Discussions on DVD prices have come up before. I am going to ramble
before going to my underpaid job putting the final touches on my
latest under budgeted documentary: Chairman Mao Dreams of Charlie
Parker at the Culver Hotel.
If distributors and independent documentary filmmakers come up with a
plan to lower prices or offer films at a name your own price I think
librarians and other customers need to invest something other than
buying and viewing the film. What comes to mind is chipping in on
the publicity side of such a filmmaker/distributor/customer
collaboration. Years ago a distributor on this list generous with
his advice told me that there is a rule of seven. Someone has to
hear of your film seven times before buying it.
Jessica, one of the last champions of independent filmmakers, has
pointed out that filmmakers would love to sell lots of copies at
19.99 instead of struggling to sell fewer films for 150- 300... I
agree with her though we may disagree about why markets have not
expanded enough for this to happen. I believe there is a wide
audience for documentaries that on the face appear obscure and of
little interest outside of a few teachers or researchers. The
challenge is how to reach that wider audience with our work.
While librarians face shrinking budgets for films (something said
before around the time 16mm vanished), many of us filmmakers and
distributors face shrinking budgets from already ridiculously
shrunken levels. One thing has been a constant for me: Publicity is
more expensive than making a documentary. My suggestion is that
librarians and customers - routinely and creatively pitch-in by
creating word of mouth advertisement that extends way beyond the
typical library circuit and into your own personal worlds. Help
broaden our audiences and watch prices fall.
Of course, my own experiment with a sliding scale honor system was
not fruitful for a surprising reason. One of my more successful
documentaries, GOING TO SCHOOL (IR A LA ESCUELA) was offered to
families of children with disabilities at a sliding scale price, on
the honor system. Other than teaching and advocacy markets, families
continue to be a primary audience for GOING TO SCHOOL. In the seven
or eight years the sliding-scale rate was advertised online I
remember less than fifteen people paying less than full price. I
don't think this had to do with viewers wanting to support my work.
It was the cost and challenge of reaching viewers who never heard of
the film.
- richard
http://RichardCohenFilms.com/
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
