Distribution companies are highly competitive businesses, launching and sustaining films on the market, usually starting from scratch and reaching it's full potential.
Planning a release
Here is a video of Stuart Williams talking about how distributors approach a film release.
Every film has its own distribution plan, the biggest decisions the has to make are when and how to release the film to give it the best chance.
The distributor will plan the budget for marketing, but the goal is to return all costs plus a profit. But audiences have many other leisure choices that they many not want to go to the cinema, meaning that launching a film is expensive and risky.
Focus on the audience
Having a good understanding of your target audience, things like, age group, gender and certain lifestyles and social networks, helps make the decision on how and where to market a film. Obviously films vary, some may appeal to people with certain interests. The key is to stick to the target audience but the distributors job is to attract the largest audience possible.
Cinema goers are most frequently teenagers, students and young adults, with more than half being 15-24 year olds.
Market research may be produced due to to an audiences reaction at pre-release test screenings. At the test screenings the audience are asked to fill out questionnaires to help the distributor in what to expect from and audience.
Some films may become 'sleeper' hits, where they are played for longer and generate more returns than expected.
Other factors which distributors have to take into account with their release plans are:
Competition - which other distributors are going to release at the same time, and especially those with a similar target audience.
Star power - are there any big names? What were there last films and how were they perceived?
Release Date - is it for a school holiday or season? Or a special event such as halloween or Christmas?
Will it meet the media reviews?
Is the audience already interested, due to stars, the makers or based on a book?
Budgeting the release
As soon as it is possible, the distributor views the finished film and the release plan is confirmed. The budget may be itemised as below
Film marketing and publicity
Marketing is creating a visible awareness and engaging interest to possible viewers. They all try to entice the same audience, however large or small the marketing budget is, audiences much be reached and persuaded that it is a must see film.
The distributors campaigns are generally effective as most cinema goers know which films they want to see before setting off to the cinema.
When constructing a campiagn, must aim to reach their target audience in a cost effectively way. When planning how to get a variety of audiences to see a film they try to use a number of different medias to promote the film, such as:
~Posters - The main image on the poster often contains the stars, theme/genre, credits and tagline to entice the audience. With so many different posters promoting a range of films, the team must create a poster that stands out, so that it catches the audiences eye.
Many months before the release of the film a teaser poster is released to introduce the film, other display materials for cinema foyers are made, such a cardboard standees, banners, window clings and mini posters.
~Trailers - Distributors have alot of visual content to work with when they create the campaign, including long and short clips. The trailer is probably the single most cost effective marketing technique used, as it is played on the big screens to capture the audiences that are already active cinema goers. Before the full trailer is released there may be a teaser trailer, that gives glimpses of the best bits with in the film and only lasts for around 30-90 seconds.
~ Online & Mobile - The interent also play an important role, with many film fans online and searching the new releases and up coming films. Most film have and official website, as you can see below.
The video is not embedded, Beth.
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