Production, Distribution, Marketing and Exhibition in the film industry

Production

With all movies, you are going to need the one thing that will make your dream into a reality and that’s an idea. Without it, you literally have nothing. So, if that’s place to start, where do we go from there, I hear you ask? Well, you're going to expand your idea, thinking about the beginning, middle, climax and the end. After you are set with a story, you'll need to create a storyboard with the types of shots you want for your film. Now, if you want funding from a MASSIVE production company like Warner Brothers, or Universal, you’re going to need to pitch your story, if not, just get the best crew you can, and then the movie magic can begin. Of course, you're going to have to think about all the other stuff, like the cast, set, costumes etc... But once you're set, the filming can take place. As soon as all of that has ended, it is now time for you to edit your film, adding the sound effects, special effects (if your film needs it) and the title sequence.  To promote your film, making a teaser or a trailer will be the best place to start to reel your audience in.

Distribution

Most major production companies have their own distributing counterparts, for example, Disney has Buena Vista which is responsible for films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and its sequels. They sell the films to major cinema chains such as Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and more...  Another way of distribution are the selling of DVD, to network television, cable TV, most recently, on demand internet  streaming. More and more people are signing up to internet streaming sites such as Netflix, LoveFilm and Now TV. Distributors go for weekends where they know they will get the most money, for example, the weekends before Christmas, or the weeks during the summer time where most of the audience will be on holiday.

Marketing

Marketing comes in different shapes and sizes.  There are trailers, billboards, interviews with the actors of the films, bus ads, features in newspapers and/or magazines, a synergy with another company such as McDonalds (Happy Meals), premieres etc... Different People like different films, most of them are sold by what actor is playing in them, or the plot of the story, like comic book heroes. The more publicity a film has, the more likely it is going have a big audience meaning bigger revenue.  Iron Man 3 grossed over $1 billion worldwide this year alone, making it one of the highest grossing films of all time.

Exhibition

Everyone has different ways to see films, some go to the cinema; some just stay at home on a Saturday night on the sofa, or watch on the computer or iPad, or even go to a drive thru or showing at the park during the summer. Films are everywhere, from planes to the portable tablet. ‘The film value chain’ show how films are opened theatrically first in cinemas, effectively making lots of money from it, after that, films are usually broadcasted in other formats like DVDs or subscription TV.