The aim of this course is to study film and television from the perspective of distribution. From the Paramount Sentence in 1948 onward distribution has been the key nexus of control within the film industry: a gatekeeper that defines what makes it to the theatre and therefore what viewers can see, and under what economic terms. Beginning with this premise, the course aims to question (i) why distribution matters and (ii) how it works in the contemporary media scenario. To do so, the course first investigates the key figures and process that define audiovisual media distribution in its primary “windows” – the theatre, television and streaming. Subsequently, it also considers the subsequent arenas in which audiovisual media are distributed, foregrounding the concept of “circulation”. Finally, it aims to frame the broader impact of distribution for the audience, considering how circulation and reception can be interconnected.

The themes that the course will address are as follows: 

• Introduction to distribution as a working practice
• Distribution models in the contemporary scenario
• The agents and gatekeepers of film distribution in Italy
• The distribution deal
• Media windowing: beyond the theatre
• Streaming and digital distribution
• The concept of circulation
• Film and TV reception studies: texts to audiences
• Cultural analyses of reception today

N/a

1. Knowledge and understanding: students will develop understanding of the role played by distribution in the circulation of cinema and television, both in the theoretical context of media studies and in the applied context of contemporary distribution practices.

1.1. Students will gain this understanding through lesson participation and through discussion of the course's themes, guided by the lecturer.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the theories and models of distribution can be applied to media products – retracing circulation trajectories – and to agents and organizations – studying their economic and industrial strategies, both of these in national and global contexts.

2.1. Students will gain this ability in lessons and in collective discussions, through the guided analysis of distribution trajectories and moreover through the possibility to carry out a small (optional) research project for the exam.

3. Making judgements: students will learn critical reflection within the context of the distribution and circulation of audiovisual media, at theoretical and empirical levels.

3.1. Students will gain the ability to make critical judgments through participation in discussions in class and debates with the lecturer and with their colleagues, through the theoretical trajectory of the course as well as through personal study.

4. Communication: students will learn to express themselves on the course’s themes, acquiring an appropriate, specialist vocabulary that can be applied to studying the distribution of film and TV.

4.1. They can develop this ability through class discussions and exchanges with colleagues, as well as the lecturer, as well as via the final oral exam.

5. Lifelong learning skills: students will learn to engage and interact with the various analytical fields connected to the course, including media economics and industrial strategies, as well as reception studies.

5.1. These abilities will be enabled through the use of various learning tools, allowing students, at the end of the course, to navigate autonomously in the field of media distribution.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

As well as lectures and discussions, the classes will work with a variety of different cross-media texts, including academic analyses, histories, specific media products and industry reports.

Teaching

Blended learning, lectures, seminars, analysis of case studies, analysis of audiovisual media content.

Innovative teaching methods

Attendance

To be counted as “attending”, students must participate in at least 50% of teaching hours and/or, for example, have completed any classwork, exercises or other such activities organised by the lecturer during the course.

Course books

A selection of the book: 

• Cucco, Marco, Economia del film: industria, politiche, mercato (Roma: Carocci, 2020), only the following chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 7.1 and 7.2

And the following articles:

• Avezzù, Giorgio, “Fratelli unici. Successo in sala e in televisione del cinema italiano”, in Imago: studi di cinema e media, 21:1, 2020, pp. 144-165.
• Garofalo, Damiano, “Global Guadagnino. Strategie di circolazione e ricezione critica internazionale dei film di Luca Guadagnino”, in Cinergie, n.18 (2020), pp. 37-47 (link).
• Lobato, Ramon, “Distribution from Above and Below”, ch. 1 of Shadow Economies of Cinema (London: BFI Publishing, 2012), pp. 9-20.
• Lotz, Amanda D., “Media Circulation. Reconceptualizing Television Distribution and Exhibition”, in P. McDonald, C. Brannon Donoghue e T. Havens (eds), Digital Media Distribution. Portals, Platforms, Pipelines (New York: NYU Press, 2021) pp. 47-66.
• Lovascio, Martina, “La vendita internazionale di film storici italiani tra anni Novanta e anni Duemila”, in Imago: studi di cinema e media, 21:1, 2020, pp. 95-111.

N.b. there are two exam methods for this course, one consisting of an oral exam based on all the above material and the other based on an essay plus an oral exam. For those students who prepare the essay, the exam will be based on that essay and on either the book or the essays, it is up to you.

Please note, an alternative bibliography is available in English, to be agreed with the lecturer.

Assessment

Assessment for the course will consist in an individual oral exam or an essay with a short oral exam. It will also be possible to undertake a piece of coursework during the course, the evaluation of which – together with the oral exam – will be specified precisely during the course. Please note the choice and quantity of essays to be selected for the exam as detailed above, in "Course books", according to the exam mode you choose.

For students who choose write an essay: the final grade will be decided in relation to the content of the essay and the discussion in the final exam. Please note: the essay must be presented and formatted formally, following the standards of a piece of academic work and make very clear use of references. Essays that do not adequately cite their sources will gain low grades. Essays written with generative artificial intelligence will be refused and students will be asked to return at the following exam, presenting a different essay.

In the oral examination, students must demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the course’s content through the study of the assigned texts. The exam aims to assess both learning of the course content on behalf of the students as well as their ability to express themselves, make argument and apply what they have learned.

Grading:

Excellent grades will be given for a good critical perspective and in-depth knowledge; the ability to link the main subjects addressed during the course; the expert use of appropriate language and terminology, in the oral exam and/or in coursework.

Good grades will be given for good mnemonic knowledge of the course content; a relatively good critical perspective and the ability to connect its themes; the use of an appropriate language.

Sufficient grades will be given for minimal knowledge of the course’s themes and the presence of some gaps in understanding; the use of an inappropriate language.

Low grades will be given for difficulty in understanding the course's topics; notable gaps in knowledge; the use of a clearly inappropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

This course does not differentiate between attending and non-attending students, as far as concerns text books and assessment. As such, it is also possible for non-attending students to write an essay for the exam. To do so, however, students must write to the professor in advance (i.e., not a few days before the exam) to confirm the focus of the essay. Students are also advised to check the content on the blended page of the course in order to confirm the content and presentation obbligations for the essay.