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