What is the best method to sell an indepdendent video feature into Blockbuster, and other major video rental outlets?

Can one do this alone, and will one sale cover the entire domestic chain of stores?

How much money should one ask for, or expect to get, when a sale to the chain is made, and how many copies do they generally buy, at what price per unit?

-- Mark Curran (dvfeature@freedomnet2.com), June 21, 1999

Answers

Mark To answer that question ask Ron Bunk of Salt City Video. e-mail webmaster@b-movie.com

-- John L Cummings (pacificdigarts@usa.net), September 07, 1999.

Hello,

A good route to at least try is contacting Ted Pfeifer at RENTRAK in Portland, Oregon @ 503-284-7581 x 213. Rentrak is the worlds largest distributor of movies direct to video stores including Blockbuster, Hollywood etc. The process is pretty painless and it allows you to only dupe what you sell instead of having to dupe hundreds and sell only a couple. See their webpage at rentrack.com Good Luck, Chris Pfeifer Tonic MotionMedia

-- Chris Pfeifer (tonicmotion@aol.com), September 07, 1999.

Sorry,

that e-mail address to RENTRAK is www.rentrak.com

Chris Pfeifer

-- Chris Pfeifer (tonicmotion@aol.com), September 08, 1999.

Ted Pfeifer is nothing more than a sales person. Not that he works all that much at all. But hey you are his brother and I bet he makes it sound like he runs the place. Actually he spends his time browning his nose. Rentrak is a dead end. Sell the film to a smaller video label(Troma, New Horizons). Take a look at your local cult video store and see who is selling. You really need the support of the label to promote the product nationally. Through distribution even through Rentrak or another video distributor you can't compete with the sales bonuses offered for placing larger titles. With a studio it could be bundled with other titles and the sales people receive bonuses for that. Also try direct selling to cult video stores. There are several companies which will sell you a list of cult video stores, send them a postcard with information about your film.

-- Video Indie (yeah@hotmail.com), August 24, 2001.