Retail Distribution for Your DVD

Ryko Distribution

Via a partnership with Ryko Distribution/WEA, Film Baby can now offer select independent filmmakers a comprehensive distribution solution, allowing them access to every brick and mortar film store, specialty retail, military retail outlets, and other outlets in the United States (through the power of Ryko’s parent company, WEA, any place that sells physical DVDs, Ryko can sell your product if there is a demand). All without taking any rights away from you – you’re still the rights owner and in control! We just help get your films out to a much wider audience.

Film Baby is ONLY taking 9%! Whatever Ryko pays us, we take only 9% and the rest goes to you! For a $14.98 list, Ryko sells a DVD to retail outlets for $9.60. They pay Film Baby $7.49 for that DVD. You then get $6.81 per DVD. This is one of the highest amounts paid to an indie artists in the industry.

And to help get you off on the right foot, you will have a recoupable marketing fund of $3,000. This can be used for anything from DVD manufacturing to hiring a publicist or having viewing stations in stores - or a combination of each of these! The marking fund is recoupable from your sales.

A few examples of Film Baby Members' films currently distributed with Ryko:

Heavy Metal Parking Lot (World-wide Distribution)
We Are The Strange (World-wide Distribution)
Dark Water Rising (US Distribution)
Copley: An American Fairytale (US Distribution)
The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball (US Distribution)
Drakmar: A Vassal's Journey (US Distribution)
Toys Are Us: A Revolution in Plastic (US Distribution)

A few answers to your questions:

  • If my film is selected for distribution, where will my DVD be available?
    This deal will get your film into all major and minor retailers nationwide. From Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, to FYE, Suncoast and Barnes and Noble to the corner family owned video store in Iowa, all retailers will have the opportunity to purchase your DVD.
  • It sounds awesome, how do I sign up?
    Just keep doing what you are doing. All Film Baby members are eligible to participate. Just let us know you are interested in the program. We watch every film that comes in the door and will be on the lookout for amazing films that are a perfect fit for the program. Our staff of film lovers will evaluate everything about your film and make sure it is a good fit for the program.
  • But my film is not mainstream, will you still consider it?
    Yes. We will not exclude any type of film from consideration. This is not an easy process for us and only a selected number of films submitted for the program will be accepted.
  • Does Film Baby own my work?
    We don't own any rights to any part of the film. We offer all this to you without taking any rights away – you’re still the content owner and in control! We just help get your film out to a much wider audience.
  • I'm sure the deal I have to sign is pretty complicated?
    Seriously, not at all. Each deal is only on a per film basis. There are no long term or multi-film deals. We never want to get in the way of your film making careers. We will send you the full deal if your DVD is selected. We encourage you to read everything you sign.
  • Is this exclusive?
    Yes it is, but only on a per film basis. You can opt out of the program at any time, but the removal process from retail stores can be up to a year and there may be some costs associated.
  • When will my DVD be available nationwide?
    It will take about 3 months to get your DVDs into stores nationwide. That’s right, nationwide, not just regional. However, we will make sure there is a big push in your home area.

    In that time, we will work with you to create all the materials needed to get you going. There is going to be a lot of work involved in making sure the product is ready for retail. If you feel you want to take the next big step and go for world domination, we can help you with that, too.
  • HOW DO I SIGNUP AND JOIN?
    If you are just sending in your film, the process will begin once the film arrives. If you would like to include a note with your film to let us know you are really, really interested in this program, you can do that too. Once we get your film, our staff will watch your film and see if it will be a perfect fit. If it is something we love, we will be in touch with you right away.

NETFLIX

  • Film Baby is proud to be a Netflix Distribution Partner. You don't need to do anything, it's automatic.
  • They purchase them at the rate you provide us.
  • We send to Netflix a list of all new films and top sellers for each month. If the title and description match what their buyers are looking for, they will add it to their service.
  • A sampling of films that are in Netflix that started with Film Baby:
    Heavy Metal Parking Lot
    We Are The Strange
    Drakmar: A Vassal's Journey
    New Year Baby
    Rocking The Boat
    Ropewalk
    Dark Water Rising
    Outlaw Dreams
  • Important Rules: DVD-R's will not be accepted by any of our retail partners. Titles must have complete DVD packaging with barcode and wholesale pricing of at least 30% off retail. Some titles less then 45 minutes, that are collections of short films or episodes or that are deemed inappropriate will not be submitted to selected partners.

SUPER D

  • Film Baby will make your DVD available to over 2400 stores worldwide (mostly United States).
  • Even better than typical distribution, you get paid your full Film Baby price.
  • Unlike typical distribution there are no returns, and you always get paid the following week we do, just like a regular Film Baby sale.
  • Our partnership is with Super D: one of the largest one-stop DVD distributors in America.
  • Super D has a great reputation, a great sales staff, and are very excited to be making the Film Baby catalog available to every retail store.

What is a "One-Stop"?

  • A "one-stop" is a wholesaler that gets products from many different distributors, into one central ordering system for retail stores.
  • A one-stop distributor offers retail stores everything from the Hollywood blockbusters to independent films, and now; you.
  • Retail stores order from a one-stop to save time and trouble over ordering from many different distributors.

How it Works:

  • If your DVD is not in Film Baby yet, sign it up like normal. Mail us the DVDs.
  • Once your DVD is active and available on filmbaby.com, (with a barcode), we send our partners daily updates of your info, pricing, and inventory.
  • Super D's database (called "SuperFile") and B2B site are sent to over 2400 retail stores around the world, to let them know these titles are available for ordering.
  • Any store can then sell your DVD by buying it through Super D.
  • As soon as Super D receives the order from the store, they tell Film Baby, and we ship it to Super D by FedEx that same day. Super D sends it to the store the next day.
  • Netflix, Super D and Amazon orders get put into our system like any other order, with the store's info as the customer, for you to see.
  • Like always, you get an email that night, telling you it's shipped, and you get paid along with our every-Monday-night payments.

Important Details

What it Won't Do:

  • The distributor will not just be placing DVDs into stores. The stores have to BUY it one-way from the distributor if they want to sell it. (This is IMPORTANT for you to understand!)
  • The distributor will not be accepting returns, which means stores will consider this a special-order item.
  • In other words: your fans won't just find it sitting in the bins at any of these stores. Your fan will have to talk to the person at the counter, and place a special-order for it.
  • Being available in a database won't make hundreds of stores order it. Usually the store will only order your DVD from Super D if someone has already come into their store and paid for a special-order of your DVD in advance. Unless you are doing a special promotion with a store to get them to buy a few copies then send your fans to that store to purchase it.

Want to Make a Lower Wholesale Price for Stores?

  • There are ways to make your price more attractive to stores (and make it more likely to sell).
  • Log into your members area and for each film, you can enter in a wholesale price. That price is what will be delivered to Super D and offered to the stores.
  • We recommend a 30-40% discount so retailers can purchase your DVD at the same prices they usually purchase other DVDs from Super D.
  • This will NOT affect your single-DVD sale price on filmbaby.com (only Super D sales)
  • Film Baby still keeps a flat $4 cut off of the selling price.

Some Common Questions

  • I already have in-store distribution! Won't this cause me problems?
    No. Don't worry. If Super D receives info about your album from Film Baby, and it is already in their database from another distributor, they will ignore the info we send them, and give the other distributor preference. We will make sure that this is never a conflict with anything else you are doing.
  • I have an exclusive deal with someone else. Do I have to quit Film Baby?
    No. Don't worry. This is totally optional. We don't have to send your info to Super D if you don't want us to. Just tell us NO - that it is NOT OK to distribute.
  • My DVD doesn't have a barcode printed on the artwork.
    Your DVD only needs to have a valid barcode in our database. It doesn't need to be printed on the DVD itself. If you don't have a barcode, we can make you one for $25.
  • Despite the high cost of living, why does it remain so popular?
    Because the alternative just sucks.
  • My DVD is not shrinkwrapped.
    If your DVD is not shrinkwrapped, we will shrinkwrap it here before shipping to Super D.
  • Do you still report my sales to VideoScan?
    The retail store will report the sale to VideoScan, not us.