Question about DVD sales and what it would take... by Oms

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Question about DVD sales and what it would take...

POSTED BY: OMS
UPDATED: Sunday, July 15, 2007 19:48
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Sunday, July 15, 2007 4:56 AM

Hey all,

I only discovered Firefly recently -- and want to do harm to myself for not being there to help everyone in the massive effort to get the film and series going again. Apologies, but I'm a lifer now, so I'll try and make ammends.

I've bought about a dozen copies of Firefly now for friends and family so far, and I wanted to know is there any way to get total DVD sales stats? I'm curious to know how many copies of Firefly and Serenity have been sold?

I'm also asking because I want to know what it'll take to get another movie or, gulp, TV series going.

Thanks,
OMS

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 5:23 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

First, welcome home. It's always nice to see new members of the crew signing on. Chow's in ten, no need to dress.

Unfortunately, the true numbers on sales is a closely guarded secret by the studios, available to only a select few. Not sure why, since for accounting purposes and residual payments, all of that information has to be checked and rechecked by several people.

I have seen reports that Firefly has sold over half a million sets (I think that is the highest figure I have seen), but I have no idea how reliable that is.

The most interesting thing about this whole phenomenon, in my opinion, is the fact that Firefly generates this enthusiasm in nearly everyone who discovers it. Can you think of another film or tv series that compells you to go out of your way to introduce to so many? Personally, I have given away eight sets to friends, one to the library, and have sold a few on ebay to spread the joy.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 6:14 AM

OMS

Thank you kindly for the welcome aboard. I've heard those sales figures as well, going back to a year ago at least. And I see that it's still hanging high in the Amazon top sellers, so I'm figuring it's got to be higher at this point - although studios like to misreport sales figures to create spin, so it's hard to know what the truth really is.

And I wholeheartedly agree that Firefly is a phenomenon without peer. Star Trek had three seasons to build a fan base and then took more than a decade to get a film made. I'm wondering when someone will realize that this show, this 'verse, has the potential to be another Star Trek or even Star Wars. "If you build it, they will come," that's the sense I get about Firefly. I think the poor box office results for Serenity were misleading. Firefly's popularity has taken word-of-mouth time to really spread to the masses (I count myself amongst them). I think if the movie were released today, the results would be much different.

Anyway, I'll be at Comic Con and will try and get to the Dark Horse/Whedon panel, see if I can gleen any new info and put a word in with the man himself. Was it over when the Germans bombeed Pearl Harbor?

One last note, regarding this forum: it lacks the rabid fanboy haters that infiltrate so many other boards. People are, what do you call it... civilized. It's refreshing.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 7:03 AM

SISTER

Welcome OMS...glad you are here (and please don't do yourself harm for having discovered Firefly so late - I did too and feel guilt still..) My husband and I just discovered the 'verse through the film "Serenity" then got the DVD's then kept (and we keep) asking ourselves with the swill that's offered on television these days...how in the hell did that marvelous show, Firefly get canceled???? (Insert deep, heavy, regretful sigh for the stupidity of those apparently in charge). Being here helps a lot...I've become a rabid voter on richlabonte.net/tvvote - for the 'best tv show ever'...you can vote once an hour 24/7...it's no doubt as pointless as most polls are but it makes me feel better! I'm also, thanks to this site, doing something I would NEVER have considered in my life - marching in the Dragon*Con (sci-fi/fantasy convention in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend) Parade...There is something about the Firefly/Serenity story that appeals on so many levels to so many different people...We have given the DVD's as birthday, holiday, just-cause-we-like you gifts since last August and hopefully continue to create new 'Browncoats' every week. I watch the numbers on Amazon as well and since the show was canceled FIVE YEARS AGO...the sales rarely have dipped out of the top 100....with the fall release of the 'collectors edition' of Serenity...somebody must notice someday...we keep hoping... again, welcome!

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 7:21 AM

DARKFLY

Firefly has easily over 1 million in sales as does Serenity since around 6 months ago they were both I heard to be in the region of 700,000.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.myspace.com/darkfly7

Want pics, vids, ringtones,ect releated to Serenity and Firefly
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=26986

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 7:45 AM

DONCOAT

The recently-published "Firefly Visual Companion Volume 2" gives the figure as "over 500,000" for the sales of the Firefly DVD set.

How far over, they don't venture to say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 2:38 PM

OMS

So somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 copies have been sold of each Firefly and Serenity. Carry the one and...yeah, that sounds like a lot of money. Enough to justify another shot at Firefly!

Maybe Joss burnt himself out and won't even touch Firefly again. Maybe the studio and TV execs still don't get it. Maybe there's some studio backlash at Joss -- he is, after all, a believer, and the studio/TV execs aren't; that kind of blind passion has the power to fracture the strongest of bonds.

In any event, time is running short for another run at Firefly/Serenity. With AB and SG in new shows, the obstacles are even greater -- not that I don't want them to succeed, I do, just not in their new shows (sorry), b/c success would likely spell the end of the done-the-impossible dream, part II. That said, I've already ordered my Serenity CE, will be giving out more Firefly sets soon, will keep spreading the word, and will keep believing.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 2:58 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Oms:
So somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 copies have been sold of each Firefly and Serenity. Carry the one and...yeah, that sounds like a lot of money. Enough to justify another shot at Firefly!

Maybe Joss burnt himself out and won't even touch Firefly again. Maybe the studio and TV execs still don't get it. Maybe there's some studio backlash at Joss -- he is, after all, a believer, and the studio/TV execs aren't; that kind of blind passion has the power to fracture the strongest of bonds.

In any event, time is running short for another run at Firefly/Serenity. With AB and SG in new shows, the obstacles are even greater -- not that I don't want them to succeed, I do, just not in their new shows (sorry), b/c success would likely spell the end of the done-the-impossible dream, part II. That said, I've already ordered my Serenity CE, will be giving out more Firefly sets soon, will keep spreading the word, and will keep believing.

I don't think we have another chance at Firefly itself, but I think that there is IMHO a reasonably good chance at Serenity2.

The BDH's success on new series will more than likely make another movie MORE likely. They will draw more and more into the 'verse. Just get out there and say "You like Nathan Fillion (or any BDH)in Desperate Housewives (or their current series) you should give this set of DVD's a look."

That's the way to draw more and more people into the 'verse. The more people in the 'verse + more DVD's sold, = Serenity2.

BTW TV actors do movies on their hiatus all the time so being in a series doesn't mean they can't do a movie.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

http://www.martinfirrell.com/supersecretthingy.html" target=_blank>

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 5:30 PM

OMS

You're right, my head knows that. My heart's just having a hard time accepting it. It's saying that Battlestar is going off the air next year and Sci-Fi doesn't have anything close to resembling it (that's in space, adventure, etc.) that might draw a similar audience. And that Firefly is so suited for TV b/c it gives the characters and story space to breath (thinking of all the Inara stuff cut from the BDM).

I'm on board with you, to the job.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007 7:48 PM

PARTICIPANT

Serenity sales have not been as high as the firefly series, we need to spread the word more

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