The Film Chain Homework

Production

It all begins with Pre-Production.
This is the stage where all the planning takes place. The production is broken down into individual scenes and all the locations, props, cast members, costumes and special effects are chosen. At this stage, the script is usually already written. The schedule is produced and everyone involved is aware of what their role in the project is.
The next stage is production.
 At this stage, all the filming is carried out. All the planned scenes are filmed in the planned locations as many times as the director deems to get the best quality scenes. Great care must be taken to make sure that all filming is done correctly and all necessary shots are taken, as it is sometimes difficult or impossible to go back and repeat certain events if the filming is incomplete.
The final stage is post production.
This is the stage where all the footage is worked on by an editor. The editors first job is to make a rough cut from all the scenes based on individual takes (shots). The purpose of the rough cut is to select the best shots so that the film is seamless. The editor then has to trim which involves shortening scenes by a few minutes, seconds or even frames. Also, all the music and graphics are added at this stage. After the edited footage is approved by the director and producer, the picture is "locked" meaning no further changes are made.


The main producers of films in America


Dreamworks Animation:

• Established in 2004
• Well known films include "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda"
• Founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen

20th Century Fox

• Established in 1935
• Well known films include "The Sound Of Music" and "Avatar"
• Founded by Joseph M. Schenck, Darryl F. Zanuck and William Fox

Columbia Pictures

• Established in 1926
• Well known films include "Ghostbusters" and "The Karate Kid"
• Founded by Harry Cohn and Jack Cohn

The ownership of a film studio may have an impact on what films the studio makes. This is because there may be disagreements on what films would do well and which ones would make a profit.

Independent Production:

1. A film/feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system.
2. DISTRIBUTION
3. • Someone has an idea for a movie.
   • They promote the idea to create interest
   • A studio or independent investor decides to purchase rights to the film.
   • People are brought together to make the film (screenwriter, producer, director, cast, crew).
   • The film is completed and sent to the studio.
   • The studio makes a licensing agreement with a distribution company.
   • The distribution company determines how many copies of the film to make.
   • The distribution company shows the movie to potential buyers.
   • The buyers negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement.
   • The prints are sent to the theatres a few days before the opening day.
   • The theatre shows the movie for a specified number of weeks.
   • You buy a ticket and watch the movie.
   • At the end, the theatre sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease agreement.

There are different people that may distribute a film. It is most commonly a film distributor who fulfils the role. However, a limited distributor may deal with only particular products, such as DVDs or Blu-ray, or may act in a particular country or market. 




The traditional way to distribute a film is to have a film distributor that will represent your film at film festivals and markets around the world. 
A newer way of distributing would be to make contact with distribution companies and forwarding a DVD copy of your short film or emailing a link to your film online.



Film festivals are usually annual events.They provide an opportunity for unknown film-makers to get their movies in front of a real live audience and to have their films reviewed by professional critics. Film-makers whose movies get accepted into a festival also get valuable press attention and exposure to prospective agents and buyers.

A distributor may decide to release a film on one particular weekend rather than another because it may be a special time of year that people may be celebrating. For example, many films are released during:

Christmas:

Halloween:

Distribution is essential to the film chain because it is where completed films are brought to life and connected to an audience. 


If a film can't secure a distribution deal the film will not be viewed by a significant number of people. This means you would not get any useful feedback and your time, money and efforts would not be recognised. 

Marketing is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

Marketers take an idea and spread it far and wide. Distributors build a channel that they control and that is used to connect things to people.

A distribution channel is the chain of individuals and organizations involved in getting a product or service from the producer to the consumer.

Marketing of films:

Films are promoted differently in different cultures

or

Translating the movie into different languages allows more people to watch it. 

Exhibition

• Movies can be viewed many different ways. For example you can watch a movie at the cinema, online, on DVD and Blu Ray.
• A box office is used to refer to the commercial success of a film, play, or actor in terms of the audience size or takings that they command.
• The box office return is useful for identifying the success of a film because it shows how much profit a movie has made
• The profit made by a movie has to be distributed to everyone involved e.g. actors, directors. editors etc.

Also, the money has to go towards

• Production costs: studios, lighting, equipment
•  Distribution: film distributors typically keep 30% of what they receive from movie theatres 
• Marketing: studios usually choose about 10% of all advertising costs

A primary source a cinemas revenue is from their food and beverage sales but also ticket and concessions sales.

Cinemas encourage audiences to visit rather than watch movies at home by screening films in 3D. However, there are now 3D TV's readily available.

Cinemas also have special ticket offers, for example 2for1 deals on tickets to make tickets seem more affordable.

1. Before television, feature films played in motion picture theatre almost exclusively; after television,  films were shown on television and this created ancillary markets. During the 1950s, studios in desperate need of money sold off their film libraries to television, who, in turn, showed the films to local television stations to fill out their programming schedules. This meant television now had the opportunity to show films outside of cinema and after film releases. 
2. BFI
3. British Film Institute
4. BFI was founded in 1933 and they are a charity that award lottery funding to film production, distribution, education, audience development and market intelligence and research. 
5. This helps the British film industry as funding is provided for aspiring film produces that may create the next successful British films.