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Selling DVD to Video Rental Centers...


Landon D. Parks

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"You can't underestimate the distributor's role in selling to blockbuster. The distributor not only handles the sales, they handle the presale "quality control" report. This is the dirty little process nobody likes. They look at your finished master frame by frame and print out a report on any and all errors in regards to picture levels, drop-outs, audio, soft focus, boom in the shot, etc..."

 

If this is really the case then half the titles in a typical Blockbuster need to be tossed out. 

 

R.

 

 

Are you doubting my word or my experience?

 

I've provided post production services on two projects that went to Hollywood Video and perhaps Blockbuster. In both cases the masters I worked on required QC reports, I've also won a regional emmy.

 

After my experience with the first project, where the director thought I was crazy for insisting he needed a complete color correction before he turned in his master, (and then he practically blamed me because I was correct and his master needed "fixing"), I was ready for the second one.

 

I went through and made corrections that I thought we would be red flagged on. When I got down to the final three visual errors the producer figured there would be more so the video was submitted, and they found the same three that I had wanted to fix! I also handled the initial audio mix and once again, your dynamic range has to fall within a certain range or your project will be rejected.

 

I was told the video that I worked on was the cleanest (meaning devoid of dropouts) or one of the cleanest masters the distributor had ever received.

 

By the way, the cost for the QC report comes out of your end of the deal once the film is distributed!

 

The reason for the QC report is so that if additional mastering problems occur before final distribution, it's easier to figure out where the problems started if the original master was basically perfect.

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It's not an exact science. In many ways, if the movie is a big studio film, the LOWER the technical quality of the video masters will be acceptable because the buyers simply want the movie. If the ONLY video master of "Titanic" had major dust problems and a scratch running down one side, and had illegal whites and blacks, everyone would STILL buy it if they had no alternatives.

 

However, for small movies, you don't want to give buyers (broadcasters, Blockbuster, etc.) any reasons to reject it on technical grounds. Not that bad junk (technically) doesn't still slip through but less often now that dust-busting, etc. has become so automatic and therefore expected.

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"Are you doubting my word or my experience?

 

I've provided post production services on two projects that went to Hollywood Video and perhaps Blockbuster. In both cases the masters I worked on required QC reports, I've also won a regional emmy."

 

Holy smokes a regional emmy, no way!!!!

 

Question: How many Tellys do you need before you can cash them in for a regional emmy?

 

I am simply saying that there is no way Blockbuster applies this standard to every title, not by a long shot. I've rented plenty of DVDs for films made in the 70s and 80s where there where plenty of scratches on the film and neg dirt. They didn't go in and fix every little problem simply for a rental.

 

Have you seen "The Blair Witch Project?" Blockbuster rents that and it's full of all of the technical problems you insist they have no tollerance for.

 

I'm not saying an indie producer should over look such technical problems, under the guise of, "well other movies have technical issues." But, fact remains there are plenty of titles in any Blockbuster that do have lots of technical issues.

 

Usually not recent releases from the studios that is true.

 

R.

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So you are saying that older movies and Blair Witch wouldn't pass a QC report. That is quite possible. However, Reputeable Distributors, the ones that last more than a few years, require QC reports. This topic thread was primarily dealing with the here and now.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if most movies that get rejected for technical reasons have poor audio rather than poor visual issues.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

David, I think an additional reason for the QC reports is specifically because the big boys like Disney DO put out basically perfect masters and they don't want to see their bottom line affected by lower budgeted movies that don't put the same effort into QC.

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What is your budget anyway?

Currently, $32,000.00. I have however, made a request for another $10k for un-seen expenses that are forthcoming right now. The additional 10k has not yet been approaved.

 

Budget was at one time going to be $50,000. But some "Investors" backed out.

 

The one advise I'd give you, Landon, is that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you invest your own money in this production.

Wise words max, although to tell you the truth, I have no money to invest, lol. Let me tell you though, im yet to see any of this "$32,000", so until I do, I am not getting my hopes up. I guess we'll just see if it all works...... only time will tell :blink: .

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Currently, $32,000.00.

 

Oh gee...

 

I just made a short that has more than 6 times your budget. How you can possibly hope to make a proper film with only $ 32.000 is beyond me.

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Shooting miniDV and not paying anyone is how.

 

It can be done, but it doesn?t mean it can be done as well as something with a larger budget. I have done features in that budget range that worked out okay. I have also done music videos with quadruple that budget and had problems; quality and money are not necessarily directly proportional.

 

I agree that it will be tough to pull of a high quality production with extremely limited resources, but it is by no means impossible.

 

The question is not if one can produce a feature for $30k, the question is if he can do his particular script for that amount of money.

 

The films I have done in that budget ranges were always small stories taking place in easy locations with a lot of dialogue.

 

A lot depends on the producer's ability to produce deals.

 

Either way, he will see what he can and can't do with that much money soon enough. I agree, keep your eyes open for BS, but also don't get too discouraged with little money. Be realistic about what you can and can't do.

 

 

Kevin Zanit

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Hmmm getting back to the original points no-one seems to heve mentioned shared revenue...Maybe this only applies in the UK but with major chains these days (i.e blockbuster) the more you rent the more you earn.If your Ridley Scott good business sense if your Jhonny No-one with nothing but a genre film..well dont book the flight to the bahamas just yet!

Is shared revenue just something in the UK (maybe to kill of the last parts of our industry) or does it happen globally as well?

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Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith
Oh gee...

 

I just made a short that has more than 6 times your budget. How you can possibly hope to make a proper film with only $ 32.000 is beyond me.

It's do'able, but if your wanting some fairly descent crew your talking £500 a week. That's all I'm working for now. I mean you can get fairly descent crew and equipment for nothing apart from travel expenses.

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Oh gee...

 

I just made a short that has more than 6 times your budget. How you can possibly hope to make a proper film with only $ 32.000 is beyond me.

Trust me..... I was hoping for a lot more, but I don't make the rules.

 

As to how I can make a film with that little amount of money: Well, we are suppose to be buying all the equipment. Canon XL2, manual zoom lense, small ($1,000) lighting package, small sound package ( since are mixer is not in the industry, and he only owns a mixing board) , homemade dolly and a 12' crane from Kessler. and a few other odds-n-ends for the production. Total cost to buy the stuff?: around $16,000.00.

 

Rest is to be spent on cast, crew, meals, gas, locations, ect. 99& of our location we are getting for free, most of the cast and crew are working for Free, and the ones who are paid are not paid that much. We are susing all local people, so we dont need to pay for hotels and rental cars. The entire film will be shoot local, so no need for travel expenses.

 

We'll just have to see...

 

PS) I dont really know why Ahmed wants me to direct the film anyway. He was gonna get $50,000 until he brought me in, then a few investors backed out because they didnt think I could carry the film. :ph34r:

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I'm guessing the investor's plan is to take advantage (and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way) of a 16 year old's ability to make things happen.

 

I made an hour long movie when I was 18 for basically nothing and this is of course because you can ask for things and if you're not in Los Angeles or New York (which I wasn't at the time) people often think "Sure, I'll help! It's cool you're doing a movie!"

 

Even when you're 30, you can do it, ask Shane Carruth (www.primerthemovie.com).

 

There was actually a studio (who will remain nameless) that was having a contest for UCLA and USC student many years ago - and the winner would get 60k to make a movie. Now, the rights would be owned by this company with the filmmaker getting a small percentage - but it was totally expected that the student's ferver for making his first film would be what they would be banking on. Why bother making a student short when you can ask all the same favors and make a feature? You could argue that the company had no ethics and were horrible - but on the other hand, I would have absolutely loved to get an opportunity to make a $60k feature at that age and would have gladly asked everyone to help me out. (And those movies were shot on film. No DV back then and no one was doing BetaSP features.)

 

I think all filmmakers can do the free and favor movie once. After that - you need to start compensating 'cause people know that either your first film didn't do any business and you might not be a good investment for their time or that your first film did do business and so you should be able to pay something.

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Yes I know the young folk will throw a hissy fit, but here goes....

 

Mark Douglas, do you honestly believe a 16 year old will pull off some thing that will actually be marketable and earn a return on the 32K? A product Blockbuster will rent in all of their stores?

 

Would you invest money in a film being made by a 16 year old Mark? Say 10K of your own personal hard earned cash?

 

Lack of positive energy aside let's be realistic here, he doesn't even have a credit card.

 

I can see a skateboard movie shot on DV made by a 16 year old finding a market. But drama or horror? If it has lots of incredibly gross stuff in it that a teenage boy might like, possibly.

 

If he had a relative at one of the studios then I could see a door being cracked open, but it doesn't sound like that's an option here. If it was we would have heard about it 27 times by now.

 

Maybe this will be a summer blockbuster and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, but is there not some reality that needs to be injected here?

 

R.

 

PS: Younger folk, please do not respond with the classic, "You're an old bitter failure" line.

 

1) It's not true

 

2) You should be able to come with some newer material by now.

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Yes I know the young folk will throw a hissy fit, but here goes....

 

Mark Douglas, do you honestly believe a 16 year old will pull off some thing that will actually be marketable and earn a return on the 32K? A product Blockbuster will rent in all of their stores?

 

Would you invest money in a film being made by a 16 year old Mark? Say 10K of your own personal hard earned cash?

 

Lack of positive energy aside let's be realistic here, he doesn't even have a credit card.

 

I can see a skateboard movie shot on DV made by a 16 year old finding a market. But drama or horror? If it has lots of incredibly gross stuff in it that a teenage boy might like, possibly.

 

If he had a relative at one of the studios then I could see a door being cracked open, but it doesn't sound like that's an option here. If it was we would have heard about it 27 times by now.

 

Maybe this will be a summer blockbuster and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, but is there not some reality that needs to be injected here?

 

R.

 

PS: Younger folk, please do not respond with the classic, "You're an old bitter failure" line.

 

1) It's not true

 

2) You should be able to come with some newer material by now.

Richard, Im tired of arguing with you.... I give up! There is no way im going to change your mind unless I prove it to you, which gives me all the more reason to make a better movie. Everyone has a right to think what they want to think, and if you think your god and know what will or will not work, and who cant and can do something, I'll leave your thoughts to it... good luck with that :blink:

 

Really, lighten up! your acting as though the "Young folks" are going to steal your job.... :rolleyes:..

 

I'v never bought into the old "age" deal. There is no written law saying that I cant make a good movie, if there is, show me please. Just like theres no law saying a 10 year old kid cant be smarter than a 50 year old man, because it happends.

Edited by Landon D. Parks
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There's a difference between "possible" and "probable" -- any number of scenarios are possible if improbable.

 

The knowledge, experience, craft, maturity, and self-awareness that comes with time makes it more probable that one would be a better director than someone who is very young. However, it is certainly possible for a young person to be a good director and an older person to be a lousy one.

 

As an investor, one is more likely to place money on a probable return than a theoretically possible but improbable one. Same goes with trusting someone with their money; if they don't know you personally, they will probably play the odds and judge you by your experience level.

 

Anyway, we're only talking about a $30,000 feature here, so why not just wish Landon the best of luck? If people were truly realistic, they would probably never attempt to make movies in the first place, so a little blind ambition is probably unavoidable, if not even necessary in this business. I might be more cautionary and rationally pessimistic if this were Landon's college fund he was spending on his feature, but he's not the one taking the big financial risk here.

 

However, it would be reassuring if Landon were bright enough to recognize the irony in him saying that age does not matter, since he has no perspective on this subject, no ability to judge his relative skills over time (i.e into adulthood) and analyze whether age really does matter.

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Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith
Yes I know the young folk will throw a hissy fit, but here goes....

 

Mark Douglas, do you honestly believe a 16 year old will pull off some thing that will actually be marketable and earn a return on the 32K?  A product Blockbuster will rent in all of their stores?

 

Would you invest money in a film being made by a 16 year old Mark?  Say 10K of your own personal hard earned cash?

 

Lack of positive energy aside let's be realistic here, he doesn't even have a credit card.

 

I can see a skateboard movie shot on DV made by a 16 year old finding a market.  But drama or horror?  If it has lots of incredibly gross stuff in it that a teenage boy might like, possibly.

 

If he had a relative at one of the studios then I could see a door being cracked open, but it doesn't sound like that's an option here.  If it was we would have heard about it 27 times by now.

 

Maybe this will be a summer blockbuster and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, but is there not some reality that needs to be injected here?

 

R.

 

PS: Younger folk, please do not respond with the classic, "You're an old bitter failure" line. 

 

1) It's not true

 

2) You should be able to come with some newer material by now.

No ones going to attack you for saying that, since as I actually agree with it. I mean I'd never in my life put £10,000 in the hands of a 16 year old, but look at it from Landon's point of view. Like me he believes in himself, and now he's got a chance to prove himself. He's lucky as hell to get the opportunity to make a feature with a budget of $30,000, so if you ask me, he should go for it! I know I would, and I too would feel confident I can do it.

 

A word to Landon though, this is your chance, make it good, and don't f*** it up. But seriously, be smart about it. My best advice is try and make some short movies before you go ahead and make this feature, the experience will help out a lot. Otherwise you?ll end up like Richard over here :lol:

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I mean I'd never in my life put £10,000 in the hands of a 16 year old

Are you sure about that? Lets put this as a senario: 16 year old James has directed 20 features and all have received great award and made a lot of money for there investors. 56 year old Carl has made 12 features that have done good, but not great. And have garnered a profit for the investors, but not by much.

 

Who would you be willing to invest your money with?

 

(Note: Not that this actual has or is going to happen, its just here to demonstrait that just because someone is older, does not mea they have more "Work" experiance in the industry, or "Life" experiance for that matter.)

 

PS) To answer my own question, I would place the $10,000 with the 16 year old. Because he has shown that he is more capable of making a profitable film than carl is.

 

But, whatever. Everyone has there own opinion, and I dont want to challenge those opinions. I know I would not want some one to challenge my opinion's. This is just my opinion... And I guess only time will tell if its right or wrong.

 

till later.

 

My best advice is try and make some short movies before you go ahead and make this feature, the experience will help out a lot. Otherwise you?ll end up like Richard over here

Well, we are wanting to start shooting in a maximum of 30 days, so I dont really have a lot of time for making shorts at the moment.

 

Otherwise you?ll end up like Richard over here

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :rolleyes: B)

 

However, it would be reassuring if Landon were bright enough to recognize the irony in him saying that age does not matter, since he has no perspective on this subject, no ability to judge his relative skills over time (i.e into adulthood) and analyze whether age really does matter.

Taken under advisement Mr. Mullen....

 

Anyway, we're only talking about a $30,000 feature here, so why not just wish Landon the best of luck?

Yep, thats only enough money to buy a brand new sports car..... :unsure: :ph34r: ... Maybe Im in the wronge industry? :(

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Yes I know the young folk will throw a hissy fit, but here goes....

 

Mark Douglas, do you honestly believe a 16 year old will pull off some thing that will actually be marketable and earn a return on the 32K?  A product Blockbuster will rent in all of their stores?

 

Would you invest money in a film being made by a 16 year old Mark?  Say 10K of your own personal hard earned cash?

 

Maybe this will be a summer blockbuster and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, but is there not some reality that needs to be injected here?

 

R.

 

and....

 

If people were truly realistic, they would probably never attempt to make movies in the first place, so a little blind ambition is probably unavoidable, if not even necessary in this business.

 

 

Ok, I agree with both sides!

 

That was easy! :rolleyes:

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Well at least the younger folk didn't fail to live up to my predictions....

 

"Otherwise you?ll end up like Richard over here"

Daniel

 

"Really, lighten up! your acting as though the "Young folks" are going to steal your job...."

Landon

 

I look forward to renting this film in Blockbuster, have a good shoot.

 

R.

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Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith
Are you sure about that? Lets put this as a senario: 16 year old James has directed 20 features and all have received great award and made a lot of money for there investors. 56 year old Carl has made 12 features that have done good, but not great. And have garnered a profit for the investors, but not by much.

 

Who would you be willing to invest your money with?

I see what your saying but that particular scenario you made up isn't anything like the one your going through now. I mean, I don't know of any 16 year old kid that's shot 20 features, and I hope I'll never come across one.

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Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith
Well at least the younger folk didn't fail to live up to my predictions....

 

"Otherwise you?ll end up like Richard over here"

Daniel

 

"Really, lighten up! your acting as though the "Young folks" are going to steal your job...."

Landon

 

I look forward to renting this film in Blockbuster, have a good shoot.

 

R.

Richard the lion heart? Richard the whining tart! :P (Well you wanted some new material...) Ok... that was childish, I'll stop now.

Edited by Daniel J. Ashley-Smith
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""Well at least the younger folk didn't fail to live up to my predictions....""

 

===

 

 

Daniel,

 

When someone's born with a small penis, they tend to get jealous and angry quite quickly. You need to understand that Richard is trying as hard as he can to fit in and feel like everyone else on his board, but no matter how hard he tries, how much he insults you, Landon, me and any other young bucks -- he'll still be stuck with the size God gave him.

 

Richard, learn to deal with your little problem (heh. little.). It would be a shame to lose such a prominent figure on this board like yourself over such a SMALL superficial thing.

 

Be strong and always remember -- size doesn't count. Width does.

 

I see eternity in you.

 

X+O,

 

JonS.

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""Well at least the younger folk didn't fail to live up to my predictions....""

 

===

Daniel,

 

  When someone's born with a small penis, they tend to get jealous and angry quite quickly. You need to understand that Richard is trying as hard as he can to fit in and feel like everyone else on his board, but no matter how hard he tries, how much he insults you, Landon, me and any other young bucks -- he'll still be  stuck with the size God gave him.

 

  Richard, learn to deal with your little problem (heh. little.). It would be a shame to lose such a prominent figure on this board like yourself over such a SMALL superficial thing.

 

  JonS.

 

Hey my old buddy I was wondering what happened to you?

 

This is not bad work, although I'm a little dissapointed, the "small penis" come back? Geez that's old Jonathan, really really old. I asked for some original material.

 

I don't have any return fire for you Jonathan, although like your other comments I'll forward these to the rest of my buddies in the biz. The reason? They actually find you entertaining, your posts I mean, you bring a ray of sunshine into people's lives. Don't ever lose that gift.

 

R.

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"... 16 year old James has directed 20 features ..."

 

It seems we've gone right past the blue sky of improbability and into the stratosphere of wishful thinking. In what kind of scenario could anyone generated the quantity and quality of output this young gent is postulating, given the limited time available to a teenager? A feature film is not a 10 minute skateboarding video, it's the product of hundreds or thousands of man-hours of labor. Even at the hyper-energy level of adolescence there are only so many hours in a week to commit after sleeping, eating, attending school and yakking on the Internet. With what spare hours are 20 commercial caliber features created, finished and distributed?

 

Go shoot your films and tell us how you did it.

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Mark Douglas, do you honestly believe a 16 year old will pull off some thing that will actually be marketable and earn a return on the 32K?  A product Blockbuster will rent in all of their stores?

 

Would you invest money in a film being made by a 16 year old Mark?  Say 10K of your own personal hard earned cash?

 

 

Well... I think it depends on the 16 year old. I had a visual effects company for many years and for a while one of our main artists was 15 - and he was devastatingly talented and the artist that the clients liked the work of. Meanwhile there were 30, 40, even 50 year olds submitting their work and it wasn't as good. Skills are learned and some people are open to learning at a young age, some people are closed their entire life. (Side note, he ended up not going into design and instead went to an Ivy league college and last I heard was studying to be a doctor - though he had done some fascinating papers on 3D lighting.)

 

I look at films from people of all ages and the quality never has anything to do with the age of the director. I do think 16 is very much on the young side simply because even if someone is open to learning, there hasn't been that much time.

 

I also agree with some other people here and expressed in detail that I think the whole investor situation is highly suspect, but I've already made that point in another thread, so I didn't want to go there again as I already made that point.

 

Would I invest? Actually... I won't go into the details of it in this thread - but in 2 years my company will be including investment in projects which are highly reliant on the filmmaker's passion - HOWEVER - those filmmakers will have to have done something which shows they've got the skillset and simply need the financing. It won't matter if what they've done before has been shot on video or film - but it will matter that they know how to tell a story and we trust they have the energy and knowledge to carry off the project (and they'll have a nonintrustive but experienced producer helping them).

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