Film Distribution: Connecting Films with Audiences (FutureLearn)

Through this online course, you’ll discover the ways in which films make their way to cinemas and beyond through the film distribution process. You’ll find out how film distributors play a pivotal role in connecting films with audiences.

What topics will you cover?

- Who the target audience(s) for a film will be. The many considerations include comparison with recent films of a similar genre. Defining the target audience will affect the ‘when’ and ‘how’ of the marketing campaign.

- How distributors will advertise and promote the film and how much to spend on these activities.

- When the film will open in cinemas – the distributor will carefully track the competitors’ release schedules, as well as all sorts of wider public/media events, aiming to ensure that they do not go head to head with similar types of film or major distractions for the target audience.

- What sets this film apart from all the other films on release at around the same time? Distributors look for a film’s ‘selling points’ – its stars, director, genre, awards/nominations, based on a bestselling book or game, and more.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Apply their own experiences of film consumption to the methods of film distribution.

- Identify the key decisions made in the distribution business process, and gain a greater understanding of how the UK film business operates.

- Compare the ways in which different types of films are distributed in the UK.

- Discuss the apparent effectiveness of different types of film campaigns.

- Reflect on the various ways in which audiences consume films and investigate the effects that the experience of consumption have on the mode of consumption.

- Explore the different ways in which films are brought to the attention of potential audiences – the differences between advertising and promotion.