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#Preto…The Movie: It’s an Amazing Time to be a Content Creator
It’s an amazing time to be a content creator and with so many places for the consumer to view films the independent filmmaker find it confusing lines as to how really best to distribute the product. In addition to YouTube and Vimeo, filmmakers can now upload and sell their original video content on Amazon. On Tuesday, Amazon announced Amazon Video Direct (AVD), a new self-service program for creators and storytellers to make their video content available to Amazon customers.
Recently, I worked the carpet of Preto the Movie an independent film directed by Maio and Executed Produced by Newcomer Marie . The crowd came out to surport the product in full force and with sold out showing the team should be proud of their achievements. Still, there are so many engaging offerings in this space on youtube that you can spend time enjoying yourself for a while. No longer is there a narrow option for entertainment. There is so much content out there to “chill” with on given day of the week. I like the space with installments like “Money and Violence, “now on Tidal “Pieces,” on YouTube, and now “Preto” marketed as feature film. I love what’s happing out there.
Now, Amazon is coming to the party, with the new program, filmmakers and video providers can distribute their content directly to tens of millions of Prime members and earn royalties based on minutes streamed. Amazon will pay partners 50% of the retail price for digital purchases, rentals and subscription fees. If they choose Prime Video distribution, creators will earn royalties of 15 cents per hour streamed in the U.S. and 6 cents in other territories (capped at $75,000 per year).
There are many options for distribution and what is the best for a production is a personal decision. The Amazon Video Direct is a self-serve option that exposes content to the premium streaming subscriber. The content creator has an audience already all that has to happen is for the audience to look. I subscribe the premium service and I would like to more content direct to my specific taste. Now I do not have much to choose from on the site. They might have something there. Where’s as with the others, I tunes, Vimeo, and YouTube I am not purchasing another subscription for entertainment services.
According to Amazon, filmmakers and video providers will be given performance metrics, such as number of minutes a title was streamed, projected revenue, payment history, or number of subscribers, so they can optimize the way they offer and promote content to customers. Amazon also launched its AVD Stars program, which gives video creators a share of $1 million per month based on customer engagement with their title.
Now to Back to Preto, as a Film I was engaged fully in the process of the content. Perhaps I was most excited about the rawness of the whole thing and coming from a filming background, I was proud of my colleagues. The idea that now in this time, place, and space we can put forth some good work is an amazing accomplishment. Now, without support from big studios, we are putting out quality work and have people that appreciate this thing is major.
Still, there is another alternate distribution platform for the independent filmmaker, Distribber. Distribber was created to help rights holders maximize the payback from their work and investment.
More specifically, Distribber was conceived as a solution to several persistent complaints from filmmakers and other creative rights holders about distributors in general and aggregators in particular. (“Aggregator” is the term used for a company that acts as a gatekeeper between a rights holder and a retail platform, such as iTunes, Netflix, Hulu or Cable VOD operators like Comcast, Time Warner, now Amazon https://www.distribber.com. Whatever your film choice, you need to get that content out there and get it seen by people. Take care to do your due diligence and put that content in the right space for your audience. Who knows I might be filming your next Red Carpet event.
See you the Editing Room,
MsArtisry