Ben Fritz reports in The Wall Street Journal that Video on Demand Gives Low-Budget Films Wider Audience.
The sub-head continues: Amazon and Netflix can widen movies’ reach. Just don’t expect big box office.
“Indie movies have become marginalized at the box office. Most rely exclusively on VOD rentals to make their money and use short runs at a handful of theaters to generate reviews.”
He outlines three ways independent filmmakers can distribute their work:
- Sell the movie to a digital distributor who then releases it on tVOD platforms (upfront payment, few stats and complex accounting)
- Launch on sVOD services like Netflix (one payment and no eyeball stats)
- DIY and release on Vimeo or other outlets and do all the marketing yourself (nothing up front but full stats)
The first is closest to the old film distributor model. The third is the method that most fully embraces the potential of the new economy. However, it requires the most time and energy.
My take: which model you choose might depend on your audience. For instance, if your film is mainstream, you might be tempted to look to Netflix. However, if your film is purely indie, Vimeo might be better suited. The real problem, of course, is getting noticed. How to stand out in a crowded pond. Discoverability is the main challenge for every project and filmmaker.