Movie Market Revenue
07-16-09
It used to be easier than it is today, but you still need to write your screenplay and shop it directly through contacts and agents to the major producers, broadcasters and studios. If you’re lucky and have a great script, they option it and/or purchase it. Then with even more luck and a bank full of money, the movie gets produced.
With the diversification of the entertainment industry and distribution through multiple sales levels/tiers, the task is much more difficult today and requires more people than ever before.
Got this question the other day:
“How does a movie make money?”
A quick concise answer:
On average, for every dollar made via a film’s box office or television revenue - there are four to five dollars made in it’s DVD/VHS release. Then there are the international markets and the other secondary levels of income (second run theaters, first run television, movie channels, DVD/VHS, internet, etc).
I would like to add that if the screenplay has the potential for merchandising, like a toy line and sub-categories (television series, cartoon series, animated film versions, direct to DVD) and/or graphic novels, figurines, clothing line and a plethora of other consumer products - then this brand revenue can be a lot larger than all the other forms of a film’s income. Some estimate are as large as ten to twenty times more than box office or television revenue.
Does that make a film/movie really just a 90 minute commercial for the licensed products of the movie brand?
Kind of…
Yet, from a screenwriter’s point-of-view, it makes sense to write a story with a merchandising aspect since it takes the same amount of time to write, as it would a drama, horror or romance/comedy - but has more profit potential.
Sure there will be writers who think that writing this kind of screenplay is sacrilegious, but one sale of this kind of movie could finance the rest of their writing career and allow them to focus on as many dramas and non-toy line stories they want.
Even actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Christian Bale take the big pay day in the superhero genre (and merchandising industry), so they can do what ever the hell they want to. That seems like a logical path to take.
Bryan Singer sure isn’t hurting from his choice to enter this segment of the movie industry because it’s SHOW BUSINESS - BUSINESS!
I look forward to seeing your movie everywhere!!!
Sandford Tuey
www.Playdigm.com