Distribution

Distribution is the middle part of the 'cinematic apparatus' which consists of production, distribution and exhibition. Any company that is involved in all three areas, such as Warner Bros., is described as being vertically integrated.

In the case of East is East, the film was produced by Assassin Films with the majority of the finance coming from FilmFour whose distribution arm was responsible for getting the film into the cinemas. Distributors deal with 'p + a' (prints and advertising): they manage the distribution of prints to cinemas and create the marketing campaign (see promotion).

For most commercial films the first three days are the most important to its box office success. Hence the promotion of films usually focuses of the opening with the hope that positive word of mouth will give the film legs afterwards. Commercial films usually open widely, in Britain this would be in over 400 screens, to take advantage of the opening week's hype.

East is East, however, because of its apparent lack of commercial potential, received a platform release. East is East opened, after previews, on Friday 5 November 1999 on 79 screens. The film 'went wide' in week three on 246 screens. The first five weeks of East is East's box office record is as follows:

The staggered opening allows time for the realisation that an apparently non-commercial film is actually worth seeing. The distributors, confident of good reviews and word of mouth, can keep some of their promotional budget back to boost the roll-out over weeks two and three. The fact that the second week's box office take was about the same as the first, from virtually the same number of screens, indicated the film was going to be successful. Films normally drop about 30% in their second weekend.

FilmFour probably waited two weeks, rather than one, before going wide to avoid going 'head to head' with The Sixth Sense, which had been a massive hit in North America. Distributors are always conscious of the competition - see Slide 47.

Slide 47