RESEARCH: THE ROLE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR

In order to understand the role of the distributor, I looked at the FDA's website called The Film Space. On the website, there is a page which explains the role of the distribute, it features multiple videos of Mark Batey who explains on the topic. He explains how distributors have to understand the "What, when, who and how" of marketing a film. 

    

WHAT

Batey explains that a distributor must be aware of what the film is, this means they look at films that are similar to theirs and how they performed. Also, they must look at whether the film is a sequel or prequel. Where it originated from. How the director as performed in the previous film, same with actors. This allows distributors to predict how the film will perform and how they should market it based on that.

    

WHEN

An important thing distributors must keep in mind is when to release a film. Batey says "over 700 films are released in the UK every year". This means a distributor must choose wisely depending on the size of their film. If it is an indie film and was released next to a massive blockbuster like Star Wars, it would receive no attention from the audience. A distributor may also want to have a film release around a specific event, e.g. Christmas. An example of this would be The Grinch by Illumination, released November. This is clearly to capitalise on the family Christmas cinema-goers. 

      

WHO

A distributor must be aware of who their audience is, what they are interested in, how old are they? As well as this, Batey talks of how audiences are broadening as more people are going to the cinema as they have become more accessible. An important part of understanding your audience is understanding where they are most likely to see your marketing. An older target audience is more likely to watch their media on TV. Whereas, a younger audience is more likely to watch media on youtube and online sites. This is where you put your trailers, depending on your audience. 

HOW

A distributor must devise a distribution plan, this is where the HOW comes in. They must understand how much the film will make at the box office, and with that in mind how much will they spend to distribute the film. They must devise the best plan based on this. The FDA estimated that in 2018 the UK's distribution of the film was worth over £350 million. This means distributors must be careful with how they use their budget, as the UK market is already congested with films.