Hi, this is Ellen Seidler and I thought I'd chime in and offer a response that may help clarify some issues regarding the availability of the film in markets outside the U.S.
Our film "And Then Came Lola" is available worldwide (DVD and region free Blu-ray) via Amazon sources (they will anywhere in the world) and other retailers. It can also be found on iTunes and other VOD services in some territories. We have distribution agreements in the U.S., Canada, Israel, the UK, The Netherlands, France and Germany.
Next month we are releasing the film on two more VOD platforms (with subtitles in a dozen languages) for those who don't have access our current slate of digital offerings. Understand that we are somewhat constrained given our various distributors and their specific territorial rights.
Also, please know that while we have been working very hard to gain access to other avenues of VOD distribution, but it's not always as easy as it sounds. New companies/outlets are emerging each day, but most are relatively untested and some require more up-front resources than we could afford.
As most of you are probably aware, distribution models for film have evolved rapidly since we signed our major distribution agreements. Had the film been released two or three years ago we would have easily recouped costs through DVD sales with some additional income from VOD. Now that high-quality streaming has quickly emerging as a viable alternative I expect that DVDs will be supplanted in short order.
As legitimate DVD sales are fading, so too are illegitimate ones. Now, instead of being sold in flea markets around the world, counterfeit films have moved online as well and from that a sophisticated (and profitable) business model has emerged. This ain't a your parent’s P2P network any more. Website operators rip a film, post it online and earn ad income. In another variation of the same theme, sites mimic legit sites and offer film downloads for a fee. Neither scenario differs much from that of their bootlegging brethren. Now it just happens online.
Companies like Google (AdSense) indirectly feed this market while earning a fair amount of income for themselves in the process. Of course I don't believe Google can police all its AdSense clients on a daily basis. However, they can do a better job evaluating said clients when piracy is reported. The Google "team" claims the company is vigilant about such things but in my experience, this has not proven to be the case. Certainly, given their technological and financial resources, they could be more proactive in their efforts to discourage these illicit profits.
As for the time I spent working on this issue, I have no regrets, nor do I think it a wasted effort. Piracy of our film was at its peak when I was interviewed for this article. We had to spend several hours each day to staunch what was a pretty remarkable (and endless) explosion of streams and links. Thus far we’ve discovered well over 25,000 unique links/streams to the film. Frankly, I’ve stopped counting. This figure doesn’t include any torrents, nor does it include the streams that can be found (with subtitles) on websites from China, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, Saudi Arabia, etc. I'm sure, if we were to count, the actual figures would be much greater.
As someone has pointed out, for each of those 25,000 streams and links there can be hundreds, in some cases thousands, of downloads per link. I've documented specific download counts for some sites and am making a generalization based on this, but given all I know with regard to sales figures, etc. I have little doubt that the widespread availability of the film has hurt legit sales.
It’s clear there’s been an enthusiastic response to the film, particularly from our targeted lesbian audience. It's an audience whose lives are not widely represented in mainstream cinema and we’ve worked hard to make the film as widely available as possible. Given the general dearth of LGBT cinema, I understand why some are anxious to see it.
However, I also believe that our audience understands the value of supporting LGBT filmmakers whose films they enjoy. During my online explorations I've made an effort to post on various forums and blogs to explain when and where the film is available. Through this effort, and via the extensive social media networks we’ve created, I’ve corresponded with fans throughout the world to assure them that subtitled versions of LOLA will soon be coming their way. I've also sent subtitles in various languages to fans around the world to enable them to enjoy the film if they order a DVD or Blu-ray from one of our vendors.
As you might expect, funding sources for LGBT cinema are limited, hence the "self-funded" aspect of this film. Perhaps, as some of you say, I'm a fool. However, Megan and I did, and still do, have a passion for telling stories about our lives. We've been thrilled with the reception "And Then Came Lola" has received in more than 90 film festivals around the world. I take great pride in the film and the fact we've created a work that fans throughout the world can enjoy. That's the ultimate reward. In terms of income, at this point we are simply hoping to pay off our production debts. Perhaps, if that happens, we will be able to make another film.
Also, I would like to make mention of the fact that it's not only the filmmakers (or studios) who lose out. Every film, no matter the budget, is a collaboration of individuals who contribute to the filmmaking process on every level from pre-production through the distribution. Those who work in the film industry-whether it be grips, make-up artists, or craft services-depend on these jobs for their livelihoods. As a friend of mine likes to say, "It takes a village to make a film."
Obviously there's a lot of passion around this issue. I am hopeful that people on both sides of this debate can work to find a middle ground. The polarization seems so extreme that it's sometimes hard to hear one another. I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to believe that we can find a thoughtful solution to this issue.
Thanks for listening.
Best,
Ellen Seidler
Co-Producer/Co-Director
And Then Came Lola
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Re: Re:
thx
Re:
Our film "And Then Came Lola" is available worldwide (DVD and region free Blu-ray) via Amazon sources (they will anywhere in the world) and other retailers. It can also be found on iTunes and other VOD services in some territories. We have distribution agreements in the U.S., Canada, Israel, the UK, The Netherlands, France and Germany.
Next month we are releasing the film on two more VOD platforms (with subtitles in a dozen languages) for those who don't have access our current slate of digital offerings. Understand that we are somewhat constrained given our various distributors and their specific territorial rights.
Also, please know that while we have been working very hard to gain access to other avenues of VOD distribution, but it's not always as easy as it sounds. New companies/outlets are emerging each day, but most are relatively untested and some require more up-front resources than we could afford.
As most of you are probably aware, distribution models for film have evolved rapidly since we signed our major distribution agreements. Had the film been released two or three years ago we would have easily recouped costs through DVD sales with some additional income from VOD. Now that high-quality streaming has quickly emerging as a viable alternative I expect that DVDs will be supplanted in short order.
As legitimate DVD sales are fading, so too are illegitimate ones. Now, instead of being sold in flea markets around the world, counterfeit films have moved online as well and from that a sophisticated (and profitable) business model has emerged. This ain't a your parent’s P2P network any more. Website operators rip a film, post it online and earn ad income. In another variation of the same theme, sites mimic legit sites and offer film downloads for a fee. Neither scenario differs much from that of their bootlegging brethren. Now it just happens online.
Companies like Google (AdSense) indirectly feed this market while earning a fair amount of income for themselves in the process. Of course I don't believe Google can police all its AdSense clients on a daily basis. However, they can do a better job evaluating said clients when piracy is reported. The Google "team" claims the company is vigilant about such things but in my experience, this has not proven to be the case. Certainly, given their technological and financial resources, they could be more proactive in their efforts to discourage these illicit profits.
As for the time I spent working on this issue, I have no regrets, nor do I think it a wasted effort. Piracy of our film was at its peak when I was interviewed for this article. We had to spend several hours each day to staunch what was a pretty remarkable (and endless) explosion of streams and links. Thus far we’ve discovered well over 25,000 unique links/streams to the film. Frankly, I’ve stopped counting. This figure doesn’t include any torrents, nor does it include the streams that can be found (with subtitles) on websites from China, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, Saudi Arabia, etc. I'm sure, if we were to count, the actual figures would be much greater.
As someone has pointed out, for each of those 25,000 streams and links there can be hundreds, in some cases thousands, of downloads per link. I've documented specific download counts for some sites and am making a generalization based on this, but given all I know with regard to sales figures, etc. I have little doubt that the widespread availability of the film has hurt legit sales.
It’s clear there’s been an enthusiastic response to the film, particularly from our targeted lesbian audience. It's an audience whose lives are not widely represented in mainstream cinema and we’ve worked hard to make the film as widely available as possible. Given the general dearth of LGBT cinema, I understand why some are anxious to see it.
However, I also believe that our audience understands the value of supporting LGBT filmmakers whose films they enjoy. During my online explorations I've made an effort to post on various forums and blogs to explain when and where the film is available. Through this effort, and via the extensive social media networks we’ve created, I’ve corresponded with fans throughout the world to assure them that subtitled versions of LOLA will soon be coming their way. I've also sent subtitles in various languages to fans around the world to enable them to enjoy the film if they order a DVD or Blu-ray from one of our vendors.
As you might expect, funding sources for LGBT cinema are limited, hence the "self-funded" aspect of this film. Perhaps, as some of you say, I'm a fool. However, Megan and I did, and still do, have a passion for telling stories about our lives. We've been thrilled with the reception "And Then Came Lola" has received in more than 90 film festivals around the world. I take great pride in the film and the fact we've created a work that fans throughout the world can enjoy. That's the ultimate reward. In terms of income, at this point we are simply hoping to pay off our production debts. Perhaps, if that happens, we will be able to make another film.
Also, I would like to make mention of the fact that it's not only the filmmakers (or studios) who lose out. Every film, no matter the budget, is a collaboration of individuals who contribute to the filmmaking process on every level from pre-production through the distribution. Those who work in the film industry-whether it be grips, make-up artists, or craft services-depend on these jobs for their livelihoods. As a friend of mine likes to say, "It takes a village to make a film."
Obviously there's a lot of passion around this issue. I am hopeful that people on both sides of this debate can work to find a middle ground. The polarization seems so extreme that it's sometimes hard to hear one another. I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to believe that we can find a thoughtful solution to this issue.
Thanks for listening.
Best,
Ellen Seidler
Co-Producer/Co-Director
And Then Came Lola
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