The Target Effect!
So I'm in a Target store looking at the DVD section, and what's newly released. There are some really interesting films that I made a mental note of to put on my list. But what is really noticeable is the prices of some DVD's. IFC films had several for $7.99. One of them was the movie "Factotum" starring Matt Dillon. They even had a double feature DVD of "Footloose" and "Flashdance" for $7.99.
Now I'm not a rocket scientist, but how does the independent filmmaker survive in all this when major motion pictures can be owned for as little as $7.99? The films all have production values, star a famous actor or two, and are of interest to the regular guy on the street whose looking for a pleasant distraction from the mundane of life.
It's not even just Target stores. Walmart is the same thing. Though I did see a statistic that Walmart has a 40% share in the market of selling DVD's to the consumer, so I would assume that Target and stores like West Coast Video, Blockbuster, and Sun Coast Films share the rest along with probably Amazon.
Doesn't seem like there's room to sell you're movie unless a studio picks it up, and you eventually wind up in one of the discount stores mentioned above.
That's probably why you are better off selling to you're base, and going it alone. What I mean by selling to you're base is that selling a movie directly to the people most interested in seeing you're film. Horror films, relationship films, action/adventure films all have their niche audience. You tap into that and you're golden. The question is how to attract them, and how to call attention to you're product without a major studio marketing machine behind you.
I won't begin to tell you how you can do it. Different things work for different people. But before you start shooting that first frame of film get to know you're audience, and do some homework. You'll thank yourself latter for it.
Now I'm not a rocket scientist, but how does the independent filmmaker survive in all this when major motion pictures can be owned for as little as $7.99? The films all have production values, star a famous actor or two, and are of interest to the regular guy on the street whose looking for a pleasant distraction from the mundane of life.
It's not even just Target stores. Walmart is the same thing. Though I did see a statistic that Walmart has a 40% share in the market of selling DVD's to the consumer, so I would assume that Target and stores like West Coast Video, Blockbuster, and Sun Coast Films share the rest along with probably Amazon.
Doesn't seem like there's room to sell you're movie unless a studio picks it up, and you eventually wind up in one of the discount stores mentioned above.
That's probably why you are better off selling to you're base, and going it alone. What I mean by selling to you're base is that selling a movie directly to the people most interested in seeing you're film. Horror films, relationship films, action/adventure films all have their niche audience. You tap into that and you're golden. The question is how to attract them, and how to call attention to you're product without a major studio marketing machine behind you.
I won't begin to tell you how you can do it. Different things work for different people. But before you start shooting that first frame of film get to know you're audience, and do some homework. You'll thank yourself latter for it.
Comments