4 ms·

Great, I've been anxious to watch this! I literally just checked the web site yesterday to see if it was streaming anywhere yet. (And it looks like the web site

Great, I've been anxious to watch this! I literally just checked the web site yesterday to see if it was streaming anywhere yet. (And it looks like the web site still doesn't mention the Amazon streaming today.) There are probably business considerations I don't understand since I'm not in the industry, but I've often been perplexed that indie films seem to spend years making the rounds in the film festivals, when they could be making money for the filmmaker from people like me who are eager to stream them.

syedkarim 6y ago
I know someone who invested in the production of an indie film—actually, it was a documentary. I was told that in some cases (especially documentaries) the goal is for the film to be viewed as far and wide and possible. This requires lots of money dedicated to marketing, as well as someone who has the expertise and vested interest to generate a paying audience. The purpose of the film festivals is to find a distributor who will acquire exclusive distribution rights. For the producer who wants the film to be viewed by more than a niche audience on Amazon Prime, it makes more sense to find someone to market the film. If the film is immediately put on the streaming platforms, then the distributor loses the value and upside of exclusivity. Or so I was told.
- creeble 6y ago
  Yes, I know several documentary filmmakers whose films eventually came out on Netflix after years on the film festival circuit. They all have high hopes for their films, and Netflix pays a maximum of $50k for a documentary, one-time, no royalties. So it is always the fallback consideration, while a distributor who thinks they can make a lot more, with royalties, is always the hopeful pick. So it takes years of trying to recoup what is often a few hundred thousand dollars by playing in festival circuits and sometimes limited on-demand streaming distributors. Then, finally, they almost all give up and take Netflix's money (and long-term exclusivity). If they wait too long, it often isn't even $50k, so it's all a big gamble. Of course, everything is changing now that there are no film festivals and theaters are closing permanently every day. Edit: spelling

syedkarim 6y ago

I know someone who invested in the production of an indie film—actually, it was a documentary. I was told that in some cases (especially documentaries) the goal is for the film to be viewed as far and wide and possible. This requires lots of money dedicated to marketing, as well as someone who has the expertise and vested interest to generate a paying audience. The purpose of the film festivals is to find a distributor who will acquire exclusive distribution rights. For the producer who wants the film to be viewed by more than a niche audience on Amazon Prime, it makes more sense to find someone to market the film. If the film is immediately put on the streaming platforms, then the distributor loses the value and upside of exclusivity. Or so I was told.

creeble 6y ago
Yes, I know several documentary filmmakers whose films eventually came out on Netflix after years on the film festival circuit. They all have high hopes for their films, and Netflix pays a maximum of $50k for a documentary, one-time, no royalties. So it is always the fallback consideration, while a distributor who thinks they can make a lot more, with royalties, is always the hopeful pick. So it takes years of trying to recoup what is often a few hundred thousand dollars by playing in festival circuits and sometimes limited on-demand streaming distributors. Then, finally, they almost all give up and take Netflix's money (and long-term exclusivity). If they wait too long, it often isn't even $50k, so it's all a big gamble. Of course, everything is changing now that there are no film festivals and theaters are closing permanently every day. Edit: spelling