Distribution

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• Film distribution is the commercial process that makes a feature film available to the general public. It usually also includes determining a marketing strategy.

• In the old days, major film distribution companies put a movie into theaters, it ran there for up to a year, and then was gone.
• Nowadays movies are... everywhere. That "everywhere" is called ancillary rights.
• Ancillary rights and revenue gets hammered out in the initial deal between distributor and filmmaker. So a filmmaker can lose money off his film.
• Why? Because people are chomping at the bit to see the movies at home. Or on their mobile device.
• Ancillary rights have become so important that now movies are doing a simultaneous release. 
• Distribution rights refer to the ability of one company to sell another company's product. 
• green-light something is to formally approve its production finance and to commit to this financing, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to pre-production and principal photography.
• Ancillary markets are non-theatrical markets for feature films, like home video, television, Pay Per View, VOD, Internet streaming, airlines and others.

Marketing & Distribution

Research Question 1

This franchise uses a multitude of cross-media convergence methods for both business and artistic reason.

This comicbook was released in conjunction with the first Avengers film. This was designed to milk the success of the Avengers film by giving readers more of the flavour of those films.

Following the Avengers’ release in 2012, Marvel began production of the television show Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, which would explore a post-alien invasion Marvel Universe. The show would be used to tie-into the films, giving the release of the films extra promotion.

Research Question 2

For a while there, it seemed like piracy was over. The major media conglomerates had figured it out. Thanks to broadband internet and adequate streaming technology, it was easier to access movies and TV and music legally than to turn to peer-to-peer file-sharing.

Streaming media has been successful. But possibly it’s been too successful. Where there was once only Netflix and grainy clips with a Divx watermark on YouTube, there are now dozens of streaming services in operation or slated to launch soon. Such as: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Spotify, Apple Music, Disney+, Apple TV+, Quibi, CrunchyRoll, the Criterion Channel, YouTube Red, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Music, Tidal, CBS All Access, Crackle, Sling, PlayStation Vue, ESPN+, DC Universe, Aereo (RIP), Seeso (RIP), VRV, Boomerang.

These services generally cost between $5 and $15 a month, and if you were going to pay for all of them, you’d end up paying about as much as a monthly cable-TV subscription. This still led to piracy because illegally downloaded movies and TV shows are free!

So you could pay for a dozen different services to try and consume every new series and album and movie you’re interested in legally. Or you could pay for it on home video, if it’s even available (The Office is $84.99 on Amazon right now). Or you could just pirate it.

Research Question 3 

Stay-at-home Britain appears to be becoming a nation of streaming pirates, with traffic to illegal movie and TV sites surging since lockdown measures were introduced. 

Stats: 

• In the last week of March, visits to film piracy sites were up by 57% compared with the last week of February. Sites allowing viewers to illegally watch TV shows and series saw a 29% increase across the same period.
• In total there were more than 300m visits to sites allowing film and TV content to be downloaded illegally last month.
• As the nation stays home, viewing levels are soaring, with households watching an average of five hours more TV each week than before lockdown, according to the TV marketing body Thinkbox.
• Family nights in are also back on the agenda, with shared TV viewing up 37% since lockdown began. Shows including Channel 4’s Gogglebox (up 41%), and channels such as Sky Cinema, which has lots of family-friendly films (up 48%), have benefited.

Research Questions 4

The survey of 1000 adults 

Stats:

• About half the people had pirated content at some point in their life, but only about 10 per cent of people say they pirate today.
• Only about 3 per cent of people prefer to pirate as their main source of content," he says, which he sees as a hardcore rump.
• Today, about 80 per cent of Vocus' peak-time traffic is for legal streaming sites like Netflix and YouTube.

Research Question 5

Audiences and Institutions essay

How does your own experience of media consumption illustrate a wider pattern and trend of audience behaviour?

My own experience of media consumption, in many ways, demonstrates and mirrors current trends in audience behavior. This can link to how I tend to follow the current trends of today's society by watching Netflix and using my phone to consume media through YouTube and Instagram. My screen time on my phone is at a daily average of 3 hours, and social media like YouTube and Instagram take up the majority of this time. At night time I tend to watch something on Netflix like a film or a TV show and this would definitely be the "normal" in today's society. According to my survey I conducted, Netflix is the most popular platform for media consumption. In New Zealand alone the amount of people that are using social media is at 3.40 Million out of 4.886 million. This indicates that social media is at high usage and I am following the social norms of consuming media.

I have found that web 2.0 has drastically impacted my own media consumption and this is evident in a greater, global audience trend of consumption too. Web 2.0 is the second phase of the internet no way of leaving a comment or interacting with people. Second stage of the development of the internet characterized by the change from static web pages to dynamic or user generated content and growth of social media. Web 2.0 has allowed the spread of streaming services and audience trends to grow online. This includes the use of social influencers that can promote a piece of media to their followers. Social media influencers have a big impact especially on the young people. The growth of the internet has affected the way things are marketed and this can link to the influencers in our society and how they can create an immersive environment for audiences because they can saturated their followers will marketing messages about a piece of media. Hype can also be used in the media world by getting the fans of a film or franchise excited for the release of a film, hype is creating a buzz for a media product saturating the internet and immersing the market/audiences by bombarding them with the film/product. 

We can see that Disney have increased their scope to a wider audience over the years by buying out other film companies which give them the right to produce films that those film companies had rights to. Over the year Disney bought, Miramax (for $660 Billion) Marvel ($4.24 billion) LucasFilm/Starwars ($4.05 billion) Capital Cities, ($19 billion) Fox Families, ($71.3 billion) The Muppets ($200 million) Pixar, ($7.4 billion) These purchases from Disney have allowed them to make film with the rights from these companies which span across many different franchises. Having this many rights to films has made Disney the biggest to date film company in the world. 

An example of a film that has used audience trends to promote the film would be Chris Nolan's "The Dark Knight" which was release in 2008 and spanned across 75 countries and had over 10 million participants, this campaign helped the film gross over 1.005 billion USD and win people's favorite movie choice in 2009. The film has the most pre sales in film history and then can be credited to the campaign than ran before the release. On the opening day of the film, it topped the most grossing film of the year earning it $158,411,483 in the first weekend of its release, this would be the perfect example of a film that used an audience trend and got their fans involved with the film before it had even been released and this therefore created hype which overall boosted the opening weekend sales. 

   

Audiences and Institutions essay

How does your own experience of media consumption illustrate a wider pattern and trend of audience behaviour?

My own experience of media consumption shows a pattern and trend as all the media outlets I used are all extremely popular and are used my the masses. Netflix and other streaming services are a way in which I consume media and they are also the popular choice of many others that consume media. By knowing what I use to consume media I can also find out what others use as it is the most popular option. Other way in which I can find out what the audience is using to consume media would be "word of mouth" This tells me what the masses are watching and what they are using to watch, In today's society many people start up a conversation based around what they are watching at the current moment and see if who they are talking to knows what they are watching, or if both of them are watching the same media and therefore a conversation starts. 

In my survey that I conducted I saw that the most popular streaming service for media consumption was "Netflix" This tells me that many people are using Netflix instead of regular linear TV for media consumption. The cinemas are still in use and the most popular in my area being "Events" Cinemas are still operating well however many people in society use the cinema as a "treat" or a social gathering with their friends and family, rather than a way to watch films. Many people would rather watch films and TV at home on Netflix where everything is accessible to them. Another thing that can keep people at home to watch Netflix would be the price, just one movie ticket at the cinema is the same price as a whole month subscription to Netflix, and that isn't counting the ridiculous pricing of snacks, popcorn, and drinks at the cinema. 

I have found that web 2.0 has drastically impacted my own media consumption and this is evident in a greater, global audience trend of consumption too. Web 2.0 has allowed the spread of streaming services and audience trends to grow online. The use of the internet and social influences have shaped how the common person views media and the habits that the common person may have when it comes to media consumption. Many social influencers can also have an affect on what the common person may watch. If an actor or celebrity that someone really likes tells their followers to watch a show then that may influence their followers decision as to whether or not they should watch the show.    

Media Homework

Global and NZ 

   Digitization Trends 

1. 4.388 billion 
2. 4.484 billion
3. Facebook, Youtube, Whats App, FB messenger, WeChat, 
4. 18-24 and 25-34
5. Internet = 4.22 million, Active Social Media Users = 3.40 million
6.  Mobile Phone, any type (92%) Smart Phone (81%) Laptop or PC (84%)
7. 2HRS 42MINS
8. Watch Videos Online = (94%) Stream Content via the internet = (57%)
9.  Youtube, Facebook, FB messenger, Instagram, Pinterest 

Trends within NZ media Consumption

1.  The iGens are the generation of people born from about the mid1990s to the mid-2000s.
2.  iGens are the first generation to spend their entire lives growing up with iPads, iPods and iPhones etc. iGen spend all day connected online.
3.  iGens are concerned with social issues like climate change, social inequality and gender roles. Though they like to be entertained, they are also curious about the world and are eager to be confronted and educated about a wide range of serious social issues. They also want to see content that inspires them to enjoy the ‘little things in life’ and to be reminded to chill out and not to take life too seriously. 
4.  New Zealand films contribute to the iGeneration learning about our country and people. They feel it’s important to share our stories. iGens take pride in New Zealand’s cultural diversity and recognise the social, cultural and economic value of our film industry. New Zealand films can reflect their own lives or give them insights into the lives of others.
5. 
   

• Chilled: escaping for a couple of hours, relaxing and chilling out with no interruptions.

 

• Intimate: being intimate with others through social connection and shared experiences with partners, friends, colleagues and families.

• Hyped: experiencing heightened emotions including being hyped and excited (action movies), shocked and terrified (horror), sad (dramas), and laughing (comedy).

• In the know: feeling that by watching the latest movies you are a leader – that you are at the forefront of the culture and leading social media commentary and opinion.

• Creative: becoming a ‘film buff’ and being creative by following directors and other creative artists involved in filmmaking. 

• Socially conscious: thinking and being curious about the issues raised in the film and using the film to help shape discussion, opinions, views and beliefs

6. Although iGens say they like going to the cinema, watching films online and at home has very high appeal. In-home viewing is easy, convenient, safe, comfortable and costs very little. It can be sociable or equally enjoyable alone. 

7. The cost and ‘administration’ involved with the cinema experience is somewhat out of step with iGens. It is expensive, inflexible and inconvenient compared to watching a movie at home. The lack of flexibility, lining up for tickets and limited food and drink options can all add up to too much bother. iGens are used to accessing films at home, online and often for free. The cost of attending the cinema means that for many iGens, it is only seen as a special treat.

Audience Consumption 

Survey

• What is your age?:

• Out of these 3 movie genres, which is your favourite?

1. Action Films
2. Romantic Films
3. Comedy Films

•  Out of these 3 options, how many movies would you say you watch per year?

1. 10-20
2. 30-40
3. 50+

• Based on the last question, how many of those films would you watch at the cinema?

1. A quarter of them.
2. Half of them.
3. All of them.
4. Barely any of them.

• Name the top three most established cinemas in your area.

• What was the last film you watched?

• If you watch films at home, do you?

1. Watch the film from start to finish?
2. Watch the film with short breaks? (get water/snacks, answer the door, or go to the bathroom etc)
3. Watch film with longer breaks? (Please specify break length and reason here = 

• Out of these Streaming Services, which do you used the most?

1. Netflix
2. LightBox
3. Hulu
4. Other

Audience Trends Homework

Link 1 Notes:

Link 2 Notes:

• With a reach of 67 per cent, broadcast TV remains the media channel reaching the most people on a daily basis. However, based on the trend showing a decline from 83 per cent in 2014, this could well be the last time TV retains the spot on the top of the pile.

• When it came to individual channels, TVNZ 1, somewhat surprisingly, bucked the downward trend, growing its daily reach from 40 per cent in 2016 to 43 per cent in the latest figures (this is, however, down on the 48 per cent in 2014).

• Netflix is now bigger than two of New Zealand's major free-to-air channels – providing a strong indication of how much New Zealand's viewership habits are changing.

• New Zealanders continue to spend over two and a half hours watching linear TV each day, and over an hour and a half listening to radio each day.

• The time spent watching online video, via channels such as YouTube and Facebook, has increased to 49 minutes since 2016.

Link 3 Notes:

• Netflix: The Cost – Basic Plan $9.99 per month (no HD) / Standard Plan is $12.99 per month (HD) / Premium Plan $15.99 per month (Ultra HD)

• Neon: The Cost – $20.00 per month. Just like Netflix, Neon has not changed its plan, price, number of usable devices, or trial time limit. However, the Neon net has been cast wider to include different devices. “Having launched on iOS, Android and Web we subsequently have added X-box 360 and Chromecast,” a representative told us. “In terms of roadmap devices we plan to launch our first Smart TV App very shortly.”

• QuickFlix: The Cost – six-month term of $9.99 then moved to $12.99, Premium Pass $6.00 a month (free with subscription)Out of all the big SVOD services available in New Zealand, Quickflix has changed the most by adding some alternatives to their standard $12.99 plan. The no-brainer option is the six-month term of $9.99 per month that switches to the $12.99 regular after that half-year is up. The second alternate option, for those who are reluctant to subscribe, is the Premium Pass for $6.00 a month which allows you to watch any of their PPV movies once a month. Even sweeter, this Premium Pass comes free with the standard subscription.

• LightBox: The Cost – $12.99 per 30 days, Lightbox is still a TV-dominated domain “focused on bringing the best new and exclusive TV shows to Kiwi households” says Lightbox CEO Kym Niblock. These include recent hits like The Path, Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul, and the service is “constantly adding to our catalogue throughout each month… there are literally thousands of hours of TV to watch.”

Link 4 notes:

• The rise in popularity of on-demand video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime is increasingly seen as a threat to the 113-year-old ritual of going to a cinema to see a movie. James Robins spoke to Dr Karina Aveyard, Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, author of “Lure of the Big Screen: Cinema in Rural Australia and the United Kingdom” and co-editor of “Watching Films: New Perspectives on Movie-going, Exhibition and Reception,” about whether Netflix might kill the cinema.

• Prominent filmmakers have joined the chorus against Netflix and its ilk to defend the cinematic experience, including director Steven Spielberg, who doesn’t believe “films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.” Christopher Nolan stated that “Netflix has a bizarre aversion to supporting theatrical films. They have this mindless policy of everything having to be simultaneously streamed and released, which is obviously an untenable model for theatrical presentation.”

• Earlier this year, the organisers of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival drew a line in the dirt: only movies released into French cinemas could be considered in competition. Any film released solely on Netflix or other streaming services were barred from vying for the coveted Palm D’Or prize.

• At last count, Netflix alone has more than 125 million subscribers worldwide, with 1.2 million of them in New Zealand, while cinema attendance in the United States last year dropped to its lowest level since 1995.