The Film Process

What are the key stages?What happens at each key stage

The Film Process

Production

Distribution

Marketing

Exhibition/ConsumptionExchange

• Production involves the creation of the media product and is the responsibility of the PRODUCTION COMPANY

• Preproduction-Production-Postproduction • Before this stage FINANCE must be arranged.

– British funding – BFI, Lotteries, Production Companies, Businesses

– USA – Conglomerates provided financial backing

Production

Producers• Producers are frequently the first person to become

involved in a project; they participate directly in all the main producing phases; and see the project through production, to post-production, marketing and distribution.

• The Producer's is role to turn story ideas into profitable cinematic entertainment, and to persuade others to share in his or her commercial and creative vision. Producers usually report to the production company, or to the Executive Producers appointed to supervise the production on behalf of the financiers and Distributors.

Responsibilities• Producers have overall control on every aspect of a

film's production, bringing together the Screenwriters, Director, cast, finances and production team.

• Their primary responsibility is to foster an environment in which the creative talents of the cast and crew can flourish - Producers are therefore ultimately accountable for the success of the finished film.

• Producers many responsibilities span all four phases of production

Distribution

• The Invisible Art – process known only to those within the industry, barely written about and also imperceptible to everyone else.

Producers AudienceDistribution

DistributionKey Elements:

Positioning

Circulation

Release

Marketing

Distribution• Releasing and Sustaining a film in the market place• Worked best when the three key stages

(Production, Distribution, Exhibition) are linked or controlled by the same company

• UK system has more focus on marketing and sustaining a film in the local market

• Independent Studios struggle to get distribution - No formal connection between Producers, distributors and exhibitors

• Collaboration – need to get a major company on side - £££££££££££££$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Distribution = Power

• Films can not be financed without the help of distributors

• They have clout with theatre owners (or are often the owners)

• Brand name recognition• Own copyright• Access to capital

Distribution

• Viacom • Time Warner • Walt Disney

• Fox• Universal/Vivendi• Sony

Distribution

• Key Terms– Wide/Blanket/Saturation Release

– Platform release

– Limited Released/Art House Release

Distribution

Marketing

• What techniques can be used to market a film?

• In recent years the general tactic has been to ‘go big’

• The movie business is cyclical and seasonal– Summer– Christmas– Long holiday weekends (USA)

Marketing

• Every major Hollywood studio/distribution has an internal department for promotion and the resources to promote (TV, Magazines, Radio)

• The marketing campaign will be cohesive across all media platforms

• Most common forms are teaser trailers, trailers, Adverts in News papers and Magazines, Television spots, Radio promo, internet (official websites, viral sites, social networking) and billboards.

Marketing

• Teaser Trailer – very little info but ‘cool’ looking• Theatrical Trailer – done by specialist production houses• Official Website (with the Trailer), builds as release date

gets closes and is only the start of the internet campaign• Press Junket• A few weeks before release - Publicity Blitz (esp

internet)• Product tie-ins and corporate partnerships (Happy Meal)• Publicity Stunt (The Dark Knight, The Simpsons Movie)

Marketing

• Newspapers: 10.1%• Network TV: 21.6%• Spot TV (individual stations) 13.9%• Internet: 4.4%• Theatrical Trailers: 4.2%• Other media (cable TV, radio, mags,

billboards):24%• Other non media (market research,

promotion/publicity, creative services): 21.8%

• Exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry. • What the exhibitor sells is the experience of a film (and,

frequently, concessions like soft drinks and popcorn). • Because exhibitors to some extent control how films are

programmed, promoted, and presented to the public, they have considerable influence over the box-office success and, more importantly, the reception of films.

• Exchange is about the relationship between the audience and institution and what they ‘do’ with the exhibition

Exhibition/ Exchange

• 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 film’s success is often decided on the

amount of money it makes during it’s 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.

Exhibition/ Exchange

PROMOTIONAL SCREENINGS CINEMAS HOSPITALITY DVD RENTAL PAY TV/VoD DVD RETAIL FREE TV LIBRARY

COMMERCIAL VENUE EXHIBITION EXHIBITION AT HOME

Copies of the film are released for exhibition in different stages.

Source: UK Film Council, CEA, BVA, ERA

Exhibition/ Exchange

• Cineworld and Odeon are the two biggest multiplexes here

• In American there is a lot more choice but the biggest ones seem to be Cinemark (294) Regal Entertainment (545), AMC (378) and Carmike (244)

• There are very strong laws in America about the separation of Production Companies and Exhibitors.

Exhibition/ Exchange

Exhibition/ Exchange

• Why are people not going to the cinema? Give as many reasons as possible.

Exhibition/ Exchange

• Home Entertainment– What is it? List as many examples of film based

‘home entertainment’• This a thriving part of the industry esp here in

the UK. We buy or rent 350m films a year and it is worth close to £3b a year (three times that of ticket prices)

Exhibition/ Exchange