Media Studies AS - Evaluation

1. WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTIONS
MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT?
Question two – Media Studies AS

2. WHAT IS A ‘FILM DISTRIBUTION’?
! Film distribution is a process of making a movie
available for viewing, by an audience.
! Films can be distributed through; Movie Theatre
(Cinema), Televisions, DVD or to download.
! Film Distribution companies include: Paramount
Pictures, Solar Pictures, Warner Bros, 20th
Century Fox, Lionsgate – these are a small
selection I picked out.

3. During my research into genre and
opening sequences I looked at
‘Psycho’ (1960), ‘Silence of the
Lambs’ (1991) and ‘Insidious’ (2010). I
decided it would be important to look at
the companies that distributed these
films, considering they were same genre
and had similar features to our media
product.

4. PARAMOUNT PICTURES
! ‘Paramount Pictures’ in the main film distributor
for ‘Psycho’.
! ‘Paramount Pictures’ is a motion picture film
company and has its film studio in Hollywood,
California, United States.
! It is one of the worlds largest film companies and
has also been running for over 100 years.

5. ORION PICTURES
! ‘Orion Pictures’ is the main distributor
for ;Silence of the Lambs’
! It was an American distribution company that
produced and released films from 1978 until
1999.
! Orion Pictures was never a large distribution
company however it was still highly recognized
within Hollywood.

6. FILMDISTRICT
! Filmdistricts first release was ‘Insidious’ in co-
production with Alliance Films, Stage 6 Films
and IM Global; UK distribution by Momentum
Pictures
! FilmDistrict was an American independent
motion picture company based in Los Angeles.
! FilmDistrict acquired and released between
four and eight wide release, commercial titles
per year.

7. BRITISH FILM DISTRIBUTORS
The film distribution companies, that distributed
the films we researched were all American -
although some of these companies are large and
well known it is important to also look at British
film distributors.
The Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) is the
trade body of the UK’s theatrical film
distributors.

8. ARTIFICIAL EYE
! Specialises in high-quality world cinema and
arthouse movies and rarely buys British. In the
past 30 years it has released more Cannes Film
Festival winners than any other UK distributor.
! Titles include: Three Colours Trilogy, Hidden,
Welcome To The Dollhouse
! UK titles include: Orlando, Land & Freedom
! www.artificial-eye.com

9. ENTERTAINMENT
! The largest independent distributor in the UK,
Entertainment has had a relationship with US
mini-studio New Line for many years. It also
releases mainstream UK fare, both theatrically
and via Entertainment-in-Video.
! Titles include: Rush Hour, Brokeback Mountain,
The Departed
! UK titles include: Stormbreaker, St Trinian's

10. LIONSGATE UK
! Lionsgate is a California-based independent
producer and distributor. In 2005 it acquired UK-
based distributor Redbus Films, renaming the
company Lionsgate UK. The company is strong
on horror, documentaries and foreign language
pics.
! Titles include: Requiem For A Dream, Monster's
Ball, Crash
! UK titles include: The Descent, Pierrepoint
! www.lionsgatefilms.co.uk

11. WHO SHOULD DISTRIBUTE OUR MEDIA
PRODUCTION?
In my opinion I think that for a small,
independent film like ours, a British Distribution
company would be the best. Lionsgate UK,
specialise in horror productions, like our own and
therefore this would be a suitable choice.
However if we wanted to look into distributing
our film with a major company I believe
Paramount pictures would be most suited, not
only did they help distribute ‘Psycho’ they also
distributed Paranormal Activity which links very
closely to our media production.

12. WHY?
I believe it is important to look at the films
companies have distributed . It gives you an
insight into what companies specialise in.
Realistically our media production would be
distributed by a small, independent British
company. This is why I believe Lionsgate UK
would suit our product. This company have
produced similar films to our own, in terms of
genre – horror. Therefore our film may be
recognised as a horror more clearly due to the
company. It is also a well known company
throughout the UK. Therefore would help to
widen the audience of British Horror Films.