production, distribution, exhibition

                                                                       Production

Production- "The big six"

• These six "major" command approximately 90% of box office takings:
•         Paramount Pictures
•         Universal
•         20th century fox
•         Warner Bros. Pictures
•         Walt Disney
•         Columbia Pictures 
• They are a part of vast conglomerates that are both vertically and horizontally integrated.

Studios that work outside the major studio system are known as "independents" or "indies".

• Summit Entertainment
• Film 4 productions
• Icon Productions

Some of the leading "independent" studios have come to be known as "mini-majors" these include studio such as:

• DreamWorks
• The Weinstein Company
• Lions Gate Entertainment

Goes from production to distribution to exhibition. Production refers to the making of the film; finding the idea, writing the script, pitching it to a studio, setting a budget, casting stars and employing a crew, filming, editing.

Investors: For a film to go into production it needs investors to provide the necessary funding. Box office is success is never certain and so investors try to reduce the risk of losing their money by becoming involved in important decisions. 

• Key questions that they will as are: 
• Is the film's storyline similar to other films that have made money recently?
• Does it offer easy selling points?
• Are there obvious marketing spin offs to give added publicity?
• Is the star popular?
• Had the director had previous successes?

Risks include: what level of audience will it attract?, level of funding necessary?, is it marketable, will the funding make a profitable return?.

Green lit: Before a director starts filming the film has to be green lit, meaning funding has been made available by the investors. There is normally a time limit on an option, usually two or three years, if the film is not made throughout the time the rights can be sold. Non-digital films are made up images printed on acetate negatives, then spliced together, lastly fed through a projector at 24 frames a sec - Analogue. 

                                         Distribution

The distribution phase of the film industry is a highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the "market place". You must remember that the film industry is a business and the films are products to be marketed and sold. Every film has its own distribution plan to ensure it reaches the right audience. In UK distribution can cost from up from thousands to 4 or 5 mill. The school holidays all play roll in the success of  a film. Film release dates can be announced years before filming. The film can be removed on Monday by the cinema if the opening weekend does not make a lot of money. Films are released in releasing windows. Theatrical window is usually around for four months.

Film distributor has to decide how it will represent a film to a potential audience, they need to find its 'unique selling point' "USP". They also look at the stars of the film, are there new spectacular special effects in the film, and who is the director.

Different ways to market a film include, posters, trailers, online, and mobile, content, premiers, interviews, merchandising, festivals, awards.

                                                               Exhibition

The cinema release of a film marks the final stage of one part of a film's journey from idea to audience. After the cinema release, the film will the be available on several different formats. Each of these "exhibitions" of the film offer the opportunity to generate profit. 

The film value chain includes cinema, DVD/Blu-ray/Downloads, subscription television, free to air television.