Film Industry
Key Terms
360 degree, saturated marketing campaign –a campaign
that covers every possible format in as many territories as possible and is
extensive.
BBFC - The British Board of Film
Classification: the British film regulatory board.
Blanket/global
release- releasing
the film everywhere around the world at the same time (releasing it on
different dates in different countries is known as a staggered release).
Buzz - hype created about a film
through publicity online and in the press.
CGI- computer-generated
imagery. Filming in front of a green or blue screen, then images added on a
computer.
Colour grading- improving,
manipulating or enhancing an image in editing.
Concentration of
ownership:- most media companies are owned by a small number
of conglomerates, so ownership is concentrated.
Conglomerate- a large media
company that contains several smaller companies within it (e.g. The Walt Disney
Company, Viacom, 21st Century Fox etc).
Convergence – previously
separate types of media have now converged with the development of new media
technologies. The use of different mediums is now common, i.e. comic books,
publishing, TV and Film, online etc to create a world outside just the film
which in turn helps advertising. The film industry uses all the different media
types now to promote and distribute its films.
Cross-media
ownership- owning companies in more than one media sector
(e.g. film and television.) The conglomerates are all examples of cross-media
ownership.
Demographic profile - analysing
audience in a quantitative manner, mainly consider gender (Male/ Female), age
(ranges i.e. 5-12), socio-economic class (ABC1C2DE) and ethnicity.
Digital
Intermediate- footage is filmed on 35mm film, transferred to
computer for editing, then back to film for distribution. (Hollywood is mainly
all digital now, but some studio films are still made with these methods).
Distributor– the company in
charge of getting the film released and marketing it to the target audience.
Film buyer - an employee
of a Distribution company who is responsible for finding films with profitable
potential, they usually search at film festivals.
Film festivals - major
publicity events, filmmakers can enter their films into film festivals across
the world in the hope of winning awards and attracting distribution. Some films
at festivals will already have distribution, but are hoping for awards in order
to boost profit.
Genre - a way of categorising film,
this is a very useful tool for distributors as it helps them to produce sale
forecasts.
Hardware- the physical
media items, such as cameras and devices (smartphones, computers, tablets,
televisions etc).
HD- high definition
Independent industry - all films
produced outside of the Hollywood conglomerate system.
Merchandise- products related
to a film that make money for the production company and help to promote the
film. Toys, clothing, games etc.
MPAA - The Motion Picture
Association of America is the America equivalent to the BBFC.
On-demand- Sky Box Office,
Blinkbox, BT Vision etc. You pay for just the movies you want.
Online distribution - distributing
a film via the internet, including making it available on streaming sites such
as Netflix, or for download in places like iTunes.
Piracy- films stolen
(e.g. filmed in the cinema) and distributed illegally through DVDs or online.
Pre-existing property - something a
film is based on, it could be a novel, another film, a comic book or even a
theme park ride (as Pirates of the Caribbean was).
Premier - a major media event when
the film is shown to the public for the first time, this will generally occur
in a major central cinema such as in Leicester Square, London.
Press junket – a day when
journalists are invited to meet and interview key cast and crew from the film.
The cast will speak to each journalist for a set time, i.e. 10 minutes before
the next is invited in.
Press pack - a document
from the distributor which gives journalists key information about the film,
i.e. cast and crew, 10 frequently asked questions and a synopsis.
Press screening - a screening
exclusively for journalists and reviewers before the Premier to encourage early
reviews of the film.
Production: the process of
making a completed film.
Product
Placement: when a company pays for their brand or product to
appear in a film (e.g. Heineken in Skyfall).
Proliferation: to increase or
spread at a rapid rate
Promotion - any advertising which
involves competitions or involves the film being advertised through other
products.
Publicity - press coverage of the film,
this could take the form of TV or print interviews, articles or documentaries
about the making of…
Sales agent - a person
employed by the production company to help raise awareness of the film and to
attract a distributor.
Special effects - the use of
technology to create effects that are impossible in our real world or to
enhance images.
Streaming- watching films
through the internet without having to download them. (subscription services
like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video, as well as on-demand streaming
like Blinkbox and Google Movies).
Studio productions - any
production made in Hollywood by the majors.
Subsidiary – another
company within the same conglomerate.
Synergy – working together with other
companies to produce or distribute the film (see tie-ins, spin-offs,
merchandise, product placement and pre-existing property).
Tagline - a brief, enigmatic
statement which sells the film, normally seen on posters, trailers and online
advertising.
Target audience - the key
audience that the distributors are aiming their campaign at.
Teaser campaign - the early
marketing campaign which leaves audiences asking questions and wanting more.
Tie-ins- when a film
and a product work together to promote each other (e.g. Happy Meals, or Skyfall
and Omega watches)
USP (Unique selling point) - the aspect
that makes the film different from others; the main selling point to push in
the campaign.
Viral marketing - interactive,
online marketing. This usually refers to something beyond just a standard
website.
Zeitgeist - the ‘thing’ of the time.
Marketing - all print, online,
audio-visual advertising created for the film
