DVD - Let's do it together! A Proposal for the international DVD-Distribution „We need to do this now with as many internationally acclaimed arthouse films as possible in order to become a leader on the DVD market. Dream about it and do it! Before the DVD market becomes a poor excuse for cinema and our movies end up on the sidelines. Send in your questions, send in your films.“ Klaus Gerke Today the international DVD-market is mostly occupied by US-Major productions. These international companies control the distribution of their films worldwide and thus have the means to use this medium in an adequate way: with several dubbed and dozens of subtitled versions they distribute their DVDs all around the world. Independent distributors usually have a problem in publishing their films on DVD on a profitable basis because they only work on a national level. Therefore most independent productions, especially art films, films for certain audiences like children, are not published on DVD at all or only for a national distribution with limited possibilities of refinancing. Therefore Klaus Gerke, K-Films Paris, together with independent distributors from Europe, the US and other countries suggests an international co-ordination of the production and diffusion of DVD-film-editions. The possibilities offered by this co-operation will allow the distribution of these films on a larger scale and at a lower cost. Moreover, the „All zone“ format gives the opportunity to remove the zone barrier from the market. All these elements mean that a wider public can be reached and sufficient possibilities can be found to make the edition of these films on DVD profitable. K-Film's Proposal for Co-operation For each movie only one DLT with a maximum of subtitles has to be manufactured. With this master, a DVD can be pressed to be used everywhere and sold to all co-editors. One distributor will be in charge of the copyrights dealing for a maximum of countries, handling the manufacturing of the master (DLT NTSC with subtitles in a maximum of languages), and selling the DVD to partners (co-editors) at the manufacturing price. Each co-editor will buy in advance a certain number of DVDs and will print the sleeves for his national market. He also, of course, can sell worldwide - but it is expected to respect the tacit agreement not to enter the co-editors' own markets - and can re-purchase unsold DVD stock from his partners at the initial price. A co-ordination and sales website is already in development and features links to all the partners' own sales websites: http://dvdvideointernational.com The co-editors will pay royalties to the co-ordinator (25%) or copyrightholder (depending on the DVD world rights). Each co-editor can propose new titles for DVD edition and help to find the best prices for the manufacturing process (lab, print, translation etc.). Furthermore they have the possibility to ask for financial support (private, national or European). Questions and Answers What about accounts with a co-editor? - Each co-editor buys 500 DVDs at the manufacturing price and can resell them to his customers (wholesalers, mailorder catalogues etc.) The co-editor refunds 25% of his sales to the copyrightholder. Can a co-editor sell his DVDs to someone else? - Yes, but at the manufacturing price and preferably to another co-editor. He will have to inform the copyrightholder, too, so he can get his 25% from this new partner. Are the co-ordinator and the co-editors always the same? - No. In fact, we encourage others to share the work. Maybe copyrightholders will prefer to work with a coordinator in their own country. For each edited title, the co-ordinator will be chosen according to his personal style, his film catalogue and his commercial interest. Territory questions: - For our DVDs we have to work not only at a national but also at an international level. The borders are drawn where wide-spread editing is limited. Co-editors can sell wherever they like without hurting the networks of the national markets. Why different covers? - Because each editor targets a local public. Therefore, editors will design covers in their own language and style. Why is it better to work with us rather than sell the film rights to each country? - Selling DVD rights is only profitable if the editor can sell at least 2.000 units, which is not the case for the films we love best. Together, we will be able to sell 3.000 units or more. We will even enhance the films' value by adding new subtitles (which will be included in the manufacturing price), which will in turn open new markets (international festivals, TV, Internet streaming...). This means the prices keep getting better and each new edition will allow us to grant a bigger percentage to the copyrightholder. Can we get a digital beta with new subtitles (available on the DVD version) in order to edit the film on VHS? - Yes, but it will entail transfer costs. There will also be a MPEG 2 version for Internet. Contact: K-Films Video, Klaus Gerke, 15 rue de Saintonge, F-75003 Paris, tel.        ++33-1-42747014, fax        ++33-1-42747024, email :    k-films@wanadoo.fr Internet:  www.k-films.com