This document discusses how independent films are distributed as real media products. It explains that independent distributors like Warp Films, Verve, and Vertigo specialize in distributing independent films in theaters and on DVD. These distributors identify the target audience for a film, develop marketing campaigns, and get the film in front of audiences. Social media is also discussed as an important way to engage audiences and distribute film marketing like trailers. The role of distributors in identifying the audience and getting a film shown to theaters is summarized.

1. Q3. How Do Your
Products Engage With
The Audience And How
Would They Be
Distributed As Real
Media Products?

2. How brands profile
audiences?
Firstly, I researched how major brands research their
audiences in preparation for creating my own
audience. I saw how Bauer, NME and SKY profiled
their audiences. Firstly, on Bauer Media I looked at
how they feature Kiss as one of the media packs,
showing who their audiences include. From this
media pack there is a section titled ‘The listener’
which describes who their audience would be in
terms of age and gender and also talks about what
their audience likes doing.

3. The role of the distributor in
profiling an audience?
Target Audience:
The distributor needs to consider who will want to see the film and
who are the film's target audience. Every single film has a target
audience, such as romantic comedies, tend to be directed towards
older girls and women aged between 14-30.
The reason finding the target audience is so important is because
they will base the marketing campaign on them. For example, for
our short film, we conducted research and came to the conclusion
that our target audience were 15-30 year olds
Distributors usually think:
- WHO will want to see the film?
- WHY will they want to see the film?
- HOW will they be persuaded to see the film?

4. Identifying my target audience
One of my earliest pieces of research was
identifying my target audience. Target
audiences are defined by relevant factors such
as age, gender, ethnicity, social class.
Firstly, I researched in audience theory and how
different audiences behave
Secondly, I created an audience and short film
questionnaire on google forms, in order to work
out my target audience.

5. How do you products engage
with the audience?-
Questionnaire Results
Looking at the questionnaire results is very important as
they are indicators for us when looking at how to engage
with our audience
1. The first set of results identifies the gender and age of
our audience, showing that the majority of our
audience is under 18-25.
2. The second set of results indicates their favourite genre
of films which the audience prefers. From this we see
that Comedy and Thriller are the two favourites.
3. The third set of results shows me how my audience
finds out about films. This is very important when
looking to engage our audience. From the results the
main response was through social media. This meant
that it was important to create social media accounts to
engage with the audience.
1.
3.
2.

6. Audience Profile
Oscar Rife- Aged 18
After researching into my target
audience I have been able to create
an ideal audience profile for
someone that would watch my
short film

7. How do your products
engage with the audience?
My products engage with audiences because of the way in which the
products link together and create the sense of branding. When
looking at specific products such as my film poster and film website
it became obvious to me that in order to fully engage the audience I
had to develop products that would link together to present the idea
of branding.
This is shown through the colour scheme, background images and
display of characters. Firstly, I have used a colour scheme of blacks,
whites and greys in order to present a mysterious feel to the
products. Secondly, I have used similar photos which I have taken for
the background images, in both the postcard and website. Finally, I
have included the same important characters in both so that the
audience can understand who is involved in the film before actually
watching it.

8. How Social Media is used to engage
audiences and how it would help
distribute the products
Social media can be accessed by millions and millions of people and
plays a massive role is engaging audiences and would help
distribute specific products. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are
the main platforms which are used by film companies in order to
engage audiences and distribute films. Firstly, social media will
distribute the film by marketing it on specific platforms, this can
include things such as the film postcard or the trailer.
As a result of the film products being distributed on social media, it
will then engage audiences as they will be able to interact with the
film company and will be able to find out lots about the film before
they watch it.
For our film we then created an Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
account in order to do these things

9. Why is our film so good to
watch?
• Our film, Conned, is so good to watch as it keeps the
audience engaged and interested throughout, right to
the end of the film.
• The use of Levi-Strauss’s theory of Binary Oppositions
is a reason why our film is interesting and engaging. We
use opposites of heroes and Villains within our film in
terms of the Agents and the criminals. The relationship
between the two allow our film to progress and the
audience will be able to connect with one of these
opposites and will find it so good to watch as they will
want to know what happens in the end.

10. How would they be distributed
as real media products?
Distribution is the process in which a film reaches the hands
of a theatre chain, broadcasters, video stores and video on
demand (VoD) operators. The companies that do this are
called distributors. In general, a producer uses a sales agent
to license a film to distributors outside the producer’s own
country. I looked at the FDA website as well as the Business
of Film course to learn about distribution, and from these
websites I learned about the role of the distributor.
As well as this I looked at different independent distributors
which we could use in order to distribute our film. This is
important to look at as different ones specialise in different
things, so finding the best one to get out to audiences is very
important.

11. Independent distributors- Verve
As we are an independent film it is important that
we realised that we needed an independent
distributor to distribute our film. There are three
independent distributors that we could have used.
One of them is Warp films, Verve and Vertigo.
One distributor that we could of used is Verve. Verve
specialise in the release of independent films in
cinema and on DVD from the UK and all around the
world. They have a track record of working with first
time film makers Over 75% of their releases are from
first time feature directors.

12. Independent distributors-
Vertigo
A second independent distributor that we looked
into was Vertigo. Vertigo specialise in maximising the
profiles and audiences for independent films. Vertigo
is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s leading
independent film TV production companies.
Having built up one of the most successful feature
film businesses in the UK encompassing production,
distribution, sales and post-production. Vertigo are
now concentrating on television production

13. My independent distribution
company- Warp Films
An independent distributor would distribute my film. I
have decided that Warp pictures would be a good media
institution to distribute my short film. I have chosen Warp
because I feel that it is suitable for our genre of film, as
they target independent, distinctive and thought-
provoking content.
When I went to a study day at the BFI, I learned all about
independent distribution companies such as Warp. Warp
stood out for me due to the content they look for and
how they distribute the content. On the study day we had
a talk by the directors of ‘Ghost Stories’ which was
distributed by Warp films.

14. What distributors do
The main job is to get the film out to a paying audience.
This is done in many ways, firstly, identifying what
elements make the film, such as genre, so that they can
what age to target the film at. The distributors work on a
territory by territory basis. This means that the
distributors distribute in their territory only e.g. UK
distributors such as Warp only distribute in in the UK.
I went on the FDA to understand a bit more about what
role the distributors play. On this Mark Batey developed
the point that distribution is a whole business process,
which is fast moving, highly competitive and very
strategic.

15. Role of the distributor
The Role of the distributor is to sell the film to cinemas so
that the film can earn a revenue. They do this by:
- Identifying its audience
- Considering why they'd go see the film
- Estimating the revenue
- Persuading exhibitors to play the film to the public (in a
cinema)
- Developing plans and partnerships
- Building interest and buzz about the film
- Aiming to convert as much interest as possible into film
visits

16. Role of the distributor- Role
of the FDA
According to the FDA’s 2017 handbook, audiences visit the cinema 2.6 times a year and
Simon Duke who is the Technology Business editor for the times reports that the British
box office is on course for its best year since 1971. In total it is expected that filmgoers
will have clocked up 176 million visits for this year. Similarly, across the Atlantic it is the
same picture as the takings are forecast to top $12 billion for the first time.
However, the internet streaming giants are creating their own content such as Netflix
who plan to release 90 feature length films in 2019
As a result of Web 2.0 there are now many more distribution methods for indie films
such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Bit Torrent Bundle and Vimeo on Demand.
Kickstarter is also a crowd sourced funding website which offers newer opportunities to
fund and distribute film. Most of my own film viewing (and my target audience's) is
done online.
With Web 2.0, viewing online, piracy and the future of online distribution, the industry
faces future challenges. Within the industry rapid changes are taking place from the
original and traditional ways of distributing films through to the digital formats used
today. Netflix and Amazon were outbidding all the major movie studios at Sundance in
January 2016. Amazon outbid Hollywood heavyweights Fox and Universal for the rights
to distribute Manchester by the Sea—a Sundance debut. This is because of the way
online platforms are now being used to distribute and market films

17. Spend on digital media for
distributors
As Matt Smith co-head theatrical, Lionsgate UK said ‘the spend on
digital has increased massively’. He also went on to talk about how
that this spend consists of a large amount of the budget. An example
of this is on teaser trailers, these are used to gain the attention of
viewers in a short space of time as people’s attention span is a lot
less than it used to be. Now when watching trailers, it often appears
as an advert on platforms such as YouTube, where you have 5
seconds before the viewer can skip the advert, whereas it used to be
that you had 2 and half minutes to attract the attention of viewers.
Distributors also run digital and conventional screenings from which
they present the film to an audience. They can bring in influencers
to the screenings to raise the profile of the event and engage more
people. This will raise the awareness and will increase the hype and
buzz around the release of the film