Brain Storming Ways To Make Shorts Profitable

Sort by date Sort by votes
jax_rox said:
So, a YouTube channel that's basically Vimeo..? ;)
Click to expand...

Probably, I don't really see what the difference is between YT and Vimeo. I thought they were pretty much the same thing done differently?

As a YT channel, the content would be sourced and screened for quality and only certain ones would ever be up. It wouldn't be a free-for-all as that would just be YT in general. It would need to be managed by competent people for a start and as a channel would garner subscriptions because you know you're getting quality content rather than the hit and miss of YT in general.

jax_rox said:
Even the '02 attempt at Twilight Zone only lasted one season..
Click to expand...

I didn't even know that version existed.

But who doesn't remember the classic TZ episodes? Some really awesome content there IMO. Same with the Amazing Stories.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm not sure how something like TZ would travel today, and whether a similar show that doesn't have a horror/thriller theme, or perhaps doesn't even have similar writing styles or themes, or in some cases not even similar run-times in each section would fare..
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jax_rox said:
I'm not sure how something like TZ would travel today, and whether a similar show that doesn't have a horror/thriller theme, or perhaps doesn't even have similar writing styles or themes, or in some cases not even similar run-times in each section would fare..
Click to expand...

Probably crap, who knows. I still find it an intriguing idea. Then again, that's possibly because I'm so enamoured of the short story/film format.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
There have been a ton of anthology tv series, often dealing with horror/sci-fi. Tales from the Darkside was one of my favorites, the Outer Limits was pretty solid both in the 60s and the 90s incarnation (according to IMDB, that lasted 7 seasons from 95-02). More recently, the Masters of Horror series was pretty awesome, but that relied on name recognition (and, of course, top notch horror creators).

I think an anthology feature, rather than a series, would be a better vehicle for shorts, but even that seems to get a hit-or-miss reception. The key there, I think, is finding a good connecting story and of course getting high quality shorts.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JoshL said:
There have been a ton of anthology tv series, often dealing with horror/sci-fi. Tales from the Darkside was one of my favorites, the Outer Limits was pretty solid both in the 60s and the 90s incarnation (according to IMDB, that lasted 7 seasons from 95-02). More recently, the Masters of Horror series was pretty awesome, but that relied on name recognition (and, of course, top notch horror creators).

I think an anthology feature, rather than a series, would be a better vehicle for shorts, but even that seems to get a hit-or-miss reception. The key there, I think, is finding a good connecting story and of course getting high quality shorts.
Click to expand...

I can't believe I forgot about Outer Limits and Tales from the Darkside. My memory is going in my old age.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
[/QUOTE]Probably, I don't really see what the difference is between YT and Vimeo. I thought they were pretty much the same thing done differently?

As a YT channel, the content would be sourced and screened for quality and only certain ones would ever be up. It wouldn't be a free-for-all as that would just be YT in general. It would need to be managed by competent people for a start...[/QUOTE]

You mean, like the Vimeo's choice section of Vimeo which is free?

Vimeo screens for quality short films, showcases them and I watch them for free. Why should I pay for something I can get for free?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Independent filmmakers need a paying fan base to stay in business. The studios cry fowl when their stuff is put up on the Internet for free with unauthorized copies and they can withstand free showing of their stuff better than independent filmmakers who, for the most part, are individuals vs. the studies that are big corporations.

If you like watching shorts by indie filmmakers for free, consider sending them donations to show your support of their work.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
When I got into DV Indie Films a good 12 years ago, I observed something in a filmmakers bulletin board that I don't see going on anymore.

An entertainment lawyer representing and Indie filmmaker was advertising to find other lawyers representing Indie filmmakers to see if they could get together to make a video tape and DVD collection of short films like an anthology series for retail sales through distributors.

Why has such business ventures stopped?

I think the idea has its merits.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have DVD box sets of collections of horror and sexy low / no budget action films that cost about $8 for like 20 to 30 films.

The quality is absolutely Indie.

So, someone out there is looking to reach out to the public to buy Indie films.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Is iflixTV the type of idea you are looking to to make shorts profitable?
How much do they pay for short films? I know that they don’t charge
per view so how does a maker of short films make money?

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Why has such business ventures stopped?
Click to expand...

Because none of them made money. Very few titles were sold because
people do not watch short films. They sure don't want to pay to watch
short films. Three of my shorts were in a package distributed by a company
called "Picture Start" in the late 1980's. I was paid $100 per title. When
they went out of business in 1994 they had sold 610 units. In 5 years.

I, too, think the idea has merit. And I know you are asking for ideas on
how to make it work. So what ides do YOU have? A website? A DVD box
set of short films?

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
I have DVD box sets of collections of horror and sexy low / no budget action films that cost about $8 for like 20 to 30 films.

The quality is absolutely Indie.

So, someone out there is looking to reach out to the public to buy Indie films.
Click to expand...
Short films? Or features? $8 for 20 films? If each filmmaker is getting a
cut of the sale (not the profit - the sale) and the distributor is taking a
tiny 20% that means each filmmaker is getting $0.03 per box set. What
do you think the chances are any of the 20 filmmakers is getting a percentage
of the sale price?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rik,

That distributor is just one who is posting around looking for content.

I have a VOD distributor who distributes shorts. They are carrying my Very Special Agents short. That is only ten minutes long. I get very little in royalties. They also sell the First I, Creator as a VOD stream.

I did better than average with them for April when I was advertising on FB and Google + that IC2 - GOTH was nominated for an award at the Bare Bones Film Festival.

Another way to market and sell shorts is to package them with a feature on DVD as Bonus Material. I have an Indie vampire horror DVD that did that and charges $20 per DVD.

The director of acquisitions does not publicly mention how her company compensates filmmakers.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
That distributor is just one who is posting around looking for content.
Click to expand...
And I contacted them. They do not pay for short films. So this
is not an avenue to make shorts profitable.

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
I have a VOD distributor who distributes shorts. They are carrying my Very Special Agents short. That is only ten minutes long. I get very little in royalties. They also sell the First I, Creator as a VOD stream.
Click to expand...
Good to hear. did they pay you up front to offer your Very Special
Agents short on VOD? What about "I, Creator"? Up front money?

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Another way to market and sell shorts is to package them with a feature on DVD as Bonus Material. I have an Indie vampire horror DVD that did that and charges $20 per DVD.
Click to expand...
But companies this example is limited. No company packages shorts
as bonus material on a DVD that is not directly connected with the
feature. And as far as I know they do not pay extra for any short film
packaged with a feature as bonus material. We seem to be talking
about very different things. You were discussing making short films
profitable so I have been asking about making short films profitable.
But you're only bringing up places where you have seen short films.
I, too, have seen short films in many places but never where people
pay to watch them.

Any VOD places you know of that pays filmmakers for short films and
pays out a per view royalty that you know of? Do YOU pay to watch
short film anywhere?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rik,

It's pay per view with no money up front. Every month they email me a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet showing how many hits the titles get per month. They claim to send a check for each time the total sales in VOD royalties goes above $20. I only got one check for all of last year this past February. But, it was for more than that.

The last time I tried to post the name, it got zapped.

Let me try a PM.

There is another beyond Amazon's CreateSpace.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top