When is the right moment to put films online?

R

rc444

Well-known member
Hypothetical scenario:

Wendy Bloggs uploads her short film to YouTube. The film is viewed by Distributor A and Distributor B. Distributor A may refuse to screen Wendy's film because he wants exclusive rights for all territories. Wendy has shot herself in the foot by choosing to put her work online first. Distributor B however, who is an independant, might be more forgiving of the situation and accept her film because of the positive exposure.

Assuming Wendy has made a good film, her decision to put her film online may open doors for an indie distributor/producer to stumble across her work. However, at the same time, Wendy may be completely destroying any chances of getting her short screened by a major theater/distributor. When is the right moment to put films online? Should you even do this? Or, at least how can you do this without running the chance of blowing it with the whole exclusive rights catch-22?

David
 
Shorts are unlikely to screen anywhere but a festival. It doesn't mean 1% of them won't make it to HBO, it just means that it's extremly unlikey that a short will do much more than motivate you to do a feature.

As for loading a "feature" (70+ minutes) to the web. I'd only do it if.
A.) Couldn't sell the movie after 18 months of trying
B.) All along I planned to simply make a "web movie"
C.) had some super strategy

I think distributors surf the web, but I think many have their eyes WIDE open for the BIG diamonds in the rough, not the rough rocks that we think are diamonds. The average indie is not important to the avg distributor. So unless you already have an in, or you have a great film, it's a doubt they'd find it online. It's easier if you just send a copy in to them.
 
I was going to ask a question similar to this myself.

Am I right to assume with my short that it's best, for festival purposes I mean, not to have a full version online anywhere until after it has run its course on the festival circuit? I was going to put a 1 minute trailer online, maybe only 45 seconds, and have project information on my Website, but without putting the actual full film there, until I'm really totally done sending it to festivals, so probably a 1-2 year window, more likely in the 18 month range. That way, if it got picked up by some online distributor or DVD compilation or something, they wouldn't have to worry that it had already been given away for free online. Sure, I know places like that only pay probably $500 to $1,000, not enough to pay my editor and sound guy let alone the entire expense of the short, but still when it's played out, it's played out, there's no expectation of making my money back here. I just want it to go the best course it can, as a short, with expectations in line with what it is. Also I realize that's sort of a best-case scenario, and the worst case is no biggie, it does its thing in the festival circuit, and it retires hopefully a winner, being fully uploaded to my Website for all to see for all of time ;)
 
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