What is Saturation Booking in the Film Industry?

The way that films are distributed, within a particular demographic either within a local vicinity or through a vast network will vary largely based on many different factors.  While films have evolved and their distribution channels have evolved in various ways too, studios have developed different concepts for the distribution of a film. Not all films are released throughout every major market of the country at the same time. But when saturation booking in the film industry does occur there’s an expectation for strong audience adoption. And an equally strong advertising campaign to ensue.

What is Saturation Booking in the Film Industry?

Saturation booking is part of what was targeted as the New Hollywood film bubble. And emerged during the 1970s as a means of targeting a specific audience with films. High-concept blockbusters would be released to the teen and preteen groups.

A demographic that was largely made-up of film-lovers that ranged in age from 10 years old to 24 years old and largely manifested mainstream films.

High-concept blockbuster films went along with saturation booking. A particularly dire period of the film industry in which the films released between Memorial Day and Labor Day were anticipated to quickly draw in production costs.

Regional Scale

Saturation booking helped filmmakers to recuperate their production costs very quickly. But what is it exactly? Saturation booking required a film to be distributed throughout the entire region similar to a nationwide film release.

Except that the film is not to be released nationwide the way but rather regional. Unlike a wide release or nationwide release. The nationwide release involved releasing the film throughout many markets throughout the country.

Likewise, saturation booking required the film to be released quite similarly but on a regional scale.

Films that Were Introduced Through Saturation Booking

Now that you know that saturation booking was much like nationwide booking in which the filmmaker technically had to distribute the film throughout an entire region rather than throughout the entire nation.

It’s important to consider what films were actually released through saturation booking.

The following films were released as part of a saturation booking plan:

• Jaws was one of the first major films to be distributed through saturation booking in 1975. 
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• Attila is an Italian film released regionally through saturation booking in 1958.
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• Hercules released in the Greater New York City Area through saturation booking. 

The Takeaway

So why was saturation booking so popular for a period of time? This process was designed for the filmmaker to recuperate as much of their production costs as quickly as they could following the distribution of their films rather than wait an extended period.

Although many different films were released through saturation booking. Filmmakers had a number of opportunities to distribute their works. And were ultimately free to choose whatever distribution channels were most suitable to them in particular.