Your client's answers will help you determine both the original format and the distribution format, determine costs for the total needs of your client, and avoid serious mistakes when choosing production techniques. A high contrast black-and-white film, for example, might be dramatic in a theater setting but look muddy or washed out on a television screen. Inadequate planning can ruin even your best work or cause unnecessary costs for your client, and for that reason the distribution format must be considered in your proposal.
Many times, distribution and promotion are the critical points in the decision to make-or not make-a film. Is there an audience for the film? How will you get it to them? How will they know the film is available? These questions must be addressed in the planning stages; and when the answers are not obvious, it is very good business to consult a professional distributor.
Early involvement with a professional film distributor is essential in getting a general-interest film production to its target audience. Whether you are aiming at a large, single audience or widely diversified audiences, a distribution service is an excellent vehicle for publicizing and communicating your film's message.
This part covers general considerations for distribution planning, the potential distribution channels for reaching mass audiences, important film ingredients influencing distribution methods, and the many services offered by the distributor (including promotional pieces, print inventory, supporting materials, film maintenance).
General Market Considerations
"We have just made a new film. Could you come over and take a look at it
and give us some suggestions for distribution?" This type of request (which
originates from film producers or from the sponsors of a producer's film) is
too often heard by professional film distributors. The above question should
be answered at the planning stage, not after the film is in the can. Early in
the game, consider not only why the film, but also where the film.
Unfortunately, film producers are often not well-equipped to communicate to their clients all of the effective distribution alternatives. If you feel at all uncomfortable with any of the distribution areas, get in touch with a film distributor who can answer your questions and handle your specific needs.
Not all industrial films are suitable for mass distribution, nor are their target a mass audience. Films are often produced to sell a client's product, point of view, or service to an extremely narrow market (e. g., medical films, military films). These films are carefully aimed at the target audience and usually delivered directly by the sponsor or his or her sales personnel. Professional distribution is normally not required for this type of film. This part is really addressed to the films that are made for unclassified or general audiences.
Non-theatrical films are generally directed to one or more of the five potential channels of distribution:
Schools and special-interest groups account for the greatest utilization of sponsored films. Your films can also receive considerable visibility through the other four distribution channels. If you want to target your films at these areas most effectively, you should really contact a professional distributor.
Educational
There are four major subcategories in the educational field: grade school,
junior high school, senior high school, and college. And, even within these,
there are many other subcategories, such as: boys, girls, and coeds.
Instructional films covering the following subject areas (among many others) are regularly shown to school-age students:
Also within this age range are various non-school youth organizations such as: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, and other sports groups, YMCA, YWCA, etc.
Special-Interest
The special-interest grouping encompasses business and professional
organizations, religious groups, civic and social clubs, etc,. Listed below are
many of the areas that make up this large and diverse category:
The above is not intended to limit the possibilities, but merely to point out the broad range of potential target audiences within the special-interest category.
Broadcast Television
Broadcast television (commercial and educational) provides the quickest
method of exposing many thousands of viewers to your film at one time and
at a surprisingly moderate cost. Your film should be original and
aesthetically pleasing to be accepted for TV broadcast; it should also be
appropriate for an audience of varying ages, educational backgrounds, and
interests. A couple of points to remember are that running times of either
13 1/2 or 27 1/2 minutes are most suitable for the average TV station, and
less prevalent film lengths include 3 to 5 minutes and 7 to 10 minutes for use
as fill material (full-length film or sports event running less than a two-hour
programming slot). Generally, TV stations broadcast from 2 to 4 hours of
sponsored films every week.
Cable Television
Cable television (CATV) is a steadily growing market. Similar to broadcast
TV, CATV enables you to show your film to many of the cable viewers (a
total of about 10 million homes in 7,000 communities) at a number of
locations throughout the country. Again, your film should have wide
audience appeal, be approplate for many geographic areas, and run either
13 1/2, 27 1/2, 3 to 5, or 7 to 10 minutes. Although your film may be meant
for a certain special-interest
regional group, it could also be of interest to
people in other communities.
Vacation Resorts
Vacation resorts are another excellent area for promoting your films. You
have the opportunity to reach many community adult groups that do not
normally meet in the summertime. Movies are frequently offered for
evening entertainment by the management for resort hotels, motels, camps,
or other similar vacation habitats. This approach enables you to
communicate with a wide range of relatively affluent viewers (with the
appropriate type of film-skiing, fishing culture) in a leisurely and relaxed
atmosphere.
Film Ingredients
In addition to considering the categories of audiences and potential
distribution channels, you should also examine some of the important parts
of a successfully designed film: the running time, the advantages and
disadvantages of using professional talent versus industrial talent, and the
film content.
Running Time
The running time of your film will have a significant effect on the way it is
distributed.
Generally, educators are looking for appropriate films running from 15 to 30 minutes. In fact, many will avoid the use of extremely short films simply because the time required to obtain and set up a movie projector cannot be justified for a few minutes of screen time.
Adult organizations, on the other hand, will normally shy away from film this long, preferring presentations that run less than 15 minutes.
Therefore, you should carefully evaluate the length of your film based on the target audience. You might even want to produce two different lengths (different versions) of the film to maximize usage for both the adult and the school audiences.
Professional Versus "Industrial" Talent
One of your responsibilities is to decide whether to use recognized (name)
talent or unrecognized talent. There are advantages to using either type of
talent (cost considerations and film impact).
The use of good industrial performers in place of name talent can result in an excellent film; for the most part, viewers are primarily concerned with the film's message.
If you decide to go with recognized talent, consider these potential (yet remote) conditions. An actor involved in your production could possibly do a film for a competitive company and create credibility problems. Or, such a personality might not be available when needed, could be too expensive, lose popularity, pass away, or even date a film.
On the other hand, there are certain films that require appropriate stars (films pertaining to major sports, such as skiing, bowling, auto racing, soccer, football, baseball).
Film Content
Film content must be a blend of what the client deems impormnt to get
across to the public and the producer's interpretation of those aims. Some
producers, unfortunately, make elaborate films strictly to win filmmaking
awards and to gain recognition, the content and the cinematic techniques
applied may be accentuated to that end. It is conceivable that the
client's/sponsor's original purpose for the film has been somewhat
misdirected. The real objective is to meet all of your client's expectations.
Distributor Services
The actual elements of film distribution are simple in theory but vastly more
complex in practice. You might think that to successfully market your film
you need only an audience and a method of getting the film to the viewers.
However, distribution is really a more complex science.
Mass audiences, such as classroom students (kindergarten to college level), are fairly easy to locate. Other target audiences (skiers belonging to ski clubs and members of hunting and fishing Rod and Gun clubs) are not particularly hard to reach because they belong to well-known organizations. However, certain desired target audiences are difficult to find and perhaps not as easily influenced toward using your film.
This section, then, covers the advantages of using film distributors and the techniques they use to help you and your sponsor determine less obvious target audiences.
Promotional Ideas
Efficient promotion can heavily affect overall film distribution. To assist the
sponsor, supplemental promo literature (ranging from a single handout to a
series of brochures and catalogs) can be prepared by the distributor.
Regardless of the format chosen and the cost of producing such a
promotional unit, there will be an extra expense in getting materials to the
audiences.
Obviously, a direct-mail system will play a vital role in getting promotional media to the film users; to help you, distributors have the latest comprehensive mailing lists of nationwide business and educational institutions.
The handling of promotional materials can range from self-mailers to elaborate catalogs. Costs for an outside vendor's services (layout and printing) are only part of the expenses that must be factored in; you may also be charged for mailing lists, handling, and postage.
Self-promotion by a sponsor who has a single film would cost more than any other unit listing several films for which promotional expenses could be amortized. The only time a distributor might charge the sponsor a special fee would be for a very unique promotion. If the sponsor's film is listed in general catalogs indicating numerous film availabilities, then there will not be a separate distributor's charge.
Print Inventory
Print inventory is virtually the key element in effective film distribution.
The sponsor will need a sufficient number of prints on hand to adequately
supply all of the intended target audiences. Unfortunately, many films are
produced without consideration given to this subject. Frequently only a
minimal budget is set aside for filmprinting costs.
Based on an old rule of thumb of approximately 20 different audience bookings per print per year. a sponsor can roughly calculate how many audiences can be reached in a year on varying print inventories and thus estimate the cost of such distribution including prints and commercial circulation.
Again, be sure you account for anticipated distribution costs in your planning and budgeting activities. Check with several film distributors concerning pricing for print-inventory services and factor those expenses into the distribution plan. It would be unfortunate for you to discover late in the game that sufficient dollars were not set aside for proper film distribution.
Supporting Materials
Besides considering print inventory and distribution cost, you should also
think about the possible use of printed instructor or program chairperson
materials, as well as student or group member take-home pieces. Far too
many films are sent to audiences without adequate support information; by
merely supplying a business leader' s (or teacher's) booklet or guide with the
film, you can make it a much more appealing and meaningful package from
the audience's standpoint.
Typical subjects include: a capsule description of the film, an in-depth discussion of the film's historical context, and a precise presentation on the products involved (including prices).
Other possible uses: hints on product features and usage, suggestions for discussion after the Screening, demonstration kits for teachers, tidal charts for fishermen, game laws for hunters, of exercise suggestions for athletes.
Film Maintenance
Finally, most film distributors will offer a print maintenance program.
Under such an agreement, your prints will be completely inspected for torn
or open splices, torn sprockets or other imperfections, scratches, and missing
footage. Early correction of these problems will protect your prints from
possible damage and loss.
The distributor will place protective, colored head and tail leaders (complete with the address of the distributor) on the release prints, because: