Direct-to-video

Specific film distribution method

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Direct to Video (Roseanne) and Straight to DVD (album).

Direct-to-video (also known as straight-to-video, made-for-video, made-for-home video, direct-to-DVD, DVD premiere, and direct-to-disc) refers to the release of a film or television series on home video formats without an initial theatrical release[1] or television premiere. This distribution strategy was prevalent before streaming platforms came to dominate the TV and movie distribution markets.

Because sequels or prequels of larger-budget films may be released direct-to-video, review references to direct-to-video releases are often pejorative.[2] Direct-to-video release has also become profitable for independent filmmakers and smaller companies.[3] Some direct-to-video genre films (with a high-profile star) can generate well in excess of $50 million revenue worldwide.[4]

## Reasons for releasing direct to video

[edit]

A production studio may decide not to generally release a TV show or film for several possible reasons: a low budget, a lack of support from a TV network, negative reviews, its controversial nature, that it may appeal to a small niche market, or a simple lack of general public interest. Studios, limited in the annual number of films to which they grant cinematic releases, may choose to pull the completed film from the theaters, or never exhibit it in theaters at all. Studios then generate revenue through video sales and rentals.[5] Direct-to-video films are marketed mostly through colorful box covers, instead of advertising, and are not covered by publications like Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide.[1]

The first direct-to-video release to go into production was E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind in 1984 produced by CineTel Films.[6][7]

Direct-to-video releases have historically carried a stigma of lower technical or artistic quality than theatrical releases.[8] Some films released direct-to-video are films which have been completed but were never released in movie theaters. This delay often occurs when a studio doubts a film's commercial prospects to justify a full cinema release or because its release window has closed. In film industry slang, such films are referred to as having been "vaulted".[9] Like B-movies shown in drive-in theaters in the mid-20th century, direct-to-video films employ both former stars and young actors who may become stars later.[1]

Direct-to-video releases can be done for films which cannot be shown theatrically due to controversial content, or because the cost involved in a theatrical release is beyond the releasing company.[10]

By 1994, an average of six new direct-to-video films appeared each week. Erotic thrillers and R-rated action films were the two most successful genres.[1] Family films became more important than such genres later in the 1990s, as retailers stocked more copies of blockbuster films instead of more titles. According to the Los Angeles Times:[11]

> Often, the downfall of live-action family films at the box office is their strength on video. Their appeal is to families with young children, who may go to only a couple of movies per year but who will watch many videos multiple times. The teens and young adults who drive blockbuster box office statistics stay away from family movies.

Some horror films that are unsuccessful in theaters, like Witchcraft, begin successful direct-to-video series.[1] Studios may also release sequels or spin-offs to a successful live action film straight to DVD, due to a lack of budget in comparison to the original.[original research?]

### Animation

[edit]

Animated sequels and feature-length episodes of animated series are also often released in this fashion. The first feature-length animated film to be released direct-to-video in the United States was Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation in 1992.[12] The practice of creating and releasing regular fiction specifically for video did not really take off until 1994, with Disney's The Return of Jafar and Universal's The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure, neither of which was intended to hit theaters at any point in its production.[10] Unlike their original theatrical counterparts, most of these sequels on this format are notoriously known to have suffered a great deal of removing past characters by the frequent changing on basic storyline focuses and are likely classified as non-canon, such as those by Disney,[13] as these types were primarily marketed towards the younger generations rather than longtime fans, which this type of limitation is now seldom used as sequels would return to theaters in the late 2010s because of harmed sales.[13] Some, like Universal's Balto II: Wolf Quest, have dealt with distribution challenges, causing them to be delayed until further notice,[14] or otherwise releasing them in incorrect order. Several of the animated sequels, like MGM's The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue from 1998, have sparked significant criticism by fans of the original predecessors[15] as these franchises will abruptly discontinue. Several other film series will be continuous if they become more successful, like Scooby-Doo for instance (their video debut Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island became one of the best-selling DTV films of all time.[16]).

### Pornography

[edit]

During the Golden Age of Porn in the 1970s, many pornographic films were released in theatres, some of which became some of the highest-grossing films in their release years, and in the pornography industry altogether. Toward the 1980s, porn began to shift to video release, because video allowed the producers to work on extremely low budgets and dispense with some film production elements, like scripts, and the increased privacy and convenience of the format change were preferred by the target market. During the late 1990s and onward, pornographers began releasing content on the Internet.[citation needed]

## Physical format releases

[edit]

### Direct-to-video films screened theatrically

[edit]

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|

Occasionally, a studio that makes a movie that was prepared as a direct-to-video film will release it theatrically at the last minute due to the success of another film with a similar subject matter or an ultimate studio decision. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an example of this. However, despite the movie's critically acclaimed success, its box-office performance was very poor, which has been attributed to the last minute nature of its theatrical release. The film had much better commercial success in its subsequent home video releases.

Other times, a direct-to-video movie may get a limited theatrical screening in order to build excitement for the actual release of the video such as was done for 2010's Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and Planet Hulk, 2016's Batman: The Killing Joke[17] or 2013's Sharknado. In some cases, other direct-to-video films can also be theatrically released in other countries.

### Direct-to-disc or DVD premiere

[edit]

As DVDs gradually replaced VHS videocassettes, the term "direct-to-DVD" replaced "direct-to-video" in some instances.[18] However, the word "video" does not necessarily refer to videocassettes. Many publications continue to use the term "direct-to-video" for DVDs or Blu-rays. Both disc-based release types may also be referred to as "direct-to-disc". A new term sometimes used is "DVD premiere" (DVDP).[19] Such films can cost as little as $20 million,[4] about a third of the average cost of a Hollywood release.[20] According to Variety, American Pie Presents: Band Camp sold more than one million copies in a week.[21]

Some direct-to-DVD releases recently have tended to feature actors who were formerly bankable stars. In 2005, salaries for some of these direct-to-DVD actors in the multimillion-dollar range from $2 to $4 million (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and $4.5 to $10 million (Steven Seagal), in some cases exceeding the actors' theatrical rates.[4]

## Digital releases

[edit]

With the increasing prominence of digital distribution platforms in the 2000s and 2010s, direct-to-digital releases began to emerge alongside, or in lieu of home video. In November 2007, Ed Burns' Purple Violets became the first film to "premiere" exclusively for sale on iTunes Store, being exclusive to the platform for a month exclusively. It had premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, where it was reviewed positively, but only received modest distribution offers.[22][23] At the time, it was not very common for consumers to make digital movie purchases.[24]

As part of a push by the service towards original content, the subscription video on demand service Netflix began to acquire feature films for distribution on its service in the 2010s, including the 2013 documentary The Square,[25] and its first feature film in 2015 — Beasts of No Nation.[26] Netflix pursued a simultaneous release strategy for its films, partnering with a distributor for a limited theatrical release (in order to maintain eligibility for awards requiring theatrical release, such as the Academy Awards) simultaneous with their availability to subscribers. As this practice violates the traditional release windows mandated by the cinema industry, major chains have typically declined to screen the films.[27][28] Since 2018, Netflix has partially backpedaled from this strategy, giving its films a one-month theatrical run before their premiere on the Netflix service.[29][30]

Unique circumstances have also resulted in direct-to-digital releases, sometimes alongside a limited theatrical release; the 2014 film The Interview was released simultaneously on digital and at selected cinemas, after major chains dropped the film due to terrorist threats by a hacking group believed to have ties to North Korea (whose regime is satirized in the film). The group had also leaked confidential data from the internal servers of the film's distributor, Sony Pictures.[31][32]

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in worldwide closures of cinemas due to economic restrictions and guidance against public gatherings, which prompted direct-to-digital releases for several major films; the Chinese film Lost in Russia was acquired by ByteDance for 630 million yuan (almost 100 million in US dollars) and streamed on its platforms (including TikTok) for free in lieu of a theatrical release, as part of a larger relationship with the company and the film's distributor Huanxi Media.[33] A number of U.S. films were shifted directly to video-on-demand rentals in lieu of a theatrical release,[34][35][36] while some have been sold directly to subscription services, including Disney+,[37] Max,[38] Netflix,[39] and Amazon Prime Video.[40]

## OVA and V-Cinema in Japan

[edit]

OV ("original video") are movies made for direct-to-video release in the Japanese market. OVA ("original video animation")[41] is distinguished from OVM ("original video movies") or V-Cinema, which usually refer to non-animated works. Different production studios may use other labels like "V drama".

The OVA market developed in the mid-1980s.[42] The lax restrictions and censorship in comparison to broadcast television appealed to filmmakers, allowing them to include more controversial content, as the films did not need to rely on sponsored advertisements for financial support. The result was animated films with greater sexual, violent, or political content.[42] The market continued to expand during the Japanese asset price bubble and began to decline with the collapse of the bubble in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[41]

With the rise of VHS home video and the decline of the Japanese economy in the late 1980s, film studios struggled to recoup investments on big-budget films. (See Cinema of Japan) Inspired by the success of OVAs, Toei released the first film in its V-Cinema line, Crime Hunter, in March 1989. Following Toei's success, other studios began to release a slew of direct-to-video movies, often under lines with similar names such as "V-Picture", "V-Feature" and "V-Movie".[43] Despite "V-Cinema" originally being simply the name of Toei's line of direct-to-video release, in Japan it came to refer to all Japanese direct-to-video film releases, regardless of which studio released them or what line they were part of.[43]

Relaxed censorship in V-Cinema gave way to the premier and rise of expressive auteur directors such as Takashi Miike, Hideo Nakata, Shinji Aoyama, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa.[44][45] As the release of these titles were outside of usual distribution, studios and directors worked quickly to capitalize on niche markets or upcoming and current trends to increase financial returns.[46] This period of history in Japanese cinema has been described by film journalist Tom Mes as "a far more diverse and vibrant film scene [than previous eras]".[45] By 1995, the V-Cinema industry was in decline,[44] but the explosion in quantity and variety of such movies established and cemented genres like J-horror and yakuza films.[46]

The success of OVAs and V-Cinema has resulted in less stigma regarding direct-to-video releases in Japan than in western markets.[2] While there are still OVA and V-Cinema releases, the market is considerably smaller than it was in the 1980s and 1990s.[citation needed]

## "Online Big Movies" in China

[edit]

In the mid-to-late 2010s, low-budget B-movies that are made exclusively for digital streaming became a trend in China; these films are called "Online Big Movies" ("OBM"; 网络大电影 in Chinese, or simply 网大).[47] The word "Big" in the name was meant to be sardonic, as most of these films are often made on a very low budget[48] and featuring mostly unknown cast members and sometimes nonprofessional actors.[47] However, increasingly, the budget for these films have been slowly climbing up, due to the success of these films on digital distribution platforms;[49][50] the budget for these films can now range from less than 1 million yuan to upwards of 10 or 20 million yuan. Although these "Online Big Movies" rarely feature well-known actors, in recent years, many "Online Big Movies" have hired veteran actors from Hong Kong action cinema and Taiwanese cinema to join its cast.[51] These movies are also to be differentiated from films that are made for theatrical release but were later acquired by digital streaming services, in that these "Online Big Movies" are produced by internet companies with the sole intent of digital release.

In additional to the digital distribution of these films in China, many of the "Online Big Movies" have also been released on digital platforms outside of China, such as on YouTube. Several YouTube channels, such as Q1Q2 Movie Channel Official[52] and YOUKU MOVIE[53] are popular channels that distributes these "Online Big Movies".

## See also

[edit]

* List of animated direct-to-video series
* B movie
* First run film
* First-run syndication
* Shot-on-video film
* Television film
* Video on demand

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Alvarez, Max J (30 December 1994). "Big Names Look For Bright Lights In Videoland". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
2. ^ a b Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (9 February 2015). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation (Third ed.). Stone Bridge Press. pp. 195–196\. ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
3. ^ Lerman, Laurence (17 September 2001). "Independents' 'Bread and Butter'". Video Business. 21 (38). Section: Video Premieres.
4. ^ a b c DVD Exclusive Online. "Stars, Money Migrate To DVDP (archived)". Archived from the original on 15 May 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
5. ^ Barlow, Aaron (2005). The DVD Revolution: Movies, Culture, and Technology. Praeger/Greenwood. pp. 19. ISBN 0-275-98387-0. "Films that flop in theaters or which are never theatrically released can prove profitable through longer-term video and DVD sales."
6. ^ Kleiman, Rena (28 November 1983). "Premiere made-for-home-video feature firmed for production". The Hollywood Reporter. p. 1.
7. ^ "E. Nick". IMDb. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
8. ^ Goodale, Gloria (23 October 1998). "'Straight to Video' Picks up Steam". Christian Science Monitor.
9. ^ Bernstein, Adam (12 December 2004). "Silent Films Speak Loudly for Hughes". The Washington Post. TVWeek p. Y06.
10. ^ a b "More Films Jump Straight to DVD". USA Today. 6 August 2003. Section: Life, p. 03d.
11. ^ Matzer, Marla (16 April 1997). "Direct-to-Video Family Films Are Hitting Home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
12. ^ Connors, Martin; Jim Craddock (2000), "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation", VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2000, Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, p. 923, ISBN 978-1-57859-042-1
13. ^ a b Disney sequels from non-canonical DTV to Frozen II.
14. ^ "Production length and costs". animationsource.org. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
15. ^ Ellin, Harlene (24 December 1998). "The mystery of 'NIMH II': Why did they even bother?". Chicago Tribune. p. 7B. Retrieved 30 March 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ Delgado, Mariana (1 September 2021). "Why 'Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island' Is One of the Best & Scariest Films of the Franchise". Collider. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
17. ^ Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths gets big-screen Premieres on Two Coasts – Comicmix.com – 5 February 2010
18. ^ Berardinelli, James. "DVD's Scarlet Letter". Retrieved 13 January 2007.
19. ^ For one example of the term "DVDP" in use, see "Paramount grows DVDP slate". Archived from the original on 14 May 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
20. ^ Mueller, Anne (23 June 2011). "Why Movies Cost So Much to Make". Investopedia US. IAC. Retrieved 24 July 2014.. As of 2007[update], the average production cost was $65 million, and distribution and marketing added about another $35 million, for a total of around $100 million
21. ^ Hettrick, Scott (2 January 2005). "Spending on DVDs up 10%". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
22. ^ Halbfinger, David M. (23 October 2007). "Facing Competition, iTunes Revs Up Its Film Section". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
23. ^ Graser, Marc (25 October 2007). "Ed Burns offers 'Violets' on iTunes: Feature to skip theatrical release". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
24. ^ Kirsner, Scott (2 November 2007). "Studio's Digital Dilemma: Apple Calling Shots as Biz Tries To Control Market". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
25. ^ Tibken, Shara. "Netflix gets its first Oscars nod with 'The Square'". CNET. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
26. ^ McNary, Dave (2 March 2015). "Netflix Makes Another Bigscreen Splash With 'Beasts of No Nation'". Variety. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
27. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (7 July 2015). "Netflix Dates First Feature Film Slate With Idris Elba, Cary Fukunaga, Adam Sandler, Harvey Weinstein, Paul Reubens & Judd Apatow". Deadline. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
28. ^ "Movie Chains Balk At Netflix's Plan For Simultaneous Release". NPR.org. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
29. ^ Lee, Dami (27 August 2019). "Netflix will release 10 fall films in theaters before they stream". The Verge. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
30. ^ Lang, Brent (4 March 2019). "Netflix Responds to Steven Spielberg's Push to Bar It From Oscars". Variety. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
31. ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (24 December 2014). "What is Kernel? The Stealth Startup Sony Tapped to Stream 'The Interview' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
32. ^ "'The Interview' Release Back On For Christmas Day – Update". Deadline Hollywood. 23 December 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
33. ^ Frater, Patrick (24 January 2020). "China's 'Lost in Russia' Switches to Unprecedented Online Release in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak". Variety. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
34. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (14 April 2020). "'Trolls World Tour': Drive-In Theaters Deliver What They Can During COVID-19 Exhibition Shutdown – Easter Weekend 2020 Box Office". Deadline. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
35. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (21 April 2020). "'Scoob!' To Skip Theaters & Head Into Homes; How Director Tony Cervone Got Animated Pic Across The Finish Line In COVID-19 Climate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
36. ^ N'Dukao, Amanda (4 May 2020). "Focus Features Sets Digital Release For 'The High Note' Starring Tracee Ellis Ross & Dakota Johnson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
37. ^ Spangler, Todd (17 April 2020). "'Artemis Fowl' Premiere Date on Disney Plus Set as Movie Goes Direct-to-Streaming". Variety. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
38. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (27 April 2020). "Seth Rogen Comedy 'An American Pickle' Jumps From Sony To HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
39. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (20 March 2020). "Kumail Nanjiani & Issa Rae Comedy 'The Lovebirds' To Nest At Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
40. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 April 2020). "'My Spy': STX Dave Bautista Action Comedy Acquired By Amazon Studios For Streaming". Deadline. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
41. ^ a b DustinKop (12 February 2016). "A Look at the 1980's Anime OVA Legacy". the-artifice.com. The Artifice. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
42. ^ a b Sevakis, Justin. "Why Did So Many OVA Series End Prematurely?". animenewsnetwork.com. Anime News Network. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
43. ^ a b Mes, Tom (2023). Japanese Film and the Challenge of Video. Media, Culture and Social Change in Asia. London and New York: Routledge. p. 70\. doi:10.4324/9781003346814. ISBN 978-1-032-38797-0.
44. ^ a b Balmont, James. "How V-Cinema sparked a Japanese filmmaking revolution". lwlies.com. Little White Lies. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
45. ^ a b Mes, Tom. "The V-Cinema Notebook, Part 1". midnighteye.com. Midnight Eye. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
46. ^ a b Macias, Patrick (15 November 2019). "The Harajuku Line: Forgotten Fashion Monsters of Japanese V-Cinema". medium.com. Medium. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
47. ^ a b 你可能没注意到的网络大电影正在崛起. qq.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016.
48. ^ "低成本网络大电影的制作秘籍". Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
49. ^ "预算占比30%，投入近百万：网络大电影进入"营销时代"".
50. ^ "网络大电影"爆发" 市场规模有望达10亿". Sohu.
51. ^ "他们曾经都大红大紫过，如今沦落到拍网络电影令人唏嘘". Sohu.
52. ^ "Q1Q2 Movie Channel Official". YouTube.
53. ^ "YOUKU MOVIE". YouTube.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Mayo, Mike (1997). VideoHound's Video Premieres: The Only Guide to Video Originals and Limited Releases. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-7876-0825-4.

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approach,
or production|

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* List of American independent films
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* animation
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* Category

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