Noam Kroll@noamkroll
Nothing is more discouraging to indie filmmakers than the current state of distribution.
If 100,000 people watch your 90 minute movie on Amazon SVOD, you'll be lucky if you clear $3000.
If you rent or sell your film through TVOD, far fewer people will discover it, and it will be even harder to recoup costs.
Larger films with celebrity talent attached can still benefit from more traditional distribution paths... But even then there are no guarantees.
One solution is to look for ways to increase your AOV (average order value).
With SVOD or TVOD, your average transaction could be anywhere from $0.20 - $7.00 - either way, it's very low.
But if you think outside the box, you can create more valuable and unique offers, and increase your AOV to $50+ dollars.
A few ways to do this:
- Hosting in-person / exclusive events
- Setting up premium virtual screenings
- Selling physical media direct to your audience
- Partnering with brands, non-profits, or schools
- Creating ancillary products to sell with your movie
These are just a few examples.
If 2,000 people engage with the premium ($50) offer over the course of a year, that could generate $100K in revenue.
And if you manage to get 2,000 people on board, getting 5K - 10K is not unreasonable either.
On the other hand, even if you fall short by 10 fold, you are still ahead of where you would be with SVOD.
For these reasons, I think many DIY filmmakers should consider doing a self-distribution window first to take advantage of some of these unconventional tactics.
Then after a year (or whatever length of window you choose) you can put your film on SVOD, ensuring your film reaches the largest possible audience.
This is by no means an easy path, but neither is the alternative.
