Film distribution strategy example

With a film marketing plan you can now market directly to film audiences at the fraction of traditional hollywood marketing budgets. To create the product so that it responds to the customer needs and expectations. At the same time, cast talent that works well for the project. Some basic principles of film distribution and marketing for. This will include distribution, pricing and promotion strategies that, if youre prepared, can help you pull ahead of the competition. It is also common for distribution strategy to vary by region as a firm may seek. Distribution strategy 3 definition distribution is one of the four aspects of marketing.

In that regard, as part of understanding the entire process of production and distribution, it is important to understand how film distribution and film financing are linked. He covers two awardwinning short films and one feature length documentary. How to create a movie marketing plan without going crazy. Stormhoek wines went from selling 50,000 cases of wine a year in 2004 to 200,000 cases in 2006. Many film marketing campaigns have intelligently played on their audiences love or hate for certain characters by building a persona around those characters on social media. This is a broad overview of a 12 week movie marketing plan that you can implement for your next title. For example, file sharing data can be used to further expand movie distribution in new and untapped target markets for the film industry, or to adjust distribution strategies and processes for tv shows in existing markets, and vice versa. A company can decide whether it wants to serve the product and service through. If you know someone seeking film distribution, you might also want to check out my sell your movie system.

The film festival strategy is very important to the overall success of this film. Heres the distribution strategy you need before sundance or any film festival. Our film financial projections template will make financing for your independent film production a breeze. Fear not were going to break it down in very simple steps and terms. Today, many companies use a mix of different distribution channels. As a small business on a budget, they had a challenge competing for supermarket shelf space and needed customers talking about them, so the supermarkets would want to talk. A real distribution strategy for your films business plan. The distribution company is usually different from the production company.

Apr 09, 2018 as a result of internet film distribution and the inevitable demise of dvd retail distribution you can now reach a global marketplace. Successful filmmakers and by that i mean filmmakers who successfully recoup their budget and repay investors, are the ones who develop a distribution strategy before they embark on the filmmaking process, and sometimes before they write the script. Our distribution strategies seminars give independent filmmakers an overview of all aspects of the distribution landscape so they can develop the best distribution strategies for their films. The sheol express, the offering, and the sea in between, respectively. Another way to kickstart your distribution thought process is casting. At first we did not understand the power of modern selfdistribution. Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for the consumer or business user who needs it. Distribution strategies used by businesses 5 types of. Deliveries will be made monday through friday, and will be strategically routed to minimize travel time and fuel costs. Intensive distribution tries to cover as much of the market as it can. Theyre a key element in your entire marketing strategy they help you expand your reach and grow revenue. A distribution strategy is a plan to reach customers with goods and services. Best film business plan template sample, financials, investors. As part of this due diligence, the distributor would ask to see the script.

How to build your documentarys distribution strategy filmmaker. For example, file sharing data can be used to further expand movie distribution in. B2b and b2c companies can sell through a single distribution channel or through multiple channels that may include. The foundation for the following information comes from the business of media distribution by jeffery c. Which is why a film, for example, can sell domestic and international rights separately.

Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. Some basic principles of film distribution and marketing. Type of release to be used for example wide release. For example, the walt disney company distributes all film content walt disney studios motion pictures, while sony pictures. Distribution is the process of selling and delivering products and services to customers.

When the company is having a mass marketing product, then it uses intensive distribution. Try to cast talent that might help turn eyes towards your project. Jan 07, 2018 basically, social media is an essential part of any films distribution strategy. Nov 18, 2018 4 types of distribution channels in marketing manufacturers originally bear the responsibility to create the perfect marketing mix for their production. Both models can be good or bad, depending on how well a movie does at the box office.

For example, today the film distribution process is far different than it was even ten. A workshop at the recent oregon doc camp, presented by women in film portland, focused on developing a distribution and marketing strategy for documentaries. Distribution agreements in order to sell the right to distribute a film, a production company must enter into one or more acquisition and distribution agreements with a distributor. As an example, you could augment a direct sales force, that calls on and services large established accounts, with agents, covering smaller customers and performing new business prospecting. Distribution or place is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. Lights online film school recently had the opportunity to chat with indie filmmaker ryan patch about his distribution and festival experiences. The process of getting products or services from its source to market is referred to as a distribution. How social media changes film distribution for better or worse. Include the results of your assessment in the company description portion.

May 15, 2020 distribution strategy is a strategy or a plan to make a product or a service available to the target customers. Distribution includes both sales and delivery of everything that surrounds a product including customer service and customer experience. Distribution strategy focuses on various factors, which encompass. How will you bring your film to the attention of your target market. Most filmmakers make their shorts without much thought for distribution. Jun 22, 2016 the process of film distribution is incredibly interesting and somewhat complex. The grant of distribution rights to the distribution company is always of all rights in perpetuity throughout the world, making the distribution company the. Distribution strategy essay sample new york essays. Distribution strategy is a strategy or a plan to make a product or a service available to the target customers.

This excel template walks you through analyzing your film, comparing it to other films, movie production costs and easily allows you to add financials directly into. The distributor may set the release date of a film and the method by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing. Your distribution strategy youll need to assess your companys distribution capabilities. Film distribution companies help you market your film. Coffee distribution business plan sample sales and. Below discusses our currently planned distribution strategies as well as a variety of future distribution possibilities. This can be done directly by the producer or service provider, or using indirect channels with distributors or intermediaries. If the distributor and the studio have a profitsharing relationship, on the other hand, the distributor gets a percentage typically anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the net profits made from the movie. Learn the 5 main steps you can take to plan out your independent films distribution. Distribution strategy designs the entire approach for availability of the offering starting taking inputs from what the company communicated in marketing campaigns to what target audience is to be served. The companys overall business strategy, pricing structure, marketing objectives, and target market are such that our sales warrant a persontoperson selling strategy.

The distribution and marketing for any one film will depend on several factors. How to write a 4part film business plan that gets you funding. Filmmakers need to get a good, rocksolid understanding of how film distribution works. Panelists caitlin boyle of film sprout, julie whang of tugg, and amanda elder of collective eye films detailed the roles their companies play in. Jan 14, 2014 every film can benefit from having a distribution strategy before its festival premiere and before any rights are sold. Back then, the only alternative to this old film distribution model was selfdistribution. Smart strategies to get your indie film seen lights film. You will also find a film distribution strategy plan below. Here is a brief summary of how we see film distribution at the moment. At the very least you will want to try and make your money back. Doing this will benefit the film and make the release more successful and make your life easier. Each of the big six has its own distribution division. The ted character on twitter is a fantastic example.

This excel template walks you through analyzing your film, comparing it to other films, movie production costs and easily allows you to add financials directly into your independent film business plan. Distribution strategy definition, importance, types. Film financial projections template film income projections. Business planning is all about developing strategies for whatever your business may face. In this paper, distribution strategy critically discussed besides evaluating how it used in consumer market. Our distribution strategies seminars give independent filmmakers an overview of all aspects of the distribution landscape so they. Please note that the distribution process well be covering is the standard. Getting your product or service to market may require your sales effort andor the physical transfer of your product with one or more intermediate parties before it reaches the ultimate enduser. Type of release to be used for example wide release, modified wide release, etc. Typical fmcg and consumer durable products are best example of intensive distribution strategy. In the house i live in, a film about the war on drugs in north america, there were two primary objectives for the distribution strategy. A customized strategy can help you maximize audience, revenues, impact, and. When we released our first feature on amazon and started making sales, it was hard to believe we could do so without a traditional film distribution deal. In this post, we will tell you everything you need to know about product distribution, from different distribution strategies to who is who in the industry, so you can refine your own distribution strategy to achieve peak performance on the shelf.

Perhaps you are preparing to make an independent film or. Basically, social media is an essential part of any films distribution strategy. In the leasing model, the distributor agrees to pay a fixed amount for the rights to distribute the film. It is common for firms to adopt multiple distribution channels to reach customers in convenient ways. Jun 05, 2017 before a distributor agrees to a distribution contract, the distributor usually performs a due diligence analysis of the film project and the production team behind it in order to assess the projects viability and the films overall box office and vod potential. And seeing as a film takes a lot of time and money to make. For example, festivals, broadcast, educational markets, media arts centers, limited theatrical release etc. The final piece of your short film business plan is your release strategy. After a product is manufactured it is typically shipped and usually sold to a distributor. Early practices distribution film, movie, show, producer.

Each film needs its own distribution and marketing plan unique to that film. If you couldnt land a real distribution deal, then you werent a real filmmaker. What film promotion strategy do you have for film festivals. What is very expensive is the time and effort you need to put into social media, 3. Selling entertainment content with a more targeted film distribution strategy. How to create a distribution strategy that actually makes money. Panelists caitlin boyle of film sprout, julie whang of tugg, and amanda elder of collective eye films detailed the roles their companies play in the new world of hybrid distribution. General film, for example, improved the chaotic conditions in the marketplace by inaugurating a system of zoning so that theaters in a particular locale would not show the same pictures simultaneously, by classifying theaters by size and location, and by regularizing pricing, among other measures. Goals of the filmmaking team all should be on the same page.

Although we are always talking about film distribution also, marketing is an essential part of this process, the marketing strategy is what will define the movie and people will look for, will want to know more about it and would like to see the film wherever it is present. A distributor is the middleman between the manufacturer and retailer. The distributor then sells the product to retailers or customers distribution strategy 4. Every film can benefit from having a distribution strategy before its festival premiere and before any rights are sold. Deliveries will be made monday through friday, and will be strategically routed to minimize travel time and fuel costs while maximizing production. May 24, 2016 a workshop at the recent oregon doc camp, presented by women in film portland, focused on developing a distribution and marketing strategy for documentaries. Part b distribution strategy distribution refers to the methods used to sell products and the channels in which products pass before reaching the endconsumer. Film festival, theatrical, semitheatrical museums, schools, art centers, etc, video on demand, educational sales, dvd sales, web sales, itunes for example, the. How to build your documentarys distribution strategy. The other three elements of the marketing mix are product, pricing, and promotion. We walk you through the nuts and bolts of your project so you present the investment opportunity in the best light possible, without compromising your creativity. An example of push and pull strategy can be seen with a south african winery.

The term is associated with marketing channels that are used to reach customers in different ways and different regions. Jul 19, 2019 the grant of distribution rights to the distribution company is always of all rights in perpetuity throughout the world, making the distribution company the complete and absolute owner of the film. Which strategy the filmmaker uses to access funding will depend on the type of film, the story or subject matter, the budget, genre, the filmmakers reputation, the talent attached and the. In order to sell the right to distribute a film, a production company must enter into one or more acquisition and distribution.

The growing importance of online channels, social media, and mobile commerce mcommerce has given rise to new retail formats, that use only channel used and. Distribution channels in marketing are one of the classic 4 ps product, promotion, price, placement a. And if you remember, the term itself was synonymous with loser. A mix of globalization and diversification in the fashion market. For most filmmakers, basing an entire distribution strategy on outside studios picking up completed films is silly. The film business plan outlines your methods for reaching your intended audience. The objectives are to gain awareness and support from consumers while demonstrating the value of no good deed to potential distributers. The common misconception is that social media is free just because you can set up a twitter or facebook profile for free. Gaining this awareness will be achieved through the festival kit, stunts, and guerilla tactics. It usually also includes determining a marketing strategy.