DIRECT TO DVD – VOD…VIDEO ON DEMAND, DIRECT DOWNLOADING (Some facts, types & tips)

DIRECT TO DVD – VOD…VIDEO ON DEMAND, DIRECT DOWNLOADING (Some facts, types & tips)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow us at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com

Although releasing your film at box office is the best option if you can get a distribution network. The direct to DVD, Video on Demand, direct downloads to social media and sponsored pay and play is the medium that gives you direct access to your targeted audience. Allowing your project to be seen, rented and purchased around the globe and in basically any country. (That being of course, dependent on governmental control and limitations). Get the film it in the can and you will make some money. (Of course easier said than done.)

Example: YouTube with sponsors and advertising each time a film or show is accessed. Social Media is a wonderful new tool to effectively help introduce and release your project to the world. There is really no such thing as an old film in today's Trans multimedia environment. Just a new release date or re-release. Direct to DVD, Video on Demand, direct downloads to social media and sponsored play and pay, get it in the can and you will make some money.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT DEFINITION

DIRECT TO VIDEO (DVD)

Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film to the public immediately on home video formats rather than a theatrical release or television broadcast. In which viewers choose their own filmed entertainment, by means of a PC or interactive TV system, from a wide available selection.

VIDEO ON DEMAND (VOD)

Video on demand (VoD) is an interactive TV technology that allows subscribers to view programming in real time or download programs and view them later. A VoD system at the consumer level can consist of a standard TV receiver along with a set-top box. Alternatively, the service can be delivered over the Internet to home computers, portable computers, high-end cellular telephone sets and advanced digital media devices.

DIRECT DOWNLOAD

Downloading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another, usually smaller computer system. From the Internet user's point-of-view, to download a file is to request it from another computer (or from a Web page on another computer) and to receive it.

TELEVISION VOD SYSTEMS

Television VOD systems can either "stream" content through a set-top box, a computer or other device, allowing viewing in real time, or download it to a device such as a computer, digital video recorder (also called a personal video recorder) or portable media player for viewing at any time. The majority of cable- and telephone company-based television providers offer both VOD streaming, free content, whereby a user buys or selects a movie or television program and it begins to play on the television set almost instantaneously, or downloading to a digital video recorder (DVR) rented or purchased from the provider, or downloaded onto a PC or to a portable device, for viewing in the future. Internet television, using the Internet, is an increasingly popular form of video on demand. VOD can also be accessed via desktop client applications such as the Apple iTunes online content store.

TRANSACTIONAL

Transactional video on demand (TVOD) is a distribution method by which customers pay for each individual piece of video on demand content. For example, a customer would pay a fee for each individual movie or TV show that they watch. TVOD has two sub-categories: electronic sell-through (EST), by which customers can permanently access a piece of content once purchased via Internet; and download to rent (DTR), by which customers can access the content for a limited time upon renting. Examples of TVOD services include Apple's iTunes online store and Google's Google Play service.

CATCH-UP TV

A growing number of TV stations offer "catch-up TV" as a way for viewers to watch TV shows though their VOD service hours or even days after the original television broadcast. This enables viewers to watch a program when they have free time, even if this is not when the program was originally aired. Some studies show that catch up TV is starting to represent a large amount of the views and hours watched, and that users tend to watch catch up TV programs for longer, when compared to live TV (e.g., regular scheduled broadcast TV).

SUBSCRIPTION MODELS

SUBSCRIPTION VOD (SVOD

Subscription VOD (SVOD) services use a subscription business model, where subscribers are charged a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly fee to access unlimited programs. These services include, Now TV, Netflix, Amazon Video, TV Player, and Hulu Plus. SVOD services have drawn a lot of attention for their role in films. As of June 2017, Netflix is expected to add nearly 40 original movies to its platform. Hulu has invested its time in creating documentaries for its platform, while Amazon has acquired films from notable producers such as Spike Lee. Because of the large following SVOD services have, Netflix made an appearance at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival in France. Many took offense to this, stating that movies not presented in theaters should be omitted from qualifying from winning the Palme d'Or prize. SVOD services can be seen as highly successful, and will continue to grow their audience for it being "a production house, broadcaster, recommendation and hosting service, and pseudo-DVD rental store."

NEAR VIDEO ON DEMAND

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject.

Near video on demand (NVOD) is a pay-per-view consumer video technique used by multi-channel broadcasters using high-bandwidth distribution mechanisms such as satellite and cable television. Multiple copies of a program are broadcast at short time intervals (typically 10–20 minutes) on linear channels providing convenience for viewers, who can watch the program without needing to tune in at only scheduled point in time. A viewer may only have to wait a few minutes before the next time a movie will be programmed. This form is very bandwidth-intensive and is generally provided only by large operators with a great deal of redundant capacity and has been reduced in popularity as video on demand is implemented.

Only the satellite services Dish Network and DirecTV continue to provide NVOD experiences. These satellite services provide NVOD because many of their customers have no access to the services' broadband VOD services. Before the rise of video on demand, the pay-per-view provider In Demand provided up to 40 channels in 2002, with several films receiving up to four channels on the staggered schedule to provide the NVOD experience for viewers. As of 2014, Cable pay-per-view channels are now used for sports and events. In Australia, pay TV broadcaster Foxtel offers NVOD for new release movies. As of 2016, movies are no longer provided on cable PPV channels, as nearly all U.S. cable systems use VOD to deliver movies.

PUSH VIDEO ON DEMAND

Push video on demand is so-named because the provider "pushes" the content out to the viewer's set-top box without the viewer having requested the content. This technique used by a number of broadcasters on systems that lack the connectivity and bandwidth to provide true "streaming" video on demand. Push VOD is also used by broadcasters who want to optimize their video streaming infrastructure by pre-loading the most popular contents (e.g., that week's top ten films or shows) to the consumers' set-top device. In this way, the most popular content is already loaded onto a consumer's set-top DVR. That way, if the consumer requests one of these films, it is already loaded on her/his DVR. A push VOD system uses a personal video recorder (PVR) to store a selection of content, often transmitted in spare capacity overnight or all day long at low bandwidth. Users can watch the downloaded content at the time they desire, immediately and without any buffering issues. Push VOD depends on the viewer recording content, so choices can be limited.

As content occupies space on the PVR hard drive, downloaded content is usually deleted after a week to make way for newer programs or movies. The limited space on a PVR hard drive means that the selection of programs is usually restricted to the most popular content. A new generation of Push VOD solution recently appeared on the market which, by using efficient error correction mechanisms, can free significant amount of bandwidth and that can deliver more than video e.g. digital version of magazines and interactive applications.

ADVERTISING VIDEO ON DEMAND

Advertising video on demand is a VOD model which uses an advertising-based revenue model. This allows companies that advertise on broadcast and cable channels to reach people who watch shows using VOD. As well, this model allows people to watch programs without paying subscription fees. Hulu has been one of the major AVOD companies, though the company ended free service in August 2016. Ads still run on the subscription service. Yahoo View continues to offer a free AVOD model. Advertisers may find that people watching on VOD services do not want the same ads to appear multiple times. Crackle has introduced the concept of a series of ads for the same company that tie in to what is being watched.

SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT HELP IN MAKING A DVD/VOD FILM SUCCESSFUL: 

• A name star (Most of whom still pull in international audiences and have a fan following).  Often actors that used to be big box office draws domestically in the U.S. but aren't anymore.  Thus they are affordable.
• A director that has a track record of your kind of genre of film. A horror director for a good horror movie, action director for a good action film etc. He or she can pull the production together effectively and has a concept of the genre and target audience of your project.
• Product placement both in the back ground and those wow moments. It particularly helps if the talent actually use the product. Like drinking a Coke Cola.
• Targeting your audience. Look for distribution outlets and using websites, groups, fan clubs and social media to get our trailer / film out there to the world.
• A good idea or concept.  We're talking about concepts matched with casting that'll get people to rent or buy. Locations and a good production designer to develop the storyline will help allot.
• A small budget.  You can make these films for $50 thousand dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars. The studio and large production entities will consider upwards of $15 million and below, a low budget film.  The smaller the budget, the quicker the film will make its money back and turn a profit.  Low budget films are often presold in foreign territories, hence stars that still have international appeal can sell the movie well overseas. Sometimes it is simply more profitable - Distributors and producers realize that by saving on advertising and distribution costs, some films can earn a greater return on their investment.
• The distribution pipeline will only allow for so many films per year - Most theaters average 50-70 individual films per year. They can't accommodate anymore and some have to be released as straight to DVD fare. 
• A cool poster or case cover art. Sometimes that's all it takes and often, if you pay attention, you'll see that such DVD/Blu-ray case art hearkens back to the stars' golden years when they WERE big names domestically.   

Using social media to announce and release your project to the public. Releasing a trailer and a great poster and artwork will attract people surfing or recommended by others to take a look at. YouTube is a valuable tool as well as Linked In, Google Plus, Twitter, IMDB, Facebook, Pinterest, fan and genre specific websites and blogs.

SOME OF THE RISKS:

• The film doesn't have the star power in it to draw enough people for a box office try - Most straight to DVD films cast second tier and character actors in the primary roles. Often these people are not box office draws making trying to release the film to theaters a risky proposition.
• The budget is simply too low - Most straight to DVD films clearly have small budgets (they lack stars, they have lower grade CGI, they have weak stories etc.) They lack the necessary budget to advertise them and to distribute them to theaters. Straight to DVD is cheaper and often far easier for the films.
• Some films are troubled productions - For one reason or another, they were produced and then shelved (not released for distribution) sometimes for as long as 5 years. This is the realm of the studios, thus low budget independent films do not have to deal with this problem. In the interim, if one of the performers "hits" the film can be released to capitalize upon the success of that performer. Or it can simply be released to feed the DVD market appetite. 

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Cinema Blend, Variety, Creative Skill Set, Screen Rant, How Stuff Works, Reddit, Business Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Quora, Jon Mixon, Ken Miyamoto, TV Tropes, Margaret Rouse, Techopedia, YouTube

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