From: david tetzlaff (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Aug 21 2005 - 07:54:25 PDT
One thing that is hampering this discussion is that most of us don't
really know how the distributors are doing financially. There are
contradictory theories about how video diffusion might affect film
rentals:
1) it simply replaces rentals, and so rentals fall
2) it may replace some rentals, but by circulating the work through
the culture it increases demand, and so rentals should remain the
same or increase.
And, annecdotally, we hear contradictory reports: rentals are down;
the coop just had its best year ever.
So, does anyone know what the pattern of rental number at FMC and
Canyon and MoMa has been over the last five years, coinciding with
the full rise of DVD popularity?
If the coops face financial problems, are these do to true losses in
rental income, or increased costs in terms of real estate, or other
business expenses.
Who rents experimental films? What percentage of business comes from
filom studies programs, from other parts of the academy, from
museums, from film fests, etc? How have these numbers changed over
the years.
I'm not talking about specific films here, about how the release of
By Brakhage may have affected rentals of Mothlight, although that's
useful to know as well. A more useful question would be now after By
Brakhage has been out for awhile, are Brakhage rentals overall way
down, up, or about the same as before?
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