Distribution questions

What Is Distribution?

What part of the supply chain is distribution?
Distribution is the third pat or the supply chain.
What is distribution often referred to as?
Distribution is commonly referred to as 'the invivible art' because only people within the industry know about it
What does 'vertical integration' mean when discussing distribution?
Vertical integration is where one company is in charge of all three stages, and are often seen as one large stage instead.
Why isnt 'vertical integration' so common in the independent sector?
Vertical integration isn't so common in the independent sector because producers are less likely to know large distribution companies.
What three stages are involved in the independent sector?The three stages of Distribution in the independent sector are licensing, marketing and logistics. 

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Licencing

What is licencing?
Licencing is the act of acquires the legal right to exploit a film.
What are the two levels of licencing?
The two levels of licencing is international and local, international is in different countries and local is in one country.
What is the advantage of being a major US studio?
A big advantage of being a major US studio is that you have distribution offices around the globe.
What three different types of rights can you acquire on a local level? 
The three rights that can be bought at the local level are theatrical rights, video rights and TV rights
What are royalties?
Royalties are what the distribution company pays the producer, taken from the profits that the film generates.
What is the most effective way to increase interest in a film?
A theatrical opening is seen as the most effective way to create interest in a new film.
How long does it take for a film to reach 'free to air' TV?
A film takes two years reach the free to air stage.

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Marketing

What are the two key questions surrounding the marketing of a film?
The two key questions surrounding the marketing of films are when? and how?
What day are films typically released on?
Films are typically released on Fridays
What will a distributor look at before releasing a film on a Friday?
Distributors will look for a Friday where only a few movies are planned on being released to reduce competition.
What is a 'light' week in terms of distribution?
A 'light' week is a week which has very few films being released.
What does it mean to 'position' a film distinctively?
Distributers want to make sure there are no movies in the cinema with a similar story, country of origin etc to reduce competition.
Why has this become increasingly difficult in the UK?
This has become difficult in the UK because the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases in a week.
What are P&A?
P&A or Prints and Advertising are the costs of theatrical distribution, met by local distributors.
How much can P&A cost?
P&A prices can cost anything, it could be less than £1,000 to over £1 million for the release of a film in the UK.


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Marketing - Prints And Adverts

Typically how many prints will a 'specialised' film have?
Specialised films are normally released with fewer than 10 prints.
How many will mainstream films have?
Main stream films will often open with over 200 prints.
What is a key factor in developing the profile of a film?
Favourable press response is a key factor in developing a profile for the film.
How else can awareness of a film be raised?
Another way to raise awareness for a film include advertising in local/national newspapers, adverts on TV or magazines etc.
Why is distribution in the UK seen as risky?
It is seen as risky to distribute in the UK because print advertising in the UK is comparatively high.
Why are companies looking towards viral marketing?
Companies are looking to viral marketing more to develop more effective communication with audiences at low costs.
What are the benefits of a 'talent visit'?
Talent visits support the film industry and supports the release.

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Logistics

In the pre digital film age what was a distributor responsible for?
The distributor is responsible for the transportation of the film to the cinema.
How much does a 35mm print typically cost?
a typical 35mm print costs around £1,000 or double that if subtitled.
How many reals is a typical feature print?
A typical feature print normally has 5 or 6 reals.
Why do 35mm prints get damaged?
35mm prints often get damaged as they pass through different projectors, and the hands of various projectionists
Where are prints stored?
prints are stored in a single hard case, weighing in at 20-25kgs.
How long did a theatrical release used to last?
a theatrical release used to last around 6 months.

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Digital Distribution

When did digital distribution begin in the UK?
Digital distribution in the UK began in 2005
Name two advantages of digital distribution
Some advantages of digital distribution is digital sound and better picture quality movies.
Which countries adopted digital distribution early and why?

How many screens were digital in 2005 and how many are now (you'll need to google this)

Why has digital distribution radically altered the operating model of distributors?

What has happened to the typical release period for a film?

What is a loss leader (google it) and why are companies using the Cinema as a potential loss leader?