Self distribution

V

Vitafuris

Hey !

I completely new to this forum and also completely new to film making ! And as a newbie, even if I haven't done anything significant for the moment, just some shorts with friend to learn a bit, I am wondering about distribution...

What do you think of service like www.caachi.com or www.createspace.com for self distribution ? What are the main advantages/drawbacks ? Is it effective ? Does this really simplify the process of distribution ?

Thx in advance for your answer.
 
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Welcome to indietalk!

Those sites do simplify the process distribution. However, they don't make
marketing any easier. For example; how many movies have you bought
from caachi.com? Do any of your friends or family buy their movies from
them?

Sure, you can put your movie up there - but getting people to spend money
to watch your movie is still very difficult.
 
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You mentioned CreateSpace... You'll have to look into it, but I think they have a relationship with Amazon. If so, when you utilize the CreateSpace service, your product line will be available in the Amazon Marketplace. Once on the Amazon marketplace, you'll be able to refine the search tags and keywords associated with your product. As such, its possible to have your movie come up alongside other movies in the same genre.

Again, this stuff needs further clarification. And you'll still need one heck of a strong marketing strategy / hook - But these days, there are great distribution options for the first time feature filmmaker!

And I believe these opportunities will only increase.

Do a web search for create space.
 
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I'm not as optimistic as you, FilmmakingStuff. I don't think that more
of these types of fulfillment houses will increase the opportunities to
find an audience.

They make it cost effective - the self distributor no longer needs to have
hard copy stock or keep up with orders - but the more companies like
this out there the harder it is to find your audience.

Were I agree with you is the filmmaker needs one heck of a strong marketing
strategy/hook and there are more options than ever. To me that means
more people making movies and more movies in distribution. But I don't
see many people buying movies.
 
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CreateSpace is indeed owned by Amazon. What I use them for is for my shorts that I generally have online for free. I put together a nice DVD package (higher quality than streaming over the Inernet) with a few extra perks and charge a nominal fee. The main reason is it is a LOT easier to get your projects listed on IMDB then.

I wouldn't use them for any of my features though as reimbursing my investors is a top priority and I don't see CreateSpace bringing in enough to do that.
 
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Marketing hook and website traffic

Agreed... For self distribution to work, you need to have a strong marketing hook and ongoing website traffic. If you have the traffic, then your odds of making back cash is a little more probable. But not guaranteed.

Building your movie from marketing concept up is a topic I'll chat about in another thread.
 
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directorik said:
How well do you do selling the shorts?
Click to expand...

The first set actually sells quite well because it's a compilation of three shorts based on a particular author short fiction work. He has a monthly newsletter and constantly mentions it.

I have three with some behind-the-scenes footage and am considering
putting them on DVD.
Click to expand...

If I can make a buck off it all the better. I mainly do it for two reasons: I can get added to IMDB easier, and in my business plan for feature film projects I can honestly say my films have been released on DVD. With a service like CreateSpace it doesn't cost you any money expect shipping the DVD. The only thing it costs you is time putting everything together.
 
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I've been offered two distribution deals for my movie Us Sinners. And I turned them both down. Because, both deals heavily favored the distributors making money off my work. They'd have to sell 30,000 copies before I'd have a chance of seeing a dime.

If I was working I'd have DVDs made (they're less then $2 each if you order a thousand). Then use a third party distributor who will submit your movie to Netflix. They buy 60 copies. If you sell it to them for $20 each, that's most of the money you invested on having a thousand made.

But, since I'm unemployed, I've gone the createspace way. They are good in a few respects. First your movie is automatically sold on Amazon. Keep in mind if you sell your movie for $18 on Amazon, you get $5. Amazon and createspace keep the rest. If you sell a copy on createspace you'd get $13 of the 18. Three, you can buy your own movie from createspace for $5 a piece. So, you can then sell it cheaper at your website then you do at Amazon. Four and most important, there's no out of pocket expense. You can be broke and still have your movie available.

I haven't sold many copies, but I've made more from Amazon then I ever would from the deals I was offered.
 
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I think NetFlicks is a rip off because they don't pay royalties. If they're renting 60 of your DVD's multiple times then they are making BANK. You'd be better off considering lowering the price of your movie on your home web site to a dirt cheap price like $3 or $4.

All of these rinky dink web sites don't generate a hill of beans worth of sales. Most of your web sales will be your home site (if you have a following of traffic) and Amazon, and iTunes (once they get up to speed with indie movies). Having said that, web sales still pale in comparison to physical store sales from impulse buyers.
 
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Business is business. You have to spend money to make money. Those who spend more up front should expect more in return. There is risk associated with all business.

If your movie is good, you should share it; maybe for free. The more people tht see it and enjoy it, the more YOUR name becomes a commodity. They'll want to see your next.

A little risk and a conservative appraoch in TRYING to make your money back could go a long way.

Just an idea.
 
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MidWestMike - right on. Part of the marketing strategy involves converting your movie's information site to a BUY NOW site. Then you also need some PR, Print Advertising in very specific publications (like horror mags if you make horror movies) and finally, a trailer that is good enough to go viral.

My next goal is to release movies via digital downloads, much like iTunes. Have you guys experienced that?

Speaking of digital downloads, have any of you guys suffered bootlegging? Something interesting happened to one of our movies, it got bootlegged, then went viral. This increased website traffic and sales of the physical DVD.

I would have to do the math, but there must be a time when returns are diminished. At the same time, getting bootlegged is a complement too. (But a potentially expensive one.)
 
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Speaking of digital downloads, have any of you guys suffered bootlegging?
Click to expand...
The best way to fight it is with lots of decoys. That's what companies like media sentry does.

You can also send letters to the internet service providers of the illegal file sharers. They will forward your demand letter to the illegal file sharer, then if they get another complaint the ISP will shut down their account and the violator will have to move to another ISP.

Back in the day you could use hex editing software to corrupt the torrents, but with the invention of hash checking that strategy was lost.
 
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Hi i wanted to know how we can get royalti of our movies by selling from these sites?? i mean its a new thing for me. By the way
ussinners what do you mean when you said
Then use a third party distributor who will submit your movie to Netflix. They buy 60 copies. If you sell it to them for $20 each, that's most of the money you invested on having a thousand made
Click to expand...

whats the meaning of third party? and whats this 60 DVDs thing..can u please explain in detail.

BY the way what you people think which site from the above mentioned is the best for indie filmmakers??
 
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I have a friend who made a movie and struck a deal with a third party distributor. He's pretty tight lipped on giving away his info (but if I can get the name I'll let you know). He gave them his movie and they put it in their catalog which they send to Netflix. Netflix bought 60 copies (that's the minimum Netflix purchases. If a movie starts gaining attention and gets on viewers wait list, they purchase more).

This third party distributor is just a middle man. They have the Netflix contact, so when Netflix bought the copies, my friend was responsible for supplying the copies. This distributor keeps half the money, but his movie has been seen by a huge audience.

Some one mentioned Netflix being a rip off. Well, Netflix, Blockbuster, even mom and pop stores (the few that are left) make money from rentals. Netflix is no exception. They pay for the copies and rent them. That's their life blood. Netflix is a great place to have your movie, because if someone rents it and enjoys it, they'll buy a copy. They have a great rating system and much easier to navigate then the Blockbuster system.

If I was working, I'd have given Us Sinners to that third party distributor already. But, I'm not, so I can't.
 
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Self

Blade... Thanks. I'll look into those suggestions!

Ad - heck yeah. Depending what service you utilize, you will get a percentage of the sales. In my experience, anything that puts you in the Amazon Marketplace search results are helpful. The biggest reason is, once in the marketplace, people can find your work through various searches. Additionally, your work may appear after people purchase a DVD in the similar genre - such as "people who bought this also bought...."

But again, there are many options. Best to keep reading this thread.
 
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If you pick up the latest Filmmaker Magazine there is an article in there talking about self distribution. They talked to several filmmakers who chose the self distribution route, films with budgets ranging from $150,000 - $700,000. It's worth checking out if self distribution is something you're interested in.
 
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ussinners said:
I've been offered two distribution deals for my movie Us Sinners. And I turned them both down. Because, both deals heavily favored the distributors making money off my work. They'd have to sell 30,000 copies before I'd have a chance of seeing a dime.



Out of curiosity, when you were offered a deal by these distributors (I guess that is much the same as an agent)...would you have been completely obligated to them? Would they have been able to distribute your movie to a wider audience than you would be able to yourself?
Click to expand...
 
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I think the print-on-demand options are great. My film House Of Poets was made for under $500 but I've sold nearly 48 copies (not a lot) but still...I've almost doubled my original investment & it hasn't been released for very long. I have a coffee shop that is Indie Film themed so I draw a lot of local interest. There are many outlets locally that are willing to carry indie movies. On a larger budget, I understand you need to reach a larger number of buyers but if you're starting out small like me, then if I can raise a few thousand for my next feature then I consider it a step up the ladder and so on and so forth. All good posts. I enjoy the learning experience from everyone's opinions and ideas.
 
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