Distrify Media
Can you introduce us to Distrify. How long have you been running and how did the company come about?
We’ve been running for about 6 years. The company was started by our CEO, Andy Green, who was a filmmaker and he wanted to have an app that let filmmakers have more control. Usually, indie producers would struggle to make any money from a film that they’d poured their blood, sweat and tears into, so Distrify gave them the tools to sell directly to their audience without incurring more hidden fees and payouts.
Who is it for?
It’s for everyone that wants to sell a film, we still work with numerous indie rights holders but we also work with big european distributors such as Folkets Bio and Aerovod.
How does it work?
By combining web technologies like Streaming Video, Paypal and social media, the idea was to ‘seed, sell and share’ film content. So, the Distrify player is embedded on a website or blog, and customers can view the trailer and then buy the film in just a few clicks.
You’ve been recently been doing a lot of work in China, can you tell us about that. How did it come about?
The Chinese Video on Demand market is the biggest in the world. The amount of film and television that is consumed through mobile devices in China is growing every year and, with our technology, we thought we could offer the best possible product for the Chinese market. So, we worked closely with UKTI and we were invited to attend a Film and Media conference in Qingdao, where we met the key people from Future TV, who are the subsidiary company of CCTV, the biggest state broadcaster in China. Our relationship developed with them and we were able to sign an agreement in May 2015.
What have been the biggest challenges?
Understanding the culture has been difficult, especially when there are many restrictions on what is acceptable to view in China, but, through our research we have gained a better understanding in what content is popular and why.
What new projects or initiatives are you currently working on?
We’re currently meeting with other broadcasters and rights holders in order to gain more content to develop our new platform.
What advice can Distrify offer to any emerging businesses who are looking to create a company that challenges a traditional way of doing?
Keep going and never give up! There’ll be so many bumps in the road, but it will all be worth it in the end.