Distribution

Can anyone explain what a “pay one” deal is?

Well, that’s a great question. The article tells us that box-office is dragging its feet after Covid and still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Another reason given was this:

“But it’s clear that projects that would previously have flown off the shelves domestically just don’t have the same immediate pulling power. And according to one source, it’s the lack of post-theatrical window deals with broadcasters and streamers that’s slowing things down.”

It appears that the new Streamer dynamic may have muddied the release waters a little, and so we are not talking about a like-for-like comparison. (Pre-post pandemic)

Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks film:

[he] said that “the regularity of certain audiences’ filmgoing is still yet to return to pre-COVID levels,” and noted that one of the factors affecting the U.S. sales of prestige dramas comes down to the evolution of “how audiences connect with material on a prestige drama front.”

Note to self, whatever the films subject matter, there has to be a connection with the audience, but I think I already knew that! How about you?

Yeah, Geoff Hall. There has to be a connection with the audience. Sometimes I scroll and scroll and scroll streaming services for something to watch because I don't connect with the movies and shows. And sometimes what's available just isn't interesting. But sometimes I'll watch a movie or show that I don't connect with/that's not interesting because of the cast.

"He said movies with “difficult subject matters” are a tougher sell in the current market. 'It’s harder to get people sit through difficult stories. We’ve just been through challenging times,' Shooman said." When I'm having a rough day or there's something troubling going on in the world, I don't want to watch something difficult or heavy. I watch Comedies, Action/Adventures, cartoons, etc.

Crazy world! I was just in a discussion about “traditional” film distribution on another platform. The issue of “Day One Deals” came up and why they’re being eliminated.

In the film biz, a "pay one deal" refers to an agreement where a film's first pay television window rights are sold to a specific TV network or streaming service.

This means that after the movie’s release (theatrical, home, DVD, Blu-ray, digital purchase/rental) it will premiere on a designated pay TV channel or streaming service for its initial pay TV window.

So a "pay one deal" provides a guaranteed buyer for this window, ensuring the studio (or distributor) receives an upfront payment. This deal is often secured before the film is released, providing more financial certainty for the movie's post-theatrical life.

But there’s been cost cutting in the market to eliminate these so-called automatic "pay one deals." So, distributors must individually negotiate and secure pay TV rights for each film, making the process more complex and uncertain.

This can delay decisions and commitments, as distributors need to ensure they can secure a "pay one deal" before fully committing to a project.

Maurice Vaughan Hi Maurice, "movies with difficult subject-matter"? Yes, but as we used to say, that depends on the "cut of your cloth". We know the world's in a mess, but films like 'The Zone of Interest' did well at the box-office and the award ceremonies. Documentaries such as '20 Days in Mariupol' are snatched up by the streamers.

I believe yes, that there are some people who want pure escapism and others who want to delve more deeply into the world's problems and check out those kind of difficult subject matter films, to help them understand the current situation.

Debbie Elicksen oh my, I've just checked $57.99 per month!!! :-()

Dan MaxXx - got a link to his YT channel? Loved to see what he does. Thank you, sir!

Geoff Hall YouTube Premium is only $12.99 in Canada but you don't need it to distribute your content. Like @Dan says, have smartphone will travel. :) It just takes consistency, experimentation, and perseverance. You don't even need an extension like TubeBuddy. Use relevant hashtags, maybe do a Google Keyword search to see the ones that trend the highest (Instagram search can be a good cheat sheet for this, too). The free version of Canva has YouTube templates you can manipulate and personalize. All the tools are there for $000, except the video camera and maybe the editing software.

Dan MaxXx I need to check him out if he has classic Mustangs. My favorite car before Oldsmobiles.

Debbie Elicksen thanks Debbie, that’s a lot different from $57.99 per month. It’s just a bizarre figure.

Hi Geoff.

I’m arriving in Cannes tomorrow morning. Will you be there? Let’s meet.

Hi Jack, sadly not. My Producer is there. Cannes is still on the list to go there sometime, but alas not this year. I hope you have a great and profitable time. Are you going to the Marche with a film?

Should be a hoot!

Absolutely, Debbie Elicksen!

That's great for Arthouse creatives, Geoff Hall! I love watching mainstream films, but Arthouse movies feel more personal and more impactful sometimes.

Maurice Vaughan yes it is, Maurice. It’s kinda my niche too, so it’s now on my radar.

Thanks for sharing!

Great strategy for indie filmmakers, Karen "Kay" Ross!

Awesome story. Should be noted, this was a decade ago. A lot has changed. Many no-name, no-budget filmmakers use to get foreign sales, now they don't and it's dropped on YouTube and Tubi by distributors. Nonetheless, you have to try different things to make money and be positive (and realistic)!

So cool. People need to see this. Karen "Kay" Ross thanks for sharing this.

I’m a big fan of these guys at Show & Tell — talks a lot about docs but very applicable to narrative films. https://show-tell.teachable.com/p/starterprogram

Göran Johansson Wow very interesting! Where am I able to watch the films? Also Have you had any success ?

David Santo brother, thank you for sending me this document! Very Helpful. I'll be suing these resources.

Dear Ahi, The films were created in my native language, so I gave them to Swedish public access television stations.

The first movie was filmed in the way it was supposed to. With actors in front of the camera. Here is the trailer.

https://vimeo.com/111783195

When I created the second one, a disaster happened. An emergency solution. Not funny. Definitely not funny. Here is the trailer.

https://vimeo.com/182128117

When I created the third one, a different disaster happened. On with the morph suit again, but this time in front of the chromakey background with a doll. Not funny. Definitely not funny. Here is the trailer.

https://vimeo.com/308083543

Suffering from disasters due to a lack of money is not funny. But one learns from it. And the situation is even worse for those who depend on other people's money.

So learning how to do without money is highly relevant.

About successes. Well, nothing special, but having credits makes it easier to impress upon other people, so i am optimistic.

I recommend this Stage 32 webinar taught by the amazing Kristin Harris on securing distribution for your films: https://www.stage32.com/education?p=8944873079091

Ahi Black my advice for what it’s worth, would be to plan distribution now, before production. Who is your audience? If you don’t know that, then you’ve got a bit of research to do. It’s not private lenders you are looking for, but private investors. However, think about maybe raising development funding via a film funding site like Seed and Spark and then look for equity funding. With development funding you stand a better chance of attracting talent to the film.

All of this process will help you understand more about “where do we go from here?”

Geoff Hall "Alpha," "The Death of Robin Hood," "11817," "Encore," "Nuremberg," and "Double Booked."

Not reporting quarterly numbers won't have an impact on anyone, anything except Netflix.

Thats interesting after so much fuss was being made last year to push streamers to be more transparent overall.