A couple of weeks back was ‘DynamoPlayer week’ on my blog. At the time, as part of the analysis on DynamoPlayer I complained that I had not received any statements from Apple / iTunes / Shorts International… and as if by magic, my first one turned up last week!
So a brief analysis of how ‘Gone Fishing’ actually performed on iTunes – Shorts International received $369.89 from iTunes for the first six month period, most sales coming from the USA and UK.
Remember, Apple have already taken their 30% cut off the top which left a balance of $369.89. Shorts International now take a 20% programming fee off the top.
Shorts International than take a 50% cut of that balance. That is their fee for selling the film.
That leaves $147.95.
The balance will now be sent to Derry at Network Ireland who will then take his cut (which I think is 30%).
So I should be due about $100 for six months on iTunes.
The reason I effectively have 2 sales agents is that Shorts International are the preferred iTunes ‘aggregator’ for short films. Apple seem unwilling to work with Derry or any other sales agents, and so we are all forced to work with Shorts International (if we want a short on iTunes) who are clearly happy to take over 70% of the revenue they get from Apple.
You can download the whole iTunes statement here as a PDF – Download Gone Fishing Statement001
Now compare this to the last couple of weeks on DynamoPlayer (click on chart for enlarged view)
I have sold 31 copies of Gone Fishing of which DynamoPlayer take 30%. That’s it.
So in one month we have taken $61.69 of which my cut is $43.09.
I suspect the film will continue to sell at around that rate of 20 to 30 copies a month via DynamoPlayer, generating us around $40 a month revenue. Over six months that is around $240.
It will be interesting to revisit this in six months time to see if trends have changed.
I will leave others to comment on these stats – please share your thoughts…
Onwards and upwards!
Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspiritgroup.com
www.ProductionOffice.org
e: mail@livingspirit.com
Interesting comparison. In some ways I think you’re better off selling your DVDs at the trade show. How does that compare with DP and iTunes? Cheers.
I look forward to the day when we can do without Dynamo as well. We just sell directly from our website in the same way we have free email. Doubt it will be long.
There will always be ways to sell directly and keep 100% but most people will never see any significant return from this. Third party services like SI are supposed to offer a way “in” with their clout and thus be more valuable in the long term. Problem is, services and agents like this have long become worse than useless with their cultures of non-reporting, rip-offs and massive percentages. Right now, it may be the only way but it won’t ever be thus and I won’t shed a single tear when these vultures go bust.
That’s … just … wow.
A 20% programming fee plus 50% of all returns? That’s outrageous! iTunes is going to lose a lot of business to DynamoPlayer or Netflix or others if they don’t open up their service quick.
I agree Richard, its jaw dropping. AT the time I knew the deal, but I was more concerned with getting it up on iTunes and actually finding out how many units actually get sold.
But blimey, over 70% for basically being the one who cut the deal with apple.
Thanks for publishing these details Chris.
Shocking to realise how much the aggregators take!
I really hope Dynamo and similar players will be successful and this new distribution model will force the others to change.
thank you for posting this… this is helpful and only confirms that I did the RIGHT thing by NOT using my film to make money. It would be a loss leader.
Im curious, why do you not owe any royalties…?
for example SAG fee for your actors?
I think this would easily take up the remaining profits on an average short film as SAG expects you to pay each actor their day rate the SECOND you start making money!
so if the day rate is like $400… and you have 10 actors…you $4000 immediately…
they dont care that you havent recouped your costs yet… and may never! so dont go SAG if you dont have to
Shorts int. are interlopers to i-tunes…
nothing more.
Sure, they digitze the film and put up images, but I could do that myself.