Evaluation task 3: What kind of media institution would distribute your product and why?

The distribution process of a film is one of the most important aspects of post-production. It is basically getting the film out there to be seen by audiences. There are many different media institutions who all distribute on different sized scales. Large studios like Universal and Warner Bros. tend to produce blockbusters which are distributed worldwide, whilst small independent film companies such as Warp Films in the UK or Warner Independent Pictures in the US tend to produce low budget independent films which are distributed mainly just nationally rather than internationally.
There are also film companies such as Vertigo Films (UK) and New Line Cinema (US) which tend to produce films that they intend for national audiences but they do produce films every so often which achieve international/commercial success, such as Street Dance for Vertigo and Rush Hour for New Line Cinema.

Our thriller 'Food Chain' is basically a low budget, independent British film, which would probably, in the real world, be distributed by a company such as Warp Films, as these are typically the type of films they tend to produce, and it would be an Independent British film intended for a British Audience. This is probably the most realistic scenario in which our thriller would be distributed if it was a real film in the real world.

However, our plot basically involves the story of a young boy who is unsupported at home and who is bullied at school, which is actually a pretty basic storyline, the only thing that makes it British is the location we have set it in and the cast etc. So our thriller could actually be quite easily translated into an American Independent film about a boy who is bullied at school and unsupported at home, if we were just to change the setting and transport the story to a place like Compton in California or Harlem/The Bronx in New York. If this were the scenario, 'Food Chain' could then be distributed by a US Independent film distribution company such as New Line Cinema or perhaps Warner Independent Films as this is typically what they would probably be looking to produce in the sense that it is a low budget film with a simple yet intense storyline.

A powerhouse film company such as Warner Bros. or Paramount, would however never give our film a chance, as they aim to produce high concept films which will generate a large revenue, which is simply not achievable with the low concept project that 'Food chain' would be if it were a real project.

There would be a chance that a company like Vertigo Films could take a chance on a low concept British film however, as they did this with Gareth Edward's 'Monsters' which was a low budget film that went on to achieve commercial success. The same could be said for a US company like Lionsgate, as they took a similar chance on the film 'Precious' which included a cast that wasn't known, and had a very similar plot to ours involving a young girl unsupported at home, who is bullied.

In the world that we live, with such an advanced level of technology and social networking, it would also be a possibility for a film company like Vertigo or New Line Cinema to take a project like Food Chain, and use the power of social networking as a second hand distributer. What I am reffering to is platforms like Netflix, Xbox Live or iTunes. Vertigo have done this before with the project 'Monsters' which they distributed through Xbox Live where they assumed they would find a demographic that would enjoy the project. I think that Vertigo could take a similar course of action for our project in the distribution of it, which would help it achieve more success than it would should it be released in a few low key local cinemas.

Furthermore, if our thriller was American,  a US company like Warner Independent films could easily use a platform like Netflix in a similar way to distribute the film. Another way could even include Netflix just distributing it by themselves. Although Netflix are not actually a Media Institution/Film production company, they have done this before with the TV Series 'Orange is the new Black' which has achieved a considerable amount of success and exposure. I could definitely see this happening with Food Chain.

In conclusion, the most realistic institution which would most likely take our project on board, would probably be Warp films, as they obviously have a history for making films that are similar to ours in terms of them being Low concept etc. So a company like Warp films is the kind of media institution which would most likely distribute our film. However, there are still the alternatives that I have mentioned previously that I would definitely consider Feasable alternatives with regards to the distribution of our film, if it were a real life project. It is also safe to say that a company like Warner Bros., Paramount, or Universal would not take a chance on such a low concept film.