Films are produced and distributed to audiences through the film industry. There are several key aspects of production and distribution. In production, films are made using various stages from development through filming. Distribution involves delivering films to audiences through cinemas, home release, and digital methods. Different types of films target audiences in different ways, such as through production values for blockbusters or low budgets for independent films. The film industry aims to make the highest profits by reaching the largest possible audiences.

1. H O W T O A N S W E R A Q U E S T I O N
Film Industry – Straight Outta
Compton and I, Daniel Blake

2. There are two sections in Component 1 –
Section A and B
— In the exam the film
industry will only be a
possible option for
Question 3, which
relates to the
theoretical framework
industry.
— Question 3 is stepped
and can have up to 4
parts.
— [Marks range from 1,
2, 4, 10 and 12]

3. Potentially Extended Essay Question
Key words / phrases
— ‘media products’
— ‘produced’
— ‘distributed’
— ‘audiences’
Meaning
— Films (the film industry)
— Made (from script to screen)
— Delivered (cinema, DVD, TV,
streaming)
— Viewers (home and abroad)
Discuss the ways in which media products are
produced and distributed to audience within the
film industry. [10 marks]
What is the difference between a 10 mark and 12 mark question?
10 mark question = generic
12 mark question = need to make specific reference to the case study either
Straight Outta Compton or I, Daniel Blake
How would the question change?
Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and
distributed to audience. Refer to I, Daniel Blake to support your
answers

4. A basic way to approach this question is addressing
production and distribution separately
Production Distribution
• Budget and funding
• The types of films produced
• How the different stages of
production can be used in order to
target the audience?
• The impact of technology
• The use of vertical integration
• The role of festivals
• Different types of release patterns
used [cinematic and home release]
• Digital distribution
• Film classification and age
certification
• Marketing
• The impact of technology (piracy)
Start to think of key issues and topics that you might discuss in both sections
Question be made more specific by making you focus on one of the
key issues such as:
• Discuss the ways in which technology has impacted the
production and distribution to audience within the film industry.

5. How many points are you expected to make?
— 2-4 points depending on the level of detail.
— Optimum number = 3 points
— Points should try to have a media term or/and
example from the film.
Conglomerate largely make high concept film because they have high
production values, as the large budget means that the production
company can invest in the cast, special effects and exotic locations.
Spectre has a budget of £245-300 million and was films in locations like
Morocco and Rome. Spectre broke the record for the largest stunt
explosion using 8418 litres of fuel and 33kg of explosives. This is
effective because it appeals to the audience’s need for diversion and
entertainment.

6. Straight Outta Compton I, Daniel Blake
— Hollywood – to what
extent does it fit typical
expectation of a
Hollywood film?
— British Film Industry
— Independent films
You will need to discuss the context to help you discuss the
types of films made and the issues regarding funding
Affects on funding
• Finance by conglomerate
Affects on funding
• Use of co-production and public
funding
Issue: Budget and funding
This links to media ownership because it reltes to the structure
of the industry

7. Even though the instruction used in this question is DISCUSS, you are still expected
to show evaluative skills in order to get the higher grades.
How?
You can make comparisons between different industries and institutions
Issues: Budget and funding
Largely the British film industry is a example of a cottage industry, as it is
aimed at a domestic market and majority of the films are financed either by
being independently funded, use co-production or government funding.
However, there are a number of British films that studio backed. Working Title
is a subsidiary of Comcast, and films with the budget of over $17 million are
funded by Universal Studios. With a production budget of $61 million, the film
Les Miserable was able to spend money on an elaborate cast including
Oscar winner Russell Crowe. Working Title being part of a conglomerate is
an example of horizontal integration.
Useful thing to discuss when exploring budget and financing:
• The use of pre-sale and product placement (Skyfall)
• The use of tax rebates (Thor 2)

8. Even though the instruction used in this question is DISCUSS, you are still expected
to show evaluative skills in order to get the higher grades.
How?
1) Identifying the strengths and weakness or advantages and disadvantages
Issues: The types of films produced
Hollywood largely produces high concept films, which
could be part of a franchise
Why?
• Aimed at a global market – contains a universal story and the use of
CGI, stunts and action adds to the spectacle
Advantage for institutions
• Benefit from an inherited audience,
which reduces risk
• Leads to cross-media promotion
through the use of tie-ins and
merchandising.
Disadvantage for audiences
• There is a lack of variety
How does it relate to the theory?

9. Evidence
Top ten films in 2015
— Two were original titles
¡ Disney’s Inside Out
¡ Fox’s Home
— Seven of the top ten films were sequels
— One based on a best-selling book
¡ Universal’s Fifty Shades of Grey
The dominance of films based on pre-existing material

10. — Typical genre – social
realism
— Target largely UK
audiences and art-house
Why social realist?
— No need for stars
— No need for set design
— Cheap to make
— What Britain is know for
Warp Films
Small independent British
production company

11. How the different stages of production can be
used in order to target the audience?
Pre-production Production Post-production
Development and
Planning
-ideas for the film
-legal issues (ownership/
music etc)
-rights to books/plays are
bought (if borrowed)
-screenplay is written
-Preparations are made for
the shoot
-cast and film crew are hired
-locations are selected
-sets are built
-The film is edited
-production sound
(dialogue) is concurrently
(but separately) edited
-music tracks (and songs)
are composed, performed
and recorded
-if a film is sought to have a
score; sound effects are
designed and recorded;
-any other computer-
graphic 'visual' effects are
digitally added, all sound
elements are mixed into
"stems" then the stems are
mixed then married to
picture
-film is fully completed
("locked")
Filming
-The raw elements for the
finished film are recorded.
(filmed using cameras/mics
etc)

12. How the different stages of production can be
used in order to target the audience?
Pre-production Production Post-production
Story, casting and key
personnel
Good example:
• Transformers 4 and the
use of a reality show to
cast an extra in order to
target Asian market
Music, editing and special
effects
Good example:
• Any blockbuster
Location and equipment
used
Good example:
Les Miserable – Actors were
singing on set, which was
supported by the use of
technology.
Cross media convergence
Proliferation of
technology
Proliferation of
technology

13. Production
• Budget and funding
• The types of films produced
• How the different stages of
production can be used in order to
target the audience?
• The impact of technology
4. Try to expand the bullets by thinking about the terminology that you could use to
support it.
Useful terminology
• Proliferation of technology
Impact
• Increasingly films are made digitally
• Lighter cameras
• Hardware such as camera is cheaper
• Shortens the production process for
example editing
It is important that you back up points with specific facts and statistics
Thor 2
Cameras
• Arri Alexa Plus
• Panavision anamorphic lenses
7 special effects companies
In post production 3D version was digitally remastered into IMAX 3D
What was unique about Skyfall in terms of its use of digital
technology?
Celluloid versus
Digital
• The argument against
filming digitally is the
lack of quality
compared to
Celluloid.
• Celluloid is more
expensive

14. Exploring the distribution of film
Distribution
• The use of vertical integration
• The role of festivals
• Film classification and age certification
• Different types of release patterns used [cinematic and
home release]
• Digital distribution
• Marketing
• The impact of technology (piracy)

15. Vertical/horizontal integration
Production Production Production
Distribution
Exhibition
Horizontal
Vertical
Ownedbyparentcompany
Owned by subsidiary company
Example of parent company: _____________________ _
Example of subsidiary company: ____________________

16. Even though the instruction used in this question is DISCUSS, you are still expected
to show evaluative skills in order to get the higher grades.
How?
3) Make a judgement about a certain issue
Issues: The use of vertical integration
Hollywood have a huge advantage over independent films
because they can benefit from vertical integration for example
Thor 2 was distributed by Walt Disney Motion Pictures.
Moreover, Disney is an example of a transnational company,
which means films can be distributed internationally. On the
other hand, independent films have to find distributors for
each territory. The film Tyrannosaur was distributed in the UK
by StudioCanal UK and in the US by Strand Releasing.

17. Evidence
Top 10 market share (2015)
1. Universal $409.6m (£279.93m)
21.37%
2. Disney $382.8m (£261.67m) 19.98%
3. Fox $294.4m (£201.74m) 15.40%
4. Sony $220.5m (£151.28m) 11.55%
5. Warner Bros $159m (£109.01m)
8.32%
6. Studiocanal $79.6m (£54.50m)
4.16%
7. Paramount $77.1m (£52.89m) 4.04%
8. Lionsgate $74.2m (£50.82m) 3.88%
9. eOne UK $73.4m (£50.33m) 3.84%
10. Entertainment Film Distributors
$29.2m (£20.02m) 1.53%
Top 5 = 76.62% of total market (oligopoly)
However, conglomerates are most
likely to be affected by piracy:
Top 10 most pirated movies of 2015
were:
• Interstellar - 46.8 million
downloads
• Fast & Furious 7 - 44.7 million
• Avengers: Age of Ultron - 41.6
million
• Jurassic World - 36.9 million
• Max: Fury Road - 36.4 million
• American Sniper - 33.9 million
• Fifty Shades of Grey - 32.1 million
• The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five
Armies - 31.6 million
• Terminator: Genisys - 31 million
• Kingsman: The Secret Service - 30.9
million

18. The Role of Film Festivals
An event where films
are able to win
awards to gain kudos
in order to raise
awareness and gain
distribution; also the
place where film
buyers will hunt
down films to
distribute.

19. Blockbusters produced by the Big 6 often try to
get 12A certification
Why? Films are targeted at a mass audience
Issues: Age certification

20. Tyrannosaur
— Restricted audience
— Independent films tend
to challenge genre
conventions, explore
controversial issues etc.

21. Issues: Different types of release patterns used
The use of simultaneous release pattern
• The gap between a film being released in the different territories is
shortening.
Discuss: The role of piracy
Blockbusters often use saturated release pattern
• Large financial resources mean that multiple prints can be produced.
• Saturated release pattern supported by 360 degrees marketing
Discuss: The impact of media ownership

22. Issues: Different types of release patterns used
The use of platforming
• A release strategy that involves exhibiting a film in a small number of cinemas
usually in large cities in the hope of building a wider release through word of
mouth.
Compare with independent films
UK independent films are not really cinematic and usually makes its money
from ancillary sales. Cinema sales not as important.
Discuss: why?

23. Release dates
Things to
consider
Answer
What is the aim
of most films?
To make the highest amount of money from the
largest audience (at box office)
Who releases
them?
Distribtors
Film Distributors Association – oversee process
10 releases a week
When is it the
best time to
release films for
optimum success?
Fridays/weekends (when people go out)
Seasons (valentines, Halloween, Christmas)
In relation to other released
Near (before) Oscars
How do they do
it?
Marketing/promotional campaigns
(most expensive part!)

24. US dominance of global box office
For this part you are largely going to be looking at the
cinematic release of a film.
How does the cinema support the
dominance of the US films?
• More screenings [opening weekend
could have up to 8 or more
screenings in one day]
• Better Screens
• Use of 3D and IMAX (Gimmicks
used to offer a differentiated
experience)
• Longer play date [Evidence: US
films spent an average of 12 weeks
in the cinema]
Both mainstream multiplexes and art
house cinema show blockbusters.
Why?
• Saturated/Blanket release build
anticipation for the film.
• Digital distribution means that art
house have the facilities to show
blockbusters and it is cheaper.
The impact of digital distribution can
be applied to independent films as
well, because they have more
opportunity to be screened in
mainstream cinemas.

25. How does it relate to the case study or evidence?
— Conglomerates domination of cinematic exhibition is
supported by the use of a saturated release pattern
(Both Skyfall and Thor 2 had over 500 screens).
— The selection of films in mainstream cinema tend to
be very narrow. [Cineworld’s profit in 2015 is a very
good example to support this]

26. Additional points that are useful
— The increase of digital screen means that independent
cinemas can screen blockbusters – Cineworld owns
Commercial Art House cinema Picturehouse meaning it
can benefit from being part of a conglomerate.

27. Even though the instruction used in this question is DISCUSS, you are still expected
to show evaluative skills in order to get the higher grades.
How?
1) Identifying the strengths and weakness or advantages and disadvantages
Issues: Digital distribution
Advantage Disadvantage
Cheaper Piracy
Easier to transport
Enables independent films
to be exhibited in cinemas
Whenever you talk about digital distribution you need to discuss the role
of DSN and use the number of digital screen statistic as evidence
Evidence: by 2013
Digital distribution -
developing use of
direct-to-theatre
satellite and/or the
Internet to
distribute.

28. Disadvantages of prints
Disadvantages
Expensive to make
Expensive to store (very big)
Expensive and difficult to transport
Makes showing time longer
(if only make 100 prints, only 100 cinemas can show it)
Very fragile, easily damaged
Wear and tear = get damage the more used/watched
Wasteful (get thrown away to view)

29. Key terminology to use when discussing
marketing
— Synergy
— Cross media and
technological
convergence
— Digital
technology
— Diversification
— Symbiotic
relationship
Be careful not to let
marketing dominate if
you answer a question
on distribution.
Marketing is an important part of the success of a
film, but blockbusters often have more
sophisticated and expansive marketing strategies,
which mean they are able to create a 360 degree
product.
• Explore the amount spent on marketing – Skyfall spent
£75 million
• The role of digital technology in marketing – viral
marketing and social media – leads to increase audience
participation
• Diversification in marketing as a result of cross media
convergence and synergy e.g. merchandising and tie-ins
• Conglomerate are able to use their subsidiaries to
demonstrate cross media convergence
• Independent films likely to use below the marketing to
promote its films.
• The use of technological convergence has aided the
proliferation of content, because film products like apps
are more accessible and convenient for audiences.

30. The effects of new technology
Cinematic
— The use of IMAX and 3D in order
encourage cinema attendance
— Why? Combat piracy by providing
a different experience. It adds to
the spectacle.
— Increased information and
efficiency in order to encourage
consumption e.g. websites where
you can buy tickets
Home retail
— Diversification and
proliferation through VOD.
— The utilisation of
technological convergence
through apps, as most VOD
institutions produce app
version.
— The long tail – links to the
proliferation of content,
more films are readily
accessible.