ABSTRACT

Marketing and distribution work hand in hand (or at least they should), with the line often fuzzy. Technically, distribution involves the sales, physical manufacture (or access, if online), and delivery of goods for sale or license, such as a film print, DVD/Blu-ray disc, television master, or electronic copy/digital file. Marketing strategy is impacted by several factors, including the budget, target audience (demographics), timing, talent involved, and partners. For a film, the marketing budget is the most significant cost item outside of making the picture. While there is no exact rule, it is common for the marketing budget (inclusive of prints and advertising) to equal a significant percentage of the cost of producing the film. In the zeal to point out that the Internet’s democratization of access affords a platform where anyone can have a shot, it is easy to forget that the Web is the essence of clutter.