Section B

Film Industry

ProductionThere are three stages in production:1. Planning (pre-production)2. Filming3. Editing (post-production)

The top 3 film producers in America are:• Michael Mann• James Cameron• Steven Spielberg

The major film studios

DistributionDistribution - selling the film to companies ready for exhibition

A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company is usually different from the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.

The traditional way of distributing films are through DVDs however a newer way of distributing films are through online websites such as Netflix.

Film festivals are events staged by universities, private organizations, local governments, arts associations and/or film societies. They provide an opportunity for unknown filmmakers to get their movies in front of a real live audience and to have their films reviewed by professional critics.

Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place. In the practice of Hollywood and other forms of industrial cinema, the phases of production, distribution and exhibition operate most effectively when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company. In the UK, distribution is very much focused on marketing and sustaining a global product in local markets.

Distribution is the most important part of the film industry, where completed films are brought to life and connected with an audience. Therefore if a film can’t secure a distribution deal, the film may not reach an audience which will lead to disaster as they film will make a huge loss.

The current top 6 international distributions companies

MarketingMarketing - films, film trailers, adverts, posters and online material; they are ways of communication information to an audience

ExhibitionAudiences view films by:1. Online websites2. Smart Phones3. YouTube4. Cinema5. Netflix6. TV

A Box Office - is a place at a theatre, cinema, etc, where tickets are bought or reserved. Also the amount of business a particular production, such as a film or theatre show, receives. Hollywood Accounting refers to the opaque or creative accounting methods used by the film, video, and television industry to budget and record profits for film projects.

3 main factors in Hollywood accounting reduce the reported profit of a movie, and all have to do with the calculation of overhead:Production overhead: Studios, on average, calculate production overhead by using a figure around 15% of total production costs.Distribution overhead: Film distributors typically keep 30% of what they receive from movie theatres ("gross rentals").Marketing overhead: To determine this number, studios usually choose about 10% of all advertising costs.

Cinemas make their money from: tickets, concessions and onscreen advertisements.

Ancillary markets are non-theatrical markets for feature films, like home video, television, Pay Per View, VOD, Internet streaming, airlines and others.

British Film Institute (BFI)The BFI was founded in 1933. We are a charity governed by a Royal Charter. We combine cultural, creative and industrial roles, bringing together the BFI National Archive and BFI Reuben Library, film distribution, exhibition and education at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX, publishing and festivals.

The BFI uses National Lottery funds to develop and support original UK filmmakers and films, and to increase the audiences who can enjoy them.