The Top Six Distributors are known as 'The Majors'. They dominate film production and distribution in the US and the UK.
The Cinema Market can be broken down into three sections:
- High-budget tentpoles;
- Mainstream movies on wide release;
- Specialised films that require a more selective and considered release (Roy Stafford, Understanding Audiences and the Film Industry, Page 8)
'Tentpole movies' or 'ultra-high budget movies' (Wyatt, 1994) or 'event movies' are big events in the cinema year. They are the movies that are designed for a mass audience. The film industry call this audience 'the four quadrants audience' e.g everybody - children, young adults, parents, male and female.
Activity:
- Look at the websites for the six Major Studios. What tentpole movies do they have on their slate for 2012?
- Who is the audience for the tentpole movies?
- What merchandise or tie-ins (e.g MacDonald's meal deals etc.) do you think will be available during the release of the movie?
