Distribution Methods

Distribution Methods
Distribution is a very important factor to consider whilst creating my short film, as it is this that will allow me to market it towards my target audience. I will first look at all hypothetical distribution methods so that I have a full understanding of the different options available, before deciding on the methods most suitable for my own short film.
There are several ways to successfully distribute and market a film; however the specific methods that are used can depend on factors such as budget, which can limit the options that are available.
One way that a movie can be distributed is through viral marketing on the internet, such as on social networking sites. This is a good method of distribution as it means that it is seen by many people, and it is also less expensive than advertising on TV. Doing this would involve paying a site for advertising, but it will allow the advertisement to be seen by many people. However, the effectiveness of this method can depend on the target audience, as it tends to be younger people who use such sites. One example of good viral marketing is the movie ‘Catfish’, which uses viral marketing to appeal to its specific target audience.
Although TV advertising can be expensive, it can be very beneficial for film makers who have a big enough budget. This type of distribution would be effective as it allows it to be seen by many people, and it can be targeted towards a particular audience by showing the advertisement at a certain time, or between certain programmes. This method can be more effective than viral marketing as a wider range of people watch TV.
Another way that a movie can be distributed is by creating posters. This method also allows the movie to be aimed at a certain audience, as it can be placed in certain locations. Posters can be effective as they give people impressions of what the movie will be like, however, marketing through other areas such as TV can often be more effective as it allows more to be shown. Posters can also be used to aim a movie at specific or several different target audiences. For example, ‘Star Trek’ used posters to appeal to both current fans, as well as trying to advertise it to new audiences.
Trailers have a similar effect to TV advertisements. However, they are more effective as they give people more information on the movie, and it is also very easy to target this to a target audience. Trailers are often shown in movie theatres, so in order to aim this at certain audiences, distributors can ensure that the trailer is shown at places where similar films are being shown, so that the majority of audience members will like that certain genre of movie.
Radio is another effective distribution method. This can be done in several forms including general advertisements, as well as reviews and interviews with cast members. If a budget allows for this type of distribution, it can be very effective due to the amount of people who listen to the radio.
For movies with big budgets, premieres and press releases can be one of the best ways to distribute. This can create a bigger fan base and get more people interested in the film. It also allows the public to get to know the actors, which can also be a facto that makes people want to see films. Press releases can also be put online, which links in again with viral marketing. However, for films with small budgets, this would be very impractical due to the amount of planning and casts that are involved. Interviews in general are also good publicity and can be a great distribution method that is used for many movies.
Another distribution method for movies with big budgets is having features on TV, such as a ‘Behind the Scenes’ or ‘The Making Of’ programme. This will allow potential audiences to get a closer look at the movie, and it also makes them feel more involved, increasing the chances of them going to see it. Similar to press releases and premieres, the audience are able to connect better with the actors, making them more likely to see the film.
Free screenings of a new movie is also a good distribution method. It allows a sample of the target audience to see the film, and then they will hopefully help to attract more audiences through word of mouth. This is a popular method used by distributors, and can sometimes even be affordable to film makers who are on a tight budget.
Film festivals can be very beneficial, especially for new, unknown filmmakers who are trying to start out their career in the industry. There are several different festivals available, where the films shown range in quality, length, genre etc, and the filmmakers range in age, talent, popularity, and on how much they are already recognised in the industry. Some film festivals include Sundance, London film festival, and Cinemagic world screen film festival for young people; all of these examples vary by film and filmmaker.
There are also other aspects that I would have to consider if releasing my film, realistically and hypothetically, such as the time of year that I release it, and other ways that my target audience would find out about it. This will tie into the genre of my short film, which is a thriller. Good times to release this type of movie would be around times such as Halloween, and if I was able to choose the time that my short film would be released I could also consider any holiday periods, when people would be more likely to go and see it.
If my short film had a big budget and could be released on ITunes, I could also think about the release of this as well. For example, the film ‘Monsters’ released the whole movie on ITunes a week before it was released in the cinema, which proved to be a successful distribution method.
Real Distribution
As I do not have a big budget for my short film, I will need to think of ways that I can distribute my film, without it costing me a lot of money. This will allow me to advertise it to my target audience, and hopefully to ensure that it becomes a well-known short film.
The first way that I can realistically distribute my short film is on the local radio. This could be done by either creating an advertisement of my short film, or by going down to the radio station and doing an interview about the film, which would allow me to tell my target audience more about the film.
Another way that I could get my short film recognised is by taking it to smaller festivals for beginner filmmakers, such as ‘Virgin film festival’. This would allow me to show my film to a relatively large audience, which could be a good distribution method as people may hear about it through word of mouth. Short film competitions would also be beneficial, as doing well in these will mean that I am more recognised as a filmmaker, which in return will mean that my movies will attract more audiences.
Posters are a fairly cheap and easy way to advertise my short film. I can create several different styles of poster and put them up in places where my target audience are likely to be, such as in movie theatres or college common rooms. This would ensure that people have heard about my film before it has been released.
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Here is an example of a film poster for ‘Terminator Salvation’. This shows the target audience what they can expect from this movie, and also hints at the storyline, even though the actual layout is very straightforward.
Viral distribution is another easy and free method that I can use to distribute my short film successfully. This can be done via Facebook, Youtube, MySpace, and other various sites. This would also allow me to direct my marketing towards my target audience as I can send it directly to them, or tell them whom it is suitable for.
If I have enough money to spend on further distribution methods, I could do a free screening of my movie at a local movie theatre. This would allow me to show an invited audience of my target audience to see my film, which would help me to market it through word of mouth. If any good reviews were written about it, this would also provide additional promotion. However, I would have to consider the possible costs of having to hire a screen or theatre for showing it in. If I was to show my short film in a movie theatre, I would have to have it classified by the BBFC first, which would cost £170 by itself. I may also have to pay for the cost of the screen, however, some cinemas, such as the Picture House, can offer free screenings to students in their bar area.
Overall, I have identified many ways in which filmmakers with big budgets can distribute their movies, as well as outlining the specific methods that would be feasible for my own short film. This will help me to distribute it effectively towards my target audience.

Focus Group Analysis

Focus Group Analysis

To finalise the idea that I will use for my short film, I conducted a focus group with a range of people from my current target audience. This allowed me to find out what they wanted to see in a thriller, and allowed me to make a decision on what idea to choose.

I started out by reading each of my three ideas to my focus group, and asking them what they thought about each. The first question that I asked was what they liked about each idea, allowing me to find out parts that worked well, so that I could incorporate them into my final idea.

For my first idea (run-away Dad), I found that they liked the idea of a younger person trying to track an older person, as it would make the movie more ‘thrilling’. However, my target audience seemed to be drawn more towards my second idea (twin girls), as they found it much more frightening. They also liked the twist that was involved in my second idea, and the fact that it was a psychological thriller. My third idea (mountains) also had an unclear ending, similar to my second idea, which my target audience found appealing. They also liked the fact that this idea was a tragedy, and thought that it would be a good ending for a follow on movie. This showed me that my target audience prefer the ideas that are in my second idea, although there are also elements of the other ideas that are appealing to them.

I also asked my focus group what they would change about each idea, so that I could consider this when creating my short film. For my first idea, my target audience decided that they would change the age of the young girl to someone who was slightly older, as a very young girl wondering around a city may be unrealistic. They also considered the fact that some people may find this idea offensive as it involves an adult with mental disabilities.

For my second idea, my target audience decided that they liked the storyline and the way that the movie was set out, so they did not want to change anything in particular. However, for my third idea, they didn’t want to change anything in particular, but said that they would want to see lots of action shots showing the location, which would be mountains. Although my target audience liked both my second and third idea, my second idea would be more feasible, as action shots of mountains could cause issues with health and safety. Asking this question has allowed me to find out what kind of storyline my target audience would prefer, so that I can use the information for deciding on my final idea.

I also asked what they liked about the characters in each of my ideas. Although my characters were similar in each idea, the context that they were in affected how suitable my target audience thought that they were. For my first idea, the majority of the people in my focus group thought that the characters involved would be a difficult mixture, as it involves a young girl looking after an adult with mental disabilities, but effective. They also thought that this would become quite a ‘deep’ movie, because of the age gap and the circumstances.

In my second idea, my target audience felt that the combination of characters would be good, and that it would make the film scarier. They also liked the fact that the idea involved a family twist, as they found this more interesting. My focus group liked the characters involved in my third idea as well, as they felt that it made it very realistic as it could happen in real life. This has shown me that even with the same types of characters, it is the storyline and themes involved that can depend on whether it works well or not.

The next question that I asked was what they thought about the actual storyline of each idea. My focus group said that they felt my first idea didn’t have a solid storyline, but that the audience might associate the themes with their current lives and circumstances. In my second idea, my focus group liked the twist in the storyline, and they also liked that the tension builds as the time gets closer to midnight, and that the characters would be locked in a room. In my third idea, the main comments on the storyline were that they thought it would be a good movie for the time that I would be filming, as it would be a snowy location, and they also liked the fact that it could realistically happen, yet no movies have been made about this idea before, making it unique.

The last question that I asked my target audience about each of my ideas was whether or not they thought the themes involved in each idea were suited to the thriller genre, as I wanted to ensure that my short film was appealing to my target audience who liked thriller movies. There were a range of opinions on my first idea, with some people saying yes and others saying no. This shows me that this idea would only appeal to some of my target audience and that I would have to modify it further to make it more appealing.

In my second idea, my focus group thought that the themes included were definitely suited to the thriller genre, and they all agreed. This showed me that this idea could realistically work well, and be suited to my genre as well as my target audience. My target audience also had similar opinions on my third idea, which were that the themes didn’t really match the typical thriller genre style. However, they felt that if I included lots of fast-paced shots, and set the film up in a certain way, that this idea could also work.

After I had asked my target audience about each individual idea, I asked them questions about all of the ideas as a whole, to help me to finalise my thriller storyline. The first question that I asked was which idea that they thought would be most successful. The majority of the people said that the second idea would be the best, and some also agreed that the third one would also be good. This question helped me to judge which idea had the best storyline, and which would appeal to my target audience.

I also asked which idea would be most feasible, as i had to consider the reality of filming each of these ideas, and the implications that I would have. My focus group thought that the second idea would be most feasible, and some also thought that the first idea had a possibility of working. This outlined that my third idea could cause many problems due to the location and themes that I intended to include.

As I had to ensure my final idea would appeal to my target audience, I asked them which idea they would most like to see. The majority of the focus group agreed that they would find the second idea most interesting and appealing, and a couple of people also said that they would enjoy watching my third idea as well. However, due to the implications that I have outlined from my third idea, I think that the second would be more suitable.

I also had to ensure that my ideas were fitting to the thriller genre, so I asked my focus group what ideas they thought were suited to the thriller genre. They all agreed that my second idea was the primary one that appealed to the thriller genre, which showed me that a psychological storyline was perhaps more interesting to my target audience.

Another area that I had to consider about my short film was the music, as it plays an important role in the majority of thriller movies. I asked my focus group what type of music that they would expect to see, and they said that they would expect dramatic music that is lightly haunting. One person also said that they would expect the music to be upbeat and loud. Another member of the focus group also said that screeching worked well in thriller movies, which I will consider when making my own.

The last question that I asked was what they would improve about their favourite idea, as I wanted my final idea to appeal to my target audience. Answers that were given on my second idea included making sure that I get the right actors. Although I do not have a wide choice when casting for my short film, I can still ensure that the actors are appropriate for the role that they are playing, and ensure that they are prepared with the script well in advance, as this should improve the acting quality. They also agreed that setting is important to my idea, so I will make sure that I consider this when planning my filming.

Completing this focus group has helped me to finalise my idea that I will be using to create my short film. I think that although my first idea would work, it is not appealing enough to my target audience, as the themes involved did not interest everyone. This idea could also prove to be difficult as it would involve filming at night, along with other complications such as health and safety and the possibility of having to hire out locations.

I also think that my third idea could be very successful, and that it has a unique selling point that my target audience would find appealing. I think that the storyline is fairly strong in this idea; however, in order to create the effects that I would want to do, health and safety risks could cause problems. This would affect the overall quality of this idea, which is why I am also going to eliminate this idea.

This leaves me with my second idea as my final short film storyline. I think that this psychological thriller idea will prove to be successful with all of my target audience, as it contains all of the elements that my previous research has shown to appeal to them. This idea will be feasible, as I am using locations that are safe, and easy to film in. I think that overall, this is my strongest idea, and I think that it will be a successful short thriller film.