To what extent is digital distribution vital to film?
Technology and the digital aspect of film are something we take advantage of today. We have all sorts of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+. Digital distribution is the delivery or distribution of digital media content such as audio, video, e-books, video games, and other software. Digital distribution is extremely vital to film, especially nowadays.
Digital distribution is a great way to earn money once a film gets out of theaters. Typically, movies do not come out on DVD until around 17 weeks after they premiere in theaters. With this comes the possibility of people pirating movies and selling or downloading them illegally. One way around this is to do a day and date release. By releasing the film in theater on the same day as DVD, conglomerates can lower the risk of illegal copies springing up. This is called shortening the distribution window and it saves huge companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per film. Companies have also begun to turn to streaming services rather than physical media. In the article “The Ins and Outs of Hollywood Film Distribution,” written by Jonathan Paul this is detailed further. Paul writes, “With each passing year, digital distribution is positioning itself to surpass disc-based media as the top home-entertainment revenue. Studios and distributors are including digital copies with psychical [sic] copies. They’re even beginning to release digital versions of films to online retailers like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play before the disc-based option is released.” We see this example within the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Walt Disney Pictures Motion Studios held a movie premiere and afterparty and the film hit theaters on May 05, 2017. The film made its way to streaming services before disc options were out, becoming available on Netflix and Amazon Video on August 8, 2017. It was then available on DVD and Blu-ray 2 weeks later.
Another way that digital distribution helps films advance in today’s consumerist economy is through music. Films nowadays tend to include original songs, created either by the same company or by another one for a small price. Black Panther is the most obvious example of this. The soundtrack for Black Panther featured many rap and hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and SZA. (Billboard) Creating a soundtrack using some of the most popular artists of today was a smart move by Disney because they were able to appeal to an entire generation. The soundtrack was released on iTunes and Spotify with the Black Panther movie poster as the cover for the album. This caused audiences to gravitate towards that movie poster because they associate it with a song they like. This made Disney a lot of money. Another example of digital music distribution is Spider-man Homecoming. Sony released an original soundtrack with the film, similar to the deal with Black Panther. However, we know for sure that Sony produced its own music, seeing as how it is a music company as well as a film company. This tells us that they not only made up for the costs, but most likely surpassed it and gained a huge profit since they did not have to pay another company to produce the music. A personal experience that I have had with digital distribution is actually going on right now. With the global pandemic going on right now, movie theaters are closed, and we can’t go out to movies with our friends like normal. This is where the technology comes in. Most of us spend all day watching movies on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. We are spending our time on streaming services now more than ever, and companies are still profiting off of us, even in isolation.
Another way to use digital distribution is through regular TV. TV companies give us the options of video on demand or near videos on demand, usually the latter. But one thing that TV companies can do is collaborate with production companies to distribute and advertise for new movies. One way we see this is when Jurassic World came out in 2015. Comcast, the parent company, created slots in the movie section of their TV program in order to promote the new film. Comcast decided to show all of the previous Jurassic films and have the main characters of the new one, Jurassic World, host the screenings of these older films. This made the audience excited and appealed to older generations through nostalgia. People who grew up watching the Jurassic movies would hear the iconic theme song and feel as if they were kids again, leading them to wanting their kids to watch the movie. Also, the production company did not have to spend extra money on this specific advertisement by keeping it in the family, a very synergistic approach. Comcast is very bold when it comes to the release of films. According to a WIRED article called “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making,” by Charles Matthau, “companies seem willing to distribute films online. The 2011 film Tower Heist with Ben Stiller was almost released to Comcast customers alongside the theatrical release, but the idea was scrapped after several theaters threatened not to show the film in protest. Although digital promises an exciting new world of distribution, the business of film has yet to catch up with this idea.” While digital distribution is an up and coming achievement in the filmmaking world, people are scared that it might overpower theaters, which have been around for centuries. Some people are just not ready for that kind of advancement. However, companies can make very profitable deals with TV providers and streaming services concerning the coming out of a new film. Premiering a film on a streaming service can result in a lot of revenue for many companies.
In my opinion, digital distribution is a necessity in order for films to succeed. Today especially, people rely on technology as a source for entertainment, and institutions rely on audiences in order to make money. Streaming services and websites are the best forms of distribution because they are easily accessible by the public.
