CASE STUDY

Focusing on the topic of DISTRIBUTION

Independent British Film

What is film DISTRUBUTION?The meaning of film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience, especially a target audience targeted to the specific film. This is normally known as film distributor, who would determine the marketing for the film, the media by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing and who may set the release date and other matters on the film. The film may be exhibited directly to the public either through a movie theatre or television, or personal home viewing, such as; VHS, video-on-demand, download, television programs through broadcast syndication, etc. For commercial projects, film distribution is usually accompanied by film promotion. However, when it comes to films, film distribution always takes place on the credits page at the end of the film. Usually there is always a page with information about the credits for the film distribution, as it’s a big part in the film as well. Who DISTRIBUTED THE FILM? The company that distributed the film was one of the biggest film companies in film

industry;

Universal Pictures

How did they get it? HOW MUCH? Once the film was released worldwide, the independent British film made $33 million (as an estimated number).How did they MARKET THE

FILM?What was their campaign? The way they market their film to their audience would have been by the use of

different social media accounts and their very own film official website for Ex Machina. They decided to market their film this way because of the use of technology the target audience uses for this specific film as its also a young audience from my opinion of the age of 15-25 years old.

The use of the idea of the campaign is by the way of them promoting by the productions that also created this film, Film productions and DNA productions.

How did they SELL THE FILM TO THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE?Why would they campaign?

The way they would sell the film to the target audience once it would have been released would have been in the cinema, released world wide by different dates, release on DVD, being able to download on different devices from via iTunes films. Or simply also by buying the Blu-Ray DVD version of the film. The download idea of selling the film would have been a very popular way to buy the film as the target audience is a young audience. As it also the audience that would use internet, different devices and always communicating through the social media as a daily basis. In my opinion the second best method to sell the film to the audience would have been through Blu-Ray DVD film as a hardcopy so the target audience could view it at home at anytime they would wish as many times they would wish.

The idea of campaign and making advertisements out of it would be by the idea that the target audience would be able to find this adverts easily through the social media as they are always connected online as a audience online with the same interests as they like the same film with the same genres that explains this film.

SYNERGY?-The interaction or cooperating of two or more organisations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Further information: There were no special effects, or green screens or tracking markers used during the filming. All effects were done in post-production. To create Ava’s robotic features, they filmed the scenes both with and without actress Alicia Vikander’s presence, which allowed them to capture the background behind her. The parts they wanted keep especially like both parts, like her hands and face, were then rotoscoped while the rest was digitally painted out and the background behind her restored.

Use ofTECHNICAL TECHNOLOGY? In London, there was an event, Double Negative. The technologists behind Ex-Machina and winners of two Oscars for visual effects and computer animation work on previous films, Inception and Interstellar, went one step further…

The visual reality team created a VR experience by using a custom built digital spherical stereo camera designed for use with its 3D rendering software. The result allowed the viewer, wearing the Samsung Gear VR headset, to look around the entire hi-res environment and to ‘meet’ Ava using a specialised Android Oculus playback app.

How SUCCESSFUL WERE THEY? Ex Machina was the big winner at the December British Independent film awards-

four awards:-Best British independent film-Best director Alex Garland-Best screenplay Alex Garland-Outstanding achievement in craft for it’s visual effects, by Andrew Whitehurst

How is the FILM MARKETED TO THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE? Ex Machina is a film rated for the age 15 by BBFC which is very sensible choice by the adult scenes that are not considered to be rate for a 18 by neither lower than the age of 15. This film would be targeted to a ‘niche’ audience. This film is also not associated as a mainstream film but it also it doesn’t mean that mainstreamers wouldn’t be able to watch it, which they would. It just means that the viewers would be a smaller audience, towards especially women who also like sci-fi films as one of the main genres of the film is sci-fi and also romance which can associate more easily to a women audience. As it also has a ‘controversial’ and quite complicated storyline it does limit the audience in gender and age group too.

My potential opinion on Ex Machina's film audience demographics:-Gender: Females (as the main character is the women as she shows power throughout the film)-Age:15-25-Interests: Technology, sci-fi -Location: USA and UK (screened)