When it comes to films and their distribution, digital distribution is extremely important and can be a big source of income. Not only can digital distribution bring in more money, it can also spread the film to more people. Some people may not want to go to a theatre to see the movie, or may have trouble getting the chance to see it, digital outputs are a way to counter that situation. There is an audience of people that prefer to watch films at home, so without way to access a film online, a film’s revenue and spread would both be a lot worse of. Film companies would be missing out on this audience and would be hurting themselves by doing so.
People normally look at the box office sales of a movie to determine its success. However, domestic sales can reveal numbers that aren’t anything to scoff. Avengers: Endgame(2019) recorded a total of 84 million dollars in domestic video sales. Another big title, Spider-man: Homecoming(2017), recorded 67 million dollars in the same category. It’s not uncommon for films to gross millions of dollars in DVD sales, the list expands with every new mainstream film is released. Baby Driver(2017), Taken(2007), Furious 7(2015), Napoleon Dynamite(2004), and so on. DVD sales alone are able to make back a sizeable portion of the film’s production budget. Especially with films like Napoleon Dynamite, which has a remarkably low budget. Napoleon Dynamite was made with only a budget of 400,000 dollars, which is miniscule compared to more recent box office hits. Its DVD sales, grossing 139 million dollars, can budget the film 347 times. Take some time to take it in that Napoleon Dynamite could be filmed hundreds of times without spending the income from one release. The numbers presented only push my point even further. With every blockbuster release, the list of films that gross millions in DVD sales grow. Admittedly, the numbers aren’t as awe-inspiring as the box office records, but it is hard to deny that filmmakers would be missing out on a huge source of income without them.
Even if the income from the DVD sales are enough to pay for the budget of a film, which is rare, it's undeniable that distributing films digitally is an amazing way to bolster the pockets of filmmakers. It's even more beneficial if one can pull off filming an American classic on a small budget. Of course, not everyone can direct Napoleon Dynamite, so income made from any form of digital distribution will only help make back the expenses of filming. No matter the purpose, digital distribution is without a doubt very important.
