Media Main Task Evaluation - Question 3

3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Companies such as Universal Pictures and Warner Bros have distributed RomCom’s, including the films we researched. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and About a Boy were both distributed by Universal Pictures and proved to be extremely popular in the RomCom field. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is one of the most well recognised RomCom’s around, so Universal’s choice to distribute this film was a good one, because this company is used to distributing films that attract a large number of audiences and this film did just that. This company probably decided to get involved in the production and distribution of this film due to the fact that there is a cast that would attract many fans. For example, Hugh Grant is known for his many RomCom roles, and therefore has a large fan base-generally full of the target RomCom audience. So, when deciding to have him in your RomCom, your not only getting a professional that has done many of these roles before, but your getting a large amount of fans that would go and see any film he is in-just because he is in it. By having an actor that is famous within the genre is really useful, because they help to sell tickets and attract large audiences. Also, they probably chose to be involved in the production and distribution of the film because RomComs attract all ages of women, which is a large market. One more reason as to why Universal may have got involved in the distribution and production of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is because it is a sequel to a very successful first film. The first film was very popular, and therefore developed a large fan base, so people who loved the first film would then want to go and see the sequel. This is also another audience that is attracted-lovers of the first film. Also, people who maybe never got the chance to see the first one-would then go and see this sequel because of how popular and successful the first film proved to be.
These sorts of companies would be interested in distributing and producing a film such as ours because of the similarities in the storyline to other successful films that they have produced. Our film is within the same ilk as Bridget Jones, with the female protagonist who is haplessly in love. But, our USP is that instead of the protagonist constantly talking about their own love problems, they spend their time talking about other peoples, and advising people to do things she should really do herself. Therefore, our film would instantly attract the same sort of audience as Bridget Jones but then also our film would develop its own specific audience of fans. These companies would be able to recognise that our film has the same sort of comedy styling’s as Bridget Jones, as that film was the biggest inspiration for us.