E V A L U A T I O N Q U E S T I O N 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media

product and why?

Distribution Companies

In the film industry, there are many stages to successfully creating and selling a media product.

Concentrating on distribution, many Hollywood conglomerates use their subsidiaries to distribute in order to vertically integrate, allowing them to distribute to a tent pole audience without paying other companies.

Smaller independent companies don’t always have the budget to distribute to this global scale, therefore some smaller companies allow large Hollywood conglomerates to distribute their film.

However, if an independent company are unable to fund for this scale of distribution, they can distribute to a niche or local audience themselves.

Distribution Companies

Distribution is the process of launching a film in the market place and sustaining public interest in the film.

The role of the distributer is to buy the license for the film once its made, agree to market and distribute the film, and cover the cost of the reels, DVD and marketing, which is much cheaper with digital technology available now, as opposed to analogue.

Some distributers may invest in the film’s production too.

Magnet Production

My production company was named ‘Magnet Production.’ Due to our low budget, our film would be distributed by a UK independent

distributor. Our film would have an art house release of 20 prints and it would be

distributed in cinemas around the UK. The release date of The Echoing would be during the school holidays – half term - in October.

Halloween is in October and our film follows the sub genre of psychological thriller with a paranormal element. Therefore ‘The Echoing’ would be appropriate to that time of year.

The target audience of our film is teenagers and young adults with a BBFC of 15. Therefore the younger ages of our target audience would be available to watch our film at this time, and this is the most suitable time for a release date.

Magnet Production would receive funding from The UK Film Council. Our film would be available for internet streaming to begin with of sites

such as NetFlix and LoveFilm, following this there would be a DVD release.

Warp X

Warp X are an independent production company that produce short films of which are targeted towards adults, they portray reality and so they concentrate on social realism – distributing to local British audiences.

Warp receive funding from Government Grants, The UK Film Council and The National Lottery.

A successful film from Warp X was ‘Tyrannosaur’ which was distributed by Optimum releasing and they received a grant of £206,540 from The National Lottery fund through the UK Film Council. The remainder of the funding came from Warp X, inflammable Films, Film4, Screen Yorkshire, EM Media and Optimum Releasing.

This is the kind of distribution that The Echoing would have with Magnet Production. We are a small UK Independent company like Warp X and would need funding from similar institutions. Due to the fact that our target audience is a niche audience, we would only need to distribute locally, and therefore a distribution like how ‘Tyrannosaur’ was distributed – with Optimum Releasing - is the kind of media institution that our media product would need.

Microwave Film

Microwave Film are a UK Independent production company based in London which was launched in 2006, they produce films aimed at adults that follow the genres thriller, crime, drama and horror.

Microwave Film receive funding from private and public - The UK Film Council, Art Council England, BBC Films, finance and markets, forums and International Film Commissions.

A successful film that Microwave Film produced was ‘Ill Manors’ in 2012. The film was distributed by Revolver Entertainment. The funding of the film had to be proven and ‘Michelle’ was produced in order to show that Ill Manors deserved the funding and distribution.

This would be the perfect media institution to distribute our media product. We had a very low budget when producing The Echoing, our film follows the genre that Microwave Film make in particular (thriller). As well as this, we only need to distribute to a local British audience, and due to the fact that Revolver Entertainment is based in London, there is no better way to achieve this audience than to be in the capital.

Cross Creek Pictures

Cross Creek Pictures is a production company based in America which direct their films towards thriller genres. They have produced a series of films, one successful film being ‘Black Swan’ which follows our sub genre of psychological thriller perfectly.

Cross Creek Pictures produced ‘The Woman in Black’ in 2012, and it was distributed by Momentum Pictures. Momentum is one of the UK’s leading independent distributors, and it co-distributed with CBS Films and Alliance Films – both American distribution companies.

In terms of the media institution, Momentum Pictures would be a good distributor as they have previously distributed films that are similar to ‘The Echoing.’ However, our budget was next to nothing of ‘The Woman in Black’ which had a budget of $15 million. As a UK independent company, Magnet Production doesn’t have the budget to pay larger distribution companies. Therefore, Momentum Pictures wouldn’t be a suitable media institution to distribute our media product.

Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios is an American television and motion picture studio based at the Walt Disney Studios in California.

Marvel Studios produced ‘Avengers Assemble’ in 2012, along with the remaining of the franchise. Avengers Assemble had a budget of $220 million and the film was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is one of the ‘big 6’ conglomerates in Hollywood and so has the ability to reach a tent pole audience worldwide.

Marvel Studios wouldn’t be a suitable media institution to produce our film as our budget was very low, and their budget for ‘Avengers Assemble’ wasn’t. Also, as our budget was low, Magnet Production wouldn’t have the funding available for a large conglomerate like Walt Disney Motion Pictures to play any part in our distribution. Our target audience is much more suited to a niche or local audience as opposed to a tent pole audience that Walt Disney achieve.

Conclusion

After comparing UK independent film companies, and big conglomerates, I have decided that the most suitable media institution to distribute our media product – The Echoing – would be either Optimum Releasing or Revolver Entertainment.

This is due to the fact that Momentum Pictures and Walt Disney are big companies that distribute globally to tent pole audiences. Magnet Production doesn’t have the budget to achieve this.

Optimum Releasing and Revolver Entertainment are small independent distribution companies which is what our film intends to achieve as The Echoing is set to have a release of 20 prints, and in the UK only.