If you are a Film Annexer reading this, you already know the way we work. If you are an outsider, here is an opportunity to discover our model. I am referring to our integration of online film distribution with online film financing. There are a lot of distributors out there. Online video and content distribution have become pretty much the same thing. Websites are the new movie theaters. Computers are the new TVs. Where does Film Annex come into all of this?
In most cases, there are two types of platforms; those that are ad-supported and those that aren't. The ones that aren't offer sale, rental, and VOD services. As a filmmaker, you get a percentage of what you sell/rent. Sometimes, you get an advance payment; other times, you get paid as you go. Who are these platforms? iTunes, Amazon, Mubi, Netflix, Indieflix. The list goes on. And then, there are the ad-supported platforms like Film Annex, Hulu, and YouTube. Hulu is owned by NBC, Fox, and Disney; YouTube is owned by Google, and Film Annex is owned by Film Annex. Film Annex's advertising fill-rate is at a staggering 95% whereas YouTube's is at 10%.
The Film Annex Model
The words "award-winning" and "independent filmmaker" bring Film Annex to mind. Cat videos make one think of YouTube. And Grey's Anatomy is available on Hulu. Which one would you want to be associated with? Video ads have a lot of haters. "I don't like watching ads before videos" is something I hear often. The reality is that most people have to sit through these ads even before they watch a "lyric video" of an 80s song on YouTube. On Film Annex, the ads are part of our online film financing strategy. To put it briefly, every time you catch the first few seconds of an ad, Film Annex is paying the filmmaker, and you, as the viewer, are paying no one. Moreover, you are financially supporting the independent filmmaker without spending any money yourself. With the revenues they generate on their Web TV, filmmakers go and make new films. It's an ever-evolving cycle.
The Film Annex Cycle
In a nutshell, Film Annex is the ONLY platform that uses advertising to equally reward filmmakers for their work. With our 50/50 revenue share model, a content creator maintains a continuous revenue stream as long as he/she has a Web TV channel on Film Annex. Film Annex ad revenues are ever-increasing and for a lifetime, whereas revenues generated from online rentals, sales, and VOD are stable and often decline after the film loses its popularity.
Monthly revenues generated by Film Annex filmmakers
The Film Annex Web TV model enables filmmakers to promote their entire body of work via its platform and linked social media tools. The revenue graph and report allow filmmakers to keep an eye on their performance and how it is affecting their income. This way, Film Annex not only serves as an online portfolio for the artist, but also as a place where he/she can monitor his/her revenues on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. All revenue statistics are real-time.
Eren's Picks on Film Annex's homepage has a $50,000 monthly budget to share with 15 filmmakers. Are you one of them? If you believe in your work and social media skills, you know you belong on Film Annex's homepage. Shoot me an email at eg@filmannex.com if you want to know more or follow my online film financing blog. Let's call this the FIRST installment.
-- Eren
