DVD OR DOWNLOAD?
There’s a spirited conversation going over at Twitch about whether or not small companies now releasing cult films on DVD should shift to a “download-to-burn” distribution model. The conversation centers around genre and catalog titles, but it’s applicable to our current independent cinema too.
Here’s an excerpt from Swarez’s original post, but click on the link to read all the comments as well.
The brick and mortar stores are out to make money and any good business man will tell you that it doesn’t make sense to stock the store with titles which the average viewer knows nothing about. Of course he will rather go for the latest title. I think us cult film fans over estimate how popular we think our favorite films are and are ever so confused when a cult film doesn’t get the attention as the latest Hollywood blockbuster. The smaller companies have a growing difficulty of getting their product noticed on the streets but fare better in the online world. Is that their new frontier?
Would it make sense for them to either stop selling their titles in stores and focus exclusively on the internet? It makes sense in a way because cult movie fans thrive on the net. It’s where we get all our information and we come together in a place like this to discuss our love for cinema. Also does it make sense to offer some titles only as download-to-own releases?