Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Audiovisual Distribution

Audiovisual Distribution
6
16298
4
First semester
OB
Main language of instruction: Catalan

Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,

Introduction

The world of audiovisual distribution is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the consolidation of digital entertainment.

The emergence of the Internet in the early 2000s brought about significant disruptions in the way audiovisual content is marketed. At the center of the debate have always been distribution windows, the periods of commercial exclusivity that, for decades, allowed movies and TV series to generate significant economic returns over many months. The consequences of the collapse of these windows triggered by COVID-19 and the business decisions made by major Hollywood studios are now in the process of correction due to the lack of sustainability of the 100% model.

This course seeks to provide a realistic and up-to-date overview of the past, present, and future of the industry and to offer the basic competencies needed to carry out proper commercialization of audiovisual works.

Pre-course requirements

No. 

Objectives

  1. That the student has a general knowledge about the world of Distribution, both nationally and internationally, in both the film and television industries.

  2. That the student is able to identify the basic characteristics of a television project and to make a commercial presentation of it.

  3. That the student is capable - upon completion of the course - of creating a marketing plan and a P&A for a specific film project.

  4. That the student knows the different channels of audiovisual distribution and is able to select the most appropriate one according to the project's characteristics.

  5. That the student understands the consequences of the new media ecosystem.

  6. That the student is able to detect those topics of current news that are of capital importance for the distribution sector.

Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

  1. The role of distribution within the structure of the audiovisual system

  2. Key actors involved in audiovisual distribution

BLOCK I – TELEVISION

  1. Types of television content

  2. Exportability of audiovisual products:

    • Types of sales: tape and format

    • Elements that make a programme exportable: universality of the concept, casting, and technical aspects

  3. Measuring the success of television content:

    • Traditional audience measurement

    • New systems for measuring success: social audience metrics

BLOCK II – CINEMA

  1. Introduction:

    • Hollywood and the major studio system

    • Independent cinema

  2. Windowed exploitation

  3. International distribution contracts

  4. International sales

  5. Management of a distribution company

  6. Distribution strategies according to product type:

    • Major studio productions

    • Independent productions

  7. Box office analysis

  8. Preparing a film release:

    • Title positioning

    • Marketing mix

    • P&A (Prints and Advertising)

BLOCK III – STREAMING PLATFORMS

  1. Origins and evolution

  2. Current market landscape

  3. Content distribution systems:

    • Original production

    • Release models

  4. Measuring success on streaming platforms

Bibliography and resources

MIÑARRO, L. (2013) Cómo vender una obra audiovisual: una aproximación a la distribución de contenidos audiovisuales. Editorial UOC. 

CLARES-GAVILÁN, J.; MERINO, C.; NEIRA, E. (2019) La revolución over the top: del VOD a la televisión por Internet. Editorial UOC 

NEIRA, E. (2020). Streaming Wars. La nueva television. Libros Cúpula. 978-84-480-2658-5

LINARES, R.; HERBERA, J; NEIRA, E. (2015) Cómo promocionar una película en el entorno digital. Editorial UOC.

ÁLVAREZ MONZONCILLO, J.M.  La televisión etiquetada: nuevas audiencias y nuevos negocios. Ariel. Colección Fundación Telefónica 

HUERTAS BAILÉN, A. (2002) La audiencia investigada. Gedisa editorial.       

LOTZ, A. (2014) The television will be revolutionized. New York University Press.    

LOTZ, A. (2018) We now disrupt this broadcast. How cable transformed television and the Internet Revolutionized it all. The MIT Press   

MARICH, R. (2009) Marketing to moviegoers. A handbook of strategies and tactics. Souther Illinois University Press.    

REISS, J. Think Outside the Box Office: The ultimate guide to film distribution and marketing for the digital era. United States of America: Hybrid Cinema LLC, 2010.    

SMITH, M.; TELANG, R. (2016) Streaming, sharing, stealing. Big data and the Future of Entertainment. The MIT Press.   

WOLK, A. (2015) Over the top. How the Internet is (slowly but surely) changing the television industry.   

Print version