We at Conduit regularly sell to streaming venues. In fact, over the past 12-18 months, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and other streaming services have become part of our first-tier considerations. We’re glad the world has finally made SVOD a valid choice for filmmakers.
But a theatrical release is still the crown jewel in any movie’s launch plan. Maybe it’s just a branding thing, but if your movie premieres in a theater that your friends and family can see, you’ve made it.
That’s why we’re not surprised to see Amazon has now committed to give theaters the standard 90-day theatrical window. Was it their experience with Chi-Raq, or maybe watching the performance of Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation? Eventually, we’ll know.
In the meantime, traditional studios such as Paramount have made deals to shorten the theatrical window for specific titles.
What does this mean for filmmakers? The big distributors — all of them — are trying to figure out this brave, new, always-on world. And that spells opportunity for filmmakers who know when to strike, who to pitch first, and what to offer. We have seen the most financial upside when our clients bring us on before their project is in the can because we can create a sales strategy that capitalizes on every bit of potential inherent in the project. And if you want to make more than one film, your sales strategy needs to be thorough, creative, and very strong.
If you’d like to talk further about sales strategies, get in touch.
