RESEARCH: HOW DOES THE CAMPAIGN WORK?

Above the Line costs

These are known costs for creating marketing material (such as trailers) and buying media advertising (such as website banners, radio or TV spots or newspaper advertising) and creating an online presence for the film.

Below the Line costs

Publicity builds further awareness and interest in a film – and authored articles or editorial interviews are sometimes more ‘trusted’ than display advertising, which is paid for. With premières, the cost of getting the stars and director to attend and hopefully generate press coverage all have to be covered without any guarantee that the press will write about the film. Such events offer special access to film stars for fans waiting alongside the red carpet for selfies, short videos and autographs.

POSTER

• Posters need to engage audiences by showing key aspects of the film that distributors think the audiences will like, for example they would put key moments of the film, the stars, credits and often a taglines.  The iconic image or design in a film’s poster is central to the film’s identity (Which shows the key aspects of the film) and is an essential feature of its release campaign. A great poster is eye catching, and motivating, so that it can gain the viewers’ interest in the experience that’s promised by the film.

• When making posters for films, distributors have to plan how they are going to present the poster, depending on the type of film. For an original movie, the poster must consist of bold images, a key message or branding that will make the film stand out. For a squeal to a film, the poster has to recognisable to the franchise/ saga and ithas to have its own message that differs from the previous film, this is to continue to engage their audience.
• The message can be shown on a poster in a number of ways such as:
  
  
  • Quote(s) from the film that will inspire their audience and that will show the message of the film.
  • Through the image(s) on the poster.
  • The stars of the film (actors)
  • The use of colours, sizing and style
  • the certificate (rating)

TYPES OF RELEASE

• Most films released in the UK are launched on fewer than 100 digital copies 
• Only 5% of films are released with over 500 copies with P&A
• In 2014, distributors spent  £350 million on advertising their films. Around £190 million was invested in above-the-line media advertising, and the remainder on advertising production, cutting trailers, publicity junkets and materials, premieres, and producing and delivering DCP’s to be projected on screen.
• The more money that the distributor estimates will be made in the cinemas in box office ticket sales, the more they will invest in marketing the film. 
• The smaller the film the smaller the budget for spending 

ADVERTISING

The largest portion of the budget is spent on P&A, the budget will be on advertising a film. In the UK, media advertising is very expensive. The main advertising avenues open to any distributor are:

Posters,Trailers, Press advertising, T.V. advertising, Websites, Outdoor, Radio advertising, Merchandise/Cross-promotion, Online social media TYPES OF TRAILERS The film trailer is probably the most cost effective advertising technique available to the film distributor. It can give audiences a sense of genre, what the story is about, who is in the film and when it opens.  Trailers can be classified in three ways: The teaser trailer The full trailer The T.V. spot  On-set blogs posted by key cast or crew TRAILER ANALYSIS 1 - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  How does the trailer show that this film is worth coming to see? The unique version of the well-known classic film sets the film apart from others in the same genre. As it is based on a well-known novel the readers will be intrigued to watch it.  What do you think is the hook of the trailer? The hook is the combination of zombies in a sophisticated seeming film, in the trailer there is a turning point in the middle from classic, relaxing music to rock style This mirrors the contrasting themes of the film  The empowerment of women seen as independent fighters who do not need a man to fight their battles which juxtaposes the message of Pride and Prejudice What are the features of a trailer? There is clever use of non-diagetic sound in dialogue to narrate us through the story Short, sharp clips are used to convey the most pivotal moments of the film The use of relaxing, elegant music of piano in the background at the beginning with a scenic scene tracking a horse sets out a contemporary film The subtle traditional lighting combined with dancing and extravagant furniture adds to the idealistic setting  The sharp rise in music adds tension to the gory image of the woman face as the camera pans to focus on it in full view  The black screen combined with the sarcastic tone of the voiceover is effective at retaining the audiences interest in the shocking change in convention  Violent sound effects such as blades and explosions to set a theme of combat and thrilling violence, the empowerment of women is risen which gains the readers interest and becomes effective at setting it apart from the novel it is based on We are not shown the story in narrative order They showcase the stars of the film  Some visual images stay on screen for only just enough time for our mind to realise what we are seeing TRAILER ANALYSIS 2 - In the heart of the sea  How does the trailer show that this film is worth coming to see? The inclusion of famous actors such as Chris Hemsworth playing the main role shows that the film will be of high quality, it is unique from other films in its genre such as Pirates of the Caribbean as its HD quality and sophisticated CGI makes it a film worth seeing.   What do you think is the hook of the trailer? The hook is that it is based on a true story, this makes the violent scenes and fires even more unbelievable, this draws in readers attention as it becomes more relatable Fans of Chris Hemsworth will want to see any film that he stars in The unusual setting in the sea and on a traditional ship sets it apart from other action films and gives the audience something unique  What are the features of a trailer? The use of black fad in and fade out transitions builds up tension and retains the audiences attention to what will happen next  Tracking shots to follow the movements of the ship cause the audience to feel like they are going on a journey with the characters  The slow pace of the music at the start which builds up quickly when they are faced with the sea creature draws attention to the danger they are facing The reaction shots of Chris Hemsworth focus on his main role in the film  The focus on the main colouring of blue and grey mirrors the life at sea that we are transported into A birds eye view of the sunset over the slowly waving sea is very scenic and makes the audience feel a sense of relaxation before things quickly change to a much more stressful atmosphere that leaves the audience on the edge of their seat Sudden pauses of music that cut out pivotal moments of life or death leave the audience wanting more to know the fate of the characters  On-line marketing Chris Beereling Digital strategy is at the fore front of our thinking The perception of the movie is shaped within the digital space Maintaining desired position throughout the marketing process is important to maintain  Engaging with consumers on a personal level By pushing users to engage with the digital content while fans and users generate their own content which is called viral marketing (free) Nowadays there is much more spend on digital marketing, being up to 15% of the budget compared to 0.5% before. Kezia Williams

• Digital marketing is the most important strategy and non-digital and digital seem to cross over each other
• Publicity activity; magazines and newspapers which will be available online as well
• Mobile and tablets are ubiquitous as users engage with content on their on a daily basis, this may be the first place that an audience would view a trailer rather than in the cinema like before. For example, Star Wars and Bond films 
• Online debut is important and ensuring it is available to an audience 
• Considering social media, apps and websites should be a priority 
• The power of online is potent because it generates conversation around a piece of content; for example trending hashtags on twitter, tagging people in trailer post - reach is huge. This can be enhances by putting more money into this marketing to push it further 

Trailer maker

Link to my trailer - http://www.thefilmspace.org/fda100/trailermaker/?t=tm-u9d5v4sm7h

RESEARCH: WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Reaching me


Each film has to be positioned through considering the selling points against an understanding of age, gender, lifestyles and activities of the audiences available – all of which inform the later decisions on how and where a film is promoted. Films have to compete for audiences’ time as well as disposable income.

The target audience can vary considerably from film to film, for example from families with young children to teenagers to older audiences. It is the distributor’s job, through research, comparison with previous films and their audiences, commercial experience and professional judgement to define who the audience for any particular film is. Each film has to be treated as an individual product.

WHO is the target audience?
Kezia Williams
Research - 

• Bespoke research, focus groups, interviews with potential audience
• If the film is based on a book or a film there is already existing data of the audience to access that can be used when targeting the film to an audience
• Talent: if theres actors that appeal to a certain audience 
• Core audience must be figured out before looking at the persuasive audience that could be interested in the film
• Some films have multiple target audiences 

Chris Besseling - 
Research 

• Anomalies at the box office such as surprise hits make research into target audiences even more important 
• Historical data is relied upon to give the 'green light' for a project 
• First strategy is comparing lists of titles that have something in common with the film - actors, directors, genres and subject matter. This is used to find out what the target audience would be.
• Historical fame data is to discover the 'make-up' of the target audience - age, gender and socio-economic standing which gives an overview of who the audience is likely to be and who should be targeted
• How comp titles perform at the box office is another important factor to consider - this influences how much will be spent on P&A

RESEARCH: WHAT SETS A FILM APART?

By watching Kezia Williams and Chris Besseling it gave me a greater insight into what factors are needed to be focus on in order to set a film apart from the others in its genre. This will help me when making my own film to make my film different from others in today's market.

• When developing the message Key themes and hooks must be picked out - What will excite the target audience?
• Engaging emotional aspects must be considered to draw in an audience 
• Unique selling points are important in setting the film apart from others in its genre - what are the strengths?
• Identifying challenges that might need to be overcome - which helps to determine where the film can be positioned in the market as something special and different giving a unique cinema experience for the audience 

Types of selling points:

• Cast
• Well-known director 
• Quality of the performances 
• Reviews 
• Awards 
• Films source material - based on a true story, a real person, a book or part of a franchise/sequel 
• When making a sequel you automatically have a built in audience that you can cash in on 

Blockbuster - pure cinematic spectacle, special effects, CGI, 3D
Non-blockbuster films - must find a method of making themselves seem like a must-see film for a target audience. For example, the film might have an important moral message that is unique which can be important to develop when making a campaign for the film.

RESEARCH: INTRODUCTION TO TRAILERS

How do you find out about films?
There are many various methods that I use to find out about trailers. For example, recommendations from friends, YouTube and at the cinema. This helps me to find films that would be more suited to me. Also, I find YouTube the easiest to navigate as I enjoy watching other videos on there in my free time.

What makes you want to see a film?
If there is a famous actor that I like starring in the film such as Dwayne Johnson or Zac Efron. Also, if a film has a prominent presence on social media such as Instagram or Facebook with high reviews and other celebrities recommending it I would be more inclined to see the film. Also, if the film has a high rating on Rotten tomatoes I would be more likely to see the film.

How do I know what to expect from a film?
By watching the trailer or interviews and reading various reviews this aids me in figuring out the general plot and theme of the film which indicates what I will expect from the film.

What am I paying for when I buy a cinema ticket?
When buying a cinema ticket, I am paying for the quality of the film to live up to the money spent on the ticket. I expect the film to live up to my hopes and draw similarity with the themes of the trailer and the positive reviews otherwise this will leave me feeling disappointed after seeing a film

Are there films I have to see in the cinema or does it not really matter?
Personally, I am beginning to be drawn away from the cinema experience, as I much prefer to be at the comfort of my home or a friends home and watch a film from a platform such as Netflix or Sky cinema. This mainly concerns films in the genres such as Romance, Comedy and Thriller. Although, some films such as Marvel's Spiderman which I feel needs to be seen in the cinema or in IMAX as action packed films combined with surround sound and a big screen gives a very exciting cinema experience.

One of my favourite film trailers from this year was 'The Invisible man' which I felt gave a thrilling and 'edge of the seat' experience which enticed me to watch the film...

RESEARCH: THE ROLE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR

I used the FDA site The Film Space to research the role of the distributor.
Mark Batey, Chief Executive of the FDA, talks about how distributors have to consider the 'what, who, when, and how' which is involved in acquiring and marketing films for successful distribution.

WHAT
'What is this particular film?'

• This concerns the genre and how this film will perform in relation to other films the that have been released recently. 
• The distributor needs to consider key factors such as whether it is a sequel or based on a book in order to work out the positioning of the film and who it is for. Not relying on comparable factors. This allows an individual plan to be drawn up by looking at the film carefully
• Mark Batey drew attention to the different genres of films that each required individual distribution plans. To illustrate this, make a collage of different films, such as this one  to show the many different genres that Working Title make...

WHO
'Who is the audience for this particular film?'

• The most common people that attend the cinema regularly are young adults (20+). However, it can be argued that in todays world this age category is broadening. 
• The largest audience sector is 16-24, 91% of whom went to the cinema in 2018, making a total of 77 million visits. The FDA observed a growing divergence on viewing patterns by age, with TV audiences getting older (over half of TV audiences are in the over-54 category), whilst an OFCOM survey found that 48% of 12-15 year olds picked YouTube as their favourite platform and 19% picked Netflix. These figures will influence how distributors market their films. This suggests that films targeted at younger audiences such as teen romance films are more likely to be show on platforms such as Netflix and youtube as opposed to on TV or in cinemas.

WHEN
'When is the film going to be released?'

• The distributor acquires a film for release, In the UK around 700 feature films are released each year making the industry very competitive
•  This ranges from smaller niché films to bigger blockbuster films such as 'Spectre'. Considering the timing of when to release a film is vital but difficult decision.

• On this table it is clear that films are released at specified periods during the year in order to attract the greatest audience. For example, horror films are more likely to be released at Halloween in October and The Grinch; which is a a Christmas themed film,  is more likely to be released in December as it is relative to that time period. This helps to attract a wider audience.

HOW
'How should the film be released?'
'How is it going to be marketed?'

• The financial element of distribution needs to be considered and how muchas a business you can afford to spend to be released. The number of cinemas that would be interested in playing it should be considered. A distribution plan needs to be made for each individual film.
• The distributor receives a share of the profit which needs to be worked out from the box-office earnings 

RESEARCH: MOVIE TRAILER WEBSITES

Trailers allow the audience to gain an insight into a film before they buy into it. They can be very influential to the success of a film. When looking for a trailer I tend to use social media platforms such as; Youtube and also the cinema. The cinema is a successful way of promoting because the people that go to the cinemas are keen film watchers and trailers can be tailored to the film that they are watching so you can capture the right target audience. Although, it can be quicker and more convenient to search and watch a trailer via Youtube.

iTunes movie trailers

Personally, I think that iTunes Movie Trailers is a great way to watch trailers. The videos are high quality and the website is free from ads, so it's one of the best places to go for the best movie trailers. As I am familiar with apple as I use it everyday on my phone or laptop I find it very easy to use and accessible. You can sort these movie previews by recently added, most popular, exclusive, genre, and studio. The search bar lets you find a movie trailer by cast members or director. This is the best sight for finding out about trailers you are not aware of yet.

IMDb 

IMDb is another good option for viewing trailers, it is mainly used for watching films and TV shows but this feature makes it one of the top 100 websites in the world and is a must-visit site for any audience looking for movie trailers.

The trailer section of IMDb lets you view previews of the most popular movies and find all the recently added trailers for movies that were just released and others that are coming out. If not for trailers alone, movie ls. It's also a reliable site for finding out which actors star in which films and who will star in the latest films or TV shows. Personally, I used IMDb films to watch the Joker trailer, this led me to determine it wasn't a film I wanted to watch in the cinema.

Youtube

Youtube is notoriously the most popular video streaming site on the web and it would be the platform that I would turn to most. This is because I am very familiar with the layout and can find many new film releases easily. Movie production companies and other users can upload movie trailers to YouTube that are free for audience to watch.

Unlike other sites that have movie trailers, YouTube does not have a designated section for trailers and they are integrated with the rest of their content. This means you can't easily find trailers for movies that are coming out soon or new trailers that were just released. However the search bar tool makes it easy to find films you have an interest in. The last trailer I watched on Youtube was 'The Invisible man', I was throughly engaged by the trailer and decided to purchase the new film via Sky cinema's sky store.

There are also channels dedicated to trailers, such as Movieclips Trailers and FRESH movie trailers. I subscribe to Movieclips trailers in order to keep up with the latest trailers being released that I could be interested in. Also visiting a YouTube channel from a specific media company or production company, such as Disney can be useful to refine the type of film trailer you are interested in.

The FDA Yearbook 2020 has updated information on how audiences use specific website like YouTube and how important social network sites like Twitter are. The info about how audiences use IMDB supports our opinion that it is more than a database but also functions as a site that audiences use to view trailers, with Joker, Avengers Endgame and KGF Chapter 1 the top three.