How is a film marketed and distributed ?
August 13, 2014 at 10:35 am,
No comments
So I have always wondered what the process is of Film marketing and distribution.. After doing some reading I have found some very interesting techniques that a film company does to reach their target audience. So if you ever create a film, a short film, a music video or any kind of a video, this can give a clear guideline on how you can reach a wider audience and get your video seen.
I do many short movies and this defiantly has taught me many interesting facts which you have to consider when releasing a film or a video.
I hope this helps not to just film makers but also to any business, as some of these marketing techniques can also help you awareness of different types of products.
I do many short movies and this defiantly has taught me many interesting facts which you have to consider when releasing a film or a video.
I hope this helps not to just film makers but also to any business, as some of these marketing techniques can also help you awareness of different types of products.
After spending a very enormous budget on film production, the distribution companies such as The Universal need to make sure that the Exhibition also becomes a success. To do that the film company will have to work hard on the films marketing and distribution stages, which hugely relies on the intended audience for the film . There are many ways a film could be marketed; firstly, Advertising in different Media sources such as the radio, magazine, TV, internet and outdoor advertisement. Another source is an advanced screenings, which is set up to build a wider understanding of the audience expectations and feedback. Publicity could also be arranged such as interviews on TV or radios to extend the audience awareness of the film. And lastly, the most important film marketing feature is ‘word of mouth’ that is spread, as the feedback of the film can most intensely persuade the audience to visit the cinemas, and make the exhibition a success.
1#
One of the most important stages of marketing is having a marketing plan. A marketing plan outlines the aims and objectives of the films marketing; making it easier to plan more efficiently and beneficially. The plan normally contains different techniques that the film has to use to be marketed and also futures on how they have to be developed. For example it could contain the information of when and where the free advertisement from the press is going to take place. Also there are also more expensive techniques such as advertisement on outdoor billboards, which would also be included in the plan, containing the information on the design and contacts.2#
Understanding the Target Audience of the film can hugely rely on the success of the film. To do get this understanding the film company will have to precede an extensive research using industry data. The reason why this is so important to know, is because it will help when deciding what contents can be included and which can not. This means that the company has to be confident of understanding the films target audience i.e. what film genres they like, type of film styles, editing styles etc. This also means that film makers and marketing directors do not have to worry and spend money as they don't have to appealing to a wider group of tastes.3#
By getting a deeper understanding of the target audience of the film, it will be easier for the film company to promote the film using billboards and advertisement. For example the advertisement such as billboards, bus posters, ads in newspapers, ads on the internet websites, are ways the film can build different target audience’s awareness. By the wide range of advertisement sources, different range of audiences can be reached. An example of this could be an older audience that may watch the TV later on in the day, the trailer that can reach this audience will be purposely aired at the time that it is most viewed by its target audience.4#
Technological convergence’s and Synergy are also very popular film marketing techniques when marketing a film. That is because this could allow different Media sources to cross promote each other, providing the film with promoting benefits. This can also involve two companies working together to increase profit for both. Technological convergences can also involve different technologies combining together in one device. A great example of this is a film such as Johnny English Reborn as this film provided their audience with an app available for IPhone and android mobile phones, containing games and ‘skying’ tools. It also created a website containing the information about the film, which is open to any person to view, reaching a wider audience. This could be a great way to advertise a film and get to create a greater diversity of audiences, as many people use mobile phones and internet .Synergy is used in film marketing as it aims to cross promote different media sources. For example, again the film Johnny English Reborn used Synergy to connect with a social networks such as Facebook.. But they also linked a Facebook page on their official website so that both of the companies get rewarded profit and ability to grow awareness.5#
Another factor within the marketing of a film that has a huge influence on the audiences choice of watching a film is ‘Word of mouth’. Word of mouth is a social recommendation that could be one of the most influential triggers when choosing to visit the cinema. That is because you trust the recommendations of somebody that you know like a family member or a friend, more than something that you hear or see from an advertisement source such as the magazine that isn't as trust worthy. A positive ‘word of mouth’ brings high level of awareness and strong interests. However if the ‘word of mouth’ was negative it could very quickly influence the films success and be very difficult to defeat. This is why many films are post-released in a test screening so that the film company could get informed if the film fulfils the audience's expectations but also it could hopefully also provide the company with a good ‘word of mouth’ which could increase the films likeness of success.6#
Digital (viral) Marketing is an online source such as a video or a quiz , which could be sent to different audiences. This is feedback could be spread virally and could reach new audiences in different countries. An example of this is a link of a review or a link of the trailer on Twitter or Facebook, which could influence someone's interest into watching this film.7#
The film could also be scheduled for the release at a certain time of the year as it it could reach its target audience more. The date of the release is carefully considered as a target audience that was clearly identified may visit the cinema at a certain time or a day of the week. An example of this is, ‘Wild Child’ distributed by Universal as this film was released in August 2008 and the end of summer as the film was aimed at young teenager girls.