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This article is about the type of film release. For All Time Low live album, see Straight to DVD (album).

Direct-to-video or straight-to-video (also known as direct-to-VHS, direct-to-DVD, direct-to-Blu-ray, direct-to-digital, etc.) refers to the release of a film to the public immediately on home video formats rather than a theatrical release or television broadcast.[1] Because inferior sequels or prequels of larger-budget films may be released direct to video, references to direct-to-video releases are often pejorative.[citation needed] Direct-to-video release has also become profitable for independent filmmakers and smaller companies.[2]

Reasons for releasing direct to video[edit]




Animated sequels and feature-length episodes of animated series are also often released in this fashion.[6] The Walt Disney Company began making sequels to many of its animated films for the video release beginning with The Return of Jafar (the sequel to Aladdin) in 1994 and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (the second sequel to Aladdin) in 1996. Universal Studios also began their long line of The Land Before Time sequels that same year.


The family film segment is a major part of direct-to-video sales. According to the Los Angeles Times,



Physical format releases[edit]

Direct-to-video films screened theatrically[edit]


Other times, a direct-to-video movie may get a limited theatrical screening in order to build excitement for the actual release of the video such as was done for 2010's Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Batman the Killing Joke and Planet Hulk,[8] or 2013's Sharknado.


As DVDs gradually replaced VHS videocassettes, the term "direct-to-DVD" replaced "direct-to-video" in some instances.[9] However, the word "video" does not necessarily refer to videocassettes; many publications continue to use the term "direct-to-video" for DVDs or Blu-ray discs. Both disc-based release types may also be referred to as "direct-to-disc". A new term sometimes used is "DVD premiere" (DVDP).[10] Such films can cost as little as $20 million,[11] about a third of the average cost of a Hollywood release.[12] According to Variety, American Pie: Band Camp sold a million copies in one week, despite retaining only two actors from the original trilogy.[13]

Some direct-to-DVD releases recently have tended to feature actors who were formerly bankable stars such as Nicolas Cage, Bruce Willis, John Cusack, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Burt Reynolds, Mickey Rourke, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Ray Liotta, Adrien Brody, Brendan Fraser, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Christian Slater, Forest Whitaker, Ryan Phillippe, Sharon Stone, and Christopher Lambert. In 2005, salaries for some of these direct-to-DVD actors in the multimillion-dollar range from $2 to $4 million (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and $4.5 to $10 million (Steven Seagal), in some cases exceeding the actors' theatrical rates.[11]

Digital releases[edit]


Direct to iTunes is an online distribution method that avoids all upfront DVD production, marketing and distribution costs as well as upfront cinema distribution and marketing costs. Apple distributes the film for 30% of the revenue, while an additional 10–15% may go to the person who formats the film for iTunes compatibility.[14] The first independently produced feature-length motion picture to pursue the direct-to-iTunes marketing scheme was Ed Burns' Purple Violets, which debuted on iTunes on November 20, 2007. It was the first feature-length film to "premiere exclusively on iTunes". It was distributed exclusively on iTunes at a price of US$14.99 for a month before being made available through other distribution channels.[15] The movie, which was produced at a cost of $4 million, had premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, where it was reviewed positively, but only received modest distribution offers.[14] At the time of the Purple Violets release, most studios were not distributing via iTunes early in the process and only Walt Disney Studios, which was the first movie studio to distribute via iTunes,[14] was distributing at iTunes simultaneously with DVD distribution.[16] It was not very common for consumers to make digital movie purchases at the time.[17] The Polish brothers' 2011 For Lovers Only, which had virtually no production costs and was released to iTunes on July 12, is regarded as the first profitable feature length direct-to-iTunes product.[18] The direct-to-iTunes method is also becoming common with both books and music.




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

Japanese live action V-Cinema may serve as a stepping stone to greater things. Naoko Iijima started her career appearing on late night TV variety, and then focused on such V-Cinema titles as Strawberry Times 4 and Zero Woman: Final Mission (Zero WOMAN　警視庁０課の女 Zero Woman: Keishichō 0-ka no onna) before moving into a career in mainstream movies and TV. Cult director Takashi Miike has released quite a few of his works as V-Cinema perhaps preferring the freedom. Weather Report Girl (1995) starring Kei Mizutani is a rare case of a work being released to video, and then recalled by the maker, and released to theatres to considerable success. V-Cinema may be used for the sequels to a successful feature film (e.g. Zero Woman, Sasori, Kunoichi Ninpoden, Baka Yaro or Pantsu no Ana). The content can be sexier or more violent than a mainstream feature film.

In the case of anime, this is called original video animation (sometimes capitalized, and abbreviated OVA or OAV). They're often used to tell stories too short to fill a full TV season, or to take creative risk without pressures from TV studios and sponsoring companies[19] and were particularly common in the early 1990s. Sometimes OVAs garner enough interest to justify commissioning a full TV show, such as Tenchi Muyo!, El Hazard, and Read or Die.


See also[edit]


  19. ^ "Anime UK". 1 (1). 1991. 

Further reading[edit]
