action sports/surf video distributors

P

Paunch

Well-known member
I want to get a bit of money out of my film since the whole "self-distribution" thing didn't work out too well, or at all for that matter. Any reccommendations??
 
Hey, yes it was a surf film...i did a bit of marketing, as much as I could afford taking out ads in various magazines, web banners on major surfing sites like surfermag and of course film festivals, having reviews done on the film and sending it off to a few of the majors like mutiny media.

www.ThirdBornEntertainment.com is my website, feel free to take a gander.

-Paunch
 
hey didn,t you send it off to the newyork film fest? I sent my 80 waves and i wasn,t picked. i spent some $ with surfline . did you pic up a us distributor?
 
i am planning a trip from vancouver to la to drop off posters/shop copys/sales to promote 80 WAVES , in general /have some ideas. IT helps i have a screen printing shop as well as the movie biz. my # 250 885 8677
 
i didn't get picked either, and hit up all the major surf film fests...distribs didn't seem to keen on picking up a movie with no big name surfers...it's basically a "no kelly, no deal" kind of industry, same with the film festivals. I've been pitching some ideas for my next film around to some big companies and hopefully i can turn that into sponsor dollers. I'll get the next one done, come hell or high water but would rather not spend 50k of my own money in the process .

I hit up a lot of shops that do online sales, tried to contact stores in van but they didn't return emails. i just got the point where it was costing me too between long distance phone calls, sending out free copies and advertising that it wasn't a smart business decision to keep at it. i'm not giving up, just rethinking my approach and hopefully it'll manifest into something..

i did put up a trailer on surfline, that got me a lot of traffic too. are you shopping it around to distribs?
 
i have a deal with vas entertainment. i put up a banner ad on surfline and for $500 had 500 people watch my trailer on my site. sold 3 movies. who made your discs?
 
thats great man, i really need to get back to hounding the distribs again. i used precision disc in Van for the prints, printed off 500 copies, maybe sold just over a hundred copies so far, and gave away just as many.
 
replicated or duplicated? how many sold on your site? i found distiubutors are only interested in what titles the customers want. if there is no demand they will not carry. just too many choices out there with the big surf companys giving away dvd product just to promote there brand . the don,t need to turn a profit on there movie and the have a built in 10,000 customers the sell other stuff to. unlimited promotion within at no cost. very tough to get retailers attention. there were 55 movies submitted to that festival this year. don,t count on distributors pushing it. i see them as only the shelf where they sit until I can get the retailers to order it. i amprinting up posters as i type . i have 1000 2 min trailer dvd that i duplicated myself with a dvd cover i printed myself inside a clear cello self sealing envelope. will be getting vas to drop them in every box going out the door to there retailers. then the next 1000 dvd trailers will be just in a small dvd clear cello envelope with a mini printed dvd cover and buy online offer . movie and t shirt - $35.99 more for public distribution(maybe at surf contests) . hope something works.
 
Replicated, double glassed or whatever that is. Sold about 35 through my site. Also got 3 shops in Nicaragua to pick up 10 a piece, and 6 at another shop in the capital city Managua, Nicaragua

I have a friend down there with 50 more copiesto distribute for me for a fee. I sold them to shops at 10/copy and they mark it up to 20. At least I can make it more attractive to retailers, better than selling none at all is the way i figure it. Aside from that I contacted a bunch of sites that sell action sports online and submitted copies to them, mutiny media and also email a bunch of small surf shops in the US & UK about them carrying my film but overall it was either no response or little to no interest. At that point I slowed down my efforts and put my energy into filming weddings, corpoarate and other stuff so I can actually pay my bills. But now i'm ready for another crack at it to figure out the monster that is marketing so I'll be more prepared for my next film. I've even tried social networking on sites like facebook, adding contacts from surf groups and make connections. Not sure if that paid off, if it did it was word of mouth to people I have no association with.

Nice idea with VAS, marketing is all about creating a demand like you said. Why do some things work and some not? I've spent money so what makes people want my film more than the next guys? And why is "his" film selling and mine isn't when mine is better......marketing. If only I could somehow figure out a way to get Paris Hilton to plug my film and then it would sell. lol.

I just recently contacted a Christian surf publication about adds, if i can get more people to see the trailer then theres a better chance I can sell more...

would you be down to swap copies of films? I'd love to see your work
 
swap for sure ,send my your address . there is something called a producers rep that i am thinking of hiring (entertainment lawer) just started his new company . he wants me to pay $1500+ 20% for the year for him to shop it around to all the market,distributors,download sites. international deals. could be just pissing away more $$ , but he has never dealt with sport docs before . i think this should be a easyer sale than indi films. my address is 2988 hammond bay rd nanaimo bc v9t 1e2 ..... last year i worked for pamala anderson and Geoff Cortnall shooting from the helicopter for there new development on her grandma,s water front property. what was i thinking? or wasn,t !
 
producers rep...that could pay off who knows. especially when dealing with international markets. it was hard for me to sell in latin america, i can speak spanish but not good enough to talk business. someone also told me that some big companies pay money for logos in the opening credits, like 3-5k if you have a finished product., i never did look into it. I did however find out after my release parties in nicaragua that the local companies like Coco Cola and a Sandals company wanted to be a part of my launch parties and would have thrown me some cash to be a part of it. Next time I do a release party i'll be hiring a promoter to source out some sponsors...i really missed out big.

I'll send a dvd tomorrow. my address is:
Tyler Bliss
3808A 54 Street
Wetaskiwin, Alberta
CANADA T9A 2Z6
 
You can also look at getting a sales agent. If they feel they can leverage your film for all rights and all territories, they can do some amazing things. Look for a sales agent who has experience in the genre of film you have (sports/surfing in this case) and let them use their rolodex and connections around the world. I was lucky and got NonStop Sales as a sales agent for my last film and they have been great. They really know how to leverage different rights in different countries. Well worth the percentage they take to do so and frees me up to concentrate on the next production.

Michael
 
thanks tylor .i got you movie will watch tonight. i will send mine tomorrow. i have had 24/7 family emergency and didnt get it out. sorry.
 
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