Audiences and Institutions:

Production, Distribution and

Exhibition
In the 1990s the British film industry received a boost
in funding and this in turn meant that film production
increased and things began to look bright for the
industry.
Where did that money come from?
However, many of the films that were funded did not
get distribution, and therefore did not get exhibited.
Distribution problems

It became apparent that Britain’s lack of a distribution

network, controlled by British film companies, has been a
major obstacle to a flourishing industry
Criticism of the Lottery-funded films focused on the lack
of time spent in development: ideas were rushed
through, without sufficient attention to the quality of the
script.
Can you think of another period in the history British
cinema where poor quality films were produced?
What is film distribution?

A film distributor is the link between film producers

and exhibitors (the cinema chains); their aim is to get
as many people as possible to see the film on as
many cinema screens as possible.
Producer:
Working Title

Exhibitors:

Distributor:
Universal Cineworld

UCI
Odeon

Vue
Film distribution

The distributor markets the film and develops an

appropriate advertising campaign

To market successfully, the distributor has to target

the appropriate audience

The distributor needs to create interest in a film; this

can be easy if there is a clear ‘selling point’ such as a
star, but harder in the case of low-budget
independent films
Film distribution

Distributors employ researchers to track the

recognition of the film with the target audience
during the campaign
The UK has major distributors (affiliated to the
Hollywood studios) and independent (unaffiliated)
distributors who tend to handle films made outside
the major studios
In Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s exhibition was
the most financially important part of the filmmaking
process; now distribution dominates
Your task

You need to take on the role of a film distributor and

create a promotional campaign for a new British film
First you will have to plan when and where will be the
best place for the trailer for your film to appear (On TV,
Cinema & Internet) in order to hit your target audience
(You will need to define this)
You will then have to produce a promotional pack for
your film, making sure that you follow all the correct
codes and conventions
See the handout for more information and
instructions