The Issues Raised in the Targeting of National and Local Audiences (specifically, British) by International and Global Institutions

The Issues Raised in the Targeting of National and Local Audiences (specifically, British) by International and Global Institutions - By Sophie and Yasemin. 

Film Distributor's Association - Process of a Film

Process of a Film;

SCENE 1: INTRO;
- Film can come from a range of ideas such as;
                     - book, a historical figure, inspiration

SCENE 2: ROLE OF DISTRIBUTION;
- Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE says - 'movies enrich our lives. They influence the games we play, the music we enjoy, inspire the fashions and advertising images that spring up all around us'.
  - Films come to life when they "invade the consciousness of the citizens - consumers - for who they were intended." 
  - aim of distributors is to deliver largest possible audience which is not easy when there are so many other options available i.e; 500+ titles released in the UK a year.
                                          - research shows most people know what they want to see before arrival - due to competitive efforts to promote interest in films.
- tailor-made/ audience-focused distribution is vital to prospects of independent films.
- the change of digitization via 35mm prensentation has had a transformative impact.
                      - digital has changed the way films are released, promoted and consumed, and has reshaped what entertainment cinema can be.

SCENE 3: WHAT DO DISTRIBUTORS DO?
- Distributors;
  - identify the audience for a film.
  - consider why people would go and see a film.
  - estimate the revenue potential across all formats of its release.
  - persuade the exhibitors to play the film.
  - develop plans and partnerships to build awareness and interest of a film.
  - aiming to convert as much interest as possible into cinema visits.
- Film is product-driven and is why people by tickets. Today consumers call the shots to decide the content they want to receive/reject/access and deliver.

SCENE 4: WHO ARE DISTRIBUTORS?
- UK has 6 major distributors.
- many independent distributors who handle films outside of the major studios.

SCENE 5: HOW DO DISTRIBUTORS GET FILMS?
- 3rd party sales agent.
- continuous flow of new content from a partner studio.
- studio/production company who distributor has negotiated with.
- single title got at any stage
  - larger studios and major producers may get 'first look' - maybe to produce or help with finance
  - with big-budget blockbusters, a studio may sell off international rights to other distributors
  - independent distributors may get films from independent producers - film festivals are good for discovering new films.
ACQUISITIONS;
- film copyright = owned by people or organisations that may produce/finance them.
  - entitles creators to receive a fair return for risks they take in innovation and investment
  - bringing films to market, distributors act under license on their behalf.
- when distributing they look for features, i.e;
  - originality
  - fresh angle or 'hook'
  - publicity campaign
- distributor's opinion on a film's marketability should be known before production. Distribution deal needs to be in place - whether due to a hot script/director/anticipated cast.
- distributors often seek financial support in a number of ways inc;
       - pre-sale to distributors.
       - bank loans.
       - institutional investors.
       - private individuals.
       - beneficial tax schemes.
       - public subsidies i.e; National Lottery funding. 
- films very rarely make profit from cinema release alone - looking at longer path; 'downward chain' = DVD release, VOD platforms, airline deals, PPV e.g; Sky/Freeview/Non-theatrical sales eg; cruises.
FILM FINANCING;
- distributor becomes a partner in a project and contributes to development/production costs.
- may pay an advance/minimum guarantee against future earnings to producer/sales agent.
FILM FESTIVALS;
- common ones = Sundance/Berlin/Cannes/Venice/Toronto - they provide;
  - a market where distributors may meet sellers.
  - competition - films win prizes.
  - high-profile platform - films shown prior to release. 

SCENE 6: MAKING A DEAL;
- distributors sign a contract with producer/sales agent/studio - list rights they hold to film inc. right to release it in the UK and promote in all media before/during release.
- may be provision of film editing to secure a classification.
- contract sets income from releases apportion and how its accounted for and set a date for end of license.
- distributors normally seek all available rights and to spread risk/opportunity across all platforms. 

SCENE 7: PLANNING RELEASE;
- sometimes a film is locked so the distributor can see exactly what they're dealing with: they'll know how well the movie has done and how strongly cast performed.
- distributor develops plan in consultation with producers and/or studio as appropriate.

SCENE 8: WHAT, WHEN, WHO, HOW?
- distributor decides how and when to release a film;
   - use market knowledge, commercial experience, statistical research and professional judgement - they gauge audiences.
- when distributors have estimated what a film may earn they prepare a budget.
- goal is to make a profit but film release is tricky - audience choice is large and profit can be minimal.
WHAT?
- what kind of film is it?
- star power among the cast? Are they available to attend premieres? Are they/film up for awards?
- Is there already a buzz about the film? Is it based on a book? Did it receive well at a festival? How big was the premiere?
- will there be a sequel? Is it a sequel?
- what certificate will the film have?
   - this affects potential audience as a higher certificate = possibly less success due to limited audience. 
WHEN?
- what films are out at the same time?
- are the most appropriate 2D/3D screens available and likely to be offered?
- key events surrounding release i.e; football matches, olympics etc.
WHERE?
- distributors soon begin to look at the type of release they need;
  - in the UK and Ireland alone there are 550 cinemas with 4000+ screens.
- a saturation release at cinemas everywhere may open simultaneously on 1000 screens in the UK: playing 2+ screens per multiplex
  - this is usually deployed for tentpole/star-led movies which helps to accommodate eager audiences.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION;
- encoded media files containing films are delivered to cinema i.e; on hard drive or via a satellite link called DCP's (Digital Cinema Prints).
  - ingested into a powerful server at the cinema and played through a state-of-the-art digital projector. 
- no scratching or deterioration. 
  - digital remastering means old classics can look as good as new.
- VPF's (Virtual Print Fees) =most widely used method of financing conversion of 35mm to digital. 
  - savings from this go to the cost of equipment.
- By spring 2013 - nearly all 3750 UK cinemas had installed a digital projection system. 
HOW?
- distributors view film and conform release plan: pay all release costs inc. marketing and making prints and draw up detailed plan covering launch and sustaining of the film post-release. 
- budgets estimated by total UK distribution expenditure which varies from 1000's to £4-5m per film.
  - worldwide film can cost $100-200m to produce and another $100m to release.

SCENE 9: FILM MARKETING;
- a distributor needs to create visibility and raise enough awareness and interest in a film to persuade potential audiences to buy tickets and go and see it at the nearest cinema - ignoring all other entertainment options.
- marketing inc;
  - creative/production.
  - digital/social media.
  - online/offline publicity/PR.
  - advertising.
  - promotions and events. 
- marketing plan = complement overall distribution plan.
  - designed to navigate route to market that allows interest to peak - taking into account competititve environment: not lost under other films available. ]
FILM ARTWORK;
- film artwork distills main appeal and positioning of film inc. stars/genre.
- so many posters on offer in a cinema, distributors and designers must ensure all stand out
  - they are released online and therefore are important as they spread across media platforms. 
- distributors provide display materials for cinema foyers
  - freestanding cardboard cutouts, special standees, bunting, banners, window clings, floor stickers and mini posters produced/tailored for each multiplex/independent. 
- help consumers make final decision at present and for future visits.
TRAILERS;
- these are strongest and most cost-effective form of marketing
  - play on big screen to select group of cinemagoers and online/mobile where usually appear first.
- what to include in a trailer is carefully picked - distributors usually inc. most dramatic moments - but at early stages SFX/VFX isn't added.
- trailers are edited according to classification to secure max play time
  - one for a 12A film may be played before a U/PG film as long as trailer isn't higher then that film - important as may not be enough higher-rated fare before your film is released with which you can schedule you trailer.
PUBLICITY;
- assessments of 'PR-ability' of a film starts in earliest days of production.
- the earlier that pre-disposed consumers are aware that for fans to see film-focused magazines is important as it creates an excitement.
- production companies provide film hots for journalists with;
  - cast and crew list.
  - biographies.
  - facts about production.
  - synopsis. 
- important to have quality photographs for publicity.
- publicity teams arrange interviews with cast and gain entry into press conferences/premieres.
- media stunts.
AWARDS;
- mounting speculation of BAFTA's and Oscars lasts up to 5 months before
  - nominations and wins is important for publicity campaigns of film.
- a 'Best Film' accolade can rejuvenate a film's box-office takings and extend its shelf-life. 
  - if it weren't onscreen at thee time, it may cause re-release to optimise prestige. 
THIRD PARTY AND BRAND PROMOTIONS;
- in promotion there may be one-off promotion with a food/drink/confectionery brand/electronics/clothing retailer/mobile phone/coffee shop etc.
  - designed to deliver promotion on high streets.
RESEARCH AND TRACKING;
- research = important to discover;
  - what elements are most entertaining.
  - characters/actors most motivating.
  - settings most appealing.
  - audience most engaged - can inform everything from production of trailers to apps.
- stage 2 of research is 'tracking' - which comes as a result of a telephone survey conducted among 2000 cinemagoers each week: split into quadrants of under 25's and by gender. 

SCENE 10: LICENSING FILMS TO EXHIBITORS;
- key part of any distribution plan is where a film should play;
  - what sorts of cinemas are appropriate?
  - with intended audience - how can theatrical release achieve greatest impact?
- every release is a joint-venture;
  - distributors screen forthcoming titles and discuss release dates and marketing.
- during the agreement stage, sales team negotiate a confidential license agreement with each exhibitor; under UK law, maximum booking period for new releases is 2 weeks, after can continue weekly under agreement as long as its got a significant audience.
- process = a hard drive is dispatched by the technical department to each cinema that has booked the film - data is ingested into a server connected to a digital projector.
- process for IMAX = celluloid prints are delivered broken down into reels contained in sealed cans; security protocols mean hard drives are returned/reused and celluloid prints are destroyed under supervised conditions: recycling as much as possible
  - a copy is usually kept for future generations. 
BOX-OFFICE RETURNS;
- exhibitors use computerised box-office/ticketing systems and submit a weekly return for each title and indicate to a distributor how many tickets were sold and at what price.
- sum of what distributors earn is actually less then what is shown in box office news.
- generally, UK distributors receive 25-40% gross eg; a film grosses at £5m, so distributors will get around £1.5m.
HOLD-OVER CHALLENGE;
- computerised till systems enable the ticket sales and advance bookings for any film to be tracked every hour.
- negotiations with distributors and each exhibitor concerns;
  - all new releases on market.
  - any previews planned for the coming week.
  - screen average of every film. 






         

Marketing for 'The Martian'

Marketing for ‘the martian’ from Sophie Rudd

Working Title Research - relationship with Universal and Marketing process

1) How long have Working Title ‘re-upped’ with Universal till?
= They re-upped in June and will be running through with Universal until 2020.

2) Who else do Working Title work with apart from Universal?
= Working Title have also formed strong relationships with ‘Studio Canal’ (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and have also done deals with ‘MRC’, ‘Warner Bros.’ and ‘Sony’.

3) What does this allow them to do?
= It gives them the opportunity to operate across both studio and indie playing fields, as well as being able to continue making the fare-intelligent , mid-budgeted dramas and comedies which are predominantly taking over premium TV.

4) Why do they go to film festivals?
= The pair feel that any additional spotlight you can gain for a film (especially when it opens the festivals) is great thing to get. For them, the Venice film festival is a particular favourite as many of their greatest films have opened there (inc; ‘Tinker Tailor’, ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Atonement’).

5) What benefits do WT get from working with Universal?
= Fellner - WT ultimately benefit from the power that Universal have as a distribution company – the power they have within the market place in terms of exhibition, TV deals, and the positive environment it provides is brilliant as well.
= Bevan – Believes they also benefit from the fact that Universal have a brilliant distribution and marketing team. He refers to the distribution of films such as ‘Everest’, where Universal were able to notice even the smallest possibilities of heading somewhere else in the distribution process.

6) What is meant by ‘premium TV’?
= The larger shows which are being found in the market place at the moment/ can also refer to the rise of Internet TV platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.

7) How much do studios spend every year on marketing?
= Bevan - Studios in the VOD business are spending a million dollars on marketing.

8) How much was spent on marketing Project X?
= $20m/VOD route – could spend $25 on marketing.

9) What is a tentpole movie?
= Definition – a tentpole movie is one which has “a commercial undertaking, a story franchise, or a fictional character that serves as primary support (for a company, television program, etc.) especially a blockbuster movie which compensates for a studio’s flops.”

Marketing and Exchange within Film

Evaluate the Digital Technologies used in the Marketing of Film in the UK and Consider How Audiences Use and Consume Film via Digital Technology:

= The use of digital marketing within the marketing of film in the UK can be considered a highly significant factor in ensure marketing reaches a high scale, and thus, reaches the audience to formulate consumption among members of the public. One such example comes from a film by Matthew Vaughn which is in post-production - that is 'Eddie the Eagle' which is using a range of digital technologies in order to market the film in such a way that would result in an audience using such technology to consume the film. Matthew Vaughn is also the producer of 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' and 'Stardust' - as well as the director of 'X-Men: First Class'. Ultimately, this use of digitial technology in terms of previous films may result in a wider level of market - reaching out to a wider audience - who may then use the knowledge of Vaughn's previous works as a reason to watch 'Eddie the Eagle'. Moreover, the two main cast members of Taron Egerton (who plays 'Eddie "the eagle" Edwards') and Hugh Jackman (who plays Eddie's trainer) have both starred in previous Vaughn films; this once again could result in a wider audience-reach in terms of marketing, and so, a greater level of consumerism. Following on, such information is often provided to the public via official adverts which can be found on social media sites like YouTube and possibly through links that one may be able to access on other social media sites such as Twitter. Consecutively, this leads on to the next form of digital technologies that assists in the marketing of film in the UK: social media. Both 'Eddie the Eagle' and another film recently released in UK cinemas called 'The Danish Girl' have their own Twitter sites and Facebook pages, and also have features on other social media sites such as Instagram. Yet when one looks at the digital technologies used to promote a film like 'The Danish Girl' it is not just the film itself that uses social media sites for marketing purposes. 'The Danish Girl' has a vast range of articles featured on highly sophisticated magazines such as 'Variety', 'GQ' and 'W Mag'; and on the front covers of these magazines are usually images of the main cast members; and such a form of marketing can be found on many platforms - social media sites, in shops, online articles etc. Ultimately, the spread of magazine articles through such a vast range of digital marketing platforms also means that any reviews/criticisms or news stories concerning the movie are easily reachable for an audience. For example, one article which 'The Danish Girl' tweeted from their official Twitter page (@danishgirlmov) "Huge congrats to Alicia Vikander on her Best Supporting Actress win at the #CriticsChoice Awards! #TheDanishGirl". Not only does sucn a form of digital marketing on a social media platform create a buzz and spread awareness of the film, but it highlights the evidently high level of professionalism the movie withholds; it has an ensemble of credible actors (Edddie Redmayne's success is already highlighted through his Oscar win) and here we see that other cast members have equal acclaim. So this creates more reassurance for an audience at the possibility of using such digital marketing as inspiration to consume this film. Similarly, referring back to 'Eddie the Eagle', the website for the Sundance Film Festival has reviews for the film (and for 'The Danish Girl') which once again creates an extreme buzz around both films, which is an evident reason for an audience to consume the films in whatever way they can. However, for me, I believe that the way in which one exaggerates the certain connections within a film in the marketing can be key in making sure an audience uses this to consume. For example, with 'Eddie the Eagle' not only have the two main cast members featured in two other films of which Matthew Vaughn has either produced or directed, but the music of this film has connections as well. Recently, it has been revealed via social media digital marketing that musician and member of Take That Gary Barlow is releasing a new album which has songs that'll feature in the soundtrack for 'Eddie the Eagle'. Now fans of Gary and his band Take That may be aware that Take That wrote the songs for 'Stardust' ("Rule The World"), 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' ("Get Ready For It") and 'X-Men: First Class' ("Love Love"); ultimately, the mass following of such a band means that all of these songs have been purchased, people have watched the videos for these songs and, in turn, saw glimpses of the films that the songs accompany. Conclusively, this can be considered an important factor of digital marketing which would result in consumerism among an audience - particularly if they feel a desire to see a film having the knowledge that their favourite musician has also felt excited enough about a media product to write music for it.