Mainstream films can be best defined as commercial films which are funded by big film company's allowing them to have bigger budgets and so are able to afford well known actors. Also as they have such big budgets they are able to have amazing special effects. Mainstream films also have high profile marketing campaigns which attract wide audiences. Most mainstream films have trailers, posters and viral campaigns on social networking sites which allow them to attract such big audiences. Some of the biggest distribution/production are paramount and universal which have distributed films like Vertigo and Shutter island. While independent films are on the other end of the spectrum, Independent films generally have low budgets so invest in new/unknown actors which are just emerging. Generally there audiences are small and specific. While Mainstream films have expensive special effects, independent films do not, and concentrate on the characters to drive the film. Also independent films have small marketing campaigns relying on viral campaigns as they are free, and very cost effective. Some examples of independent distribution companies are pathe and lionsgate, which have distributed famous films like brick and Kidulthood.

My thriller film would most likely fall under the independent category, firstly because its audience would be very specific and small, our film is mainly targeted at teenagers, and many comparisons can be made from “the girl I love” and the successful independent film, Brick. firstly the locations; as both are set around school which is typical for independent films as it’s a low budget location. Secondary as the narrative is about a female protagonist in trouble. Our marketing campaign would have been limited and most of it would have been viral, advertising films on social networking sites like “Facebook and Twitter” this is typical marketing campaign for independent films as its free and very effective. Many independent films get funded by companies, sometimes more than one for example Pathe funded Adulthood and the national lottery has funded films like St Trinian's and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People so we choose to have Film4 fund us as it shows we are a independent film. As we are an independent film I think Uk based distributors would be the most interested as our target audiences is uk based, some Uk based distributors which might be interested could be Focus Features who also funded Brick and as we are similar to that film they might be interested. Brick The girl I love

Our independent film, “the girl I love” would mostly be distributed around small local cinemas around the Uk for example ‘the Duke of York Cinema which is located in Brighton and Hove most likely the film would only be shown for a short amount of time. We would also consider distributing our film to small l festivals one in particular would be the British Urban Film Festival which is located in London and promotes Independent films, and helps young and emerging actors promote themselves. I think our film would like to get the same kind of box office figures like brick, Carrie, Adulthood and Kidulthood. Brick$2,060,589 (U.S. July 2006 Carrie$33.8 million Adulthood£453,876 Kidulthood£3,347,811