2. Distribution is often referred to as 'the invisible
art', a process known only to those within the
industry, barely written about and almost
imperceptible to everyone else.

Distribution is the most important part of the
film industry, where completed films are brought
to life and connected with an audience.

Distribution is about releasing and sustaining
films in the market place.

3. Distributors have the legal rights over a film.
The get the film into cinemas, festivals, etc and
promote the film using trailers, posters, etc.
The major US studios generally have their own
distribution offices in all the major ‘territories’
By contrast, independent producers have to sell
their films to different distributors in each
‘territory’

4.  Most Hollywood films are distributed directly by the studio
which financed the film.
 In the UK the cinema box office is dominated by a handful
of major distributors.
 In any year, the major distributors will account for 90% of
the box-office rentals.
 Warner Bros Pictures, United International Pictures
(Paramount), 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista (Walt Disney),
Columbia Tristar Pictures, Universal
 Momentum Pictures (King’s Speech, Eternal Sunshine),
StudioCanal (TTSS), Pathe (Adulthood, Austin Powers),
Polygram (Trainspotting), Summit (Twilight)

5.  The distributor will enter into an agreement with the
cinema to screen the film on certain 'play-dates'.
 It is the responsibility of the distributor to arrange the
transportation of the film to the cinema, as part of its
wider coordination of print use across the UK.
 Logistics represents the phase of distribution at its most
basic - supplying and circulating copies of the film to
theatres, of tapes and DVDs to shops and video rental
stores, and managing the effectiveness of the supply.
 Cinemas spend their money publicising film play-dates
and times in local papers or through published
programmes. So there's an imperative for the distributor
to deliver the film on time.

6. The distributor typically handles 35mm film prints.
Each print can cost around £1,000 - or twice that if
subtitled - so a degree of care is required of everyone
involved in handling the print.
In the UK, prints are generally broken down for ease of
handling into smaller reels, each lasting around 18-20
mins when run through a projector at 24 frames per
second. So a feature print, in its physical form, will
usually be 5 or 6 reels, stored and supplied in a single
hard case, weighing in at 20-25kgs.
Prints are hired by the exhibitor for the duration of
their play-dates, and therefore each print is made for
repeat use.

7. 35mm theatrical prints invariably suffer cumulative
damage as they pass through different projectors,
and the hands of various projectionists.
There are also overheads incurred by the
distributor for the storage of prints at the UK's
central print warehouse in West London.
Each theatrical print has a finite lifespan.
Distributor will invest in sufficient prints to provide
optimum coverage through the first period of
theatrical release, usually lasting up to 6 months.

8. Transportation
35mm - £1000
Prints hired by exhibitor
Easily damaged
Expensive to store
More bought for first few months then destroyed -
waste

9. Specialised films 10 prints or less (key
independent cinemas) prints 'toured' over a 6-
month period to all parts of the UK.
Mainstream films – 200+ prints,
simultaneously screening in all major UK towns
and cities.

10. In distribution terms, the advantages of digital
technology are even clearer, though perhaps
longer term.
Digital technology is seen to offer a more cost
effective and logistics-light alternative to the tried
and trusted, but unwieldy model of 35mm print
distribution described above.
It will, eventually, be cheaper and much less
stressful to send films as computer files to
cinemas across the UK, than to transport 20-25kg
tins of film in the back of a van.

11. Digital projection, especially when married to the increasing use digital
formats in production, can now replicate - if not surpass - the image
quality of conventional 35mm cinema presentation
Cheaper
Send films as computer files to cinemas across the UK – piracy
Digital Projection
The compressed and encrypted files sent directly to cinemas to be
downloaded, de-encrypted (unlocked) and opened as files for screening
with digital projection equipment.

12. Cinema Chain Number of
screens
Odeon/ UCI 930
Cine UK and UGC 780
Vue 580
Showcase 250
Others 1000
But this wide number of screens does not mean a
diversity of films on offer to audiences.

13.  DSN sites supports new facilities in 211
screens across the country (out of a total of
just over 3,300), small but important step
change towards full digital cinema.

14. The Phoenix in Leicester – a broad cross-
section of the best in world and independent
cinema in its two state-of -the-art
screens. Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds –
mixture of mainstream and art house films,
funded by Leeds Council

15. 1. In per-cent, how much of the market is
dominated by the ‘big six’ distributors?
2. Why is it important that distributors ensure
timely delivery of films?
3. How much does a print cost?
4. How many reels does a print usually consist
of?
5. List two main advantages to digital
distribution.
6. List two mainstream exhibitors and one
independent exhibitor.