Task 7- Film Distribution CompaniesBy Georgia Tailby

Distribution company 1- MiramaxIntroduction- Miramax is a U.S movie/ entertainment company which is widely known for it’s distribution and production of films. It was founded in 1979 and was an independent film motion picture distribution and production company until it was taken over by Walt Disney in 1993 and after this Pulp Fiction was released. Type of films they distribute- Miramax produce a variety of genres, and in recent years have been distributing mainly comedy and family films due to the takeover from Disney. In the beginning years when they were independent they were infamous for creating thrillers/ action films and they were always really successful. They haven’t distributed many crime films Here are some examples of crime films they have distributed:

• Pulp Fiction 1994• Essex Boys 2000• Heist 2015 They mainly target family audiences so they Can make more profit and remain a largeCompany.

The Marketing Budgets The marketing budget for all films made would be relatively large

considering they are $150 million company. The marketing budget for Pulp Fiction 1994 was $8.4 million but they exceeded this and spent $10 million but made a profit of $107.93 million which is the first indie film ever to exceed $100 million.

The marketing budget for Essex Boys 2000 I could not find but I know that it was a low budget film but made £111,548 on the day of release in the UK. Essex Boys has a similar plot/ theme to the film/ opening sequence we are wanting to make. This tells us that there is a clear market for drug/ crime films and it does appeal to a niche audience.

However typically Miramax distribute big budget films due to their high gross profit and investments from other companies. This is because they have always been very successful and when choosing a film to distribute they pick the ones which they believe have the most potential to be a successes and create lots of revenue.

Types Of Films Miramax Distribute Miramax are a large company so can afford to support independent and new talent, however they are primarily aim to distribute big budget and well established directors. This is because they are well establish themselves so they can afford to support these directors/ big budget films and they know that they will be popular and appeal to many audiences. This is because us as a media/ film consumers trust bigger brands and well known directors to produce good films which Miramax have taken advantage of by using these ‘household’ names to draw us in. However they do use their platform to help new talent get their name and work out there, an example of this would be when they helped Terry Winsor distribute Essex boys 2000. Terry had only directed 3 films before which were rated highly however didn’t draw in too much profit. Miramax saw potential in his work and helped distribute his film Essex Boys which helped him become a success and has now got the ability to direct/ produce more films himself.

Distribution company 2- Warp X Introduction- Warp X is a British independent production/ distribution company which has a sister company called ‘Warp Films’ and was founded in 2005. They produce feature films in the UK and are infamous for their low budget films they help produce/distribute. They are also part of the ‘low budget scheme’ which was founded by UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund and FilmFour who help new talent and new directors produce their first movies but on a low budget. Films they have distributed- Warp X is a relatively new distribution company meaning they haven’t produced many films yet, however they have produced 10 in the past 8 years. They have only distributed 1 crime film- Kill list 2011 but it nominated for 3 awards making it the second most successful film they released, meaning creating a crime film with them would be a good idea. Other films they have released- A Complete History of My Sexual Failures 2008, All Tomorrows Parties 2009, For those In Peril 2013. They mainly distribute and work with films that are drama’s or thrillers as they appeal to large audiences which will guarantee a larger profit.

Marketing budget Their budgets for their feature films usually between £400,000 and £800,000 and initially had help from their sister brand to invest this money. They tend not to invest any more than that otherwise they would become big investors and fresh/ new director’ don’t have the money to invest any more either. Kill List 2011 budget was £800,000 to distribute Tyrannosaur 2011 budget was £750,000 to distributeThis shows us that they do stick to their low budget and even the most successful films they produced had also 2 of the lowest budgets. This films are iconic British films.

Types of films they supportWarp X usually support independent films and new talent rather than big budget films with well established directors. This is because they like to offer a platform for new directors to build on and the intent of the company’s development was to ‘add energy and vitality to the film industry in Britain.’ They may also not be able to afford themselves to distribute a large film so they aim towards new talent as they will be on a tighter budget. Also British films tend to reach a smaller and more niche audience and aren’t popular across the world, meaning less money needs to be spent on the films. Not to mention the majority of the films released through them aren’t expected to have staggering box office revenues, meaning less money is to be spent to avoid debt.

Most suitable company I think that Warp X would b the most suitable distribution company due to it being on a lower budget which means that it will be more inclined and willing to distribute the film as we would be on a tight budget too. Also, as it is a British independent film it will fit in with the other films it has produced and should be a success just like their crime film they distributed. It also means that it won’t get lost and forgot in the mainstream market (big budget films) as many people would not know who the directors are of our independent film meaning it may not appeal to many people- at least the audience would clearly know that it is a British independent film due to the ‘Warp X’ being the distributers. Miramax would most likely decline distributing a British independent film due to their lack of knowledge on the market and it being a U.S brand, meaning they target their films more towards the U.S.