What is film distribution?

With so much information available in so many different forms, there's never been a better time to be a film fan. You may have read or heard a great deal about actors and filmmakers. You may be familiar with local cinemas, media software stores and movie websites. You may appreciate that some films influence our culture, shaping the way we see the world.

But did you know that, right at the heart of the film industry, there is a dynamic sector working to connect every new film with the largest possible audience?

This is the distribution sector. Distribution is the highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the market place. It's vital to the health of the film industry as a whole. Films don't become well known, or find their place in the world, by accident. The distributor's challenge is to bring each one to market, starting from scratch (except for a sequel) and realising its potential.

Like other forms of entertainment, the film business is product-driven: the films themselves are the main reason why we buy tickets. There's an insatiable, deep-rooted desire for great stories on the screen as well as in print. But today more than ever, consumers callthe shots, deciding for themselves what information to receive or reject, access or delete. So how do people get to know about the range of films on offer and come to feel they really want to see some in particular?

The film value chain

Usually feature films open first theatrically - in cinemas. A cinema release has long been, and remains, the most effective way to bestow stature on a film and create demand to see it.

But the cinema is just one link in the value chain. After the big screen run, films are released in flexible timescales on a growing range of other formats so consumers may choose how, when and where to watch. These are the main 'ancillary markets':

• Home entertainment - films are packaged for release on digital media such as DVD and Blu-Ray, and made available online for download.


• Then, various forms of pay/subscription television.


• Finally, free-to-air television. Films may be scheduled repeatedly on TV channels year after year.

Team effort

Creative, commercial and professional skills are needed in all branches of the film industry, distribution included. The chart (right) broadly summarises the overall lifecycle of a film.

The cinema is the place where filmmakers aspire to have their stories showcased. They come across to their best effect as audiences enjoy a uniquely immersive, uninterrupted experience. The profile built up on a theatrical launch can endure and reap dividends throughout the release cycle, influencing the commercial value a film subsequently commands.

Theatrical distributors share and discuss their release plans with:

• Filmmakers and producers, who are likely to have nurtured their projects for years through the development and production stages.


• Exhibitors (cinema operators), who present the finished films on screen.


• A host of external partners and suppliers such as publicists, advertising agencies and designers.


• Colleagues handling the release in subsequent formats.

In an age when we're all bombarded with media choices, the cinema presents films with a vital shop window. This generic guide to UK distribution focuses on how films are launched in cinemas.