Distribution

Distribution is the way film companies market their films so that audiences go and see them. They have to make the audience aware of the film and persuade them to see it in the cinemas. After all the box office is were they make the money. There are lots of different ways distributing your film and lots of different techniques to use. You could write a script then approach a bigger studio who will fund the shot and distribute it for you or you could make a film and then show it to companies to try and get them to distribute it. Either way films needs to be distributed by big powerful companies if you wont to make a lot of money. The companies that distribute films are people like Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Paramount. However there are ways for indie film producers to distribute their films them self. I am going to talk about Hypothetical distribution, techniques which is used in the industry and realistic distribution, things I could actually do with my short film.

Hypothetical Distribution

Distribution is important as it brings the audiences in. First of all there are the most obvious methods like trailers and adverts. Trailers are shown before films in the cinema. The first thing film distributers have to think about is what they want to show in the trailer and what effect they want it to have. Some films have simple taster trailers which reveal hardly any information about the film and make the audience interested because they want to know more. On the other hand some films have hight pasted trailers full of action to impresses the audience and make them want to see more. The aim of a trailer is to make the audience aware of the film and when it is coming out and make the want to know more, this might then make them go away and research it themselves. Film distributers have to think about what films they show there trailers before as they want to access there target audience specifically. This means they will be shown before films with the same certificate and in the same genre. For example a trailer for a certificate 15 action film wouldn’t be shown before a 12 children's cartoon it would be shown before a action film as the film distributers know there target audience are likely to be there. Adverts are quite similar but are often short and more precise, getting the information out as fast as possible. This is because of the price of advertising on TV. The key facts in a film trailer are the name of the film, the famous actors in it and the release date. These can all be shown with out giving away too much of the plot but enough to interest the audience. Again the time and showing of a advert needs to thought about carefully so it is aimed at the right people.

Films also have posters and billboards marketing the film. This are simple effective ways of making the audience aware of the film. For example the poster for Quantum of Solace the latest James bond film. It has a picture of the two main characters in a location from the film, then the name of the film and the release date at the bottom. However this information is enough to generate interest. We can see it is a bond film because of the 007 logo which brings a pre-determined audience and we know Daniel Craig is in it which also brings a Pre-determined audience. We can see there is going to be action as he is holding a gun and the women is very attractive which again might interest people. So with thi s simple poster they can campaign across the country in bus shelters, on the side of buses, in town centers, in cinemas and many more places and make there audience aware of the release and generate new audiences to watch the film.

The press and media also play a large part in marketing a film. When a film is finished production there is a press release. This is a package sent to all the newspapers, tabloids, radio stations and TV channels about the film. It will include a synopsis of the film information about the actors and the director, pictures and clips form the film and the trailer. This is so that the press are aware of the new film before the public. This press pack enables the press to do segments on the film and give the readers, listeners or viewers the information about the new films.For example there is a film feature on radio 1 were they tell you all about knew films coming up this year, they are able to do this because they are sent a press release. Other things the film distributers do for the press is that they invite influencal members of the press to the premier and many others are invited to private showings. This is show they can write reviews about the film and create a buzz about it. Films also often hold junkett days this is when the stars of the film are interviewed by lots of different people on one day. This enables the press to write up articles and interviews with the stars and even film the interviews and show the on TV. All this exposer is good for the film more and more people get to hear about it, be aware of the release and want to come and see it.

Film distributers also sometimes hold free screenings for the public before the release date . This is because there is no better way of marketing your film then word of mouth. If a friend tells you that they saw a film that was really good you trust their judgement and want to go and see it yourself. By showing the film for free before is officially released creates a buzz about the film between friends and the public as people are able to start talking about the film when they have seen it. Word of mouth spreads quickly and there is an element of trust in word of mouth which can not be created by any other type of marketing and best of all it’s free.

Online marketing is the new up coming way of distributing your film. Viral marketing as it is called uses lots of different techniques to do with the internet. As an example of this The Dark Knight used a brilliant viral campaign which target fans months before the film was released. The campaign started with two websites on for the joker and one for Harvey Dent. The websites were at first just unclear images and over time more and more information was released. There was also a blurred image of the joker that slowly came into focus over months to revel what he looked like. This was so great because it created anticipation in the fans as they were kept guessing about the film for months. The campaign was complicated and quite hard to follow and was really for the dedicated batman fans. This is an image form the Dark Knight viral Campaign.

More and more films are using techniques like this now a days as people are able to access the internet easily and young people are constantly online. Other internet marking could include adverts on sites and links to the trailer on youtube on websites that the target audience are likely yo visit.

film festivals are another great way to promote a film to the public and to other people in the industry. Film distributors organises to have their film shown at major influential film festivals like Sundance and Canes. This makes people aware of the film and gives big names in the industry a chance to see it first. If they are lucky the film might win awards at the festival, these are a great promotion technique as if the public see that it is critically acclaimed they are more likely to go and see it.

Overall distribution is all about getting your film out there and making the audience aware of it. You need to promote your film to the right people and hopefully persuaded them to buy a cinema ticket so you can make a box office profit.

Real Distribution

As I am only making a short 10 minute film that will not have such a aggressive distribution campaign or be released in the cinemas I also need to look at how I can create a audience for my film. As a young film maker it is good for you to start building a fan base and making people aware of your film.

Things you could do for or short film are make yourself a facebook or myspace as this cost nothing and is a very popular place for young independent artist form lots of different areas to start their career. Having your work out their on the internet makes it possible for anyone to see and that anyone could be important. You could also put it on youtube again for the same reasons.

You could make posters for your film and put them up in your local town telling people were they can watch your film on the internet or you could hold a mini showing at your college or town hall. If you are lucky you could convince the local cinema to show your film before other feature films they are showing. This would be great exposer for you and your film as a wide audience will be able to see it and be aware of your work.

You could also enter your film into film festivals. This might also be where you as a film maker is able to find a larger film distributor to support your film. Almost anyone can submit an entry for a film festival as they are kind of like competitions. However getting your film shown at a well known film festival like Sundance or Toronto is difficult as so many people submit. Films by well known directors or films backed by bigger companies will be chosen above you but if your film is very good there is a chance you might get shown. To build up your reputation and chances of being shown at one of these film festivals in the future enter local small competitions and festivals with your short film. This will again be making more people aware of your film and showing a wider audience your work. In addition you could get your local radio to advertises your film or a film showing you may wish to hold. This would target people who live in your area and who will be interested on the work being produced by young people in the area.

With a short film like mine distributing the film is more about making people aware of my work then making money like big films but the same basic principals apply just with less money to do it.