Have Film Distribution Deals Gotten Worse For Filmmakers? - Brad Sykes

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[@philwurtzel2461]

After producing and having four features(Budget range $100K to $500K) released in the last six years by Domestic Distributors I will say for me that there are two places that literally will make or break your chance at seeing a profit :
1) Redbox release. Even a half order (17,000 units) will give you a clear path toward recoupment if you are in the under $500K budget club.
2) A Premium VOD release. This is on the cable TV carriers (Comcast-Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV, Dish and on) and you must be in the folder that says "IN THEATERS NOW". This requires a distributor that can get you out in a shitty little 10 major city release and play at 10am in some theater in LA County plus the other 9 cities once a day for a week. Believe me NO ONE will be in the theater but that's not the point. If you are in this Premium VOD Folder your ROI is night and day compared to just getting out on a simple VOD release where you can't be found OR just a Digital Release (Amazon Direct, Redbox.com, iTunes, Vudu, Googleplay and so on. This later path is not good unless you have a tremendous amount of marketing money behind you so that viewers can actually find you, the algorithm is your enemy. Plan on the distributor to charge your "Marketing Expense" account a minimum of$10k and more toward $20K for this 10 city release BUT!!! it will be worth it.
My position is that right now is the greatest time to be a filmmaker in the sense that anybody can make their film, literally any budget you have can pretty much support making your movie (an iPhone with an external mic). Plus the places you can get your film on are really impressive (see- Filmhub.com) BUT the chance to make any real money as a filmmaker and advance your career beyond just a "hobby" are pretty dismal but it is what it is. I mean think about painters and writers, millions of people paint and write but very few ever make any money at all in these hobbies. Sometimes the journey should be enough. Just set your expectations accordingly.

[@FilmCourage2]

Thank you for the detailed information, Phil. Your line at the end "Sometimes the journey should be enough," can be applied to so many ventures. It's an interesting statement that we should all consider before embarking on something. We appreciate the time you put into breaking this down. Hope you've been able to find a way which works for you whatever the outcome. This super helpful information. Thank you again.

[@FilmCourage2]

What are the positives and negatives of film distribution today?

[@anthonypiseno6341]

I have seen plenty of local indie filmmakers get their films on Amazon with no issue and Amazon is worldwide, not to mention with avenues like TH-cam and Vimeo distribution is not tough per se. If your idea of distribution is a theatrical release that maybe difficult especially with the over-saturation of superhero films or franchise films that dominate screens. My point is that sometimes I think people are really focused on the valley that must be crossed versus letting people know how to cross it.

[@ColeHrusovsky]

Yeah but Amazon takes literally everything. You're in a sea of content where it's impossible to get seen. If you recoup your budget and then want to put your movie on Amazon in the hopes that it might reach a bigger audience, sure. But don't put a movie on Amazon and expect to make your money back.

[@morganroberts4225]

It's ironic that distributers make it so hard for film makers to get their films out. Anyway... great videos and very informative, I'm watching these Film Courage videos as they drop, now

[@FilmCourage2]

Thanks Morgan. We are doing our best to publish one video every day here on this channel at 5am PST and one on our main channel at 5pm PST. Our best to you as you move forward with your own creative work.