Releasing films on the internet – Earlier this year, Kunal Kohli’s ‘Phir Se’ and Ronnie Screwvala’s ‘Love Per Square Foot’ turned out to be the first films to release directly on the internet.
Both the films premiered on Netflix, world’s biggest digital streaming platform. There was a time when certain films used to be released directly on television on DVDs but theatres continue to remain the most prominent medium for showcasing films.
But, releasing films on the internet is not a bad not idea either.
Here are 5 reasons Releasing films on the internet is a good idea:
- Wide reach
Streaming websites like Amazon Prime and Netflix are subscribed to by people in more than 190 countries. So, while all these people may not come to a theatre to watch a film, they will be more than willing to watch it in their confines of their homes whenever they want to. It invariably results in large number of people watching your film without you having to go through distribution channels.
- No censorship
One of the things that bother filmmakers and even viewers aboutcinema is censorship. Often, important scenes are chopped off from a film at the whims and fancies of the members of the Censor Board. Internet gives you the opportunity to exercise your freedom responsibly. While there is a certain line, you must not cross, you will get ample amount of freedom to express yourself as a filmmaker if you opt for a digital release.
- No middlemen involved
Releasing a film often turns out to be a stressful job for the producers and the distributors, more so if the film does not boast of any star. Getting the right release date, ample number of shows in theatres and then, waiting for the box-office result can turn out to be an arduous task. When you release a film digitally, you do not have to go through any of these ordeals. You just have to strike a good deal with the streaming website and you are good to go.
- Sustains well
Films release in theatres on a particular date and are taken down after a couple of weeks (or even days) when the number of people coming to watch it eventually reduces. When somebody misses to watch it in theatres, they will have to wait for some time before the film arrives on a digital platform, DVD or television. Once you sell your film to a digital streaming website, they will put it on their website and people can watch it months after it has been put up there.
- No pressure of box-office
As a producer, once you sell at a certain price to a digital streaming website, you do not have to think about any other financial outcome. This is unlike releasing films in theatres where you have to keep a tab on box-office figures and are answerable to so many people. Once you settle on a good deal, you do not have to mount the weight of box-office numbers on you shoulders.
These are the Releasing films on the internet – As stated earlier, theatres are the most popular medium for showing films and rightfully so. However, releasing a film on a digital platform has its benefits too. If you have made a small, non-star cast film and are worried about releasing it in theatres, you could give digital a thought.
