Film Distribution: Then and Now

How does a film make money for the studio?
- People watch the film if it is popular and has a good cast, they see it at the cinema, then follow on to buy the DVDs or Blu-Ray versions of the film so they can watch it at home. They could also buy merchandise for themselves or people they know which spreads information about the film.

Where does the money come from?
- Profit from things such as; merchandise, cinema tickets, premiere tickets, soundtrack, advanced showings of the film, DVDs

Who decides to produce the film?
- The producer makes the decision to produce the film after being pitched the writer's idea and how the director wishes to put the film into action, the cinematographer would also suggest how it could be filmed.

Where does the money to make a film come from?
- The budget for the film comes from the companies which invest in the film, the film company has to pitch their idea - the more investors interested in the film, the better the budget should be (because people can drop out of investments).

What was the relationship between studios and Cinemas in the 1930's/40's?
- These years were some of the most popular and successful times for cinema and studio systems, more than 600 films were being produced per year.

How has that changed? When?
- The studio system ended in 1959, along with the death of RKO; this is because technology became more advanced so people didn't need to use the studio system any longer.

How do studios make money from Video/DVD sales? What rules govern DVD rentals?
- DVDs make the film an ongoing feature in the world, with the introduction of Blu-ray DVDs as well people are now going to buy their favourite DVDs all over again in Blu-ray's high definition. Rented DVDs have law and age restrictions on them and must be returned within a certain date which is why it is cheaper to buy a film in the long-run.

What ways does a studio have of making sure that a Film is profitable? (Stars, property, marketing)
- The budget is decided before making the film so they can limit their money to each area; they would start by deciding which locations are actors are possible to get for the film. This would then follow on to smaller costs.

What other ways does a studio have of making money?
- Studios advertise everywhere and anywhere, from obvious places such as billboards and cinema trailers to sending messages via Bluetooth when people are near cinemas with Bluetooth switched on. There are also now bar codes that Blackberry phones can scan to receive updates or free downloads of particular things such as a clip of the film or a release date. Other forms of advertisement are posters, texts, emails, leaflets in cinemas, buses, taxis and TV interviews.