ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXHorror film DVD market in the UK
10 years ago - Stephan George
Hi everyone,
I will shoot a microbudget horror film next year, and I'm currently doing some basic research into sales figures, especially DVDs sold online. However I find it difficult to find reliable numbers.
According to BFI's Statistical Yearbook, in 2013 the video sales market's turnover was £1.438.000. 82% of that DVDs, so £1.179.160. Horror market share 5.4%, so £63.675. Average DVD price £7.93, which gives roughly 8030 units (although I'm aware especially low budget films tend to be considerably cheaper).
Now, Amazon.co.uk has roughly 20% market share this year, leaves 1606 units. Which sounds way too low. A friend sells a horror film on Amazon, and will reach 600 units this year.
How can I find reliable figures? Is the only way to become a member of the BVA or get a Rentrak account? Both is sadly currently not affordable for me.
Anyone has any advise?
Manu thanks!
Stephan
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10 years ago - Simon Bisset
i'm also looking into the whole DVD sales agent business having just completed my first sci-fi feature Criteria One https://www.criteriaone.co.uk/
10 years ago - Marlom Tander
The numbers are numbers of k pounds not pounds.
This is standard practice for accounts where the numbers are in the 7-10 figs range.
http://www.bva.org.uk/market-information/
10 years ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Get a sales agent? If the film is completed, or has names in it, they'll sell your film for you and take a fee. It means you'll sell internationally as opposed to worrying just about the UK market.
One of the horrors I produced isn't distributed in the UK but has done modest global sales when dubbed.
10 years ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Make sure you have all your deliverables paperwork in place and don't forget to look at offshore agents too. Any agent worth their salt will take your film to AFM, Cannes, etc and do those all-important international sales. You probably won't make much above your sales advance, but it gets you out there. Apparently the best version of one film we made and sold is the Turkish dub!
10 years ago - Marlom Tander
250K sales and money on a micro budget film? I'd be demanding the accounts, and if any messing about, I'd be suing for what another sales agent I consulted suggested would be a reasonable return on 250K sales.
Don't be afraid of the courts :-)
You can of course be your own sales agent and thus retain control of the cash flow. Though it does mean putting on a proper business hat.
10 years ago - Marlom Tander
@Marlom Tander "and no money on a"
10 years ago - Stephan George
Thanks Marlom, I indeed forgot 000 for each number... Which makes the market much more attractive.
Paddy, it may sounds weird, but I'm very reserved about sales agents. I have two friends who made microbudget features and got distribution deals, one UK only, one UK/US/GER, but they never saw any money despite claims more than 250.000 DVDs were sold.
10 years ago - Franz von Habsburg FBKS MSc
I need a sales agent for my www.MargeryBooth.com but one who will defer and get paid on results. One I met wanted £1,000pm retainer...
9 years, 10 months ago - Stephan George
@Simon @Franz How did you search go, did you manage to find a sales agent?