distribution sobering view on the micro-budget film distribution.

James Rogers

James Rogers

We talk about distribution a lot and how the micro-budget film makers are losing the traditional outlets for their movies; DVD/Blu-ray sales.

Here is a video with some sobering views. The people in the video are pretty much saying the same thing that everyone else is; the doors are closing. There is no money to be made.

 
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I think that if anyone filmed anything (today) in an original SVHS camera, if the content was good, it would be as great as anything 8K whatever. I think that only technical people care about quality of imagery, but I could be wrong, or there is a balance of those that care, and those that could care less about tech specs. If it is good, it's just good. If it is film or digital, the average person does not care what format, they just want great content.

 
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Dean Jay said:
the average person does not care what format, they just want great content.
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I agree, but there are plenty of people out there who buy into the whole "must be the latest thing" idea. Mostly because of marketing campaigns and the sad fact that people are sheep. Personally, I have over 300 DVDs. Great movies that are not ULTRA HIGH DEF. Not even HI DEF. Just great movies in standard definition. I don't see a damn thing wrong with the picture. The movie is great, and that's all that matters. A shitty movie in UHD is still a shitty movie. A great movie in SD is still a great movie. So, is a great movie an even greater movie if watched in 4K? I don't think so. It's greatness is not enhanced. You might appreciate that the picture is a little clearer but that has little or nothing to do with it's greatness.

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One idea occurred to me that might move the ball a little bit further down the field is the idea of making holiday movies. You know, a movie that would be favored during a specific holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving or Valentine's day. I know that during the holidays I usually look for movies with the holiday theme. My belief is that along with religious films, holiday film audiences are more tolerant of lower budget films with no stars. With religious films, the message is the real drawing card, and with holiday films, it's the holiday itself; the joy of Christmas, the warm feelings of Thanksgiving, the playful spooky fun of Halloween..
 
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James Rogers said:
My belief is that along with religious films, holiday film audiences are more tolerant of lower budget films with no stars.
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Um dude there's people who are literally addicted to the Hallmark Channel especially around the holidays.
 
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James Rogers said:
One idea occurred to me that might move the ball a little bit further down the field is the idea of making holiday movies. You know, a movie that would be favored during a specific holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving or Valentine's day. I know that during the holidays I usually look for movies with the holiday theme. My belief is that along with religious films, holiday film audiences are more tolerant of lower budget films with no stars. With religious films, the message is the real drawing card, and with holiday films, it's the holiday itself; the joy of Christmas, the warm feelings of Thanksgiving, the playful spooky fun of Halloween..
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This is one area that we can agree on! lol
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Other things that I enjoy about a christmas film
1) Informs a bunch of color decisions and set dressings and wardrobe - it gives your film direction!
2) It's not awkward to promote an old movie, if its a christmas movie and its during christmas time - gives you a reason to keep the movie alive and keep promoting ever year. Look at die hard... great action flick, but bc it takes place during christmas there is a whole group of people that watch and promote it every year.
 
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I totally agree re holiday movies/Hallmark Channel.

It also seems to me that Thanksgiving is WAY under-represented in the pantheon of holiday movies. I mean, Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a GREAT movie, but we could use a few more, right? And it seems so ripe for both touching holiday reunions & parody, especially since pretty much everyone in the US celebrates it in one way or another (yeah I know it loses out internationally....).
 
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mlesemann said:
I totally agree re holiday movies/Hallmark Channel.
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Come on Mara, write that movie about the hobby baker that takes a ski trip to Denver, locks eyes with the instructor, and upends her whole life to open a bakery on Main St. There's love and flour in the air! Oh, and a bun in the oven, the end! 😂 Crap, please don't steal this.
 
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I still think that people would respond to something tangible. If they aren't going to buy a physical disc or SD card from which to watch a movie, they might respond to an offer for something being sent to them FREE. Software could generate a unique code that would be sent to the email address on file for the credit card holder who purchased the digital movie. That code could be used at check out time on a website, Nothing too fancy. An 8X10 photo related to the movie. People like FREE, even if it's something they don't really want. Its free!!

For whatever reason, people also like exclusivity and restricted knowledge. We love to be able to tell other people things that only we know. It makes us seem smart or better informed. What about a serialized link to a behind the scenes website where the patron will be treated to interviews, behind the scenes footage and a truly voyeuristic look into the making of the movie.

Why would anyone care about any of those thing for a movie they never saw and never really heard of? Maybe they wouldn't, but like I said, I believe people like free things, exclusivity offers and restricted knowledge. If you had a choice between watching a movie you never heard of and watching a movie you never heard of that will give you something special for watching it, or giving you something tangible if they buy the movie, I think some will go for the free stuff. How many? What percentage? I don't know. Certainly Indie film makers might go for it just out of curiosity, so there's 30 or 40 sales right there ;)
 
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Anything tangible that involves shipping is just going to KILL the margins of a digital product. And to think that this physical product is going to increase sales to the point where those margins don't matter is not a good gamble. It's like. Why?
 
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