A film distributor is an independent company, which acts as the final agent between a film production company and a film exhibitor (the place the film is shown) - to the end of securing placement of the producer's film on the exhibitor's screen. How film distribution works:
- Somebody thinks of an idea for a film.
- They create a plot outline and use this to promote interest in the idea.
- A studio or independent investigator who likes the concept of the film, decides to purchase the rights to it.
- Screenwriter, producer, director, cast, crew etc, are all brought together to make the film.
- The film is finished and sent to the studio.
- The studio makes a licensing agreement with a film distribution company.
- The distribution company determines how many copies of the film to make.
- The distribution company shows the film to prospective buyers who represent the exhibitor.
- The buyers negotiate with the distribution company on the terms and conditions of the deal. (lease agreement)
- The prints are sent to the exhibitors a few days before the opening day.
- The exhibitor shows the movie for a specified number of weeks.
- People buy a ticket and watch the film.
- At the end of the decided screening allowance, the exhibitor sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease agreement.
Film Distribution Companies
Below are some examples of film distribution companies:
- 20th Century Fox
- British Film Institute
- DreamWorks
- Miramax Films
- Universal Pictures
- Walt Disney Studios
- Warner Bros
All these distribution companies distribute different types of films. Each is usually specialised in a specific genre, e.g. Walt Disney Studios distributes children’s films.
Below are some examples of thriller films and their distributors:
- When A Stranger Calls - Sony Pictures
- Jaws - Universal Pictures
- Taken - 20th Century Fox
- Psycho - Paramount Pictures
- The Orphan - Warner Bros.
- The Bourne Ultimatum - Universal Pictures
Research Into Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. The company was founded in 1912 and is owned by media conglomerate Viacom. Paramount Pictures is America's oldest existing film studio and is constantly ranked as one of the top grossing film studios.Many films are owned by Paramount Pictures and therefore all rights are reserved to the company. Paramount is a major film distributor.
In 2007, Paramount Pictures established direct motion picture distribution operations in 15 key international countries. This international distribution increases the amount of people who are able to see the films they have the distribution rights to. The more people who can see the films, the more successful the film is and the more revenue can be generated. This is good for all parties involved in the production of the film.
Paramount Pictures has made many technological advances to keep up with competitors and remain in the top league when it comes to film making and distribution. In 2007, Paramount entered into an agreement with Apple to sell some of the company's movies as downloads through Apple's iTunes store. In January 2008, company representatives announced that Paramount would join a growing list of production studios that officially supported the transition to Blu-Ray technology over the more standard high-definition DVD format. This again, increases the number of people who can view the films owned by the company.
Below are some examples of thriller films Paramount Pictures have distributed
- Mission Impossible
- Till Human Voices Wake Us
- The Uninvited
- Fatal Attraction
- Psycho
- Witness
In our thriller film, we have invented a film distribution company called Genesis Pictures. This name is shown on our credits and makes our film production look a lot more realistic. We couldn't use an existing distribution company as this goes against copyright regulations.
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