LESSON AIMS
To understand how US and UK films Distribute, promote and exhibit films
to their audiences
To look at how to prepare for Question A and how you must find
your own evidence to use
Exam- WED 13th May 2009
2 and a bit weeks to go!!
Lessons Left:
This week- P4 Thurs
No Lesson Monday
Thurs full mock P4/P5?
Monday- Final Double Lesson
EXAM
SECTION A
Read the stimulus material,
make notes on it like below- if statistics what trends/behaviour to they illustrate. Overall what key issues relevant to the question do they raise?
Official materials promote a clear ‘star persona’. Marketing key in ‘selling’ a mainstream film
Hollywood is re-using popular formula, repeated genre cycle.
Similar success in UK, because of genre, star image
Fans key in creating and promoting stars, alternative
image to official materials
SECTION A
What other key issues can I bring in, What evidence can I bring in?
Genre/dominance of Hollywood due to synergy, horizontal integration etc
Marketing and Promotion
Importance of Stars and Star Persona
Fandom the role of fans
Evidence?!
You must have case studies-MUST use materials in your pack
SECTION A
Question: How much influence does distribution, marketing and exhibition of US and UK films have on encouraging audiences to watch films?
Key Words in the Question?
SECTION A
Distribution
Marketing
Exhibition
Getting the film to the audience, deciding on a target audience
and marketing strategy to raise awareness‘sell the film’
Release date and release strategyWhen and where, how many
screens are key.
Ancillary Markets: DVD, home cinema
SECTION A
Distribution Marketing
Brainstorm all the ways in which films arebrought to the publics attention?
AdvertisingTrailersPostersTeasers
Viral Advertising
PublicityReviews
ScreeningsPremieresAwards
WebsitesPress by stars and directors
MerchandiseComputers games
ToysSoundtracks
SECTION A
Marketing and Promotion is crucial to a Films success. Most importantly
is reaching the target audience and making them aware
Look at the poster below. What is the key selling
points they have used to try
and promote these films to the audience
US Case Study- Marketing a Tent-Pole Blockbuster
Read the article- ‘Cents and Sensibility’Skim read and pick out the key information
What does it suggest about US films and marketing?
Wall-E was the most expensive marketing
campaign last year at 54 million dollarsThey used a wide range of marketing
strategies to target a young and family audience.
Follow up with this website
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/
OR read the page: Ice Age 2 Marketing Campaign
SECTION A
US Case Study- Marketing the Tent Pole release
Key Points:
The most successful films at the box office are those that target a wide audience.
Tent-Poles are designed to target every sector-old, young, male and female
US companies such as Disney and Pixar often spend large amounts of money on marketing and merchandise that can make them money that can finance small more specialised films
They can benefit from synergy and cross promotion to create mass awareness of their products
They will also use stars, reviews and repeated genre cycles to ensure that they attract wide audiences.
UK Case Study- Mainstream VS Independent
Marketing
Facebook page and My Space Page
Promotional offer with Addidas trainners
Focused on reaching Urban Teenage audience
Large poster campaign on tubes in inner london
Near youth clubs and centre
Soundtrack
Background and Type of Film
Cipher Films- Small British Independent
Small Budget 1.5 million partly funded
by The UK Film Council
Follow up to Kidulthood
For a teenage, urban audience, Bristish
Key Selling PointsSequel
Noel Clarke-young unknown castGenre- Gritty, Urban, realism
UK Case Study- Mainstream VS Independent
Marketing
Half term release grossed 15.2 million in opening weekend
Large marketing budget
Synergy with other companies to cross promote-coca, cola, use of Sony Erricson, Computer games
Use of Daniel Craig to get lots of international Press
Promote Sony HDTV
Background and Type of Film
Sony Large Conglomorate
Massive Budget 160 million
Big Stars/exotic locations
Wide release and target audience
Global release
Key Selling PointsBond Franchise
Daniel Craig- Star PersonaGenre- Action
HD technology, spectacle
Case Study-Using Viral Marketing and New Technologies to promote films
Read the article Monster of a Marketing
Campaign
Bullet PointFive key issues this article raises
Summary of key issues
The Marketing Machine
Part of Hollywood’s dominance comes from the massive marketing budgets and the ability to cross promote and use synergy
Hollywood will use stars, proven genre formulas and awards/reviews to promote and market films
UK films can appeal to US audiences by using some of the same strategies
New Technologies have made marketing more accessible to smaller, specialised and niche films.
