EVALUATION QUESTION 2 - Distribution & Audience

"How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text"?

Part 1 Distribution 

In this part I will address the definitions of distribution, which explain what it means and what a distributor is. I will then talk about the Big 6 and the mini-major studios. Lastly I will post a YouTube show, which I created for distribution. 

Definition 1 - Taken from Wikipedia 

A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company is usually different from the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.

Definition 2 - Taken from BBC

In terms of shorts, a distributor is an individual or organisation who will represent your film at festivals and markets around the world and who will attempt to sell it to television (including terrestrial, cable and satellite), airlines and other companies that show short films. The major short film distributors in the UK are (in alphabetical order): Dazzle, Futureshorts, Network Ireland TV and Shorts International. See the distributor section of our Related Links: Exhibition & Distribution – Shorts for information and links to these distributors and others.

In terms of features, a distributor is generally an organisation who handles the theatrical release of a film in a particular country as well as the marketing and circulation of films for home viewing (DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, Television etc). Often feature films have different distributors representing them in different territories and different distributors handling the home-viewing circulation. Independent film distribution in the UK is generally managed by indie distributors such as Metrodome, Optimum Releasing and Momentum. See the distributor section of our Related Links: Exhibition & Distribution – Features for information and links to these distributors and others. 

Distributors

On this website: http://www.the-numbers.com/market/distributors I found a table with the overview of the market share for each distributor from 1995-2016. As you can see Warner Bros. (one of the Big 6) lies at the top 1 spot with it's 655 movies that it has distributed. After that follow the other 5 member of the Big 6, which are Walt Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. 

The rest below are all part of mini major studios although it has lately been discussed that one could talk about the Big 7 due to the latest success of Lionsgate. 

The table below is one, which I got from wikipedia that gives you the overview of the Big 6 conglomerates.

As mentioned above these are the current majors. However, there are several other distributors such as Lionsgate, Dream Works etc. These are known as mini-major studios. 

As mentioned earlier a created a Youtube show to answer questions on distribution. I created it so that my audience would send me snapchats with questions only on distribution and then I would reply to them.



There was one question with the advantages and disadvantages on self-distribution. Since we are self-distributing I created a podcast also in which I explain the advantages and disadvantages of it. I got these from the BBC website.



Part 2 Audience

For this part I decided to create a radioshow together with my sister. She is playing the interviewer and I am the interviewee who answers all the questions on how our product engaged with our audience.

My AS Media Journey

This is a post in which you will find a prezi that will explain how my journey has been throughout this year, what I have learned and how our group has developed. I hope you enjoy it.

Bridget Jones Baby (2016) - Teaser Trailer Analysis

Bridget Jones's Baby is going to be released simultaneously in the UK and the US at the same time. We can assume that the Gant Rule is not going to apply, because it it a British film with mostly British characters that is also set in Britain.

It was a very clever distribution move from the distributors of this movie, because there was a small teaser that was released the day before the actual trailer release, saying "the trailer debuts tomorrow".
This was meant to give the audience an insight of what is going to happen, but also something to look forward too. Moreover, everyone was aware that the trailer would come out, and so the amounts of how many people watched the trailer through the US Ellen Degeneres Show was enormous.



To analyse this teaser I am applying the theory called "Dennis McQuail's Uses and Gratifications Theory" from 1972.

As you can see the theory explains how the audience each analyse the text with different meanings. Dividing it up into 4 categories being Diversion/Escapism, Personal relationship, personal identity and surveillance.

Diversion/Escapism:

An audience might select this text because the comedy aspect gives the audience the opportunity to escape into the movie for an hour or two and just laugh of Bridget's clumsiness and love life.
Furthermore, the scene with the music festival clearly denotes that she is having a good time. It is denoted by her body language and facial expression. She is smiling and laughing out loud.

Moreover, the clothing that Bridget is wearing at the festival. There is escapism in her T-Shirt, since  it is very loose and the pattern on it suggest that it could come from a country like India, which let's the audience thoughts circulate around that as well. The colours connote that everything is nice and bright and that Bridget feels comfortable.

Personal relationship:

This teaser offers a certain talking point for people who have heard about it and seen it already. In terms of this teaser it is saying that the old Bridget is back, so an old friend is back. There is a talking point in how Bridget has changed, in terms of clothing and job. She is now wearing really tight dresses rather than loose clothing. Also, the music festival scene denotes that she is having fun and that she is feeling much more comfortable with herself. This is a talking point for the audience, because they see that the character has changed a bit, which can also be refreshing.

The franchising is also an important point to note, since the first movie came out in 2001.
Her old friends are still there, which created a lot of excitement within the audience because they still see the same characters, although Hugh Grant is not in it anymore.
There has been a 12 year gap in between the 2nd Bridget Jones movie and this 3rd one called "Bridget Jones Baby". Due to this, the audience also wants to know how she is looking and how she is feeling. Also, there was a major discussion when Renee Zellweger had changed her looks completely and didn't look like herself anymore. Due to this, the audience has been wanting to see that she is still her and still feeling well.


Personal Identity:

There are two main ways in which the female audience can identify and relate themselves to Bridget's character. First of all, the 15 second teaser manages to show that she is still as clumsy as in the first two movies. This also represents the slightly clumsy American.



The audience has also identified with the way that Bridget Jones is growing up and so has the audience. As mentioned above there is a 12 year gap and therefore the audience can identify with the fact of growing older.
Furthermore, she looks more serious and the audience might also have been able to personally identify themselves with the fact, that as you grow older the job gets more serious and frustrating.

Surveillance:

By watching this text the audience is being better informed on what is fashionable and what the character is like. The dress that she is wearing in the first show is probably from a fashionably designer.
One of the key psychological motivations could be to see what is fashionable and what a woman should wear.

About Time (2013) - Is this a typical Working Title Production?

About Time is a ROM-COM that was produced by Working Title and came out in 2013. The movie was produced with a budget of $12 million.

The main distributor in the UK  and other countries for this film, as you will be able to see in the table,  was Universal International Pictures. A few countries that made an exception for this distributor, were countries such as Bulgaria, Finland, Hong Kong and a few more. In the US the distributor was Universal.

In terms of marketing, the poster didn't change in any country like it did for Bridget Jones. However, Rachel McAdams is the one dominating this poster, because she is the actor of the two who is the most famous. Another name that really stands out is Richard Curtis and his works such as Four Weddings and a Funeral.
 

What is interesting to note, when analyzing most Working Title films is that the Gant Rule will not apply to most of the films such as Bridget Jones Diary, Wild Child, Love Actually and many more. This film, About Time, does not apply to the Gant Rule either.

There is one specific reason for this, which is that although these movies are produced by an American Company, they still have a lot of British actors in them, the movies are set in Britain and the accent is British as well. Using, About Time, as an example, the central protagonist has red hair and a British accent and is portrayed as the stereotypical British person. The film is set on the countryside in Britain, and the entire mise-en-scene of the house is also very British. The mise-en-scene within the house is set up with old furniture and flower patterned curtains.

In The US alone, About Time made over $15 million and was a great success. Worldwide the movie made over $87 million. 

About Time can be considered to be a typical Working Title ROM-COM. It has all the same features in there as all the other Working Title films. First of all, it is set in Britain and the main actors are British. Our central protagonist, Tim, is the very stereotypical British person. He has red hair, freckles, dresses with his shirt in his pants all the time and also has a British accent. Furthermore, the film is set on the countryside in a very big house in England. We can see the usual old furniture, and the big flower patterned curtains. In Bridget Jones Diary, the mise-en-scene of the house of her parents is exactly the same with old furniture and decorations.

The movie was screened in these 52 different countries. It had global success, especially in countries such as South Korea, Australia and of course the United Kingdom. There is no specific reason, why it had more success in South Korea rather than in the United Kingdom. However, these numbers are a great example for the success of these type of international Working Title Films. 

Country (click to view weekend breakdown)	Dist.	Release Date	Opening Weekend	% of Total	Total Gross / As Of
FOREIGN TOTAL	-	9/5/13	$2,748,410	3.8%	$71,777,528	2/16/14
Argentina	UPI	11/7/13	$169,575	30.1%	$563,825	2/2/14
Australia	UPI	10/10/13	$327,892	4.3%	$7,636,052	12/15/13
Austria	UIP	10/18/13	$79,272	26.7%	$297,175	11/17/13
Belgium	UPI	11/6/13	$241,957	38.4%	$630,898	12/8/13
Bolivia	UIP	12/5/13	$7,992	44%	$18,159	12/15/13
Brazil	UPI	12/6/13	$14,876	1.8%	$835,606	3/16/14
Bulgaria	Forum Films	10/18/13	$14,673	18.9%	$77,684	11/24/13
Chile	UPI	11/21/13	$39,123	37%	$105,772	12/29/13
Colombia	UIP	10/25/13	$65,255	50.8%	$128,523	12/8/13
Croatia	UIP	12/5/13	$16,585	24%	$69,025	1/12/14
Czech Republic	CinemArt	11/7/13	$103,406	26.6%	$389,391	1/5/14
East Africa	UIP	11/1/13	$992	17.1%	$5,804	11/24/13
Ecuador	UIP	2/14/14	$50,435	38.5%	$130,903	3/9/14
Egypt	UIP	10/9/13	$5,865	15.2%	$38,621	12/15/13
Finland	Finnkino	10/4/13	$63,423	28%	$226,512	11/3/13
France	UPI	11/6/13	$790,411	56.8%	$1,391,178	11/17/13
Germany	UPI	10/17/13	$580,660	31.4%	$1,850,124	11/10/13
Greece	UIP	10/17/13	$49,213	46.9%	$105,032	10/27/13
Hong Kong	EDKO	10/3/13	$219,152	24.2%	$907,079	12/1/13
Hungary	UIP	10/17/13	$100,656	26.1%	$385,991	11/10/13
Iceland	UIP	10/4/13	$7,349	21.6%	$34,093	11/3/13
India	UPI	10/11/13	$62,723	62%	$101,181	10/27/13
Israel	UIP	10/17/13	-	-	$212,923	11/24/13
Italy	UIP	11/7/13	$461,509	60.4%	$764,488	11/17/13
Japan	-	9/27/14	-	-	$1,667,751	10/26/14
Lebanon	UIP	10/10/13	$31,777	33%	$96,260	11/3/13
Malaysia	UIP	9/26/13	$57,451	28.1%	$204,102	10/27/13
Mexico	UPI	12/6/13	$236,487	11.7%	$2,026,175	2/16/14
Netherlands	UPI	10/10/13	$260,392	20.8%	$1,251,809	11/17/13
New Zealand	UIP	10/24/13	$184,032	24%	$765,825	12/1/13
Nigeria	-	10/11/13	-	-	$11,717	12/8/13
Norway	UIP	10/11/13	-	-	$183,216	10/20/13
Peru	UPI	12/5/13	$87,332	26.4%	$331,287	1/26/14
Philippines	UIP	9/18/13	$97,283	54.8%	$177,382	10/13/13
Poland	UIP	9/20/13	$182,691	18.3%	$999,602	11/10/13
Portugal	-	10/31/13	$104,255	31.4%	$332,155	12/15/13
Russia - CIS	UPI	10/10/13	$486,843	44.9%	$1,084,180	11/3/13
Serbia & Montenegro	UIP	10/17/13	$6,104	16%	$38,161	1/12/14
Singapore	UIP	10/10/13	$197,825	22.8%	$868,240	12/1/13
Slovakia	-	11/7/13	$44,313	38.1%	$116,214	11/24/13
Slovenia	UIP	9/19/13	$5,945	25%	$23,803	10/13/13
South Africa	UIP	10/25/13	$89,378	26.1%	$342,490	1/12/14
South Korea	UIP	12/5/13	$3,421,040	14.6%	$23,434,443	1/19/14
Spain	UPI	10/18/13	$509,694	17.6%	$2,894,564	8/3/14
Sweden	UIP	10/18/13	$114,355	38.9%	$293,908	11/3/13
Thailand	UIP	10/10/13	$194,764	21.3%	$914,088	11/24/13
Turkey	UIP	10/4/13	$106,802	25.4%	$421,028	11/3/13
Ukraine	B and H	9/12/13	$144,820	35.4%	$409,008	10/6/13
United Arab Emirates	Gulf	10/10/13	$76,235	36.1%	$211,169	11/3/13
United Kingdom	UPI	9/4/13	$2,753,095	22.8%	$12,098,359	11/24/13
Uruguay	UPI	11/21/13	$9,635	20.3%	$47,513	1/5/14
Venezuela	UIP	1/31/14	$111,840	22.2%	$504,498	4/20/14