful to a certain extent. Ex Machina took $37 million at the box office and won 2 out of 9 awards it was nominated for including the jury prize at Geradmer Film festival (2015) whilst Mad Max: Fury Road made $374.7 million at the box office and won 3 out of 17 awards nominated for including production designer of the year at the Hollywood film awards. (2015) 

It can be considered that the success of a film firmly leans on its good production practices. Good production creates and overall enjoyable experience for the consumers. If the audience have an enjoyable experience they are more likely to want to share the experience with family and friends. This then gains a larger audience for the film generating more profit therefore becoming more successful. success may also come from production practices as extensive and impressive production will increase a films chances of winning or being nominated for awards as people may enjoy the film more and find the experience of watching more intense.

Mad Max: Fury road provides us with an example of a film that spent large amounts of money and effort into creating good production practices. Mad Max: Fury Road cost $150 million to make. within this large budget, Mad Max bought; an accredited production team, actors and  impressive on screen explosions. All of which created an intense and enjoyable experience for the audience. Mad Max: Fury road was directed by successful director, George Miller who also worked on films 'Happy Feet' and 'Babe' and won 16 awards including Best animated feature of the year for Happy feet at the 2007 Oscars. Mad Max: Fury Road featured accredited Hollywood actors including Tom Hardy (also featured in Legend, Inception, this means war) and Charlize Theron. (also featured in Dark Places, Young Adult and the Devils advocate) Together, these well known faces generated more popularity for the film again expanding the audience. Mad Max's good production practices also included large on screen explosions. In one scene a large 'tanker' was blown up by driving three tank vehicles by remote control then using immense explosions to literally blow it up. This created extensive visual effects for the audience that looked realistic making the experience even more intense.

The film Ex- Machina provides us with an example of a film that spent less money and time on creating good production practices. Ex- Machina cost $15 million to make. This smaller budget than Mad Max: Fury road allowed Ex- Machina producers to employ unaccredited actors, a less known director and more simple effects.Ex- Machina was directed by Alex Garland whom is also known for his work on 'Dredd', 'Never let me go' and '28 days later.' Garland has been nominated for 13 awards for his work including best screenplay at the Fangoria Chainsaw awards. Ex- Machina features unaccredited actors Alicia Vikander (plays Ava) and Domhnall Gleeson (plays Caleb) The two actors were not as popular as those in Mad Max: Fury Road however the pair are set to star in the new 'Hunger Games' movie. Ex-Machina used considerably less visual effects than Mad Mad: Fury road. One of the few effects that Ex- Machina used was Ava's robotic body. In scenes of the film, her limbs appear translucent. This was done by shooting each scene twice. First, the scene would be shot with all actors including Alica. Then, the actors were asked to step out of the scene and the camera team recorded the same shots so that the background could be shot. After that, during post-production, Parts of Ava were edited out so that the background could be seen. This was the least time consuming and inexpensive way that the look of Ava could be created.

Both films had different budgets which allowed them to create films with production practices of different standards. It may be argued that the success of a film firmly leans on its good production practices to create an overall enjoyable experience for the audience. Most production practices that are 'good' and create a more intense or entertaining experience for a specifically targeted audience will cost considerable amounts of money. For the film to be considered 'good' by the specifically targeted audience, it should contain production practices that appeal to them. For example, in Mad Max: Fury Road, accredited actor, Tom Hardy plays a main character. Tom Hardy would appeal to the specifically targeted audience. Mad Max is an action film; Tom Hardy has played roles in films with similar genre including 'Legend' and 'The Dark Knight Rises'  making him appeal to the audience of Mad Max; Fury Road. Whereas, Ex- Machina features an unaccredited actor to play a main role Alicia Vikander also in 'A Royal Affiar' and 'A testament of youth' which are not Sci-Fi films meaning there is not the same appeal from the specifically targeted audience. However, these good production practices cost large amounts of money. This may explain why Mad Max: Fury Road was more successful than Ex- Machina because Mad Max had a larger budget to spend on production practices.

Ex- Machina's success may also be explained due to its production practices appealing to a very specific and smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road. Generally, four quadrant films are most successful as they appeal to a wider audience meaning more people will watch it so it has more chance of winning awards and generating money at the box office. Ex-Machina is a Sci-fi film that appeals to 'film buffs' which is a smaller audience than Mad Max's more family audience. This may determine the success of a film and is also part of the production practices. Ex- Machina contains contents that may not be enjoyed when viewing by all audiences. For example, one scene in Ex- Machina features a room full of naked AI models on display. Some viewers may find this uncomfortable to watch and think it slightly strange. This makes the audience for Ex- Machina smaller.

It may also be argued that the success of a film closely depends on its distribution to a specifically targeted audience. Both Ex-Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were distributed in different ways to different specific audiences. Ex- Machina's success may have been dependent on its well judged release pattern. The film was released at a similar time to Superhero film, 'The Avengers'. It was predicted that the Avengers film would be highly successful so, Ex- Machina producers decided to attempt to 'piggy back' the Avengers film. Ex- Machina was first released on January 21st 2015 distributed by 'Universal Pictures' The film was shown only on 4 screens to begin with which was then increased to 1200 screens. Mad Max: Fury Road was distributed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max was first screened in the UK on 14th May 2015. Mad Max was shown on a vast amount of screens from the beginning of the release,1200 screens.

Both films were distributed differently and both grossed different profits taking different amounts of money at the box office, (Defined by success) Ex- Machina had a budget of $15 million and grossed over $36 million making 240% profit. Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $374 million world wide against a budget of $150 million making almost 250% profit. Both films shared similar profit percentages however, the actual amounts of money they made were very different. This may be because Ex-Machina had a smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road meaning it was distributed to less screens therefore had less chance to make as much money at the box office. This suggests that distribution does depend on a films success however not so much as production practices as it is the content of the film that impacts the scale of its distribution.

Effective marketing similarly corresponds with the success of a film. In order for a film to be successful, it needs to have been watched by many people whom must know about the film to want to watch it. This is where marketing comes in. Successful Marketing will support a film with a wide audience of viewers. The films Ex- Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were both marketed very differently due to Ex- Machina having a limited budget and Mad Max having a larger budget. Ex- Machina did not have a lot to spend on marketing so, their small marketing team used cheaper alternatives including social media. Ex- Machina was marketed primarily on the dating app, 'Tinder'. This clever marketing campaign allowed the film to be targeted at a specific audience. The marketing team saw an opportunity to target an audience they believed would enjoy Ex- Machina through the app by setting up a false account named 'Ava' and allowing people to speak to her like they would anyone else through the app chat room. This then directed the target audience to the official Instagram page set up for advertising the film. The kind of people who would enjoy Ex- Machina may also have been found at the South by Southwest festival at which the film advertised at by screening at the festival.

Mad Max: Fury Road was marketed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max's budget was excessively larger meaning more money could be spent on ensuring a wide audience could be targeted. Mad Max spent $1 million on advertising including posters and billboards and spend $7 million on television marketing.


talk about how the release of a film becomes an event 

Representation of Class and Status

Upper Class

Downton Abbey: Lady Mary Crawley

Gossip Girl: Lily Van Der Woodsen

Desperate Housewives: Bree VanderKamp

Middle Class

Skins: Tony's Dad

Representation of Ethnicity - Essay

Camera movement

• the camera appears to be shaky - point of view shot - gives impression of hand held camera :- gives impression that viewer is there in the scene making it more tense building suspension

Camera Angles

• High angle used for white male character - he is more significant than the black male character - stereotypical 
• low angle for black male character 

Camera Shots

• close up - show facial expression - black male character appears to be fearful yet attempts to compose himself - white male character appears angry and dominant
• medium shot is used to show the scene as a whole - the black character is on the floor the white character is not 

Editing

• continuity editing - creates illusion of continuous action - realism
• Straight cut
• short shot duration conveys urgency and action 
•