What is Distribution

Straight Outta Compton and I, Daniel Black – Distribution
What is distribution?
• Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place.
• A distributor is the link between the filmmakers and the public, and allows a film to reach the public via the
cinemas, DVD and on television.
• Worldwide distribution is dominated by US conglomerates such as Paramount, Warner, and Universal.
 Distributors may be involved in a film in any or all of the following ways:
 It may invest in the film’s production.
 The distributor might buy the rights to the film once it is made.
 If the distributor is part of a larger organisation that has made the film, then it will automatically distribute
films made by the parent company.
Film distributors are responsible for prints and marketing:
PRINTS MARKETING
 Producing physical copies of a film for cinema/home
release
 Finding the exhibitors/retailers to sell the film
 Raising audience awareness and anticipation of a
new release
A distribution company’s responsibilities include:
 Deciding on a release date;
 Deciding how manyprints to produce and in which cinemas to screen them;
 Advertising campaigns;
 Designing artwork for adverts, posters,flyers and billboards;
 Organising premieres and talker screenings;
 Booking talent(i.e. the stars or director) for press interviews and personal appearances.
Deciding on a release date
Selecting the appropriate release date is important in order to maximise the potential box office
 School holidays are a prime time within the year for the release of blockbusters.
 Fridays/weekends (when people go out)
 Seasons (valentines, Halloween, Christmas)
 In relation to other significant film released (Competition must also be considered)
 Near (before) Oscars
Find the key release dates for Straight Outta Compton
Territory Date
Australia 27 August
Germany 27 August
Mexico 9 October
UK 28 August
France 16 September
South Korea 10 September
What institution distributed Straight Outta Compton and in what way did they get involved in the project?
The institution that distributed Straight Outta Compton was Universal Pictures. They can be involved by investing in the
film’s production and is part of a larger organization.
A film will likely have different distributors for:
-Releases in different countries
-Cinema Release
-Home-Video Release
When was Straight Outta Compton’s domestic cinematic release? Why might the distributor have selected this
date?
11 August 2015, partially because it was during the summer holidays.
Why is a simultaneous release pattern being increasingly
used by the film industry?
When the movie is released in cinemas the ‘hype’ for the
movie is at it’s biggest so when the DVDs and the internet etc
is also released then people will still be highly relevant in the
media on adverts etc. If the DVDs were released a few
months after then people might have already seen the movie
and the ‘hype’ for the movie has decreased massively
causing their profit they make to also decrease.
What is simultaneous release pattern?
Name given to an experimental new method of making
movies available to consumers. Movie is released in
cinemas and DVDs, internet and television around the
same time.

What type of release pattern should be used?
This is an important question because it relates to deciding how many prints to produce and in which cinemas to
screen them.
Go to the link and make notes on the different types of release patterns: http://www.timelockfilm.se/artiklar/english-
articles/distribution-strategies/
Type of Release Pattern Definition
Wide release Is a distribution strategy where the distributor tries to open on as many screens as possible.
Plattforming Distribution strategy which is based on a release in 2-3 stages, where you start of small in
about 10-50 screens, then in the next step increases the number of copies somewhat, and
finally move over to the last step and open wide at 500+ screens.
Wide-multiple Is a hybrid between a wide release and plattforming most suitable for movies that can be
easily marketed, but lacks quality.
Limited release Done by screening the film in a few selected theaters in the major cities, and then – if all
goes well – move forward with plattforming.
Market by market
release
Release is usually done with about 20-40 copies on movies where the producer and
distributor don’t have the money for a “wide release”.
Art House Release Done by screening the film outside the multiplexes, in smaller – many times older – art
house cinemas.
Straight Outta Compton opened in 2,757 cinemas in the USA and 429 cinemas in the UK, making it the
wide/saturated release pattern.
Why do Blockbusters often use saturated release pattern?
People talk about it and make it more popular. The more screens they show the movie in. The movie will be more
relevant if the movie is released around the time.
What was the key factor that enabled
Straight Outta Compton to have a
saturated release pattern?

Hollywood dominates distribution
 The Hollywood film industrydominate the UK and worldwide box office. Evidence: In 2015, the top
five distributors in UK were Universal,Disney,Fox, Sony and Warner Bros taking 76.62% of the
total ten revenue. All of the top five distributors are subsidiaries within a conglomerate.
 Being part of a conglomerate means the Hollywood film industryare able to dominate in
distribution because of vertical integration, which means once a film is produced there is a way to
get it into the market.
 Moreover, conglomerates are able to distribute films internationally,as they are transnational
companies,which mean thatthey have distribution arms in numerous countries around the world,
which makes an international release easier.
 Roughly 9/10 films seen in the UK are viewed as a resultof these distributors
 We don’t have vertical integration anymore.So why do the cinemas show so manyHollywood
movies?
 Usuallythe blockbuster films we are familiar with are distributed via blanketor saturated release,so even if a small UK
independentcompanymanages to get its productinto cinemas,itis usuallycompeting for attention with one or more films that
take on the status ofan event. One of the outcomes ofdistribution arrangements outlined above is thathalf of the films
released in Britain do not reach the whole country.
 Digital distribution provides more opportunities for independentfilms to be shown in cinemas .
How does the cinema support the dominance of the US films?
• More screenings [opening weekend could have up to 8 or more
screenings in one day]
• Better Screens
• Use of 3D and IMAX (Gimmicks used to offer a differentiated experience)
• Longer play date [Evidence: US films spentan average of 12 weeks in the
cinema]
The Impact of Technology on Distribution
 Digital distribution means it is cheaper and easier to transport film prints.
Distribution of Independent British Films
In a competitive market that is driven by commercial objectives and moulded by the strategies of major production
companies, it is difficult for non-mainstream films to find theatrical distribution and audience exposure.
Due to the lack of vertical integration in the British film industry, production and distribution is conducted separately.
I, Daniel Blake - Production Companies
• Sixteen Films
• British Film Institute
• Why Not Productions
• Wild Bunch
• BBC Films
Both mainstream multiplexesand art house cinema show blockbusters.
Why?
• Saturated/Blanket release build anticipation for the film.
• Digital distribution means that art house have the facilities to show blockbusters and it is cheaper.
Why might this benefit independent British film?
Independent British Films don’t have a lot of money so the fact that digital distributions is cheaper and easier makes their
promotion more efficient.
Challenge task:
 How much does it cost to produce traditional celluloid print?
 How much does traditional celluloid print weigh?
UK distributor of I, Daniel Blake
• Provide brief details about the background of the institution
• What types of films have been distributed by the institution?
• In what ways does I, Daniel Blake fit with the institution’s portfolio?
Began in 1973, Canada.
Television, Film and Music.
Films distributed: Insidious and Sinister
I, Daniel Blake is an independent film and they needed a distributor for the movie because the movie wouldn’
What is meant by the term digital
distribution?
Is the delivery of media content like audio,
video, software and video games.

International Distribution of British films
In order to distribute internationally, British films need to obtain a deal for each territory.
Find the distributor for the following territories
Distributor Territory
USA (theatrical)
France (theatrical)
Australia (theatrical)
Italy (theatrical)
Independent British films can use film festivals, as an opportunity for them to obtain a distributor.
Based on the table, what type of British film is the
most likely to be distributed internationally?
Big budget British films – budget over 10 million.
Sundance Select is a subsidiary of IFC Films. What
type of films does the institution usually distribute?
They distribute Independent, foreign films. Niche films.
What do they have in common?
They are festivals for independent films.
What are the benefits of a film festival for independent films?
Gains more popularity
- Independent films aren’t as recognized.
 What film festivals was I, Daniel Blake screened in?
 What film festival awards did it win?
 How does this contribute to the potential marketability of the
film?
Film festivals that I, Daniel Blake screened in:
Palme d’Or 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Stockholm film festival
Denver film festival
Locarno international film festival

UK independent films are not really cinematic and usually make its money from ancillary sales. Cinema sales not as
important for UK film compared to high concept films made by conglomerates.
The Distribution of I, Daniel Blake
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-748lP0D6E
 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eone-i-daniel-blake-grassroots-marketing-bfgs-uk-success-
q-a-berlin-2017-973402
Watch the video and read the article discussing the
distribution of I, Daniel Blake.
 What was unique about the distribution and
marketing of the film and how did it fit with
the theme of the film?
Screened in community centre’s and schools to
raise funds. I, Daniel Blake is an independent film
so they had to distribute the film in effective ways to
market the film.
What types of release patterns
were implemented in the different
territories?
Limited Release

Find out release dates for the following platforms
Straight Outta Compton I, Daniel Blake
DVD 19 Jan 2016 DVD 16 Jan 2018
Sky Premier 28 Aug 2016 Sky Premier 21 Oct 2016
Netflix 11 Sep 2017 Free to Air TV
How long did it take from the initial cinematic release to the final platform?
The distribution window between the releases of film onto different platform is shortening.
Provide a definition of platforming and why would distributor choose to use this method for I, Daniel Blake?
Platforming is a distribution strategy which is based on a release in 2-3 stages, where you start of small in about 10-50
screens, then in the next step increases the number of copies somewhat, and finally move over to the last step and open wide
at 500+ screens. A distributor would use this because to gradually increase the popularity of the film.
In what ways does the statistic suggest that
platforming was used in the distribution of I, Daniel
Blake?
They increased the number of screens during the
beginning weeks of the film being released.
Why?
I think the distribution window between the releases of the film is shortening onto different platforms is to increase the
popularity and to allow people to access the movie in different to give people opportunities to watch the film.

Regulation is a key part of distribution
Before a film can be shown to a paying audience, it is required by law that the British Board of Film
Classification certificates it. This ensures, for example, that films, which are of an adult nature, are
not shown to children.
What is the role of the
BBFC?
They publish short but detailed information about all the films and videos we rate.
What are their main
guideline when
classifying a film?
2 main guidelines to follow when classifying a film:
- to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise
unsuitable content
- to empower consumers, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children,
to make informed viewing decisions
Provide details about
each film certification.
A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, although it is
impossible to predictwhatmightupsetany particular child.
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A
PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch, but parents are advised to
consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive,
children.
Films classified 12Aand video works classified 12 contain material thatis not
generallysuitable for children aged under 12. No one younger than 12 may see a
12A film in a cinema unless accompanied byan adult. Adults planning to take a
child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for
that child. To help them decide,we recommend thatthey check the BBFCinsight
for that film in advance. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video
work.
No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema.No one younger than 15
may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.
No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema.No one younger than 18
may rent or buy an 18 rated video work. Adults should be free to choose their own
entertainment.
What is the difference
between 12A and 12?
No one younger than 12 may see a 12A film. No one younger than 12 can rent a 12 rated
video work.
Why did Straight Outta Straight Outta Compton I, Daniel Blake

Compton and I, Daniel
Blake get awarded the
certificate it received?
Straight Outta Comtpon received a 15
This was mainly due to:
The violence shown in the movie
Explicit language
Drugs
I, Daniel Blake received a 15
This was mainly due to:
Explicit language
In general, conglomeratesare looking to target a mass mainstream audience and consequently look to obtain
a 12A certification for the cinematic release of their films.
In your opinion how might being classified as 15 have positivity and negatively affected Straight Outta Compton
commercial success?
Positively Negatively
They wouldn’t be affected by the actions in the movie
- in terms of the violence and the drugs
Also, they wouldn’t be exposed to the strong language.
Straight Outta Compton wouldn’t allow any one under the
age of 15 watch the movie, which is a huge majority of
people.
Key elements of distribution:
 Some films using day and date release – examples, benefits/disadvantages. [Analysing simultaneous release
patterns amd types of release patterns used.]
In what ways does Straight Outta Compton and I, Daniel Blake’s certificate fit the type of film it is?
Straight Outta Compton certificate fits the type of film it is because it contains drugs, strong language and violence.
Drugs were shown being used but drugs in films must promote drug misuse. Strong language was used consistently
throughout the film and finally, there was violence in the film as well. I, Daniel Blake certificate fits the type of film
because of the strong language used throughout the film.

 Shortening distribution windows.
 Early electronic sell-through.
 Proliferation of digital platforms/devices.
 Rise of Video on Demand sales.
 The main element of distribution is getting the film to audiences, which includes the transportation and licencing of
films
 Try to keep marketing separate so that you can focus on different methods of promoting and raising awareness of
a film

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