How would you run an anime distributor?

[rocklobster]

I saw this on Anime NEws Network's Hey Answerman column, so I was wondering how you people would respond.
Here's what I'd do:
I would license every title for television. That way, I'd have a good chance of people knowing about my product. I'd also stream my anime on my online website. At conventions, I'd let ordinary people try their own hand at voice acting (sort of like a "dub idol") and might even get new talent that way. I'd still do the conventional methods too (ads in newspapers and such) As for licensing--no hentai. I don't think your business really needs to license that stuff to stay afloat.

[minakichan]

Hmmm, well, there's not necessarily a market for every title on TV, but yeah, I think the industry definitely needs some kind of TV-esque outlet. Seriously, in other places, you can watch your ad-run anime for maybe a tenth, a hundredth of buying a $25 DVD that you may or may not care about. There's a reason that usually more hardcore fans buy the OVAs in Japan, and that not everything IS OVA in Japan.

I think that instead, we need more ad-run streaming services of anime, for a flat monthly rate that emulates the TV system. And really, if you pay the anime producer company the money instead of a cable service, they would get a lot more money without a middleman. Japan already streams some of their latest anime eps on the web for a week; it wouldn't be that hard to just add subs. There are plenty of people out there capable of doing it in just a couple of hours, for no pay.

[creed4]

Start slow and build

[Fish and Chips]

Licensing ever Anime for Television broadcast is a pretty bad move, especially for niche' interest genres. You assume the market is much larger than it actually is.

Unless I had a title that appealed to a known demographic (action on Adult Swim), I'd push for a straight to DVD release. However, I'd offer the first couple episodes for all my properties streamed, and engage with the fansub community to keep on the pulse of the fans.

And collector's boxes will be packaged with the last DVD in a set. It annoys me when they do it for the first release, before you know if you even want to continue.

[mitsuki lover]

Hire Haruhi Suzumiya to run it!

[jaems-kun]

what does Haruhi care about anime?

[AsianBlossom]

Ahh...*daydreams about running her own otaku supply store...either that or a video game merchandise store*

If distributors include stores, then I'd want to run my own "otaku supply store" or...yeah, you saw the thing at the top of this post. But seriously, I think it would be fun. Nothing adult/M-rated, NO hentai or yaoi/yuri, and plenty of Japanese merchandise and snacks. ^_^

[Rocketshipper]

I would try and keep up with the japanese release of episodes, to reduce the gap between a show airing in Japan and being avalible legally for purchase/viewing in the US. I would also, (unless it was financially impossible) have a *minimum* of 6 episodes on a DVD, and always try to release box sets for all my shows, at some point after the individual DVDs had been released.

[mitsuki lover]

I was being partly facetious.Though seriously you would have to have someone like Haruhi who is a self starter be involved as it's one of those buisness that involves a lot of work to get off the ground and it would be a plus to have a self starter in charge of things.

The obvious question is what type of products would you sell.For instance would you include hentai or not in your stock.This has to be a practical consideration as most online anime stores do stock hentai because it sells.