Amazon Prime Video release

[Stan]

On the night it dropped on prime and I was watching it, for the first time in my experience the movie was lagging and freezing. Never had that happen before on prime with my high speed internet. I think a lot of folks were watching it

[JupiterCallisto]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet but the redubs for 1.11-3.33 got rid of the NEPs.

But they didn't? They removed the references to "more fanservice" but the previews are still there. They even make a new pun with "Q" which seems like evidence of them not being held to as strict of a completely literal translation policy as the Netflix script.

When I watched them the night of they were missing but they're here now. How strange.

[FelipeFritschF]

I thought I could post this in the Oficial Social Media thread, but I suppose it's better to discuss it here.

An interview with Khara's VP, Tomoyuki Ogata, explaining their decision to go with Amazon instead of Netflix or... Disney +:

https://xtrend.nikkei.com/atcl/contents ... bpnxr_twbn

DeepL'd  SPOILER: Show

Directed by Hideaki Anno, "Shin Evangelion: The Movie" has grossed over 10 billion yen at the box office, and has chosen the video distribution service Amazon Prime Video as the means to bring the work to the world. The film has been distributed exclusively in more than 240 countries and regions including Japan since August 13, 2021. We interviewed Tomoyuki Ogata, Executive Vice President of Color, the company that produced the film, and Takashi Kodama of Amazon Japan to find out why they decided to distribute the film less than a month after the screening.
Shin-Evangelion the Movie" will be distributed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and regions worldwide from August 13, 2021.
Shin Evangelion: The Movie will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video from August 13, 2021 in over 240 countries and regions worldwide.
Click on the image to enlarge.

　Shin Evangelion the Movie" (Shin-Eva) was released in theaters on March 8, 2021. While many theatrical productions are struggling due to the Corona disaster, it has recorded a total box office revenue of over 10 billion yen, making it the most viewed film released in Japan in the first half of 2009 (as of July 18, 2009, according to Box Office). At the same time, it was announced that the film would be distributed exclusively for Prime members on Amazon Prime Video starting August 13.
The decision to work with Amazon was based on e-commerce.

　In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of cases where distribution begins soon after the screening or at the same time as the theatrical release. For "Shin-Eva," too, it was an inevitable step," said Tomoyuki Ogata, executive vice president of Color (Suginami, Tokyo), which produced the film. Tomoyuki Ogata, executive vice president of Color (Suginami, Tokyo), the company that produced the film, said, "Delivering works to fans in Japan and around the world through platforms such as SVOD (subscription video delivery service) and AVOD (advertisement-based video delivery service) is in line with the current situation. We approached Amazon and made it happen," he said.

　If you ask me, there was a circumstance in which the plan to release the movie itself was disrupted by Corona. The original plan was to release the film in June 2008. The original plan was to release the film in June 2008, but it was postponed for more than half a year, and the plan for the overseas release went back to the drawing board. It was during this process that the idea of "utilizing distribution" emerged.

　At that point, however, Amazon was only one of the platform options for Color. On the other hand, for Amazon, obtaining the distribution rights for "Shin-Eva" was a boon. Takashi Kodama, General Manager of Amazon Prime Video Japan Content Business Division at Amazon Japan (Meguro, Tokyo), explains why.

　"The most important thing for us is to provide as much content as possible that Prime members will enjoy. However, with the postponement and cancellation of theatrical releases in the wake of the Corona disaster, the number of new movies available for distribution (that have already been released theatrically) has been decreasing. In order to secure as much fresh content as possible in such a situation, we were in talks with more producers and production companies.

　One of the reasons Color ultimately chose Amazon was the breadth of its distribution network. Currently, Netflix, Disney's Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are the world's three largest video services, and among them, Amazon Prime Video now has a distribution area of 240 countries and regions, more than any of its competitors.

　In addition, Mr. Ogata pointed out the high degree of linkage with the EC development of merchandise sales, such as DVDs and other video and music products, as well as many goods and related books. "Color's main business is video production, but goods, toys, and hobbies are also major sources of revenue. We thought that Amazon, with its close proximity to video distribution and merchandising, would be a good place to distribute the Eva series. Also, in some ways, rather than being a color work, Anno Hideaki himself has become content, and Amazon was the right place for us to create an environment where people can look back on Anno's past works as well as the latest ones, including those not produced by us. Ogata explains.
Easy to create a marketing peak

　Amazon's distribution of "Shin-Eva" in more than 240 countries and regions around the world, not long after its screening in Japan ended, brought about a situation where the film landed for the first time in countries other than Japan through Amazon. This is called "DTS (Direct to Stream)," which is a method of distributing theatrical movies directly. In overseas markets, including Disney, the number of new movies with DTS is on the rise, and there is a sense that consumers are supporting it.

　According to a survey conducted in June 2009 by Hub Entertainment Research, a U.S. research firm, targeting 3,000 U.S. consumers aged 14-74 who watch at least one hour of TV per week, among those who plan to watch new movies in the next one year, those who said they will mainly watch them at home (38%) and those who said they will mainly watch them in movie theaters (38%) were the most likely to say they will watch them at home. The number of people who said they would mainly watch movies at home (38%) and those who said they would mainly go to theaters (36%) were almost equal, and about a quarter (26%) of all respondents said they planned to use both. In the U.S., there is no sign of a return to the pre-Corona common practice of choosing only movie theaters in the future.

　In addition, video distribution services are replacing the role of rental video in reaching light users. Here, too, the number of users whose first exposure to a new movie is through a video distribution service is likely to increase.

　DTS not only responds to these simple changes in consumer behavior, but "actually has the advantage of being easy to market," Amazon's Kodama points out.

　With the conventional method of expanding to video distribution services after the theatrical release, there is a time lag in the timing of viewing a film depending on the country or region. However, "with DTS, we can reduce that time gap and roll out almost simultaneously around the world. This means that it is easier to create marketing peaks. The higher the peak, the longer the impact is likely to last. For a work like "Shin-Eva," which has always had a strong following overseas, DTS will also help to attract new fans.

　(Kodama) In fact, with the release of Shin-Eva, all four of the previous Evangelion films, "Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.0 You Can (Not) Redo" (2007), "Rebuild of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" (2009), and "Rebuild of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" (2012), are now available. This will make it easier for people who have never seen the "Evangelion" series before to get into the game.

　On July 23, 2009, Anno personally appeared at Comic-Con@Home, an online event for the pop culture festival San Diego Comic-Con. He personally appeared at the Comic-Con@Home event held at the San Diego Comic-Con, a pop culture festival, on July 23, 2009, and announced that the film would be distributed worldwide through Amazon Prime Video. I think it's safe to say that the aforementioned effect of simultaneous and integrated marketing around the world is showing.

　This is supported by the fact that the number of views on the first day of distribution of "Shin Eva" broke the all-time record for all the movies distributed by Amazon Prime Video since it started its service in Japan in 2003.
Theatrical, distribution, and package fans are different

　On the other hand, there is a general concern that starting distribution on video distribution services soon after the end of screenings may affect other businesses, especially Blu-ray and other package sales. Mr. Ogata responded, "I don't think that's necessarily the case. Mr. Ogata answered, "I don't necessarily think so," because he believes that although there is an overlap between theaters, distribution, and fans who come into contact with works through packages, they are not equal.

　"It usually takes time from the theatrical release to package sales. It usually takes a long time from the time of the theatrical release to the time of package sales, and this tendency is even stronger for Eva, since she is very particular about her work, brushing up the images and creating special features for the packaging. For the fans who still wait, the package is not just for viewing the work, but it is also a collector's item. It's a different way of enjoying from fans who watch the distribution. In fact, it may be an advantage to provide such fans with an environment where they can watch the work until the package is sold by distributing it early," says Ogata. Moreover, he believes that this trend is stronger for niche works.

　So how do you think the increase in overseas distribution by DTS will affect the production of your works? As Anno answered, "We are making works for Japanese users in Japanese language, for Japanese audience," I don't think the distribution model will have a direct impact. However, it is a fact that no anime studio can think of a business model without distribution anymore, and I am looking forward to the changes that will allow creators to benefit more from the global expansion of DTS", was Ogata's answer.

　The worldwide distribution of "Shin-Eva" is currently just "an expansion of the means to deliver works. However, it is only a matter of time before it changes from a means to a tactic. This is because DTS, which goes beyond countries and regions to deliver works directly, will shorten the time axis of global business to an infinite extent.