Film distribution: Difference between revisions

'''Film distribution''', (also known ascalled '''Filmfilm exhibition''' or '''Filmfilm distribution and exhibition'''), is the process of making a movie available for viewing byto an audience. This is normally the task of a professional [[film distributor]], who would determine the [[Film promotion|marketing]] and [[film release|release strategy]] for the film, the media by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing and other matters. The film may be exhibited directly to the public either through a [[movie theater]] or [[television]], or [[home video|personal home viewing]] (including physical media, [[Video on demand|video-on-demand]], download, [[Television show|television program]]s through [[broadcast syndication]]). For commercial projects, film distribution is usually accompanied by [[film promotion]].

Initially, all mass-marketed feature films were made to be shown in movie theaters. The identity of the first theater designed specifically for cinema is a matter of debate; candidates include Tally's Electric Theatre, established 1902 in Los Angeles,<ref>{{cite web|title=Tally's Electric Theatre|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theater/8855/|url-status=live|access-date=11 August 2010|website=Cinema Treasures}}</ref> and Pittsburgh's Nickelodeon, established 1905.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movies/2005/06/19/You-saw-it-here-first-Pittsburgh-s-Nickelodeon-introduced-the-moving-picture-theater-to-the-masses-in-1905/stories/200506190169 |title= You saw it here first: Pittsburgh's Nickelodeon introduced the moving picture theater to the masses in 1905|access-date=2007-01-25 |first= Timothy |last= McNulty|date= 2005-06-19|publisher= Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref> Thousands of such theaters were built or converted from existing facilities within a few years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pre-Nickelodeon/ Nickelodeon |url=http://www.lib.umd.edu/RARE/Exhibits/Headley/styles1.html |work=A Theater Near You: Washington Theater Memorabilia from the collection of Robert Headley |publisher=University of Maryland Special Collections |access-date=23 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730120150/http://www.lib.umd.edu/RARE/Exhibits/Headley/styles1.html |archive-date=30 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the United States, these theaters came to be known as [[Nickelodeon (movie theater)|nickelodeons]], because admission typically cost a nickel (five cents).

|+Avg. number of movies watched in cinemas in 2013 per person per year<ref>{{cite web|title=Koreans are No. 1 moviegoers in the world|url=http://www.koreatimesus.com/?p=4311|url-status=live|website=The Korea Times}}</ref>

Distributors license films to theaters granting the right to show the film for a [[theatrical rental| rental fee]]. The movie theater pays an average of about 50-55% of its ticket sales to the movie studio, as film rental fees.<ref name="PBS">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hollywood/business/windows.html|title=PBS Frontline: The Monster that Ate Hollywood: Anatomy of a Monster: Now Playing ... And Playingplaying ... And Playingplaying ...|website=pbs.org|access-date=June 23, 2007}}</ref> The actual percentage starts with a number higher than that, and decreases as the duration of a film's showing continues, as an incentive to theaters to keep movies in the theater longer. However, today's barrage of highly marketed movies ensures that most movies are shown in [[First run (filmmaking)|first-run theaters]] for less than 8 weeks. There are a few movies every year that defy this rule, often [[Limited theatrical release|limited-release]] movies that start in only a few theaters and actually grow their theater count through good word-of-mouth and reviews.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}} According to a 2000 study by [[ABN AMRO]], about 26% of Hollywood movie studios' worldwide income came from box office ticket sales; 46% came from VHS and DVD sales to consumers; and 28% came from television (broadcast, cable, and pay-per-view).<ref name="PBS"/>

Typically, one film is the featured presentation (or [[feature film]]). Before the 1970s, there were "[[double feature]] s"; typically, a high-quality "''A'' picture" rented by an independent theater for a lump sum, and a lower-quality [[B movie|"''B'' picture"]] rented for a percentage of the gross receipts. Today, the bulk of the material shown before the feature film consists of previews for upcoming movies (also known as [[trailer (movie)|trailers]]) and paid advertisements.

The development of [[television]] has allowed films to be broadcast to larger audiences, usually after the film is no longer being shown in theaters. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} In 1971 [[U-Matic]] became the first magnetic format in which movies could be enjoyed in institutions outside the theatre. Later that year, the first [[videocassettes]] of movies became available to consumers to watch in their own homes.<ref>"Timeline/Fun Facts," ''Broadcasting & Cable'', Nov. 21, 2011.</ref> Recording technology has since enabled consumers to rent or buy copies of films on [[home media]] such as [[VHS]] or [[DVD]] (and the older formats ofinclude: [[laserdisc]], [[Video CD|VCD]] and, [[SelectaVision]] – see alsoand [[videodisc]]), and. Internet downloads mayare be available and arealso revenue sources for film production companies.

Under the states rights system, films were sold on a local, territorial basis. The local salesperson would then play the film as often as they desired in an attempt to make as much profit as possible. Film copyright holders would sell rights of a movie directly to the theater or franchise salesperson,<ref name="Epics">{{cite book |last1=Hall |first1=Sheldon |last2=Neale |first2=Stephen |title=Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jhvrSwOOsRgC&pg=PA24 |access-date=March 9, 2015 |year=2010 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn=9780814330081 |page=24}}</ref> typically on a [[Film stock|foot-by-foot]] basis for 10 cents a foot.<ref name="Cobbles"/> Absent major studios or national theater franchises, this system was generally the best way to ensure national release of a film, particularly for shorter films. However, in terms of profitability, the states rights system wasn'twas not the most effective way to screen feature-length films since the film's producers only made money on the initial sale of each film copy.

A [[simultaneous release]] takes place when a movie is made available on many media (cinema, DVDhome video, VOD) at the same time or with very little difference in timing.

Simultaneous release approaches have gained both praise, with investor [[Mark Cuban]] claiming movies should simultaneously be made available on all media allowing viewers to choose whether to see it at home or at the theater,<ref name="slate2">{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2128631|title=Mark Cuban's distribution revolution.|work=Slate Magazine|date=24 October 2005}}</ref> and disapproval, with director [[M. Night Shyamalan]] claiming it could potentially destroy the "magic" of moviegoing.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|title=Director Warns of Big Screens' Extinction|url=https://articleswww.latimes.com/2005archives/la-xpm-2005-oct/-28/business/-fi-night28-story.html|url-status=deadlive|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127141546/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/oct/28/business/fi-night28|archive-date=January 27, 2013|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref>

Cinema owners can be affected if they have to share their opportunity window, especially at the beginning of the movie lifecycle, since, according to Disney, about 95% of all box office tickets for a film are sold within the first six weeks after initial distribution.<ref name="Daily Telegraph">{{Cite web|title=DVDS of films to be sold 3 months after cinema release|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/7271846/DVDs-of-films-to-be-sold-3-months-after-cinema-release.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/7271846/DVDs-of-films-to-be-sold-3-months-after-cinema-release.html |archive-date=2022-01-11 |url-access=subscription|url-status=live|website=The Telegraph|date=19 February 2010 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Between 1967 and 1974, the average theatrical window in the United States between a film's theatrical release and its showing on TV was just over 5five years.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 9, 1974|title=Ask FCC To Ban Theatre Pix On TV Til Cable Gets 1st Crack|page=57}}</ref> By 1979, with the advertadvent of pay television, films were normally made available to pay television in the United States one or two years after theatrical release.<ref name=worry/> With the advent of home video, the [[National Association of Theatre Owners]] in the United States passed a resolution in 1980 objecting to the proposed release of video cassettes at the same time as a film was released in theaters on the basis that their release would negatively impact theatrical revenues.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 8, 1980|title=Hirschfield: Stake In New Media Crucial|page=5|last=Gelman|first=Morrie}}</ref> The window between theatrical release and free-to-air television in the United States at the time was normally three years.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=April 16, 1980|title=NBC Pays $5 Mil For Fox' 'Breaking Away' In Hopes Of Bolstering Its Ratings|page=1|last=Fabrikant|first=Geri}}</ref> By 1983 in the United States, the theatrical window before a film would be made available to other media, (at the time, firstly cable or pay TV) was around a year.<ref name=DV83>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=October 25, 1983|title=Exhibs Eyeing Future|page=182|last=Greenberg|first=James}}</ref> In France, with the rise of home video, a law was created to give a theatrical window of one year before a film was made available to home video with it then being available to pay television then free-to-air television two or three years later.<ref name=france>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=May 1, 1985|title=French Exhibs Spur Seizures Of HV Titles As Vid Battle Continues|page=8|last=Monet|first=Jack}}</ref> By 1985 in the United States, the theatrical window before a film was released on home video was normally four to six months, depending on the performance of the film at the box office.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=July 16, 1985|title=U.S. Suppliers Irked By Ruling On HV Window|page=1}}</ref> Films in the US were then available for pay-per-view four months later<ref name="slate"/> and, approximately two years after its theatrical release date, available for free-to-air television. The reduction in the theatrical window impacted subrun theaters that showed films after they had been screened by first-run theaters.<ref name=DV83/> By 2019, the theatrical window had been reduced to an average of three months in the United States.<ref name="Theatrical Release Window">{{Cite web|url=https://www.natoonline.org/data/windows/|title=Theatrical Release Window|date=2013-07-20|website=NATO|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> [[Major film studio#Today's Big Six|Major movie studios]] reportedly pushed to shrink the theatrical window in an attempt to make up for the substantial losses in the [[DVD-Video|DVD]] market suffered since the 2004 sales peak. These attempts have encountered the firm opposition of [[movie theater|theater]] owners, whose profits depend solely upon attendance and therefore benefit from keeping a movie available on their screens.<ref name="wsj" /><ref name="wsj2">{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704167704575258761968531140 |title=Hollywood Eyes Shortcut to TV|author1=Lauren A.E. Schuker |author2=Ethan Smith|date=22 May 2010|work=Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

In late 2018, five of the major Hollywood studios, including [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] and [[Warner Bros.]], identified that they were working on an agreement that would see certain movies receive a premium video-on-demand release within weeks of their theatrical premieres.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/vod-early-home-rentals-studios-theaters-1201994060/|title=Studios Push for $50 Early Home Movie Rentals, but Negotiations Are Complex (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Lang|first=Brent|date=2017-02-23|work=Variety|access-date=2018-11-07|language=en-US}}</ref> Nothing came out of these discussions, and after the [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|Disney bought 21st Century Fox]], then Disney [[CEO]] [[Bob Iger]] stated that the theatrical window is working for the company and they had no plans to adjust it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/disney-plus-theatrical-box-office-1202208720/|title=Disney Soothes Exhibitors, Says It Loves Theaters Just As Much As Disney+|last=Lindahl|first=Chris|date=2020-02-04|website=IndieWire|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], all the [[Major film studio|major studios]] broke the theatrical window due to widespread theatre closings and made several films available on home media shortly after their theatrical debuts, such as Universal releasing ''[[The Invisible Man (2020 film)|The Invisible Man]]'' for rental 21 days after theatrical release, [[Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group|Sony]] and Columbia Pictures releasing ''[[Bloodshot (film)|Bloodshot]]'' for purchase 12 days after theatrical release,<ref name="streaming early"/> Warner Bros. releasing ''[[The Way Back (2020 film)|The Way Back]]'' 18 days after theatrical release,<ref name="streaming early">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/03/19/coronavirus-closures-every-new-movie-fast-tracked-streaming/2872961001/|title=All the movies streaming early amid coronavirus theater closures: 'Onward,' 'Sonic the Hedgehog,' 'I Still Believe'|website=USA Today|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-19}}</ref> and [[Disney]] releasing ''[[Onward (film)|Onward]]'' for purchase 15 days after theatrical release and streaming on [[Disney+]] 29 days after theatrical release.<ref name="break window">{{Cite web|url=httphttps://social.techcrunch.com/2020/03/16/nbcuniversal-breaks-theatrical-window/|title=NBCUniversal will break the theatrical window to release 'The Invisible Man' and other movies on-demand|website=TechCrunch|date=16 March 2020 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/20/21188037/disney-onward-digital-platforms-plus-date-early-release-coronavirus|title=Disney releases Onward for digital purchase two weeks after its theatrical premiere|last=Gartenberg|first=Chaim|date=2020-03-20|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=2020-03-20}}</ref> ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''I Still Believe'', and ''The Invisible Man'' also became available for in-home on-demand viewing after a theatrical run shorter than usual in the wake of widespread theatre closures.<ref name="break window" /><ref name="streaming early" /> As a result of the controversy surrounding the shrinking and even elimination of the theatrical window, in April 2020 [[AMC Theatres]] stated it would no longer screen films made by [[Universal Pictures]] after ''[[Trolls World Tour]]'' was made available for [[video on demand]] purchases simultaneous to its theatrical release.<ref>[https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/28/media/trolls-world-tour-universal-amc/index.html AMC bans Universal films from its theaters over ''Trolls World Tour''] CNN, April 29, 2020</ref><ref>[https://amp.theguardian.com/film/2020/apr/29/amc-us-cinema-chain-boycott-universal-studios-home-streaming AMC, largest cinema chain in US, announces boycott of Universal] theguardian.com April 29, 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/04/30/universal-and-amc-are-quarreling-what-it-says-about-hollywood.html Universal and AMC are quarreling: What it says about Hollywood] cnbc.com April 30, 2020</ref>

In November 2020, [[Warner Bros.]] announced it would release ''[[Wonder Woman 1984]]'' simultaneously in theaters and on [[HBO Max]], with theaters granted a higher 60% take of box office sales.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rubin|first=Rebecca|date=2020-11-18|title='Wonder Woman 1984' to Debut Both on HBO Max and in Theaters|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/wonder-woman-1984-hbo-max-release-1234804411/|access-date=2020-12-05|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> In December 2020, Warner Bros. announced it would release its entire 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max for 30 days.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Swisher|first=Kara|date=2020-12-04|title=Opinion {{!}} The Window on New Movie Releases Finally Shatters|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/04/opinion/warner-hbo-movies-theaters.html|access-date=2020-12-05|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[AMC Theatres]] CEO [[Adam Aron]] criticized the plan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Keane|first=Sean|title=AMC Theatres boss criticizes Warner Bros. for HBO Max 2021 release plans|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/amc-theatres-boss-criticizes-warner-bros-for-hbo-max-2021-release-plans/|access-date=2020-12-05|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref>

Some films may be made specifically for non-theatrical formats, being released as a "[[Television film|television movie]]" or "[[direct-to-video]]" movie. The production values on these films are often considered to be of inferior quality compared to theatrical releases in similar genres; some films that are rejected by their own [[movie studio]]s upon completion may be distributed through these markets.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}}

A straight direct-to -video release (oralso called "''straight-to-[[DVD]]''" or "''straight-to-[[Blu-ray]]''", depending on the media uponused whichfor thefilm movie is made availabledistribution) release occurs when a movie is released on [[home video]] formats (such as VHS, DVD, etc.) without being released in theaters first, thereby not taking into consideration the "theatrical window".

As a result of strong DVD sales, Directstraight-to-video releases achieved higher success and were noted in 2005 to have become a profitable market lately,<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott Hettrick|title=Spending on DVDs up 10%|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117935319.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130208225556/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117935319/|archive-date=February 8, 2013|work=Variety|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DVD Exclusive Online|url=http://www.dvdexclusive.com/article.asp?articleID=2259|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515194442/http://www.dvdexclusive.com/article.asp?articleID=2259|archive-date=15 May 2006}}</ref> especially for [[independent film|independent]] moviemakersfilmmakers and companiesdistributors.<ref>Lerman, Laurence (September 17, 2001). "Independents' 'Bread and Butter'". ''Video Business'' 21 (38): Section: Video Premieres</ref>

Feature films that have been released directly to [[YouTube]] or other [[streaming]] sitesplatforms include : ''[[HomeZeitgeist: (2009The film)|HomeMovie]]'' (20092007), ''[[The Cult of Sincerity]]'' (2008), ''[[Home (2009 film)|Home]]'' (2009), ''[[Life in a Day (2011 film)|Life in a Day]]'' (2011), and ''[[Eyes and Ears of God: Video Surveillance of Sudan]]'' (2012) and ''[[Zeitgeist: The Movie]]'' (2007), ''[[Schwarz Weiss Bunt]]'' (2020).