The Film Industry

Production:

A small production company will form and have an idea for a new film. They will then have to get funding for this film. Films often cost many millions to make. The production company will have to go to a distributor for this money.

If the distributor likes the idea, in other words, the film has a winning formula (similar films have been successful) or that it is so brilliantly original that it amazes them (this is most unlikely to be the case). Also the idea must meet the conventions of the distributor can force changes to the idea and demand that certain stars appear in the film.

The production phase itself is split up into 3 sections:

1. Pre-Production: planning, design, storyboarding and casting.

2. Production: the actual shooting of the movie

3. Post- Production: Editing the movie together, adding sound and special effects
Distributor/ Distribution:

These are the people with the money. They are often the large studios: Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Brothers. They are often part of a huge media conglomerates: Vivendi Universal, News Corporation and Time Warner. They are wealthy and own much of the world’s media.

Once the film has been produced (made) then the distributors start marketing the film: posters, interviews with the stars, merchandise, soundtrack, trailers etc.

Seeing as the distributor lent most of the money for the movie they then scoop up a large amount of the profits.

The distributors are often American, hence the American film industry dominating our screens.

Exhibition:

The showing of the film, this can be either:

- Cinema
- DVD (rental and sales)
- Video (rental and sales)
- Satellite/ Digital TV and Box Office
- Terrestrial TV
- Internet