Evaluation: Q3
What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product And Why?
The company we created to distribute our film is called 'Closed Door Productions'. We agreed as a group to use an independent distributor and to draw inspiration from other institutions that released similar films to the one we were hoping to create.
'Closed Door Productions' is a British company and independent institution that releases independent films. 'Scratch' is an independent film with a low budget and relatively niche, small audience, and so Closed Door Productions is perfect for the release and marketing of 'Scratch'.
We used Fatima's ident, created in class, as a basis for our company's ident. We used photoshop to design the overall image, and then colour grading in Premier pro to make it black and white. We did this so the distribution company would have the same aesthetic and overall tone as the rest of the film.
What Real Distributors Is Our Company Similar To And Why?
Blumhouse Productions are an American distribution company that typically releases independent and low budget films. Despite this, they have a very impressive portfolio of releases and since 2009 have distributed many low budget horror films which have been extremely successful in mainstream media. Closed Door Productions is similar to Blumhouse Productions in the way that it releases low budget films of the horror and thriller genre, but markets them and releases them into the wider media through the studio system, hopefully creating lots of success and revenue. Some of it's releases include 'Creep' and 'Hush'. Hush is a film that 'Scratch' directly drew inspiration from and the two are similar in the way in which the represent women in thrillers. The ideologies of Blumhouse Productions and Closed Door Productions are therefore very similar. In terms of Marketing, BH Productions has created many audience engaging experiences including an interactive haunted house experience and the use of social media. While Closed Door Productions don't have the budget for events or interactive experiences to promote the company, the way in which the two reach out to audiences is very similar. Our film has both a twitter and instagram managed by Closed Door Productions to entice audiences and reach out to the target audience of teenagers and young adults. This is a cheap and effective way of promoting the film. We also drew inspiration from BH Productions' ident, and so the two companies are also similar in terms of visuals, and have similar connotations to audiences. When an audience see a Blumhouse Productions Ident, they can immediately recognise the type of thrilling, intense and scary film they are about to watch. We intended for Closed Door Productions to have the same effect on an audience.
What Real Distributors Is Our Company Similar To And Why?
New Line Cinema is an institution renowned for distributing thrillers. Some examples of the films it has distributed include 'Se7en' and 'The Final Destination'. It began as an independent studio, and later merged with Warner Bros. Although this is slightly different to our Independent company, in terms of the films it releases and the way in distributes them, New Line Cinema and Closed Door Productions are similar. New Line Cinema began as a distribution company that showed films on college campuses, and so the very root of the institution is based on low budget films for students. Our institution reflects the beginning of New Line Cinema, with the same values and overall same method of producing, marketing and distributing films. While our company is independent and new, the renown and reputation New Line Cinema has for releasing films, particularly thrillers,is something we wished to follow with our own institution. In terms of marketing, New Line Cinema targets it's audience directly by using platforms to attract the particular audience. For example, with films such as 'The Mask' intended for young people, the company made merchandising deals with video game and toy companies. For 'My Family', advertisement for the film was broadcast on Latino TV Stations, directly targeting the audience. Closed Door Productions also market in a similar way, using social media to endorse things typically shown an interest in by our target audience, teenagers. The media platforms Twitter and Instagram also directly target the audience we intended to entice for our film.
What Other Films Would We Distribute?
If Closed Door Productions were a real distribution company, some films we may have also distributed could include:
These films are independent thrillers, that became hugely successful after release. They have both thriller and horror elements to them and have a target audience of teenagers to young adults.
Screen On The Green Release
Scratch is an independent film and so benefits financially from having a restricted and local release. This is due to the fact the film has little funding and is also relatively unknown, as there are no well known actors or production team members who may increase the credibility or star quality of the film. If it was to have wider release, the risk of the film not being successful or not making enough money for a reasonable profit is too great. As the film is more niche, directed specifically at horror and thriller enthusiasts, and teenagers (particularly teenage girls), a local and restricted release is also beneficial in gauging the interest in the film and how successful it may become.
A more mainstream audience would benefit from a more public and larger release, however the Screen on the Green is the perfect premier location for a film like 'Scratch'. The Screen on the Green is owned by Everyman Cinema, who's aim as a company is spearheading the revival of independent cinema in the UK. This further reinforces the idea this location is perfect for low budget independent films. The central location and proximity to central London is also beneficial and will help entice secondary audiences.
Digital Distribution
After the initial premier at the Screen on the Green, Scratch was also distributed digitally through the social media and video sharing platform Vimeo. Vimeo is an accessible and free service meaning that anyone with internet access can find and upload videos on it. This platform is an extremely fitting and useful platform for distributing Scratch as it ensures a higher chance of our film reaching more of our target audience and a larger secondary audience. This is because our audience of teenagers may not be inclined to attend a small premier of a film, especially if the film is independent or low budget, however the use of Vimeo means our target audience can access our film from their phone, laptop, computer and be comfortable while doing so. It also means the film is accessible whenever, allowing anyone who couldn't get to the cinema for location or travel reasons, or because they had other commitments, to view the film when it suits them. As Vimeo is a free service, our audience of teenagers are much more likely to view the film digitally than going to the premier, as most teenagers will be studying, either unemployed or with a part time job. They will be less affluent and so less willing to spend money. The 'share' button also increases the chances of our film spreading over a wide range of social media, attracting more and more attention from our audience, as teenagers' friends and followers are also likely to be a part of that demographic. As an independent film and company, vimeo is a good option for spreading our film without spending money or recourses.
DVD Release
The release of Scratch on DVD makes the film even more accessible and available to our wider audience. It means that the film is viewable at any time and doesn't need a vimeo or youtube account, or internet connection, to watch. This appeals to our wider audience who may not have as much of a large social media presence as our younger, core target audience. It also allows our secondary audience to view the film, if our core target audience watch the film on vimeo or youtube, they're probably viewing it on their own personal device. If they are viewing it on DVD, the secondary audience are more likely to see the film.
As an independent distributor, releasing Scratch on DVD is a more mainstream way of releasing our film. It means it can be shared in public, and suggests a level of professionalism. This way of distributing our film will be beneficial in reaching wider audiences and increasing the good reputation of Scratch. It is rare for independent films to be released on DVD as independent distributors may not always make a profit or earn back the money they have invested into the film. This is why our DVD release is after our other initial releases, to ensure the film gains enough attention and interest before investing in a DVD release.
Promotional And Marketing Work
In order to guarantee success, a film must be marketed, advertised and promoted. Often films have whole team dedicated to ensuring the film is marketed well and has gained interest of both the target audience and wider audience before its initial release. As an independent distributor, our promotional work varied from other large feature films. This is due to our small budget, which meant we were unable to place posters or adverts in central locations like often seen for films with a larger budget. We could, however, use social media to promote Scratch and reach a wide range of people. Our group has a twitter for promoting the film, with BTS access and extras such as character profiles to reach out to our target audience and encouraging them to feel more engaged in the release of the film, as they are already invested in the characters.
Our marketing also included creating digital posters to share on social media and our blog to have the same effects of real film posters. Although we could not distribute them in the same way, having a film poster added credibility to our film and enticed audiences online who would be intrigued by what they see on the poster.