Thursday 6 March 2014

The role of the distributor in the film industry

Visit these really useful websites to find out about the role of the distributor in the film industry:

Launching films
2 min video introduction to the film industry
15 min video on Distribution - P1
15 min video on Distribution - P2

Film distributors website

Distribution is the highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the market place. Films don't become talking points, or find their place in the world, by accident. The distributor's challenge is to bring each one to market by:
  • identifying its audience
  • considering why they'd go and see it
  • estimating the revenue potential across all the formats of its release
  • persuading exhibitors (cinema operators) to play the film
  • developing plans and partnerships to build awareness of and interest in the film
  • aiming to convert as much interest as possible into cinema visits

Like other forms of entertainment, the film business is product-driven: the films themselves are the main reason for buying tickets. There's an insatiable, deep-rooted desire for great stories on screen as well as in print. But today more than ever, consumers call the shots, deciding for themselves what information or 'content' to receive or reject, access or delete.