Pearl and Dean - business entrance

Great for exhibition and marketing issues in case studies. This is an excellent site for gaining an overview of these areas, too. Explore "Audience," Planning and Buying," etc. and look over their graphics. You can also take advantage of the "Advanced Search" link to find information on audiences/demographics, etc. for past releases. Don't forget to tick the box for "include past releases."

http://business.pearlanddean.com/

Marketing and Distribution Issues to research for case studies on "The King's Speech" - Concept Map

Double click on the image to enlarge.

Tron Legacy - Case Study Information for Marketing This Film.

Here's a link to excellent resources on this film and its institutions by Mr Smith. It's fresh and up-to-date. I know of at least one re-sit student who will appreciate this link, as he has been telling me about this film.
http://mrsmithinstitutionandaudience.blogspot.com/2010/12/tron-legacy-marketing-case-study.html

Chris Anderson Explains His Theory of "The Long Tail" and The Potential for Marketing in Our Age

Shelf space in supermarkets for selling DVDs and screens for showing films in multiplexes are limited. Bottleneck's in distribution have distorted our understanding of the market for films and by extension, our culture. Chris Anderson argues that niche products/films have an enormous untapped audience which can now be reached digitally through Web 2.0 and the internet. The digital marketing revolution is upon us - and will bring those who understand it wealth beyond their dreams! 

"Selling less of more".
Chris Anderson explains it in this short video.

And here he explains it using the film industry more informally.

An Institutions and Audiences question

Consider why it is most sensible to begin at the end (with Exhibition - Audiences and Exchange) rather than with production and distribution, etc.

So that your answer is not too narrowly based be able to make comparisons with a US film institution and film for production, distribution and exhibition. This will give your British case study a wider context and you will be better placed to argue how film practices in the British Film Industry are directly affected by the giant US conglomerates based in Hollywood. 

Distribution: How "Slumdog Millionaire was promoted through Creative Search Marketing

Technological convergence is present at each stage in the media and in this instance, the distribution part of the film industry. Here, "Tug" plays up its part in the use of search marketing for Pathe to publicise Slumdog Millionaire using online marketing on the Internet. For those researching case studies on this film and its institutions notice also how niche audiences were targeted: "Indian moviegoers and Danny Boyle enthusiasts".

Launching Pathe’s Slumdog Millionaire Using search marketing

Date Published: 07th May 2009 Problem • Pathe was launching a new independent movie in the UK: Slumdog Millionaire. • They wanted to use online marketing to build awareness with the public while also targeting niche audiences such as Indian movie goers and Danny  Boyle enthusiasts. • To support their above the line advertising, Pathe developed a suite of online marketing collateral including a viral, a widget and a trailer focused microsite • But how could Pathe cost effectively, gain an online share of voice in the competitive January release season, create engagement and drive traffic to their online assets? Solution Tug developed a PPC campaign on the major UK search engines targeting searchers interested in: Pathe, Bollywood, Danny Boyle, Slumdog, Indie movies and the like • Tug launched targeted banners across the Google Content network to build awareness of the film on a cost per click model. Eye balls were free. • Tug worked with Google to create click to play trailer ads. Pathe only paid when the surfer clicked through to the microsite. Banner and even trailer views were free! • Tug tested and improved ad copy weekly and included Bafta award and box office hit messaging when the movie met these milestones. • A tactical SEO programme was also put in place concentrating on the film name to ensure top positioning for the difficult to index, flash microsite. Results • PPC drove over 75,000 new visitors to SlumdogMillionaireMovie.co.uk • More than 21 Million ad impressions were served and viewed by targeted audiences – for free. On a blind network at £5 CPM that would have cost over£100K • 73,000 movie goers engaged with and viewed the video trailer • These terrific results cost a mere £13,000 in media spend over a 5 week burst. • Slumdog Millionaire smashed UK box office records and has won 7 Bafta awards and 8 oscars! • Tug are working on an integrated SEO & PPC template campaign structure for further Pathe film releases. Tug Creative Search Marketing 77 Leonard Street London, EC2A 4QS www.tugsearch.co.uk www.tugsearch.co.uk/blog

The Distributor's Marketing Campaign: how to analyse film posters

Of course, in the Exam there is no way that you can say everything about how your distributor's film poster targets its audience. Still, an analysis of two- three of its most important features will go a long way to earning you marks when writing a  paragraph or so about this in your exam essay.

When you analyse any film poster you need to establish the type of film poster you are looking at.


The type of poster: Identify which type of poster it is: the teaser poster -this poster contains basic information to whet your appetite. It often does not indicate much about the plot, but may have a picture of the stars, and the name of the film.


The main theatrical poster- This contains information about the production personnel, the stars, and the distributors.


Video/DVD release poster - This one comes out when the film is released on DVD/video and often has all of the above plus short, one line reviews from relevant publications.


Character Poster – this one features the main character. Remember that the posters could be a combination of two types. The poster above focuses on the 'ensemble cast'.


For greater depth consider:
• Images of the key settings and the main characters. What is the title of the film? What can you say about the way in which the title graphics have been written? Who is starring in the film? Where are the stars’ names placed on the poster? Why? Describe the key images on your poster. Why have they been chosen? Talk about what images are used - stars, setting, colours, symbols, (mise-en-scene). What do they suggest/signify? What other pictures can you see? What is their purpose? What are the most important colours on your poster? Why do you think these were chosen? What do you think the film will be about? Who is the target audience?


• Narrative: What clues are there to the narrative? What can you tell about the genre of the film and the types of characters from their facial expression, body language, stance, appearance and position on the poster? What makes you say this? What impression do you get of the character/personalities from their expression, clothes, props. Is there an enigma being presented? Is the poster composed of a series of images (montage, lack of perspective) Is the key image a still from the film?


• Colours: What colours are used in the posters? Are they relevant to the genre e.g. horror posters generally use dark strong colours especially black and red to represent death and evil. Romance films tend to employ lighter pastel and warm colours such as pinks, purples and other warm shades. Are the colours on your poster important? Why? What clues do they give about the genre, and how do they attract the target audience?


• Layout: Write about how the images are laid out. Are they are blended in without any concern for real perspective or size relationships between people and setting. Why do you think they are laid out like that? Do you know what the plot, genre and/or theme of the film is? If so,how? Most posters are Portrait or Landscape in shape. What shape is yours? Describe and discuss the title, font, typeface and graphics on the poster. What style are they in, where are they positioned etc? has the poster been painted and printed or produced using DTP 
(mention how improvements in technology have changed production values)


• Written text: Is there a catch or tag-line? What does it tell us about the action, genre and attitude within the film? Who do you think is the target audience for the film? How has the poster been made attractive to these people? Discuss the billing/credit block. What information does it include about credits and information? Do we get information about who is in the cast, who directed the film, which company distributes it and promotes it etc? Where is the certificate? What does it indicate about the target audience and the content of the film? Does the poster list a website? If not, why not?


• Finally, what is the USP (the unique selling point) in each poster? What makes it different from other films? The plot, stars, themes, setting or characters? Sometimes you can have  more than one USP.


For your case study institution's film you should   focus  your attention on the main theatrical poster. The one below is a teaser.

How Film Makes its Money Back

An excellent presentation full of graphical displays which illustrate where the money goes once a film is shown in cinemas. It shows how crucial the production and marketing decisions are when it can be so hard to make money from films.
How Film Makes Its Money Back

View more presentations from azcameron.

How "The Boat That Rocked" was marketed and promoted

The Trailers - read the following before analysing T.B.T.R.
"Most trailers have a three-act structure similar to a feature-length film. They start with a beginning (act 1) that lays out the premise of the story. The middle (act 2) drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. Act 3 usually features a strong piece of "signature music" (either a recognizable song or a powerful, sweeping orchestral piece). This last act often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain a cast run if there are noteworthy stars that could help sell the movie. T.B.T.R. features an ensemble cast.
Voice-over narration is used to briefly set up the premise of the movie and provide 
explanation when necessary ("In a world..."). Since the trailer is a highly condensed format, voice-over is a useful tool to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot."  
Music helps set the tone and mood of the trailer.  (From Wikipedia)
Use the above and these ideas below to analyse the trailer for T.B.T.R.

1. Consider the film's USP ( Its unique selling point?) There may be more than one
2. Which elements in the film's genre is the distributor (Universal) highlighting to set it apart from other films in its genre.
3. What are the film's messages and what do they say the film?

The Main UK Theatrical Trailer


The TV spot trailer


The official website with its radio window
http://filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/pirate_radio/


The Film Posters
Seven advertising posters for The Boat That Rocked
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/advertisingisgoodforyou/2009/02/seven-movie-posters-for-the-boat-that-
rocked.html    

Mobile phone apps and i-Tunes
The following are also good examples of technological convergence
http://www.goldengekko.com/news/31-universal-pictures-launches-another-iphone-app-to-promote-the-boat-that-rocked

Animated apps for I-Tunes. This designer made "dancing buddies"!
http://benjaminwigmore.blogspot.com/2009/04/boat-that-rocked.html


Free Previews (with some old tricks by the distributor, Universal
"I suspect that the distributor planted some people in the audience to guide us around the laughter points. People around me were unnaturally loud and at the lamest of moments. Some of the slightly more clever quips went peacefully by with just the rustle from the friction of my shoulders rattling up and down a couple of times."
For more, see:
http://film-notes-06.blogspot.com/2009/04/boat-that-rocked-dir-richard-curtis.html


Competitions:  by James Quilter, Promotions & Incentives 04-Mar-09, 14:33

LONDON - Visit Britain is in discussions about launching an international promotion around the upcoming Richard Curtis comedy The Boat that Rocked.

The tourism body said it was in the process of tying up a partnership deal with Universal Pictures. VisitBritain is believed to be looking at a promotion based on the film, offering holidays in the UK as a prize.

Additionally the promotion is also run likely to run in the UK offering breaks in different parts of the country. It will launch prior to the film’s premiere on 3 April.

A spokeswoman for Visit Britain confirmed the tourism body was in discussions with Universal about linking in with the film but said no decision had been made on the execution.

The Boat that Rocked is based on 60s and 70s pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline and attempts by Government to ban them. The film stars Rhys Ifans, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy.

According to industry reports Visit Britain is set to launch a new positioning campaign emphasising value offers in the UK such as free access to museums. The move follows a review from the government that found VisitBritain needed to work harder to coordinate British tourism policy.

A prize draw sponsored by Stella in The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/promotions/4984565/Stella---The-Boat-That-Rocked---Prize-Draw.html

Marketing the Music tracks through Spotfiy

http://digital-examples.blogspot.com/2009/04/boat-that-rocked-playlists-on-spotify.html

http://www.thecompetitionthatrocked.com/  ( Spotify's great-looking, interactive competition page!)

Merchandising and The Boat That Rocked

http://www.stereoboard.com/band-merchandise-The-Boat-That-Rocked.html

An analysis of the Cadbury Gorilla Advert from 2007

Pages 8,9,10 and part of 14 are the ones that will help media students most.

E.Lara Rosales Marcoms Cadbury Assignment Apr08

View more documents from ELaraRosales.

IMPA Awards - for film posters

How do distributors market films?
http://www.impawards.com/

Film trailers and their importance for distribution and marketing

Quite simply film trailers ARE the most important part of a marketing campaign undertaken by a film distributor.

The first thing you need to do is establish the type of film trailer you are analysing"

Is it:

a. A teaser?
b. Theatrical trailer?
c. A TV spot advertising the film on release?

You then need to note down answers to the following questions:

What is the film's USP? ( Its unique selling point?) In other words how are the distributors positioning the film in the marketplace?

Which elements in the film's genre is the distributor highlighting which sets the film aside from other films in its genre.

What are the messages in the film's trailer and what do they say about the film?

Remember that the type of release ( wide, limited, universal ) and the date of release will have been carefully planned to maximise potential audiences.

In the exam you need to be able to write a detailed paragraph or two on the posters and trailers of your case study production company's film so you can argue how the distributors tried to market the film to audiences.

Here's a good link to practice with film trailers for films currently on release.
http://uk.filmtrailer.com/cinema/AllCinemaMovies/

How to study film trailers

The link to Frank Baker probably has more information than most students would need for their case studies.
http://www.frankwbaker.com/movie_trailers_as_persuasion.htm

Movie Marketing Update - a useful site for finding out how distributors market films

http://www.indiescene.net/archives/movie_marketing/movie_advertising/

An excellent website for finding and analysing film posters

Find the film poster(s) for your case study film poster and then click on the green cross on the side of the poster to enlarge it, etc.
http://www.impawards.com/

Otherwise find your film posters on the web or in Google Images.

Remember that several posters will possibly have been made for your film, i.e. a teaser poster, the theatrical poster and perhaps a poster with snippets of press reviews or Oscars or awards claimed for it. Think also how some films begin with art-house or minority audiences and cross over into the mainstream (audience-wise) if they become more popular than first expected.

Typefaces and Film Posters

As you click through the posters in the link below read Sebastian Lester's commentary about why each type face was selected by the films' distributors. You should try to indentify the typeface used for film posters on your case study films and the reasons for selecting them. This will prove useful when you discuss in your essays how your case study film was marketed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/entertainment_knowledge_of_all_fonts/html/1.stm

Film Distribution and Marketing in the UK

This article and the related articles on the right of this link's page are crucial for understanding how distribution and marketing is carried out in UK cinema. For students studying independent films this and the related articles offer valuable insight into how independent films are released and marketed. Hollywood films have a major advantage over independently produced films as they are often made by studios owned by companies that have control over every aspect of a film's production, distribution, marketing and exhibition. In other words the companies are vertically integrated in terms of ownership.

Build your understanding by reading the related articles in order as the case study article on "Bullet Boy" refers back to points made in the previous articles. Apply your new knowledge to your own case studies by finding out the relevant information and including it in your blogs, Power Points, Word documents, etc.

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/distribution/distribution1.html

If you haven't already started one, begin an Audiences and Instutions Glossary with words and terms under each of the key areas: Production, Distribution, Marketing and Exhibition in Word.

Add topic specific key words and phrases to your glossaries as you read. For instance for distribution and marketing add the following and others that you notice during your studies:
'vertical integration'
'licensing'
'viral marketing',
'local distribution' (in a particular country)
'a release date',
'a release pattern'
'the big screen'
'theatrical openings'
'market territories'
'the marketplace'
'free to air television'
'theatrical rights'
'theatrical distribution'
'theatrical leg'
'word of mouth'
'marketing platform'
'marketing - when and how'
'a light week'
'P & A'
'Other films with similar traits (story, subject, country of origin)'
'trailers'
'The cinema poster - in the UK this means the standard 30" x 40" 'quad' format - is still the cornerstone of theatrical release campaigns. Numerous recent examples indicate that the poster design is highly effective in 'packaging'
'favourable press response'
'advertising campaign'
'Press advertising campaign for specialised films will judiciously select publications and spaces close to relevant editorial.'
'Press materials, clips reels, images, press previews, screener tapes'
'The use of talent - usually the director and/or lead actors - wins significant editorial coverage to support a release.'
'A pre-release campaign.'
'Preview screenings to create ''buzz" and "word of mouth" (usually amongst the press although the public can also be asked, too.)
'mainstream films'
'specialised films'
'For mainstream films scale and high visibility is the key'

These are just SOME of the topic's key terms that you need to use in your essays. Add others to your glossaries as you notice them.