A case study on the successful, British Independent Film 'The Inbetweeners Movie'. This highlights many of the pre-production, distribution, marketing and exhibition strategies used by producers to ensure that the film became the highest grossing British Film of 2011, second only to Harry Potter. www.alevelmedia.co.uk Original budget estimated at 3.5 million pounds.

1. Case Study:
Independent
British Film
G322 –
Audience and
Institutions
Prepared by
www.alevelmedia.co.uk

2. Context/History
• A movie spin-off from a successful series from E4.
• The Inbetweeners enjoyed 3 seasons on E4 and was
the most successful in terms of viewings for a digital
channel
http://en.wikipedia
.org/wiki/E4_(chan
nel)

4. The Film
• On its first day of release, The Inbetweeners Movie
grossed over £2.5 million in 409 cinemas,
outperforming Cowboys and Aliens.[6] The film then
went on to set a new record for the most successful
opening weekend ever achieved by a comedy film in
the UK, overtaking Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
and The Hangover Part II after earning £13,200,000. It
retained its number 1 position in the UK film charts for
4 weeks, finally being overtaken by Tinker Tailor Soldier
Spy on 16 September 2011. As of November 20, 2011,
the film's total box office gross is £45,028,695.
Taken from wikipedia

5. • Such impressive box
office figures were
no accident: this
was a well planned
production that
relied upon a loyal
fan base and
This presentation aims to effective use of
examine some of the distribution and
factors that producers and marketing, utilising
distributors would have many tie-ins and PR
considered before opportunities.
embarking on the project.

6. Pre-production
• The companies involved (detail)
• Bwark Films (aquired by Zodiak Media in July 2011)
production company
• Young Films (joint producer) who had previously
backed less successful films but always been
involved as producer of Inbetweeners TV show.
• Entertainment Film Distributors (distributed the
film in the UK for theatrical release) website
• Channel 4 had DVD and TV rights to the film
• Film 4 have rental rights through 4OD until the film
is screened on UK TV.

7. Bwark Films
• Advised to sell to Zodiak Media in the
interest of shareholders.
• The sale to Zokiak group will allow the
producers/founders of Bwark films to
access a global network. It will also
put them in a better position to fund
and distribute future comedy
shows/films.
• A full production breakdown can be
found here

8. Entertainment Film Distributors
• The UK’s leading
independent Film
Distributor.
• The company was
founded in 1978
and has showed
continuing growth
and success since
that time
distributing a wide
range of product
and building a
significant film
library.

9. • Whilst Entertainment Film Distributors had
the rights to the film for cinema exhibition,
Channel 4 retained the rights for sales on the
DVD market.

10. Audiences
• Participation was widely encouraged amongst the
target audience to create an online buzz.
http://www.e4.com/inbetweeners/film-
application.html
• Stories – the importance of web 2.0 and
interactive secondary audience appeal.
• http://www.e4.com/inbetweeners/stories.html
• Fan Photos – a text that offers verisimilitude?
• https://www.e4.com/The+Inbetweeners/doitand
win/086dd56911b2f68d72d7d326f17c9f06/entry
-terms.e4

11. Primary Audience
• Those that enjoyed the TV series.
Mostly 15-25 in age to signify those
approaching sixth form and those
who just left university.
• The release date of the summer
holidays (and DVD release at
Christmas) allowed many of them
to go and see the film at the
cinema/watch on DVD over festive
period. A lack of sporting events
and poor British summer would
also have supported this.
• Audience reviews here

12. Suburban Audiences
• The most popular cinemas screening The
Inbetweeners Movie did not come from inner city
multiplexes, but cinemas in suburban areas; Kent,
Crawley and Romford featured in the top 10
cinema revenues for this film. This links to the TV
series, set in suburbia, and the target audiences
identification with narrative.

13. International Audiences?
• Whilst performing relatively okay in Europe, the film
wasn’t a success across the border, although the series
TV rights have reportedly been sold to MTV. This
review from an American site clearly highlights the
contrasting ideologies of the UK and USA.
• Given that Bwark Films has now been acquired by
Zodiak Media, we may not have seen the last of The
Inbetweeners Brand, although not how you and I
remember it. This article might give some clues.
• What about Will’s mum?

14. Marketing and Use of Web 2.0

17. Trailers
• From the E4 Website http://www.e4.com/video/TQj4bO65vLVw6gPaXvfyVm/play.e4
• The same version or variations of the trailer were
also available across platforms such as Youtube.

19. Marketing
• The role of the marketing
department is to:
• Create visibility
• Generate a buzz (word of
mouth)
• Get poster designed
• Produce the trailers
• Demonstrate a good use of
the internet.

21. Audience Consumption
• 4OD – also links to the main website
• http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-
inbetweeners/4od
• Triple Play
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inbetweeners-
Movie-Triple-Blu-ray-
Digital/dp/B005CUB48K/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie
=UTF8&qid=1329839314&sr=1-2

22. Home Exhibition
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/mpd/permalink/m2UUZQBGF1U7TF/ref=ent_fb_link

23. • On December 12, 2011, The Inbetweeners Movie was
released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK by 4DVD, with
the latter version sold as a triple pack containing both
formats along with a digital copy of the film. Both
versions include a number of special features, such as a
making-of documentary, footage from the film's
London premiere, various deleted scenes, cast
commentaries and a blooper reel.[11] The Blu-ray
release also features an extended cut of the film that
restores approximately four minutes of material
omitted from the theatrical release, most notably an
additional scene in which Will and Simon encounter a
drunken Mr. Gilbert on a Malia stag weekend.

24. Strategic DVD release
• Following its appearance in UK stores, the DVD quickly
became a major financial success. Within less than a
week, the film became the third fastest-selling British
home media release of 2011 after Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows - Part 2, with approximately 575,000
copies sold in the first day of its release.[12]
• By December 17, estimated sales reached one million,
resulting in the film displacing the home media release
of Paul as one of the five best-selling DVDs of the year
in the UK.[13][14]
• Asda released the film with a bonus disc consisting of
video diaries from the cast.

25. Reflection
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/ja
n/10/the-inbetweeners-movie-britflicks-film
• Lots of journalists
compared the film to
that of American Pie,
somewhat outdated
although others say it
has stolen the thunder
for upcoming American
Pie Reunion (May 2012).
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-
radio/2011/dec/18/inbetweeners-movie-faces-2011-
comedy

26. Synergy
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/mpd/permalink/m2D6A
9W0BGGYQ6/ref=ent_fb_link
• Year book release.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-
15094047
• Competition entry
http://www.channel4.com/play-
win/inbetweeners/moviecomp.html

28. Cross Media-Publicity
• http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/inbetweeners-talk-to-absolute/id457852314?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

29. Publicity
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-
2026808/The-Inbetweeners-cast-celebrate-
film-premiere-beautiful-girls-screaming-
crowds.html

30. Tie-ins
• http://www.fdin.org.uk/2011/07
/golden-wonder-the-nations-
noodles-unveils-inbetweeners-
partnership/
• And not to
forget . . .
http://www.themerchandisings
hop.co.uk/shop/shop/product_li
st.php?shopid=466