The Film Chain - Production, Development, Marketing, Exhibition

Production

The beginning stages in producing a film are the ideas of the film. This is where what the film is going to be about is decided. After an idea is devised, a script is written; this can often also be referred to as the screenplay.  Once this is written, crew members and cast members are hired. At this point, scripts may also be slightly altered to fit the cast members better.  Locations and set designs are usually decided around this time too. Moving on, there’s the filming. Scenes are recorded over a period of various takes. Voice-overs and other sound effects that are used can be developed in a recording studio too. The next step is the editing of the film. The editing team - work hard on putting together different takes of different shots in order to create a successful film. What isn’t to be forgotten is that this is also when the sound is all matched up with the scenes. The next step is Distribution….

But before we move on to distribution, let’s look at some famous American producers. Possibly one of the best-known American producers, in my opinion, has to be Steven Spielberg who has produced many, many films. Another is George Lucas, possibly most well known for producing the Star Wars Saga.

While the producers have the main say on what a film is allowed to contain (as they’re providing the money for it), the ownership of the studio also has a huge influence. If an external party other than the film’s producer or Production Company owns a studio, they are able to limit what can be produced within their studios.

Independent Production is where the producers and production team are able to have full control over what is put on screen without it having to be “ok’d” by  all the production companies involved.

Distribution

Distribution in films is whereby the film created in shared or displayed with a number of viewers. Before a film can be distributed in a cinema, a film distributor has to decide how they are going to go out about the different mediums or formats the film is going to be distributed as, which parts of the film is going to be used for the trailer and which cinemas will show it and for how long. The film distributor usually works for the production company or could even be from the studios where the film was made.

While nowadays film distributors can use the internet to ensure that the right film companies see a film, film distributors would have to take films to film festivals (an event where film makers, producers and big film companies gather to watch a presentation of new films to be distributed) where all the powerful people would be looking out for new films to sign and help distribute in cinemas.

Distribution is essential in the film chain as, without it not many people would be able to see it and therefore the people making the film wouldn’t have enough money and probably a very small profit, if not a loss.

Marketing

While marketing, the process of making the film known, can be seen as similar to distribution – it is, in fact, very different. Marketing is more about making sure the public know about the film, who stars in it, what it’s about and appealing them to see the film.

There are many different marketing strategies. For example, the James Bond movie – Skyfall is shown here on a London Bus, to be seen all across the vastly populated City of London for millions to see.

Another example, which tends to be used for children’s movies, is McDonalds use films with their “Happy Meals” which is supposed to be a fun meal for a child. This helps the film’s to be known as it features a toy based on something from the movie as well as interactive games making the children want to see the film. On this Happy Meal, we see Desicable Me featured on the box and on the food packaging.

Exhibition

The exhibition of a film is where and how people see the film. You could say it is the product of the distribution and marketing. Here are a few of the methods used to watch films:

• ·      Cinema
• ·      DVD
• ·      Blu-Ray
• ·      Online Streaming

The box office for a film is the count of how many tickets are sold for a particular film. The box office return for a film determines the success of a film as it allows us to see how many people were interested enough by the marketing and distribution to see the film. The majority of the money for a successful film goes towards the production companies and the cast. Cinemas make a great deal of their money from selling snacks and drinks; this is just one of the appeals for people to visit the cinema rather than stay at home while another would be that Cinema’s have much larger screens with High Definition video and sound.

Ancillary markets “are non-theatrical markets for feature films” meaning that they are markets for films that aren’t released in cinema. For example, many independent films made by the BBC could be shown on television but not in cinema. Another example could be a show specifically for Netflix (an online streaming website) but nowhere else.

BFI

The BFI is the British Film Institute. They are a charity or charitable organization put in place in order to encourage the development of film and television and to promote education and appreciation of film and television too. They help the British Film Industry very much as they have the relevant information about film and television that people may need to make films in Britain as well as helping the promotion of many of these films.

Homework - Talia Conway

Production 

The early stages of producing a film includes development. During development copyright's are bought and scripting for the film will begin. After development is pre-production where the cast and film crew will be hired. Preparations for the shoot will start. Following on from pre-production is the production. In this stage raw elements are recorded during a live shoot. Furthermore we have post production, where the film will be edited and effects will be added. Finally the last step is distribution where the film will be released in cinema's. 

A main film producer in America is Jon Peters. He has an estimated net work value of $200 million. Produced films like Batman, the rain man and the colour purple. Some other main film producers in America are James Haven, Drew Barrymore, Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Adam Sandler. Some main film studios are News Corporation, The Walt Disney and Sony. These are owned by (in order) Rupert Murdoch, Walt Disney and Roy O.Disney, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita.

The ownership of a studio has an impact on what films the studio makes because of the budget, the type of films they release and what they produce. For example is a company wanted to make a film with Walt Disney but it was a scary over 18 film then Disney wouldn't make it because they make children films. 

An independent production is a production over which an artist maintains complete creative, artistic, and editorial control. 

Distribution 

Distribution is the way a film is shared out among a group or spread of area. From the edit house to the cinema a film has to go through a lot of process. After the editing house where all the effects and editing has been done, a professional film distributor has to determine the marketing strategy and how it is going to be released, e.g. by DVD, cinema, television or personal home viewing. 

The person who distributes the film is a professional film distributor. Normally someone who hasn't worked on the film before. It is not always the same people who produce the film. 

The traditional way of distributing films are taking them to film festivals and letting them get noticed and hopefully a company will sign it to be played in a cinema.However the new way of distributing a film is through online. Called streaming where the public can view a film the film on a website for free. 

A distributor may decide to release a film on a particular weekend rather than another one because of a certain celebration that is around. Also there might be a big film coming out a weekend so the company knows whether they will lose sales or not. 

It is essential to distribute a film in the film chain so that it can get coverage because it has been made to watch and if it doesn't get distributed then people won't know about it. If a company cannot seal a distribution deal than the film cannot be released. 

Marketing

Marketing is different to distributing because it is trying to target an audience for the film. Without marketing films wouldn't have adverts, trailers or any promotion. 

Films being released now and are being marketed: 

             

Exhibition 

Audiences get to see films now through 

• streaming 
• box set 
• cinema 
• online 
• catch up
• rent 
• DVD / Blu-Ray 

Box office is used to generally sum up how much a production such as a film, receives. For example how much money they make. By doing that it creates terms such as a "good box office" or a "bad box office". 

On average the movies distributor receives more than half of the revenue with the remainder kept by the movie theater. 

Cinema's make their money through tickets, concessions and on screen advertisements. 

Cinema's encourage us to visit them rather than watching a film at home from doing deals or advertising a film with their cinema logo at the bottom. For example orange wednesday makes people want to go to the cinema because it is 2 for 1. When a trailer for a film comes on normally at the bottom, a cinema logo will come up to show you where you can view it.

Ancillary markets are  non-theatrical markets for feature films, like home video, television, internet streaming, airlines and others.

Lastly

BFI stands for British Film Industry and exists to promote greater understanding and appreciation of, and access to, film and moving image culture in the UK. 

Homework- Aspects of the film chain (Shanai)

Production

The stages of producing a film:

·         Making a film starts with an inspiration which can come from anywhere and anything that can spark an idea/ story.

·         The idea is then turned into a final script for production, the producer has to pitch their treatment and use persuasion to get the budget for the development of the script.

·         First the screenwriter needs to make a synopsis,  the producer and screenwriter then decide on the final written screenplay.

·         After script is complete, director and producer decide who to cast for the movie and how they want to film, e.g. location, usually well known stars are attached.

·         Producers need to secure enough funding to make a high standard film, producers may have to travel to secure the investment needed.

·         Once financing is secured, full cast and crew are hired, detailed preparation for the shoot begins, all heads of department are hired, and pre- production begins

·         Shooting begins and funding is released.

·         Post production- as soon as raw footage and sound are available, editor turns it into scenes and puts it together

·         Whilst film is in post, producer secures services of sales agent to sell the film to the distributor, to help sell film to public

·         Distributors plan marketing and selling, keeping audience in mind, the marketing team runs test screenings to see how film is received

·         A high profile premier is used to launch the film to public, if successful in cinemas it’s made into a sought- after product, which can be sold through DVD ect.

Independent Production: A production over which an artist maintains complete creative, artistic, and editorial control

Distribution

Distribution: distribution describes the delivery or distribution of media content such as audio, video, software and video games usually over an online delivery medium, such as the Internet, without the use of physical media.

Traditional- movie theatre, video, DVD, television                                                                                   Modern- video on demand, streaming, Blu- ray disc, home cinema, downloads

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors

The standard release routine for a movie is regulated by a  "release windows" which is a strategy to keep different instances of a movie from competing with each other,^[8] allowing the movie to take advantage of different markets (cinema, home video, TV, etc.) at different times.

Distribution is essential to the film chain because they sell the film to the public, they handle marketing and selling, and its importance public is aware of the film.

Marketing

Marketing and distribution may seem similar but they are different. Marketing is about targeting the audience for a certain film, and advertising a film whereas, distribution is used to connect things to people.

Sometimes films are promoted in a different language to an audience that doesn’t speak English for example, so trailers may be in a different language.

Exhibition

The audience gets to see films through different types of media such as; cinema, television, streaming, YouTube, DVD, home cinema ECT.

The box office for a film is where tickets are sold to the public, and this tells them how much their production has made.

The movie distributor gets majority of the sales the film has made, and the rest goes to the production team. Cinemas make their money through sales of tickets and concessions sold. Cinemas can encourage the public by advertising films through posters and massive cardboard cut ins in the movies, also by having special offers like ‘orange Wednesday’.

Ancillary markets are non-theatrical markets for feature films, like home video, television ect.

Other

BFI is the British Film Institute; they encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom,

Media Homework - Aspects of the film chain

Production

At the start of producing a film, development is the first stage which is when the ideas of the film are created, buying the righta to include that book or play in their film. it is also where the screenplay is written. once the development stage has been completed, the next stage is the pre-production which is when the preparations are made for the shoot and which cast members and also film crew are hired. Not only that but it is also when they select the location of what they want to use in their film and also when they have finished building the set. Production is the next stage and this is when raw elements for the film they have choose to create are recorded during the film shoot. following on from production we move on to post-production which the next step. this when the images,sound and also visual effects of the film they have recorded are edited/added in correctly. Distribution is the next step and this is when the film is released to cinemas. furthermore they also advertise and promote the film.

the main producers in America is Spike Lee, Steven Spielburg, John Singleton, George Lucas and also Martin Scorsese who has wolf of wall street, Hugo and also Kundun.. there are some main film studios for example Dreamworks who is owned by Steven Spielbiurg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. The Walt Disney Company is another well known and main film studio who is owned by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney.

The ownership of a studio has a huge impact on what the film the studio makes because they control on the budget so they could determine on how much they should spend. moreover they have the say on what type of films they release and also what they will produce . for example if an ownership had a specific genre or the age of an audience they wanted it to be aimed at and if the film studio they have made doesn't meet their criteria they could scrap the movie/film/idea from being released.

An independent production in where the production team has complete control on what they want to create and the ideas doesn't have to be discussed or scrapped regardless.

Distribution

Distribution in the media field means 'the action of displaying/sharing the film among numbers of recipients. For a film to be distributed to a cinema for people to watch they have to go through a lot of process. this is because after the editing house where the effects and editing has been completed, a film distributor has to determine the marketing strategy and also how it is going to be released for the public for example allowing it to be able to be streamed, viewing it on DVD or being able to watch it at home on your television.

The organisation who distributes the film is a professional film distributor, its not always the same people who distributes the film but its mostly an organisation who hasn't work on the film.

The traditional way of distributing a film is by taking it to film festivals which will allow them to get noticed and  hopefully a film company will sign it to their collections of other films which could make it be seen in a cinema. 

A newer way of distributing a film could be by posting it online for people to be able to stream where people can view the film on certain websites which could be for a price or not.

The film festivals is organised event where they show extended presentations of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues which could be in a park for people to see films which maybe they haven't seen or heard of.

A distributor might decide to publish/release a film on a certain weekend so that it doesn't clash with another big movie also so they wont lose sales and by doing it on another week will hopefully allow to get a greater profit - especially tent-pole movie productions who aimed to get a higher profit. furthermore they might think its the optimum time of when a host of people will be available to see that movie. 

Distribution is very essential in the film chain because the film has been made and and without it being distributed it would't be watched by the public which will lose a lot of money. The reason because they wouldn't able to see the film.

Marketing

Marketing and disturbing are different, this is because marketing is targeting an audience for the film they have decided to create. Marketing allows the films to be advertised by advertisements, trailers, billboards and any other displays that will make it promoted to the audience.

films that are being produced are marketed via trailers, posters and even by buses.

Exhibition

The audience/public get to see films nowadays through several types of media for example:
catch up services, 

• Cinema 
• On television 
• Box offices
• Online (streaming)
• DVD
• Youtube

A box office for a film is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event and this tells them how much their production/film has made on sales. the phrases 'good box office' or 'bad box offices' allows them to see if they have sold a lot of tickets and how well their film was received. the more sales the more better their film was good.

Majority of the sales (i.e tickets) the film has made goes to the movie distributor and the remaining revenue goes to the production team.

Cinemas make their money through the items (i.e popcorn, candy, drinks) they sale at the cinema furthermore they make money by the sells of tickets and also other concessions stands that some cinemas might go.

Cinemas encourage us to visit them rather than watching a film at home by doing deals that requires us to visit the cinema. also by advertising a film such as posters and having their trade mark or cinema logo at the bottom for the public to identify them. e.g some cinemas do orange Wednesday at cinemas so it can encourage people to want to go to the cinema and watch a film as the deal entices people to come.

Ancillary markets are a type of markets that allow feature films to be watched like how people watch home video, television, Pay Per View, internet streaming etc.

Other key information in the Media field:

BFI stands for British Film Industry and it is charitable organisation to promote education about film, television and the moving image and also their impact on society. It helps the British film industry because it allows funding for British films to published and distributed ti the public/audience. also to support film development, production and also distribution

 

The Film Industry - What We Know

The basis of the film industry is probably the process of PDE. This is the process of : Production - Making the film, Distribution - Getting the film to the right people and Exhibition/ Exchange and Marketing - Making the film known.

Films contain lots of technical elements such as the way the camera is positioned in different angles and shot distances which allows the audience to get a better understanding of the scene. For example, a medium close up will allow the audience to see the character's facial expressions as well as part of their body language.

Another technical element is the way in which films are edited. Without being able to edit, we wouldn't be able to show different shots and show how the scene progresses. Editing techniques vary from cutting (match cuts) and transitions to special effects and graphics.

There are also rules used in Media such as the 180 degree rule. This is a simple yet effective rule which ensures that the viewer is always able to view the scene from one perspective without it suddenly change (which would confuse the audience).

In the United Kingdom's film industry, in 2013, lots of the money for production came from abroad meaning that there was a lot of international co-operation when producing and distributing films in the United Kingdom.

This Is Us

This is us and we're Group 12. We are (from left to right) Dan, Curtis, Shanai and Talia. We all chose to do Media because we all wanted to learn both how to film and produce as well as being able to edit our own films.