A PROJECT OUTLINE (short version)
of a planned catholic foundation for an international distribution of religious films
(special accent on relig. movies / series)
for the international tv / cable networks / streaming / theatrical /dvd-blue ray market
The central thought behind the project is: There are PLENTY OF GOOD RELIGIOUS FILMS (with a sound, christian message) which have not yet been distributed up to its potential considering the international market. I think especially of good elder productions. Especially for the strong growing streaming market one could buy feature films (or other genres) with very little risk (if the purchase price is moderate). So its a pity also from the standpoint of getting the christian message to run. To evangelize more through pictures of all genres, especially though through feature films / series and children productions.
An investment in film rights purchasing bigger packages and for longer periods is surely, also from the commercial point of view, a sound investment. One should also consider the Lords advice: “don´t gather riches in the world where they are perishing. Make yourself rich with treasures in heaven where they don´t perish”.
The catholic church and other christian churches stress often the importance of the film apostolate. We should have in mind the Lords command to the apostles before his ascention into heaven „go and teach all nations“. Considering the millions of „lost sheep“ – people on the search of meaning of life, in search for moral values, in search for a good basis to master everyday life (in families or on the job). With our often perverse moral situation / violence and depressions and suicides as common feature in our world a help, a remedy offered by the media makes very good sense
Now some practicle projects for a Christian media project: I, Karl Vospernik (see also my short biography at the end) have about 50 years of experience in running my own company (religious media distribution on an internat. scale) for founding (erecting) a foundation in Austria and the start of the practical initiativs to put into practice the foundation plan I would need 110.000 USD (or 100 000 €).
The foundation should be named as follows:
„Keryx - katholische Medienstiftung – Karl Vospernik“
Why a foundation as legal form? Because a foundation continues its work also after my dead and a foundation has in many western countries a solid protection by appropriate, solid laws. Once the foundation is set up there is also a good potential to make the foundation grow with continous and systematic fundraising (f. i. proposing collaboration with other media or humanitarian foundations asking for an investment in concrete projects of my foundation
The foundation should have (after a certain time to get it run)four departments
1. Fundraising f. i. also crowd funding and religious foundations etc.
2. Purchase & Acquisition of licences - copyrights (special accent religious features or series)
3. Sales department / working especially with agents resp. freelancers who would get their payment in form of a commission based on the success (to avoid a heavy overhead resp. regular salary payments)
4. Acquisition and international distribution also for selected religious books / music / audio books / computer games
Some ideas / examples regarding film titles for the international distribution (to check for which territories licences are still available)
- · Film on saints like St.- Francis of Assisi / Becket, Jeanne d`Arc etc.
- · films on apparitions like the “song of Bernadette” (Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje etc.)?
- · Bible stories (for adults or children) f.i. “the greatest story ever told”
- · Church history (like the English reformation – “a man for all seasons” or martyrs of faith from various centuries (f.i. “quo vadis”)
- · Conversion stories like Charles de Foucauld or Edith Stein
- · Miracle stories during the church history (like eucharistic miracles – documentaries )
· Testimonies of persons who found the faith- through study, miracles, experiences of men who were clinically dead and who came back to life (near death experience)
I have built up a movie / film database with 100es of titles since many years with addresses of producers etc.
Potential for sales is there – since the hunger for content remains also when the technique is changing (f.i. streaming companies like Netflix, internet on handys etc.) the watching of TV increased in the corona crisis or with people who have more free time (leisure time)
Considering the strategies for film acquisition one could approach various modes. F.i. buying on an outright (fix) price for bigger film packages (so the price for each title is cheaper) or not buying on a fix price but buying on an OPTION BASIS - f.i. option for one year for specific titles for specific territories / rights. This reduces the risk of outright buying since the option price (r.i. for one year for trying) is comparatively low.
An example calculation
description | expenses | revenues |
Sale of a package of 10 ´documentaries (life of saints f.i.) to a TV station
|
| 15.000 € sales price |
Cost of an option for one year for this smal film package | 1000 |
|
Outrigth price for the 10 title package (this price was already stated in the option agreement) | 7500 € |
|
Gross revenue |
| 6500 |
Acquisition and sales expenses (travel, phoning etc.) | 900 |
|
Net profit for the investor / foundation this can be shared on a basis (example) 70% for foundation and 30 % for investor |
| 5600 € |
50 % oft he net profit of this small investment for evangelization Is for the investor
Some examples of films (film groups-categories) for a possible acquisition here:
Documentaries (f.i. life of saints or outstanding personalities, apparitions, church history, church life – f.i. care for the poor, third world engangment, churhs social activities, life of saints and other personalities, church art – culture – architecture and the message in it etc.
· Feature films (already mentioned some samples like st. Francis, missionary life, exemplary sisters in convents and so on
· Meditations – on holy scripture (f.i. psalm prayers) or music with meaningful quotations from saints or wisdoms, poets etc. or nature – landscape / mountains etc. meditations on creation and so on
· Catechetical films – shorts – f.i. on the meaning of the holy sacraments
· Testimonies of conversions from a non Christian life style
· Children films - f.i. animation or feature – such as bible stories or short stories on meaningful lifes as a model
· TV series – f.i. on a Christian family life and how difficulties were overcome
Criteria for the selection of films for acquisition: in general it’s a team decision of a group of 3 experts. Often based on Christian film critics from various institutions of the church for this purpose
Language versions: If not available, in certain cases the buyer takes care for a translation / dubbing / voice over commentary. For bigger territories (like english speaking countries) one could invest in the foreign version IF THERE IS ALREADY A SURE BUYER. To make the language version on risk without a sale beforehand should happen rarely
Regarding the sales of licences – as mentioned above – one should generally work with agents specialized for a certain territory resp. group of countries. So one avoids the risk of a monthly overhead for employees.
A short biography of Karl Vospernik – the possible foundation founder
My homepage of my shop:
Online Medienangebot (www.katholischer-medienshop.com) containing about 1000 offers
For more questions:
Tel +43 463 287497 Mail = karlv@easyline.at Born 9.1.1940 – austrian citizen (Carinthia-south of Austria)
Basic schooling – elementary, grammar school. 3 years of apprenticeship in an office. 9 months of compulsory military service
2 years of hotel training school in Austria. Finished 1961. Some practical works in hotels for some months in Austria, in England, in Italy, in Switzerland
2 years preparation in evening courses for the college level (business administration) in Innsbruck (Handelsakademie _ Matura) 1963
One year study at University Innsbruck (national economy + latin language
1964 entry in the diocesan seminary for the catholic priesthood in Klagenfurt (Austria)- for 1,5 years study there (philosophy and theology)
About 6 months in France in a monastery - congregation Charles de _Foucauld
1967-1972 catholic theological studies at university of Vienna . finished with the batchelor degree (Absolutorium)
During the theology studies at Vienna also 1 year film TV studies at Vienna + 1,5 years religion teacher in a commercial school in Vienna (Handelsschule – 14-17 years students)
1972 Entry in a catholic congregation near Rome (Italy) – a monastery working worldwide in the apostolate of mass media
Continuation of my staying in the cathol. Congregation (society of St Paul) in USA (Ohio) for nearly one year.
1972 return to Austria where I started 1972 in Vienna my own company for the media apostolate in the spirit of our founder (film distribution for TV, lincenes buying and selling, cinema and media distribution for parishes resp. churches, monasteries and so on. For my company purposes I visited many film festivals resp. media business events in various countries. So I travelled also in about 15 countries during many years an perfected in this way also my language skills – 7 languages (German, French, Italian, Spanish, Slovenian, Croatian, English)
1981 I made my perpetual vows in the congregation Pauline family – secular Institute St. Gabriel
After 17 years of running my company in Vienna I changed the home base to the south of Austria (Carinthia) Here I started in 2011 also a bookshop within the other company activities an putting a stress in the course of the years also on online marketing (my online store = www.katholischer-medienshop.com
For some offer (donation) for our goals of evangelization we would be grateful and assure you of my spiritual support for your intentions (rosary, Holy Mass etc.)
Anadi Bank
Karl Vospernik
AT035200000455956587
Bic / Swift = HAABAT2KXXX
Here in the picture section of this file some extracts from our bank account regarding my catholic book shop