Section B: Institutions and Audiences
To what extent is digital distribution vital to
the media area you have studied?
Digital
distribution is essential any film introduced to the public because it involves
how the audience will view it. Without digital distribution, not only will
people not be able to watch the film, but the production will not gain profit
off the film. The delivery of the content can be displayed in varies ways that
may encourage people to watch it. Methods like cross promotion and
advertisement alerts to the people that a film is being released but how they
consume the film is divergent.
Ways you
can digitally distribute films includes electronic sell-through, video on
Demand, and near video on Demand. The most common ways are electronic
sell-through and video on Demand. These two methods include the selling and
purchasing of the film DVD, Blu-ray, renting it from Redbox, Hulu, Netflix,
your TV provider, or watching it in a cinema. However, knowing when to display
digital distribution and which method is most appropriate is highly
significant. Recently, there has been a global pandemic enforcing the closure
of all movie theaters. However, that did not stop Universal Studios from
releasing their movie ‘Trolls World Tour’. According to People Newspaper,
Universal earned close to $100 million in the first three weeks of release by
renting out the movie on video on Demand. This appropriate form of digital
distribution made it possible for the company to receive profit. On the
contrast, there are small consequences to a move like this one. People
Newspaper mentioned now AMC refuses to play Universal Studios film in their
move theaters all over the world for ‘”..breaking the business model”.
Film
industries must develop and construct lots of research on their market in order
to make the right move. According to www.statista.com, the preferred movie
watching location is at home (54%). Statistics say that 46% of adults have a
frequency of going to the movie theater once a year or less. Therefore, when a
company make their digital distribution decisions, they will focus mainly on
providing the film for in-home viewing. If companies invest most their money in
the wrong distribution field, they can risk losing profit for that film. Also,
the promotion of that film should have correlation to its target audience.
Going back to the Trolls World Tour example, since it is more of a kid’s movie,
the company advertised its film on kids snacks or commercial during channels
like Disney. Once your audience attention is gained, then the film distribution
can start.
Digital
distribution can have its disadvantages, however. Not by fault of the film
production but the mischief created by the people. Digital distribution is
extremely vital to the film industry because it is how people can view it and
how production can make money. With, some people want in on gaining some extra
money. They can record and steal the movie, make copies of it, then sell it for
their own gain. This process is called bootlegging. This illegal method takes
away the profit from the film production because bootleggers usually allows
others to view the film at a lower price than buying the actual movie or going
to the movie theater. Although, the film field can’t prevent the spread of
bootlegging, the bootlegging crime has dramatically decreased once companies
like Hulu and Netflix came along. With more in-home viewing of films, movie
theaters are at risk of running out of business. Therefore, it is important for
digital distribution to be updated as technology advances to keep supplying the
people with the best method to easily view movies.
Digital
distribution is arguably the most important aspect towards film industry. It is
the only way people will be able to see movies. Options are available for every
scenario rather consumers want to watch it once (movie theater) or multiple
times (Netflix). Digital distribution is flexible for everybody in film and it
has to be if profit want to be made.
