Film distribution is the process of making a movie available to an audience through various channels of exhibition and viewing. Major film distributors in Hollywood known as the "Big Six" handle distribution for large commercial films. Independent film studios like Lionsgate and Metrodome focus on distributing smaller, lower budget films they acquire from film festivals. A filmmaker may choose to self-distribute to retain full control, but it requires a significant time commitment and lacks the industry relationships of a professional distributor.

1. Evaluation task 3

2. Film distribution
Film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by
an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor,
who would determine the marketing strategy for the film, the media by
which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing, and who may
set the release date and other matters. The film may be exhibited directly
to the public either through a movie theatre or television, or personal
home viewing( including DVD-Video or Blu-Ray disc, video-on-
demand, download, television programs through broadcast
syndication etc.). For commercial projects, film distribution is usually
accompanied by film promotion.
*Wikipedia

3. Major film distributors
• 20th Century Fox
• Paramount Pictures
• Columbia Pictures
• MGM
• Warner Bros
• Universal Studios
These are known in Hollywood as the ‘Big Six’

4. Independent film studios
• Lionsgate
• Sony Pictures Classic
• Metrodome
Independent film studios buy the rights to distribute small independent films that
they scout at film festival, such as the Sundance film festival held in Utah, this is
the largest independent film festival of its kind in the States.

5. A film distributor like Metrodome may be more likely than most to help
promote our film, as they are in independent studio that focuses on smaller,
low-budget films such as Shifty (2008) which is similar to our film, with the
same demographic and also the same social groups represented within the
film, (almost.)

6. Our film probably only appeals to UK audiences. I don’t think that it has
anything in it that would appeal to a wider range of people from different
countries, like the French, they wouldn’t get it.

7. Marketing Strategies
• Posters
• Trailers on TV
• Trailers at the cinema
• ‘Sneak previews’ at cinema before other film of similar genre
• Possible promotion by celebrity or other company, such as a radio station
• May have competition based off of film, on radio or TV

8. Self Distribution
Sometimes a film producer may decide to distribute the film
themselves.
Pros of self-distribution:
• You retain all the right to your film
• You can choose when and where to show your film
• You don’t have to give a % of profits to the distributor

9. Cons of self distribution:
• It is very time consuming, can be a full time job
• You wont have the relationship or reputation with the suppliers that a
professional distributor would have
• You might get ripped off, legal ways if your not careful about what you sign
away to who