Johan Folkes A2 Media Blog: Distribution and Marketing

What is meant by the term film distribution?
Film distribution is the term used to describe what platform the film is made to be seen on (e.g. Cinema,TV/DVD etc.)

What does a film distributor do?
A film distributor is in charge of how the movie is released. This is important because in order for the film to become successful, the film distributor has to be able to provide the target audience of that film a range and diverse way to acknowledge the film. However in order to distribute the film, the film distributor has to learn of the films target audience. The film can either aim at a wide, mainstream audience or it can aim at more of a niche target audience. It is the film distributors job to learn everything about the target audience from what their hobbies may be, their disposable income, what clothes they wear ect. If the film distributor fails to learn of its target audience then the film will be unable to reach its target audience and in result fail.

How does reach relate to film distribution?
Reach relates to film distribution as it is up to the film distributor to make the film reach its target audience. If the film doesn't reach its target audience then it wont be able to get the maximum amount of profit. Reach can almost be considered as a unit of measurement for film distributors as the film depends on it reaching its target audience and if it doesn't then we know the film fails.

What is meant by the distribution plan?
A distribution plan is a plan in which the film's distributors propose their technique for promoting the film. Within the reading it says 'The most important strategic decisions a distributor makes are when and how to release the film in order to optimise chances'.

What is meant by the marketing plan?

This here is a marketing plan. It contains everything in which the films marketing team will have to debate and research through in order to get the numbers to put into the boxes. There is a lot more paper work that has to be done within a marketing plan a lot more steps. Firstly the company of course has to find its target audience and with that it enables them to start tailoring their advertisement strategy to their target audience. As well as understanding their target audience they also have to know the trends of films such as what is popular and what isn't. The marketing plan is essentially one of the most vital points of the film as it can insure success when done properly or it can cause the film to fail.

What is the difference between advertising, publicity and promotion?

Advertisement is the way in which the marketing team promotes the film. Since the technological advancement is so great, there are many different ways for the advertising team to advertise the film. Such as a new £50 amazon phone is coming out, however since its such as cheap smart phone amazon have to find a way to make money from it and in order to do so Amazon have filled the phone's lock screen with advertisements tailored to the user. This gives advertisement teams the best possible way to reach their audience as the look at their phone and its already on their screen. There are also the conventional ways of advertising such as TV, Radio, Newspaper, Film trailers ect.

Find a teaser poster, teaser trailer, main poster and main trailer for a horror film and put them on your Blog – who was the distributor and in how many countries was it released? Can you find how many screens it was shown in on the opening weekend?

Teaser poster