1. What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and why?

2. Production Companies
The producer has several roles in the process of selling a film. These include the
development, pre-production, production and post-production of a film. Most importantly,
production companies are integral in securing actors and crucial people such as the
screenwriter and those who will finance the film. A producer may help to develop the
premise of a film also. As for pre-production, a producer/ production company is
responsible for sourcing and bringing together members of the creative team. They will
also work closely with the executive producer to increase the finances for a film. Their
responsibilities are vast and even include the authority to go location scouting, look into
the budget of a film and they are also incredibly involved in the final shooting of a film
script.
In production the producer constantly consults with the director whilst managing
production to ensure that everything is going as well as it should. The production company
monitors the day to day running of a film with power reaching the point that they can
choose to approve of script changes. Distributors and investors who wish to inquire about
the film have to contact the production companies to arrange such details
During post-production the production company liaises with financial and distribution
companies whilst also working closely with post-production personnel such as the
composer (music), visual effects staff and the editor.

3. Paranormal Production
My group and I devised this name for our film’s production company. From this you can
tell that the production company is entirely dedicated to making supernatural horror
movies which is why we wanted a name suitable to the genre of our film.
Unfortunately we didn’t make an ident for the production company so it cannot be
analysed but I’d imagine that if we had made one it would evidently use the colour black.
Perhaps we may have used an eclipsed moon since it has an association with conventional
horrors in the way it symbolizes night (believed to be when the ‘spirits’ come out).

4. The Distributor
Distribution is commonly defined in terms of the process of launching a film in the
market place and sustaining public interest in a film.
The distributor may invest in a film’s production and buy the rights to the film once made
and if the distributor is part of a larger company they will automatically distribute the films
by the parent company.
The role of the distributor is to:
• Acquire the license to release the film in a particular country.
• Pay the royalties to the producer
• Launch film
• Enter into an agreement with a cinema screen on ‘play dates’
• Transport the film

5. Malediction was made with a very low budget and this means the distribution company
must be able to distribute small, British films. Our film will have an art-house release of 20
prints where the film will be shown in independent cinemas across the UK. The preferred
release date will be the school holidays where our target audience (young adults) will be
more likely to watch our film since in releasing it in the award season (Jan-March) they will
be more busy with exams and work causing our audience to not watch the film (this is the
opposite of what we want). We may develop a website for our film as well as marketing it
through social media (e.g. a Facebook page, Twitter profile and YouTube channel).
As for funding, this will be obtained through a grant with the National Lottery Fund which
the BFI awards to low budget, independent companies such as ours.
But first I must decide what distribution company would be most useful and in what ways
they will benefit the distribution of our film.
The Distributor

6. StudioCanal UK
Founded in 1999, StudioCanal UK is based in the UK and Ireland, focusing its attention on
releasing independent British, Irish and American films in the UK and in some cases,
Ireland. 2011 social-realism film Tyrannosaur was one of the first films StudioCanal UK
actively distributed. On release it had 5 screens on opening weekend with gross takings
reaching £243, 252 in the UK. A grant of £206, 540 was received from the National
Lottery fund through the UK Film Council (now the BFI).
This distribution company would be suitable to distribute our film because it distributes
independent British films with low budgets, like our film, which means that our film has
the highest chance of being a success because it will be able to reach our target audience
(young adults).

7. Lionsgate
Lionsgate was founded in 1962 as Cinépix Film Properties, whilst in 1998 it was founded
as Lionsgate Films. The company is a Canadian-American film production and distribution
company and one of the largest and most successful film studios. Lionsgate works with
many foreign and independent films, supporting the distribution of both as well as having
worked on a variety of largely successful film series such as The Hunger Games and the
famous horror franchise, Saw, which has seen a monumental volume of success.
This distribution company would be suitable to distribute our film because it distributes
independent British films with low budgets and it would help us to reach a larger tent-
pole audience, however due to it’s focus on more mainstream and large franchise films
this could cause our film to be overshadowed by the success of films such as The
Hunger Games.

8. Fox Searchlight Pictures was founded in 1994 as an American film distribution company.
Since it’s already American the company specializes in the US distribution of mainly
independent and British films however they do also focus on horror and foreign films. In
some cases the company is actively involved in the financing of such films. Before
becoming named as part of Searchlight Pictures, the company had released independent
films under 20th Century-Fox International Classics before being renamed 20th Century-Fox
Specialized Film Division and then TLC Films (1982-1985).
Fox Searchlight has been significant in distributing films such as critically acclaimed 12
Years A Slave, 127 Hours, Juno and Slumdog Millionaire whilst having distributed less well-
known films such as comedy, Reuben, Reuben.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Likewise with the former two production companies, this company focuses on
distributing independent British films and this is beneficial since our film is of such.
Despite having already distributed independent films, these are, of a majority, focused on
comedy which is not the genre our film looks at. This makes the company unsuitable to
work with for distribution. Furthermore the acclaim from major films like 12 Years A
Slave would be likely to overshadow our film causing us to not get the success predicted.

9. Entertainment Film Distributors
Entertainment Film Distributors was established in 1978 and is a British distribution
company for independent British and Irish films. Since 1990 the company had, up until
2010, distributed films made by New Line Cinema and those from other independent
production companies. The most notable and tremendous film franchise to date is The
Lord of the Rings. By 2010 these distribution rights in the UK and Ireland were brought
under Warner Bros, a parent company of EFD. British films to be distributed by the
company include Stormbreaker, Run Fat Boy Run as well as St. Trinians 1 & 2. Most
principally, the company has distributed horror films, Saw and The Final Destination.
EFD would be suitable to distribute our film because it distributes independent British
films with low budgets and it would allow us to reach a larger tent-pole audience. The
company also releases films looking at a range of genres including horrors such as Saw
and The Final Destination meaning that in allowing the company to distribute our film,
there is already an audience favouring horror films made by this company, hopefully
securing success in our film.

10. Universal Pictures
The American motion picture studio was founded in 1912 as Universal Film and
Manufacturing Company, currently standing as a subsidiary of NBC Universal, one of the
Big 6 (major film companies in the world). The films distributed include 1975 hit Jaws,
1982 sci-fi film E.T. and the 1993 series, Jurassic Park, all of which were directed by the
famous Steven Spielberg. The success of Universal Pictures is never ending; not only has it
distributed commercially successful films such as those listed, the company works closely
with British companies to support their films e.g. Working Title is a British production
company of whose success with films such as Les Misérables couldn’t have been as popular
as it was without the support of Universal Pictures.
This distribution company wouldn’t be suitable to distribute our film because it
distributes films across multiplex cinemas, with larger budgets and the potential to reach
a wider tent pole audience. Also since our film was made on a low budget and our
company is a small independent British company it is unlikely for the film to have the
international appeal that would allow us to liaise with one of the 6 major conglomerates
as Working Title has done.

11. Conclusion
I can conclude that out of the distribution companies I have looked at, the most
appropriate company to work with would be either StudioCanal UK or Entertainment Film
Distributors. From looking at these two companies, both would be suitable since they can
offer to distribute our British, independent feature film despite our low budget. However,
the best possible company to choose to distribute our film would probably be
Entertainment Film Distributors since they would be able to help more people to see our
film and allow us to distribute/ market our film via social media with as little money being
required to do so as possible.