Distribution

That's phenomenal for Netflix, Sam Sokolow! I think YouTube wins the big game too. YouTube is too big, and they have things that Netflix doesn't have, like streamers. Indie movies are doing incredibly right now, and I don't see that slowing down.

Sam Sokolow I see Google/Youtube taking a huge bite of the market from the studios, and actually losing out eventually to a rising totally independent market. The Studios can't seem to embrace the current and economics of media creation, and to my mind are making fundamental mistakes that indicate they have lost the plot (for example, the maneuvering on cooperation with SAGAftra to de facto control voice actors and accumulate libraries of 3D models/etc. both clearly in hopes of cutting out live talent in favor of essentially auto-generated AI productions - that's just one). But YouTube so far is entirely untrustworthy and social media platforms are not networks or distribution outlets. In recent months, as many youtubers are becoming skilled at production and achieving sometimes millions of subscribers, they are beginning to rebel against Google/YouTube's (and TikTok and IG and FB) abusive practices (such as manipulating views, arbitrary demonetization, unsubscribing viewers and political censorship, etc) and going to their own direct platforms. They understand that they are paid fractions of pennies on the revenues they generate for YouTube and the new paradigms developing increasingly allow them to cut out the platforms that don't make money for them. I follow several YouTube channels who have begun to do just that, and who may leave the platform entirely- leaving it where it came from, the platform for amateur and shared content.

The above platform tactics to be part of the standard internet method of doing business in any event. Provide a platform that appears to give free tools to a community, use that community to generate traffic which you monetize, control access to that community to maximize your income. But the current trend frankly both surprised and delighted me. As head of the Independent Producers Guild, I love it when independent creators take control, end run monopolies and cartels, and maximize their own profits.

As a follow up, I updated some of my data on industry and economics. And I included research through Google's on AI app, Gemini.

In Querying Gemini extensively about the practices of YouTube, it concluded with these statements: (A) "When YouTube demonetizes a channel or video, it still runs ads on that video, and YouTube typically retains the ad revenue." (B) Here are four common methods YouTube has been observed undertaking to manipulate viewer statistics: (1) Limited Access to Real-Time Data: YouTube doesn't provide real-time analytics to all users. Many creators, especially smaller channels, have to wait for daily or weekly reports. This delay can obscure sudden spikes or drops in viewership. (2) Hiding Low View Counts: While YouTube doesn't explicitly hide low view counts, it's been suggested that videos with very few views might be less likely to appear in search results or recommendations, effectively limiting their visibility. (3) Inflated Click-Through Rates: Some argue that YouTube's algorithm might inflate click-through rates for certain videos, especially those that are part of sponsored campaigns or those that align with YouTube's business interests. This can make it difficult for creators to accurately gauge the organic performance of their content. (4) Filtering Views by Device or Location: YouTube might filter views based on factors like the viewer's device (e.g., mobile vs. desktop) or location. This can skew statistics, making it challenging to understand the true reach of a video across different demographics and platforms. (5) YouTube has not publicly confirmed or denied any of these practices.

There is also the practice of unsubscribing" viewers from a channel which either competes with a preferred YouTube channel or which it otherwise wants to ghost ban or censor. I myself have been "unsubscribed" more than once from certain channels I watch, which YouTube likes to play with. So I also asked about that practice and Gemini admitted that "Youtube might unsubscribe viewers from channels without their specific request." Further, it advised that even the corporate annual reports don't detail how much ad revenue YouTube generates, or the average ad revenue generated per view on any given channel.

This is unacceptable to professional filmmakers (or anyone else, really), who need to maximize audience and profits. Since an exodus has already begun, and corporations who have total control over their own statistics and numbers are not likely to be honest about those, or to share any significant part of their revenue, I expect that the trend over time will continue. To the benefit of independent producers and audience.

Sam Sokolow... Netflix is heading towards customizable AI immersive content and younger audiences will desire this. I envision some significant filmmakers who have a clear voice and can deliver quality non-AI works will have dedicated audiences. Youtube will evolve and I believe will also head towards AI immersive content once the tools become widely available. I do not believe that there is an 'end game'... only expansion and we are all learning to be non-attached and ride the wave.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg and Rebecca James - thank you both for such thoughtful responses. The data and POVs are strong.

I plan on watching Late Bloomers soon, Sam Sokolow. It stars Karen Gillan and Margaret Sophie Stein. The movie looks hilarious! www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRpUS0T1f4g

Sam Sokolow that’s good to know, Sam, as Seeing Rachel could have an arthouse appeal.

I saw this last weekend, Sam Sokolow. I didn't realize it was unrated. I think movies should be rated so parents can know what to expect. I'm not sure movies being unrated matters to adults who go see the movies themselves.

The experience of going to a theater cannot be replicated. The only thing is the popcorn can be better in some theaters.

I'm going to the theater tonight, actually! It's been a hard week and the theater is one of my happy places. The magic of it never fails to cheer me up.

Clever comment about the ziplines, Maurice.

Thanks, Pamela Jaye Smith. I'm sure moviegoers will love the ziplines.

Theaters may be evolving, but one can't deny they are on their way out. Maybe not entirely, but people are more glued to their small screened devices or home streaming services. The last couple times I went to a theater there were maybe a dozen people there.

Ooooh! FUN!

I might watch it as part of a marathon on streaming, Sam Sokolow.

More of this, please. Bring back some of the horror classics like Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, etc.

Hey Sam, it's fascinating to see how Amazon has leveraged ad-supported models to generate such massive revenue in 2024. As a producer and director in Brazil, I see ad-supported streaming as a key opportunity to reach larger audiences, especially in emerging markets where premium subscriptions face adoption challenges. If Amazon continues to innovate and expand these offerings, they could reshape the industry again in 2025. It’s definitely a model worth exploring for both big players and smaller productions looking to increase reach and engagement.

I'm fine with ads, Sam Sokolow. I watched a movie last night on Amazon's Freevee, and the ads didn't bother me.

I can handle ads on streaming when they're presented at the start of a film. But I hate when they break up the content that's not properly formatted for ad breaks. The algorithm chooses random moments to insert the ads and it can hurt the story and viewing experience.

Sam Sokolow the less obtrusive, the better for me Sam.

I don't really find Amazon ads that intrusive, not enough that I want to upgrade. In a two-hour movie, usually there will be a couple of commercials before it starts, and somewhere in the middle. It's not as annoying as watching cable TV (I usually record and watch later so I can fast-forward). I was not sure if Netflix was going to be the same, so I upgraded. If this is how we keep streaming costs at a minimum, I'm okay with it.

Hi Vic Alexander - this Stage 32 2-part class on navigating today's world of distribution has so much valuable information that may be helpful to you (and I just saw that it's on sale today). Here's a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/creating-a-distribution-and-marketing-strategy-for-independent-film

Wishing you great success with your library.

1) Get them transferred to digital. 1080p ProRes HQ Mov minimum, 4K (3840 x 2160) if you want to future-proof.

2) Create trailers, posters, promo images. Write up short plot descriptions.

3) Submit to Amazon Video Direct or Filmhub to manage your own distribution.

4) Alternatively, submit to several aggregators like Indie Rights or Gravitas. If they’re interested, read the contracts and see what deal you like. Assemble all your deliverables and sign on the dotted line with one.

5) Promote your release. With social media imploding, email is the best way to connect with people. Do a newsletter through a service like Mailchimp or Substack.

6) See if you can get reviewed on blogs and YouTube. Offer exclusive clips, interviews. Write press releases.

Good luck!

Great advice, Mike :-)

I've really enjoyed this season so far and I'm excited to watch the finale. We'll probably end up watching it after work tomorrow to kick off the weekend. It's interesting that the current season is being compared to the overall numbers from season 1. Considering I've rewatched season 1 about 3 times already, it's not surprising that it's a much larger number.

I was so impressed with this blog. Thanks for sharing, Ashley Renee Smith - flagging for all filmmakers in my network.

It's an interesting idea! I bet it will help even more people get hooked on the hit series, which will translate to larger viewership overall, even if they choose to roll it back to just streaming at any time in the future.

I agree with Ashley, Sam Sokolow. Interesting idea. I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes and if other companies do the same thing.