The first film on disposable DVD, “Noel”, will debut in up to 10 U.S. cities on Nov. 12.
Convex Group, a little-known Atlanta company, hopes to change Hollywood’s thinking about movie distribution with a novel marketing plan that includes using disposable DVDs.
At the center of the Convex Group’s plan is a low-budget Christmas movie called “Noel,” directed by Chazz Palminteri, that will debut in up to 10 U.S. cities on Nov. 12. On the same day, consumers can buy the disposable DVD for $4.99 through online retailer www.Amazon.com.
A little over two weeks later, the movie will air once on cable television network TNT, which Convex hopes will spur greater ticket sales and higher revenues from the DVDs. The DVDs become unplayable 48 hours after their airtight package is opened.
The idea represents a major change to the normal release schedule for a film, which generally calls for a debut in theaters followed about six months later by the home video or DVD and more months, perhaps even years, before it hits TV.
The reason for the long release schedule is to earn maximum profits in each market, and conventional wisdom says that rushing a movie into any one arena cannibalizes sales in the others.
Disposable DVDs are not new. A company called Flexplay, which Convex bought in September, has been making them for the Walt Disney Co., and Disney has test marketed them with some success in a limited number of cities for about a year.
Because they are unplayable after 48 hours, the disposable DVDs would not compete with the normal DVDs.
For more information, visit www.flexplay.com .
