Mastering VOD Windowing: Strategies to Maximize Your Film's Revenue in a Crowded Digital Market

Taught by Chad Miller

$49.00

Taught by

Chad Miller

Founder and Manager at Cinema Machine Management

Summary

Learn from a VOD distribution veteran who’s helped launch thousands of titles across major platforms.

Walk away with strategies you can apply immediately to your own VOD launch or distribution deal.

Today, getting your film onto VOD platforms is easier than ever—but turning that access into real revenue is a different story. With so many release options, pricing models, and platform categories, understanding how and when your film appears across windows can make the difference between a title that quietly disappears and one that continues to earn. Whether you’re planning your own release or working with partners, you need to know how windowing actually works so you can protect your film’s long-term value and maximize every opportunity.

Too often, creatives assume that once a film is “on VOD,” the hard part is over, or that all platforms and windows function the same way. The reality is far more complex. You may sometimes drive your own strategy, and other times you’ll need to support a plan set by a distributor or aggregator—but either way, you’re operating in a marketplace with intense competition, shrinking windows, shifting pricing structures, and audience subscription fatigue. The old idea that “content is king” isn’t enough anymore; in today’s crowded ecosystem, knowledge of the marketplace is what gives you an edge.

You’ll be learning from Chad Miller, a veteran of the on-demand business with over 15 years of hands-on experience across every major phase of VOD’s evolution. Chad helped build AT&T U-verse from early testing to a nationwide service with millions of subscribers, worked directly with major studios to deliver top titles to audiences, and later joined Gravitas Ventures when it was still a small indie distributor—helping it grow while sourcing content for platforms like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. Today, as an independent consultant, he advises filmmakers, production companies, and service providers on smart, sustainable distribution strategies, giving him a rare 360-degree view of how deals and platforms really work.

In this webinar, you’ll break down what release windows actually are, why a diversified windowing strategy matters, and how Pre-VOD, TVOD, SVOD, AVOD, FAST channels, and exclusives all fit into a smart release plan. You’ll explore how pricing and window lengths vary by platform, how algorithms and presentation affect discoverability, how today’s blended models impact revenue, and what you should know about deal terms, splits, and international options. You’ll walk away with practical insight into how to position your film, protect your deals, and make informed choices that give your project the best chance to succeed in today’s digital marketplace.

PLUS! You will receive the handout to help you:

Guide to Top VOD Systems and Indie Content Aggregators/Sales Reps

PRAISE FOR CHAD'S TEACHINGS:

"Thank you for a seminar packed with useful information to help us move forward with our projects and for giving us actionable items." - Susan S.

"Loved it! Very informative if you're an indie filmmaker like myself. He had a lot of great points. He'd didn't beat around the bush at all. Straight forward info. Highly recommend this webinar!" Tery W

"Great webinar, great speaker - lots of great detailed info and tips for getting into this world." - Ron H.

"If I could give this webinar 10 stars i would! Amazing info! - Gershom H

What You'll Learn

In today’s digital marketplace, “VOD” encompasses a wide range of release windows, and understanding how to navigate them is critical to maximizing your project’s revenue potential. Sometimes you’ll have a direct role in shaping your windowing strategy. Other times, you’ll need to effectively support the approach set by a distributor or aggregator. In this webinar, you’ll gain a clear understanding of how VOD windowing strategies are designed—and how to make the most of them whether you’re driving the release or adapting to one already in place.

While the digital marketplace has been widely celebrated as “democratized,” the reality is far more complex. Yes, it’s easier than ever to launch a cross-platform, multi-window, global release—but lowered barriers also mean unprecedented competition. The idea that “Content is King” has evolved. In today’s crowded ecosystem, knowledge is the true advantage. With constantly shifting platforms, pricing models, and subscription fatigue impacting audiences worldwide, staying informed and agile has never been more essential. This webinar will help you cut through outdated advice and better understand how to position your project for success in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Windowing The Release of Your Film

What are windows
The importance of a well diversified release strategy
The players- Pre-VOD (Theater-At-Home), VOD, SVOD, AVOD, Fast Channels and Platform Exclusives

Understanding the differences between VOD/TVOD, SVOD and AVOD

Transactional Video-On-Demand (across cable/sat/telco & OTT platforms)
Why different platforms charge different prices for the exact same content
Why different platforms have different lengths for their availability windows
The different primary VOD platforms in each category (cable/sat/telco & OTT)

The landscape of Subscription Video-On-Demand (primary platforms & new upstarts)

The SVOD Explosion - the main consumer options today
Understanding pricing of the primary SVOD platforms.
The content options and mandates of the various SVOD platforms
A layout of the primary SVOD platforms.

The Landscape of Advertising Supported Video-On-Demand

How is this different from TV?
The main SVOD platforms
The new player on the block- YouTube Premium

The “Algorithm”

You keep hearing complaints about the “Algorithm” but what is it, really?
The business of Advertising customization & dynamic platform design..
Is “Curation” dead?
Nevermind custom curation, is customized content coming soon?

An overview of the variances of the way each title is presented within each window.

The Current State of Windowing Strategies

History & Evolution of Windowing
Today’s blending of models and understanding the value of each.
The phenomenon of shrinking windows and it’s effects
The state of the Theatrical window? Is it dead?

Windowing Deal Strategy Tips

Mind Your Split – what you should expect.
Understanding the revenue waterfall
The Standard Terms of Contract – and what is possible.
International Distribution Options
Windows – what you can request and expect.
Dictating your own windowing strategy
How NOT to blow-up a good deal.

Q&A with Chad

Who Should Attend

Independent filmmakers preparing to release a feature or series on VOD, SVOD, or AVOD platforms
Producers evaluating distribution offers and wanting to understand how windowing affects long-term revenue
Filmmakers considering self-distribution and needing clarity on platforms, pricing, and release timing
Writers and directors who want to better understand the business side of how their projects reach audiences
Creators navigating crowded digital marketplaces and looking for ways to stand out beyond just “getting on VOD”
Producers seeking to maximize both domestic and international revenue opportunities
Filmmakers frustrated by confusing or outdated advice about VOD, algorithms, and platform strategies
Anyone working with distributors, sales reps, or aggregators who wants to be a stronger, more informed partner in release planning

Executive

Chad Miller

Founder and Manager at Cinema Machine Management

My name is Chad Miller I have been working in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years. For the past baker's dozen of those years my career has been specifically focused on the business of on-demand entertainment. Back in 2002 cable companies were just beginning to explore the possibilities of "on-demand" entertainment. In fact, primarily content was available on a Pay-Per-View basis with customers being forced to press 'play' at a very specific time when the next available version of whatever they might want to watch would be made available. At iN Demand I helped schedule the content for availability, trying to squeeze in as many opportunities for customers to watch popular movies as the system would allow. For instance, if SPIDER-MAN (2002) has a run-time of 2 hours and 1 minute and iN Demand was willing to dedicate 4 different PPV channels to offering that film, my job was to work with the system administrators to schedule it as many times as possible. It was an infuriating experience for customers who could not pause the content and had to sit-down in front of their televisions (and only televisions) at a very specific time, pre-determined by yours truly.

Thankfully the true promise of an on-demand business landscape soon emerged and I joined the team at AT&T U-verse where I helped that product from it's conception with just 32,000 test subscribers in Texas to a point six years later when the service was available nationwide and had nearly 4 million active subscribers. At AT&T I worked with all of the major studios ensuring that both their big tentpole titles were available to customers and also helped evaluate new content from new content aggregators and distributors.

Which is how, after six years with AT&T, I found myself joining a small, independent distribution company called Gravitas Ventures. I was their 5th employee and during the time I was with their team it grew to more than 20 employees and was twice listed on Inc Magazine's "Fastest Growing Companies". That's a metric based largely on revenues, not employees. At Gravitas I was the person that sought out content for distribution at film festivals and also simply through referrals from executives at Amazon, Hulu and Netflix.

Presently I am an independent consultant providing distribution strategy advice to a wide range of people, from independent content creators, to established production companies looking to re-evaluate their distribution process, to encoding vendors who are seeking to bridge the gap between content creators and the platforms where customers are going.

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