Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

There are many Distribution companies that solely distribute thrillers. Depending the size of the company determines what type films will be distributed. A larger distribution company is more likely to distribute a film produced by 'The Big Six' (e.g. Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox), compared to an independent film company such as ourselves.

When it comes to distributing my thriller there are many alternative ways in which I can do so. Through the help of modern technologies it has made it easier for first time film-makers and other people to get their product noticed. Wither interfaces online such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo etc. it allows people throughout the world to watch media without the actual need for any 'true' distribution methods. Other alternatives would include going to film festivals and promoting the thriller there via previews on a big screen or speaking with distribution companies.

Firstly to get publicity I could start up a fan base on Facebook with teaser trailers, this way you can generate interest and attention. This service is free and simple to manage. It also allows you to collect analytics of the people who look at your content you post. It allows the audience to answer questions and also speculate about the thriller before actually releasing it.

Secondly to distribute the product I believe one of the best ways to get a film out to audiences is most likely through YouTube or Vimeo as these services are easy to upload and are at no charge for uploading the content onto the website which is useful for a company which are trying to release with a rather small budget. The useful link system on this service means that I can enter relevant 'keywords' to the video so that people who do a search with those words it will appear, this can include word such as "Hightide" "Thriller" "Horror" "Short Film" etc. which would then link to the movie clip. You could also include more generalised words such as "Norfolk" which is the location of the film as people who like the area might be interested in watching something based in that location. With YouTube I can also add a description of the video so that people can understand background information including a brief synopsis of the film and credits. A useful feature of these platforms is that though social media and comment options on Vimeo/ YouTube it allows people to voice their feedback what's good about the film and what could be improved about it. This is very good for preparing a better thriller (i.e. final cuts) which can then go further to distribution companies. Although there are some issues to do with this format of promotion as there is no real way to make profits from the product. If I was to go the route fully launching Hightide on to YouTube then the only revenue possible would be though adverts on the video beforehand. Plus if there was to be the whole feature online (Vimeo) for free where anyone could access it then virtually no one would go out and actually purchase it for real. 

A second way I looked at getting my film distributed is through hugely successful multi-corporation companies such as Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures etc. getting interest from one of these big companies would mean the film would be distributed globally and appear in cinemas/ DVD's sold in countries all around Europe as well as across the USA. There would also be no need to create a fan base prior to distribution as people are more likely to go and see a film produced by a popular company such as Universal as oppose to an independently released film. The downside to this method is that by going down this route the companies are unlikely to produce a film which will not guarantee them a large profit. In addition to this the people making the film are 'amateurs' not well known casts or locations.

The better idea to distribute the film to the target audience would be though a professional distribution company. It would not be possible to distribute our own film as this would be too costly and also requires contacts and experience, something which as a first time film maker I would not have.

Finally, an alternative to having the thriller distributed professionally would be promoting the film at festivals such as the BFI Film Festival or Aesthetica Short Film Festival which shows short films, this would be beneficial as it would get the film noticed. Going down the British Film Industry route would be beneficial as they are funded by big American film companies. This backing from the US gives the BFI a budget each year of £117 million to spend on films to be funded which would otherwise struggle on their own. To be part of this the film has to have a British crew, feature mainly British actors, set & located in Britain, have a British director and overall the film must be representative of a British society. My thriller Hightide would meet all these requirements and therefore would be allowed to join funding from the BFI.

Overall it would be the best option to distribute the film independently. Initially launching the film via social media for advertisements then move on to touring different film festivals in the UK promoting the thriller. Then if there is good feedback from that I could then release it to small cinema companies such as Cinema City (in Norwich) which show small independent films companies products. If funding from the BFI was not successful for distortion then simply to get my film noticed as profit would not necessarily by the objective (some income could be collected from adverts on the video).