Independent distribution and

exhibitionPicture House Cinemas and Soda Pictures

To start with...Watch the following video and list 5 things you think Picturehouse cinemas are trying to convey in this ident.

http://youtube.com/v/0ZfayK9wGko

Picturehouse Cinemas● Ostensibly the face of independent

British cinemas… but are they really?● Obviously they are a chain and hence

are owned by a company.● That company is Cineworld

● Formally owned by City screen who would buy out actual independent cinemas to join the Picturehouse brand.

● Own approx 21 cinemas across the UK● Screen mainstream and independent

films

Distributers● Choose which films to distribute● Decides on number of and pays for film

prints● Negotiates the release date and where

it will be exhibited● Sends trailers and publicity to cinemas● Negotiates budget and pays for the

marketing of the film

Their relationship with exhibitors● Secures the contract agreeing the %

gross ticket sales paid to the distributer● Divides up the rest between the

cinema, production company and 3rd party agents

● Monitors exhibition (times/screens)● Implements changes (when

appropriate)● Ensures prints are correctly returned to

avoid piracy

Soda Pictures● One of the few British distributors● Releases around 20 low budget British and

foreign language films each year.● Constant struggle to get their films out there and

seen.● Try to use lateral thinking in their promotions● ‘Self-exploitation’ Allow people to rip you off just

to get your films out there.

http://youtube.com/v/UDZr2zeQIOU

Skeletons (2010)http://www.skeletonsthemovie.com/- Soda secured festival screenings to create buzz- A relatively limited cinematic release (shown in Picturehouse cinemas for ex)- The film benefitted from being talked about extensively on Mark Kermode’s radio show- Other than festivals, no wide release in any other country

Economics of cinemas● Figure vary wildly for all movies because they are always

negotiated between distributors and exhibitors.● Up to 95% of the box office (after taking out running costs)

go to the distributer in the first few weeks of release (sometimes reported as low as 50% though).

● The theatres run the films then as a ‘loss leader’ to get people into the theatres and buy food and drink where they make the majority of their profits.

● The longer the film is out, the more the theatre can negotiate to keep, thereby making more of a profit.

Researching a British filmChoose one of Soda Pictures’ films and research how they have been promoted, exhibited and any box office records you can find.