Direct-to-video

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A film that is released direct-to-video (also known as made-for-video, straight-to-video and, more recently, straight-to-DVD) is one which has been released to the public on home video formats (historically VHS) before or without being released in movie theaters or broadcast on television. The term is also at times used as a derogatory term for sequels of films that are not expected to have financial success.

Contents 1 Reasons for releasing direct-to-video 2 Television spin-offs 3 The direct-to-DVD market 4 The V-Cinema and OVA markets in Japan 5 Direct-to-video films 5.1 1980s 5.1.1 1989 5.2 1990s 5.2.1 1990 5.2.2 1991 5.2.3 1992 5.2.4 1993 5.2.5 1994 5.2.6 1995 5.2.7 1996 5.2.8 1997 5.2.9 1998 5.2.10 1999 5.3 2000s 5.3.1 2000 5.3.2 2001 5.3.3 2002 5.3.4 2003 5.3.5 2004 5.3.6 2005 5.3.7 2006 5.3.8 2007 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Reasons for releasing direct-to-video

Direct-to-video releases can occur for several reasons. Often a production studio will develop a TV show or film which is not generally released due to poor quality, lack of support from a TV network, controversial nature, or simple lack of general public interest. Only able to grant a cinematic release to a limited number of films in a year, studios may choose to pull the completed film from the theatres, but aim to recoup some of their losses through video sales and rentals.^{[citation needed]}

In the case of a TV show, a studio may have filmed an entire season and aired some episodes before cancelling the show due to low ratings. If the show has enough devoted fans, the studio may release unaired episodes on video, in order to recoup losses. Clerks: The Animated Series and Firefly are examples of cancelled shows which were successful cult hits on DVD.^{[citation needed]}

Direct-to-video releases are generally considered to be of lower technical or artistic quality than theatrical releases.^{[citation needed]} Some studio films that are released direct-to-video are films which have languished for some time without release, either because the studio doubts its commercial prospects would justify a full cinema release or because its "release window" has closed — that is, it may have been rushed into production to capitalize on a timely trend or personality and not been completed in time. In film industry slang, such films are referred to as having been "vaulted."^{[citation needed]}

This, however, is not always true, as video releases have become something of a lifeline for independent filmmakers and smaller companies.^{[citation needed]} Direct-to-video releases can be done for films which sometimes cannot be shown theatrically, because of their content (they may be too controversial for theaters) or because the cost involved in a theatrical release is prohibitive to the releasing company.^{[citation needed]} Almost all pornographic films are released direct-to-video.

Animated sequels and movie-length episodes of animated series are also often released this way.^{[citation needed]} The Walt Disney Company began making sequels of most of its animated films for video release beginning with The Return of Jafar (the sequel to Aladdin) in 1994. Universal Pictures also began their long line of The Land Before Time sequels that same year. In 2005, Fox released Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story for DVD and UMD.

[edit] Television spin-offs

Television spin-offs are animated or live action television series or made for TV movies which contain either characters or theme elements from an older series^{[citation needed]} (Full Metal Panic Fumoffu), or movie (Clerks: The Animated Series, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures). While the most common examples of a television spin off are animated series there are also live action examples (Robocop: Prime Directive)^{[citation needed]}

Some SpongeBob SquarePants DVD volumes contain episodes not yet aired on television.^{[citation needed]} Some Disney Channel shows, such as That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Phil of the Future, and Lilo & Stitch: The Series have also had direct-to-video episodes.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The direct-to-DVD market

In recent years, companies have increasingly released movies in DVD format rather than VHS, and has caused the term "direct-to-DVD" to replace "direct-to-video" in some instances.^[1] However, the word "video" does not specifically have to refer to VHS cassettes. The new term used is DVDP ("DVD Premiere").^[2] Such films can cost as much as $20 million^[3] (about a third of the average cost of a Hollywood release^[4]) and feature major actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal.^[3] Salaries for such actors range from $2 to $4 million (Van Damme) to $4.5 to $10 million (Seagal).^[3] According to Variety, American Pie: Band Camp sold a million copies in one week, despite only retaining two actors from the original trilogy.^[5]

In recent years, DVD Premieres have become a substantial source of revenue for movie studios, as DVDP's have collectively grossed over $3 billion the last few years,^[3] and has now come to the point that DVDP divisions of studios now option their own films^{[citation needed]}. This practice has risen because DVDP movies can be shot on a budget smaller than that of a film intended to be theatrically released, thus allowing studios to profit easier with the combined revenues of home video sales and rentals^{[citation needed]}, in addition to licensing movies for television, as well as in the rest of the world (where some DVDP movies do see theatrical releases)^{[citation needed]}.

Distributing DVDP's is not a practice only reserved for larger Hollywood studios. Several companies, such as The Asylum, MTI Home Video, and York Entertainment distribute DVDP's almost exclusively^{[citation needed]}. The budgets for films distributed by these companies are even smaller than those of ones distributed by a larger studio, but these companies are still able to profit off their sales.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The V-Cinema and OVA markets in Japan

Japan has a different weight to the direct-to-video movement. Despite having a lower budget than a feature intended for theater release, Japanese direct-to-video productions are rarely marred by the poor storyline and effects often associated with the DTV market in the US. So-called V-Cinema has more respect from the public, and affection from film directors for the greater creative freedoms allowed by the medium, which is subject to fewer content restriction and less creative dictate than other formats.

For anime, this is called Original Video Animation (OVA or OAV), and their production values usually fall between television series and movies. As such, they somewhat lack the stigma of poor quality. They are often used to tell stories too short to fill a full TV season, particularly in the early 1990s. Some used to garner enough interest in fandom to make a profitable full television series. Examples of OVAs series which became popular enough for expansion to a full anime series include Tenchi Muyo!, One Piece, and El Hazard.

With the advent of the 13 episode season format, OVAs are less common now. The majority of OVAs released in today's market are usually continuations of recently completed TV series.

[edit] Direct-to-video films

[edit] 1980s

[edit] 1989

• The Experts with John Travolta, directed by Dave Thomas

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 1990

[edit] 1991

[edit] 1992

[edit] 1993

[edit] 1994

• The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure
• The Return of Jafar

[edit] 1995

• The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving
• Get Serious!

[edit] 1996

• Aladdin and the King of Thieves
• The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists

[edit] 1997

• Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
• Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
• The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island

[edit] 1998

• Belle's Magical World
• Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
• The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock
• The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

[edit] 1999

[edit] 2000s

[edit] 2000

• An Extremely Goofy Movie
• Bloody Murder
• Cruel Intentions 2
• From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
• Left Behind: The Movie
• Leprechaun: In the Hood
• The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
• The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

[edit] 2001

• Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
• The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze

[edit] 2002

• American Psycho 2: All American Girl
• An Evening with Kevin Smith
• Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
• Midnight Skater
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
• The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water
• The Skulls II

[edit] 2003

• 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
• Bloody Murder 2: Closing Camp
• Demon Summer
• Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood
• Run Ronnie Run
• The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration
• The Skulls III

[edit] 2004

• Bring It On Again
• Cruel Intentions 3
• The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
• The Lion King 1½

[edit] 2005

• 8mm 2
• American Pie: Band Camp
• Kronk's New Groove
• Left Behind: World at War
• Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
• Mulan II
• Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie
• Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story
• Tarzan II
• The Red Skulls
• Urban Legends: Bloody Mary

[edit] 2006

• American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile
• An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder
• Bambi II
• Brother Bear 2
• Dr. Dolittle 3
• Edison
• Hollow Man 2
• I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
• Save the Last Dance 2
• The Butterfly Effect 2
• The Fox and the Hound 2

[edit] 2007

• Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
• Farce of the Penguins
• The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
• The Invincible Iron Man
• The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers
• The Little Mermaid III
• Stargate: The Ark of Truth

[edit] See also

• Television movie

[edit] References

1. ^ Berardinelli, James. DVD's Scarlet Letter. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
2. ^ For one example of many uses of the term, see Paramount grows DVDP slate. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} DVD Exclusive Online. Stars, Money Migrate To DVDP (archived). Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
4. ^ Carl DiOrio (2004-03-23). Average cost of a movie: $102.9 million. Video Business Online. Retrieved on 2007-01-21. The figure cited in the title includes marketing costs; as of 2004 when the article was written, the average production cost was $63.8 million.
5. ^ Variety.com. Spending on DVDs up 10%.

[edit] External links

• Website about direct-to-video films.
• Movie critic on the future of Direct-to-DVD