distribution research

 How do you get your film distributed?

Film distribution is the commercial process that makes a feature film available to the general public. It usually also includes determining a marketing strategy. In the old days, major film distribution companies put a movie into theaters, and it ran there for up to a year, and then it was gone. The average theatrical run was trimmed by ancillary rights from up to a year down to 3-4 months.

Distribution rights refer to the ability of one company to sell another company's product. 

when distributing a film:

  • identify elements that seem to work consistently.
    You need to be fresh, but also familiar. This is one of those enigmatic truths of the entertainment industry.
  • something else a lot of distributors look for in a cast isn't a name recognition, and it certainly isn't talent. it's twitter followers. if your cast has a 'strong social media presence' it makes everyone's job that much easier.

ways to get your film out there:

  • festivals
  • sales agents
    • Sales agents can help a film get seen by movie distributors.
  • distributor screenings
  • self distribute

1. What are the different types of releases? 

  • pre-studio era film release
    • Under the states rights system, films were sold on a local, territorial basis.
    • The local salesperson would then play the film as often as they desired in an attempt to make as much profit as possible. Film copyright holders would sell rights of a movie directly to the theater or franchise salesperson.
    • the states rights system wasn't the most effective way to screen feature-length films since the film's producers only made money on the initial sale of each film copy.
    • With the roadshow system, the producer would enter into an agreement with each theater, with priority given to large-seating and famous theaters. Money would be made via ticket sales.
  • standard release
    • The standard release routine for a movie is regulated by a business model called "release windows".
    • In the standard process, a movie is first released through movie theaters (theatrical window), then, after approximately 3 months, it is released to home video (such as DVD or VHS) and VOD services (entering its video window). After an additional number of months, it is usually released to pay television, and approximately two years after its theatrical release date, it is made available for free-to-air television.
  • simultaneous release
    • A simultaneous release takes place when a movie is made available on many media (cinema, DVD, VOD) at the same time or with very little difference in timing.
    • Simultaneous release approaches have gained both praise, with investor Mark Cuban claiming movies should simultaneously be made available on all media allowing viewers to choose whether to see it at home or at the theater, and disapproval, with director M. Night Shyamalan claiming it could potentially destroy the "magic" of moviegoing.
    • Cinema owners can be affected if they have to share their opportunity window, especially at the beginning of the movie lifecycle, since, according to Disney, about 95% of all box office tickets for a film are sold within the first six weeks after initial distribution.
    • The data shows people are more likely to view, download, and buy a movie if it's in the "new releases in theaters" category.
  • straight to video release
    • A straight to video (or straight-to-DVD or straight-to-Blu-ray depending on the media upon which the movie is made available) release occurs when a movie is released on home video formats (such as VHS, DVD, etc.) without being released in theaters first, thereby not taking into consideration the "theatrical window".
  • internet release
    • Feature films that have been released directly to YouTube or other streaming sites
  • limited release
    • Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets.

2. What are ancillary rights?

Ancillary rights refer to all rights that are related to exploiting property in ways that are different from their original format.

3. What is a theatrical window? 

when a movie plays only in theaters


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