On Ramp: VHS Distribution (page 2)

A few years ago, the sales efforts to distributors would begin as early in the production of your video as possible. In this way, you may have been able to set up pre-sales (selling your project to various markets before it is a finished product). This guaranteed you'd see a profit before one inch of video had rolled.

But in the world of low-budget videomaking, these golden days are history. The vast majority of all distributors you contact for possible representation of your video will ask if a screener is available. In other words, they don't want to hear about your tape until it's a finished product. And believe me, there is no room for argument. No matter how beautiful a picture you think you can draw describing the merits of your yet-to-be epic, nobody wants to listen.

Trying to presell a low-budget video today is basically a useless activity. If you have a finished video, great. It's time to get selling. But even if you're not to this point yet, the following information will be valuable in your quest for reaching the masses. Advance planning has never been a detriment.

Confirming a distributor's interest in the type of product you have to offer is the first step in establishing contact with the buyers. You don't want to waste your time and money by mailing your expose on animal mistreatment to an exercise video distributor. You must survey the list of potential buyers, systematically deciding which fit the profile of an interested party for your project.

When searching through the different classes of buyers, contact the highest level of distributor that handles your type of product first. These guys are in the business to sell videos. It's what they do. They have the facilities and contacts available to move your video into numerous markets, some you may have not even known existed.

In the uneventful chance that you can't hook up with a recognized distributor (though this is slim, considering they number in the high hundreds), you might want to self-distribution on a small scale.

One of the easiest methods is to use the classified ad section of a magazine. Depending on the subject of your video, it shouldn't be hard to find a specialty magazine on the market who's audience matches your own. Just check the back of this magazine for examples of how this method works. A simple multiple line listing is the best way to start. It keeps your costs low and lets you gauge interest in the title. In time, if sales warrant, you may want to move up to display ads within the editorial content of the magazine. The best part about this kind of distribution is that you get the money at the front end, allowing you to only make copies of your video as needed.

Another way to locate wider audiences for your VHS productions is to simply cart the tape from video store to video store in your area, looking for a sale. Approach store owners with the pitch that they're supporting local artists while offering their customers something different. Besides, it's not like you'll be asking $99.95 for the tape, which is the cost of most movies they put on their shelves. If you sell the tape for $15 or $20, the store can recoup their investment after a couple of weeks. If you're really hard up for an audience, you can give the tape away and allow the store to lend it to customers at no charge. It's hard for someone to pass up a free offer, so both the store owner and customers should go for your tape.

One final approach at distributing your tape may be through public screenings, such as festivals and cooperatives. Landing your production on the screening list of a video festival, touring program or even at the local library's art night is an ideal way to get viewers interested in your work.

Finding a distribution outlet for your video production is not as important as finding the right one. Thorough preparation of your materials and research of the market are two good ways to start. This industry may appear intimidating at first, but like anything else desirable, the effort is worth the results.

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