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Why I Self-Distribute My Documentaries (11 so far)
by David Wittkower
http://www.davidwittkower.com
I went the distributor route many years ago when everyone told me that was the way to go, but the promises of quarterly reports did not happen and the checks were so small. So I confronted them about it and they finally admitted that I was one of 500 other titles and I was now a small number in line with many other titles, so when I questioned why they were taking 75%, that is what they told me, “it’s standard.” I told them I could do a better job and so they tore up my contract and I’ve been doing it myself ever since.
I had also gone to Walmart to see if they would distribute one of my films. They said they would, but I would have to sell it to them for $3.00/ each. They would sell it for $19.95. They said they could get the video into 3,200 stores. I thought that even with such a high markup it would do okay, but they said if after 1 year if the videos didn’t sell, I would have to buy them all back!
I went to another distributor once who wanted 80% so I asked what for. They said they would push my title, re-design the cover, (I liked the one I had) get it into tons of stores, etc. I learned from another producer that this 80% from each producer, afforded the distributor to fly 1st class to Cannes, wine & dine other distributors, and attend parties. So the producer makes 20%. I would have had to sell $500,000 worth of my DVD’s to make any kind of money at all.
Needless to say, since then I bought a disk duplicator and a printer, I buy the cases and DVDs wholesale, shrink wrap them and ship them, I make the calls to the stores, I offer the stores a 50/50 split which most stores will agree with, I get letters from people who have bought the films, telling how much the film has meant to them. I go to film festivals and reap those rewards, none which would happen if I had had a distributor for the last 10 years.
I have sold about 37,000 DVDs (most sell at $19.95 retail) and won over 27 awards for excellence in film making. None of this is easy mind you, but I feel if you want to make a living doing this, you have to see it through to the end, if you hand it over to a distributor, you might as well be saying, “Here’s my film, you can have all the money from it, because I don’t care.” Be the film maker, be the distributor and get back what you put into it. Of course I know film makers who with the right connections have done okay but I know even more who made one film, then quit because it was too hard. There are plenty of people out there who are more than willing to take all of your hard work and reap the rewards without doing very much work.
Sorry, will get off of the soap box now.
-David
Promos from some of David’s documentaries
Jitterbugs
Guardians of the Gates: The Surfboats
The Eagle: America’s Tall Ship Trailer
Jitterbugs
Guardians of the Gates: The Surfboats
The Eagle: America’s Tall Ship Trailer
The Wal-Martization of Video Production
There are a number of companies that purport to “produce” very low-cost business videos by using inexperienced producers who audition their talents on the Internet and only deal with the business client after a contract has been made. Some of those companies include:
http://www.studionow.com
http://www.turnhere.com/
http://www.geobeats.com/
http://www.lightswitch.com/
Not surprisingly, the videos are pretty lightweight. GeoBeats videos seem to be made entirely of still photos edited into videos with stock music and weak narration. Some are better than others, but it’s obvious that these types of videos are produced very quickly and by-the-numbers.
For a couple hundred dollars, it’s an easy sell to businesses. They may be thinking they are ahead of the game, but I like to look at the number of views a video has had. If only 50 people have seen it in six months, it’s pretty much worthless. And that kind of number is not uncommon in these cheapie videos.
At least they are not (yet) trying to outsource the production to China. These videos are shot at the business owner’s location so they require a local videographer. Young and inexperienced videographers get experience from this work and very small paychecks, but this makes it harder for real production companies to compete. That’s how business works many will say.
Wal-Mart does have positives: Great efficiency in buying and low prices, more choices for the consumer, employment for poor people who want to work. But don’t forget the negatives. Many Mom & Pop stores are forced out of business. Wal-Mart wages and benefits are very low. No one knows your name when you walk into the store. The charm and sense of community of small-town businesses is lost. Economists says that overall Wal-Mart helps the national economy, but I’m not sure it’s worth the cost. Wal-Mart is one of the largest private employers in the world.
What’s your opinion of this type of video production company?
Canon Rebel T4i Designed for Video
At first glance the specs of the Canon Rebel T4i look nearly the same as its predecessor the Canon EOS Rebel T3i
While it records 1080p30 with stereo sound using internal or external microphones, the real news is the Continuous AutoFocus in movie mode. It is both silent and fast when using one of the new Canon linear stepper motors (STM.) These lenses can continuously track and keep focus on a moving subject in movie mode. The Canon 18-135 (f3.5 – 5.6) STM is one of the kit lenses. It also features image stabilization. Another new lens is the 40mm f2.8 STM pancake lens.
The Canon Rebel t4i is the first DSLR to include a touchscreen that works like those found in smartphones. You can pinch to zoom. But unlike some touchscreens, you have the choice to control the camera using the normal controls or use the touchscreen.
The sensitivity has been increased to ISO 12,800 and to record video, you need fewer steps so it is more direct on this camera than on the T3i.
The camera is available now for pre-order with delivery later in June. The camera body only is $849 through Amazon. Read the full specs at the Amazon link below
11 inch HD Monitor for DSLRs for $85
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| The Motorola Lapdock is intended as a screen and keyboard for a Motorola ATRIX 4G smartphone. Of course you can surf the Internet using your phone, but now you can view it using a much larger screen. The real news is that if you add a female HDMI adapter, you can use it as a DSLR monitor. The screen is 720p and over 11 inches. It’s very thin and lightweight and has an internal rechargeable battery good for up to eight hours, but the price is a spectacular $85! |
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