Movie Statistics
Industry statistics reveal that the past ten years have marked an overall increase of at least 30% in many "ancilliary markets" and, over 200%, as in the case of home video. The ability to exploit a movie in many markets diminishes investment risk and increases earning potential. In many instances, low budget movies have lost money theatrically and still earned profits overall from ancillary sales. With the advent of the new computer-based technologies, "cable" markets and direct digital-delivery of motion pictures via satellite and the Internet are expected to increase dramatically over the next five years, creating an accelerated demand for original and re-run motion pictures.
Moreover, independent films have come of age and the returns have been quite remarkable. In fact, some have grossed more revenue than the big movie releases, even without the “superstar cast”. This can been seen in the recent independent hit, “March of the Penguins” which has brought in thus far $75M and still growing. This and other independent films have earned investors hundreds of millions of dollars, especially rockumentaries/rock films such as “This is Spinal Tap”, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, etc.
Furthermore, according to a study conducted by Monitor Co., the vast majority of feature films and television programs are produced by independent producers. Independent production is becoming more prevalent in other areas of the United States, especially California, Nevada, North Carolina and the Tri-State Area (of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania).
|
Title |
Cost |
Box Office |
Oversees |
Video |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS (2005) |
$~8M |
$75.9M (to date) |
$12M (to date) |
n/a |
|
A MIGHTY WIND (2003) |
$ n/a |
$17.5M |
n/a |
$24M |
|
ROCKSTAR (2001) |
$~38M |
$16.9M |
n/a |
$35M |
|
ALMOST FAMOUS (2001) |
$~60M |
$32.5M |
n/a |
$54.8M |
|
THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) |
$ n/a |
$4.67M |
~$3M |
n/a |
|
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (74) |
$1.2M |
$140M |
n/a |
n/a |
|
WOODSTOCK (Documentary 1970) |
$600K |
$13.3M |
n/a |
n/a |
| |
|
|
|
|
NOTE: Some of these figures represent only domestic box office receipts for some films not additional income from the lucrative ancillary markets such as foreign, home video and broadcast. It is possible for an independent low budget hit film to return its investment many times over. Many major films have difficulty making their money back through box office gross alone. Expensive publicity campaigns can eat into the profits and the exhibitors and distributors will take up to 70% of the gross. Fortunately, ever-expanding international markets, and new modes of exhibition can make even a box office "flop" turn a profit as with Rockstar and Almost Famous in 2001.
