The Current State of Distribution

[Zack Birlew]

Hi, everybody, so we're seeing all kinds of things come to light within the movie industry, bad streaming numbers, up and down stock prices, effects of the Hollywood strikes, and constant movie and TV show flops everywhere and, altogether it's essentially a complete falling down of the Hollywood studio system. Technological advances and steps back are also affecting everything, AI still being hit or miss, virtual production stages being taken down and dismantled to make space for set building, computer advances still being stifled with shortages and high prices, and so many cool gadgets just not turning out to be as useful as thought.

Despite all of this, we're seeing that movie theatres are still a strong presence when given the right product and as we're seeing that a lot of the politics and other junk in the industry are starting to be removed that could lead to a more stable revenue stream from theatres. However, everything so far has been an effort to remove theatres as a distribution method but the realized practicality of streaming as a business model has turned out to be a complete farce compared to even cable TV! So, the question is, with everything that has been done, where do we go from here? Are the theatres coming back? Is streaming redeemable? What is the best way to distribute movies? Going further, why is distribution still so difficult with all of this technological innovation? Can advertising be as streamlined as merchandising has become? What is holding back distribution for movies? How can we pick this industry back up from perhaps its lowest point?

 

[Brian Timmons]

You pose good questions that require a long discussion to really explore the various issues.

Cine D just had an article that shows certain trends that may have an effect on distribution (both traditional and streaming).

Study: The Unstoppable Rise of Social Media Video 2023-2028 | CineD

Rethink TV released their report on the massive amount of changes taking place in the world of Social media.

www.cined.com

I don't know much about the organization that created this study and confirmation bias might be considered in the conclusions they reached. These days there can be a fine line between a white paper and a press release.

Generally speaking I think looking at what went on in the music industry for the past 20 or so years might be a decent case study for what might be in store for the film industry.

2000s in the music industry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2010s in the music industry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

(note: I don't consider Wikipedia as an ultimate resource but the entries are usually footnoted so it does help as quick summary to a given subject for further research.)

I often look at things from the indie film POV and I do think it would ultimately be a good idea for creators to move away from the established corporate media platforms (traditional, social media, and otherwise) and develop home grown or decentralized distribution platforms outside of that.

I honestly think in the coming years (perhaps by the next WGA, SAG-AFTRA negotiation period) many people in the existing corporate film industry may see the above as the only way to exist in the industry.

Before passing, the great Mark Toia had stated his similar concerns in what I believe was his last post on IG.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

A concern that some have with the fallout of the strikes is that there will be a sizable decrease in productions for a period of time.
I think the appetite to consume content however will still be there so that does indicate an opportunity in the current state of things.

Distribution is a major issue. Doesn't matter what gear, talent, and content you have if you don't have the means to get it out to the world to see while monetizing it.

There are many film productions that fall into the thought experiment "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" and it can be soul crushing when your film get's outdone by a video of a cat doing ..... never mind.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA