Is Physical Media Dying In Australia? An Exclusive Interview with Umbrella Entertainment
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- You've seen the headlines, you've heard the speculation. With Disney currently not releasing discs in Australia, what does this mean for the future of physical media? Find out in this EXCLUSIVE interview with Umbrella Entertainment, one of the amazing companies keeping discs alive in Australia and beyond!
Remember to save 15% on your Umbrella order by using code CEREAL15 at checkout, or use this link: shop.umbrellaent.com.au/disco...
The Umbrella Interview: Heath speaks with Umbrella Founder Jeff Harrison - • Umbrella Entertainment...
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Every Umbrella Entertainment Video from Cereal At Midnight: • Umbrella Entertainment
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The Umbrella Interview: Heath speaks with Umbrella Founder Jeff Harrison - ua-cam.com/video/6TdSVv7Jmdc/v-deo.html
Six Shooter Classics Spotlight: ua-cam.com/video/xT8O7SrT2jI/v-deo.html
Every Umbrella Entertainment Video from Cereal At Midnight: ua-cam.com/play/PLms82QIo-B9mlEpgpwcKtc6dWf4-onDJ5.html
Thanks for the great info, Heath. James is a great guy to deal with at Umbrella. That label is putting out high quality niche stuff here and has an increasing fanbase here. I'm really happy to hear they're doing well. It bodes well for the future of physical media in Australia.
Australian companies have been instrumental in my personal collecting journey. I was crushed when Random Space Media recently closed as they were one of the only 3D distributors.
Disney getting back into physical media is a sign that there is a potential resurgence as Vinyl had for the last dozen or so years. Thriving Omnibus and collected editions in physical media not to mention books never went away.
I do hear the rumblings of physical media disappearing from Australia & New Zealand but that hasn’t much to do with actual demand. Disney is waking up to the fact there is more to be made from physical media per customer than streaming. Of course Disney has been allowing boutiques to pick up the slack as well as the Disney Movie Club.
As always the sheer number of physical titles that are selling out before preorders are filled and have to go to reorders from the manufacturers speaks volumes
Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers got a complete series Blu Ray in the US and it’s region free so you should import it as I have!
Disney really dropped the ball when it comes to Australia. But Disney is just one studio they're not the whole market. It's not any consolation but they can always import. The physical media market is transforming but it's not going anywhere. Anyway great interview and cool video Heath!👉😃👈
Great interview and good to get some insights into one of our local Aussie labels. Personally I've never felt physical media is dying. Every year I spend more and more and have to let more titles go by as I simply can't afford everything coming out let alone the space I require to store them. Physical media seems pretty healthy to me bit I agree it's become more niche (and therefore more expensive!).
Been loving some of Umbrellas releases this year and I guess Razorback 4k deluxe set and the Sky Pirates one you showed were amongst my favorites. I just hope Umbrella can get us some HD scans of the Man From Snowy River films! 4k would be nice but I'd be more than happy with some decent 1080p Blu rays. I was hoping we'd see them as part of the Sunburnt Screens range but it seems Umbrella have ended that line. A shame as I really loved that series as well as the Ozploitation series and even the Beyond Genres series was pretty cool.
I LOVE this so much! Umbrella is one of my favorite distributors, and James seems like a reasonable guy when it comes to the retail/consumer market...Film fans!
They do such a great job, and take obvious care to cater to collectors and lovers of movies. I just wish they were more accessible here in the states, but the logistics are understandable. I do find myself waiting for sales, if a domestic shop has it available, or ultimately paying a premium when they release something I absolutely "need." ;)
Great conversation. Thank you James, and thanks as always Heath!
Thanks! I find Deep Discount to be a good resource for Australian discs in the USA, for those wanting to bypass the international shipping fees associated with importing one or two titles.
Thank you (and Umbrella) very much for the interview! Being from Australia, it's refreshing to see transparency from a local distributor! In recent years, Umbrella has become my favourite Aussie distributor; they remind me of how much I loved Madman 15 - 20 years ago, but I wish Umbrella would release more Asian cinema titles.
Madman used to have a great label dedicated to Asian films called Eastern Eye, but that label died a long time ago, and most, if not all, of the Asian titles they release these days get the bare bones treatment. It's frustrating cause Madman still acquires great films and gives them a theatrical release, so more often than not, I enjoy these films so much at the cinema that I'm immediately looking forward to the film's home release, only to see that film come out on blu-ray with no extras, or they just release it on dvd! Umbrella has been guilty of this too, with them giving "Project Wolf Hunting" a dvd-only release after releasing it in cinemas. That's a question I'd love to see you ask Aussie distributors: if they already have somewhat of an idea when they acquire a title for theatrical release what formats they'll eventually release that title on for its home release?
Here's hoping one day you'll be able to interview someone from Madman (I'm personally not interested in hearing from someone from Imprint; I'm aware they're a sister or child company to Madman, and I do appreciate the work and effort they put into their releases, but sadly, none of the titles they've released so far have caught my interest.).
Chameleon Films is another local company I'd love to see you interview someone from. While I wish their releases were more frequent, I do understand they're still a young company with not as many resources and manpower as the other companies. I do love that their focus is on Asian cinema, though!
Sorry for the long message, but transparency from Aussie distributors has been something I've been wanting to see for years, so it was great to come across your interview, and I hope to see many more in the future!
More Asian titles coming!
@@jameskeogh534 Great to hear!
Love Umbrella! I mean, they put out TWISTED NERVE in an exemplary release that's nowhere else to be found... Great news re the many lost Aussie flicks. The all star TRUE LOVE AND CHAOS would be grand.
Thanks, Heath! And James!
Greetings from the UK! I resent the idea of a digital-only future, the streaming market is getting out of hand, there’s the issue of possibly never again being able to consume certain media legally again and I feel it’s important that we ALWAYS have the option of buying hard copies of our favorite media! Because Australia uses the same region as Region B, I’ve imported certain titles from down under that aren’t available over here: no UK Blu Ray release of Dreamworks movie The Bad Guys? I imported the Aussie Blu Ray! No UK 4K Blu Rays of Sing 2 or Minions 2? I ordered the Aussie 4K Blu Rays of those 2! Furthermore, Netflix and Disney+ cracking down on password sharing only strengthens the argument for physical media! I don’t know if Smallfilms TV shows like The Clangers, Bagpuss and Ivor The Engine mean anything to many Australians but if those shows are childhood memories of yours, they’re on the way to Blu Ray here in Britain and being Region B, Aussies, Africans and residents of New Zealand can import! All I can suggest for now is to buy all the DVDs and Blu Rays brand new that you can and if we all band together, we can keep physical media alive!
Being from Australia, I am proud of our local releases in the past 4-5 years, it's just amazing. I have not ordered from the USA or UK for a very long time and I can now get more obscure and limited releases here in Oz. Often the quality/extras/packaging is right up there with overseas product. Yes, there are still some titles is like to see released locally, but we've certainly come a long way. Let's keep it up !!
Great interview, one that covered a lot of bases. Good job, Heath.
Disney in Australia is probably hoping to drive more people to subscribe to Disney+ - which is kind of a huge shame and it misses the point in most respects.
Yep, I think Disney in Australia is doing the same thing they're doing everywhere else: pushing people to their streaming service because they're losing millions of subscribers every month.
@@CerealAtMidnight The thing is, some people will never subscribe to any paid streaming service. I know I won't - never have, never will - and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. So, by locking titles behind subscriptions they're effectively removing both an income stream for, and access to those films for a subset of the population.
I've found at least one title that is simply not available in any physical format (not even VHS), and Disney licensing won't deal with individuals who want to buy a copy from them directly.
It _is_ available on DIsney+, but only with a subscription. You can't even buy a digital copy. It might be available somewhere in the far reaches of the high seas but I couldn't find it. Which means the only chance I have of ever seeing it is to hope it appears on TV one day. I suppose I could bug a bunch of labels to have it licensed but it's so obscure there's little chance of it ever making a financial return.
What a shame.
Too enthusiastic? Nah, man! Your enthusiasm is your draw. Thanks for sharing with us!!
I bought Dead Kids and Lieutenant Jangles through your link Heath about a year ago and they are fantastic Blu rays to own. I’ve got to admit as an Australian who watches American UA-camrs such as yourself that I need to remember Aussie companies. I wouldn’t have heard of Umbrella if not for you so thank you for getting the word out. I worry about blu rays from the USA not working in my player and immediately think of ordering from the UK but need to consider what we already have here beyond JB HI-FI. Really interesting video!
As far as I know, you're region 4 in Australia, just like all the south and central American countries. Maybe you can order discs from there. Colombia, Brazil and Mexico are huge markets. That could be an option if have no problem with spanish/portuguese language covers.
Thanks! Australia has one of the coolest boutique Blu-ray scenes in the whole world. It has been really bothering me to see so much gloom and doom from so many people in Australia when there's still a thriving collector market and retail stores that people can shop for new releases--which is increasingly something that other countries don't have, including America.
That's why you get a region free player you don't have that wrong region code bs that way
Great interview Heath! I love Umbrella and especially their special editions. Thank you for the 15% off code. With the shipping to the US being pricey it helps!
Heath thanks again! I really enjoyed your interview with Umbrella. They are doing great work. That Sky Pirates release was incredible. I really like hearing they are having bigger growth this year. The Physical Media environment is awesome right now. Keep up the great work!
A lot of non Australians forget this has affected heaps with Disney pulling out. because its not just Disney branded stuff its all the fox stuff a sub companies for example no Titanic release no James Cameron movies etc. its basically doubled the price of getting a movie overnight.
Fantastic interview and nice to hear a local accent haha! 🐨 you’re in for a treat with Sky Pirates!
I watched Sky Pirates! What a bizarre movie. It's got some problems (in an interview from 2008, the producer and screenwriter calls it "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Crap"), but it does have a lot of cool things going for it, too. The Blu-ray is outstanding!
@@CerealAtMidnightKeep pushing this message, Heath. There’s too much doom and gloom in the physical media online communities. And this false proclamation that it’s dying may cause people to not participate as enthusiastically - or at all. So, I welcome you sharing this message repeatedly. It’s a needed service for the community.
We literally have no other store now to buy physical media instore at JB Hi-Fi. Disney don’t want to release them anymore. We have a few companies still releasing them. They’ll keep selling but the market will slow down and in 2 years we might not even have anything left to buy
Hopefully you've watched this video, which directly contradicts some of your points with facts. As for JB Hi-Fi, you can cut out the middle man and buy directly from Umbrella and the other labels you're interested in supporting. This is not a uniquely Australian problem, it's a global problem: brick and mortar is dying.
@@CerealAtMidnight if I buy from a store I save money, too expensive online. And no I didn’t watch all of it
Hey Adrian@@ActionJackson1982
Just waiting for December when umbrella releases stigmata on blu-ray
It costs so much to get stuff sent out to Australia there is actually an incentive to get stuff physically still.
Guardians 3 was the last Disney release here in Australia, sadly. And you’re right, retailer Sanity (who are relatively small) posted on Facebook saying to buy Disney whilst you can and were kinda vague. And it blew up from there - and they removed the post after a few days.
It will be interesting to see if Disney titles just completely disappear from their website or they'll actually reduce the prices until all their stock is sold.
Yeah!! JB did a sale on Disney at the time, but that’s over now!
Yep, it started with a click bait post with no official source or statement, and it all spiraled from there. I traced at least a dozen other reports back to that single "news" item. So many people think Disney officially announced they were leaving Australia, but they never did. For all we know, they're shopping third parties to pick up the slack. We just don't know.
They expressed interest in my idea of importing UK Disney Blu Rays but haven’t heard anything further on that matter!
three months on and I can confirm they left and Guardians 3 was the last. Also means no titanic, true Lies, The Abyss etc the price has doubled now due to imports @@CerealAtMidnight
We have a couple good boutique labels in Australia, but man do we miss out on so much awesomeness Europe & the U.S get & our currency is so weak that importing is paying double or even triple what it would be if it were released locally.
Are you checking out the prices through www.cinemaniacshomemedia.com.au? It's being run by Lee Gambin and a few other devoted Aussies who want to bring the world's releases to Oz.
That site literately confirms what he said Titanic for example if it had an Australian release would be around $38 AUD now it's basically double at $70. @@CerealAtMidnight
he seems chill - never heard of Sky Pirates before!
Great interview. Two Australian films I'm praying Umbrella release in 4K are Fortress (1985) and Summerfield (1977).
Man, Fortress really freaked me out.
You won't have too long on Summerfield :)
Grundy still has Fortress and will not give up the rights
Yet another great interview Heath. Loving Umbrella. I grabbed the 3 Korean films by Kim Jee Woon that they put out recently. All three are fantastic. I Saw The Devil, A Bittersweet Life and A Tale of Two Sisters. Must watches the lot.
I'm in Australia. I'm getting my Disney blu rays from Amazon UK.
I live in the UK and although not Disney movies, I ordered my 4K Blu Rays of Sing 2 and Minions 2 from Australia due to those 2 titles not getting 4K releases here in Blighty! The Bad Guys didn’t even get a regular Blu Ray release over here so I resorted to Australian import for that title too!
As an Australian, while boutique labels like Umbrella are doing some GREAT work, it still REALLY SUCKS that Disney pulled out of the physical media market in Australia - especially as someone who's a massive animation and Disney fan. I was completely devastated and enraged when I heard the news. Hopefully, Disney will reverse this decision sometime in the future - because as we've seen Streaming isn't turning out to be the moneymaker that these studios hoped it would be.
Prior to this news, I was planning on buying Elemental on Blu-Ray... yeah I can still order it from overseas, but it's more expensive that way.
I say import as many Disney Blu Rays as you can! UK Blu Rays are Region B just like Australia’s so import from there!
@@adultmoshifan87 I imported VHS tapes from the UK many years ago. So many titles available in Widescreen format, that just were not released here.
@@adultmoshifan87The thing about importing from the other side of the globe is the additional costs involved, delays or extended shipping times, the recurring instances of damage or loss during transit. It all adds up and will squeeze many collectors and physical media lovers out because costs are excessive.
Great video. Heavily agree on the Australian market, i feel they have movies you just cant get anywhere else. For myself, i love adventure movies and Imprint are releasing loads, now Unbrella with this 'Indiana Clones' title. For a genre that was so successful decades ago, theres a severe lack of releases of this genre. I only buy Region B (so i can keep a tight hold of spending) and there is almost no label that release movies of this genre.
I wish Umbrella would produce an updated disc of Muriel's Wedding. Please, somebody!
That may be impossible because Roadshow still owns the rights to this film, unless if the rights has expired already then maybe there might be a chance that either Umbrella or Via-Vision/Imprint could get their hands on it but that's just my thoughts.
Australian posting. I spent most of my life collecting VHS then DVD. Not the same anymore. Harder to get a quality DVD player. Lack of discs in stores. Personally, I keep my very favourite TV shows on DVD (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Adam West Batman, etc) but I have lost the passion for collecting DVDs in Australia. Stu
Australia went full : You'll own nothing and you'll be happy. Never go full : You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.
Well put!
This was news to certain countries, but for the majority of the world (developing countries) physical media has been dead for years, due to streaming and digital storefronts.
Disney did that. That wasn’t Australia’s choice.
However streaming is a separate market from the physical media market. Streaming is the rental subscription market which is the casual viewer market, a larger but quite separate market
No, Disney’s Australian arm pulled out of the market. Umbrella, ViaVision/Imprint, Madman/Crunchyroll, Roadshow and others are still going over here. The sky isn’t falling.
Wonder what movie they have been restoring for a year already in 4K.....Gallipoli perhaps, Crocodile Dundee...
Very interesting because here, in France, Disney will be distributed next year by an independent video publisher, ESC distribution. Besides, they already distribute in addition to their own titles, Paramount, Sony, Gaumont and soon Universal too! A very different video market distribution landscape!
I fully expect that to be the future for Disney: allowing third parties to release some of their movies. There's simply too much money to be made! But right now Disney is focused on purchasing Hulu and paying the 9.2 billion dollar bill to do that. 2024 will probably see some serious movement with Disney's catalog.
Excellent interview Heath.
Any chance of having a chat with someone from Imprint?
Love your work by the way. 👌
Imprint/ViaVision did not respond to my request. I've asked for an interview multiple times.
My local libraries carry about four hundred 4K’s now. When you filter through them, all are getting reserved, except for the Disney releases. Anyone who has kids stream through Disney+. They aren’t selling much of their discs for kids, so it’s not a real concern for the rest of the market.
Hello Cereal At Midnight,
Did you hear that Target is pulling out of the physical media market too? It's heartbreaking. What do we do when we hear such discouraging news? Is there any hope for Blu-Rays & DVDs at this point?
Erick, multiple companies reporting record profits, month after month, year after year. Brick and mortar stores aren't physical media, physical media is FOREVER. We are living in a golden age, but you won't find it in retail stores anymore. If in doubt, please watch this video. ua-cam.com/video/IAXYW5XPwW0/v-deo.html
The Problem we have here in Australia is if you do get past one Major retailer being JB HIFI buying division it is hard to remain viable i am glad we have Umbrella and Imprint Regards Trevor
Mannn I wish Imprint, Umbrella and Chameleon Films would get ioss registered so ordering from them outside Australia would be possible without the packages getting caught in customs...
II only order from those companies from places here in the States. #1 DiabolikDVD. #2 Orbit DVD. and lastly Grindhouse Video.
Please make a 4k of Two Hands. 🙏🙏🙏
☂ They're just up the road from me, I might see if I can pop in and say hello. Obviously I'd ring up first, not just turn up or anything.....
Great stuff. Disney DOES NOT represent physical media anymore and they've been off that wagon for a while. I just wish they didn't control 20th Century Fox as well but that's another matter. Personally I have no Australian labels in my collection (so far) mainly because they're kind of a pain to order from where I'm at, but I salute each and every one of them.
Most of the biggest selling titles of the last 8-10 years have been Disney titles. If they pull out of the disc market, many plans will close which will lead to higher prices for boutiques and consumers.
What really annoys me about Disney is that they have an incredible back catalogue of films from the likes of Touchstone Pictures that have never had a blu-ray release. Its saddens me that we are unlikely to see some of the great movies ever get the HD treatment they deserve.
We'll get 'em one day, I believe. I think 2024 will see the floodgates open. The Disney acquisition of Hulu should be complete by the end of 2023 and then they'll be tapping every revenue stream possible...at least I hope that's what happens.
Their 4k's are sdr ,no hdr or dolby vision
Great films and Tv series
Muriel’s Wedding - please!!
"Physical media is not dying! And this will be my last video on that topic." - Heath, like 2 years ago 😄
Silly me for thinking people would actually watch and listen to what I was saying and stop acting like the end is near. I'm serious, I still get the "physical media is dying" comments EVERY DAY, no exaggeration. This video exists because some people still haven't gotten the message.
The 4K restorations on Blu-ray disc versus 4K UHD disc is an interesting question but one that is easily explainable.
1) Even though the 4K market is dedicated, it is a smaller market share. 2) 4K manufacturing costs are much higher. 3) Many of these films are restored in 4K resolution but are NOT given new high dynamic range (HDR) grades. So there's an extra cost/work association, something which isn't always going to look as good on specific titles to warrant the cost differential and more complicated questions (speaking to cinematographers about use of HDR, etc.)
I only worry about 4K versus Blu-ray production questions if it's a new film already produced/available in 4K and it is obvious a major studio/distributor is simply holding out with the intention of "double dipping" fans. This is clearly happening with some major film studios to get extra sales. However, in these cases, the HDR grading already exists. So that is a different issue that irks.
4k and bluray is a collectors market.....i hope the Possession release by Umbrella is the original full unrated unbastardised version. Saying that charging $40-$60 you do expect limited editions, slipcovers, steelbooks, poster, extra stuff kinda.... like VS Showgirls 4k.....👏 🎉that just an amazing release.
Australia do missout on many 4k steelbooks so a Multiregional bluray 4k player is a no brainer.... sorry JBHIFI your selection range is poor.
Unfortunately now we left with Amazon, Ebay, and..... Umbrella sounds promising.
Here in my coutry is dead for the last 5 years
Where you're from?
Will Disney please reprint the original 2003 2D animated clone wars Star Wars show on blu ray?
Why Is Disney pretending that amazing series doesn’t exist?
Heath yet again ignoring facts, show us a sales chart graph for sales by year from the birth of dvd. He likes to ignore all the facts and criticise anyone who argues with him. I will agree that physical has become niche but that is because its dieing and the obly people buying are the collectors. This isnt good news as with Umbrella most releases are old movies and anything new will be straight to streaming platforms.
It's not my intention to argue, but rather a plea for people who think that the decline of mainstream sales and the rise of the boutique collector market equals death. Hear me: nobody is saying that discs haven't decreased in sales numbers. They have. But that has led to a collector market that isn't just growing, it's thriving. Some of you guys really, really, really, really, really want physical media to die so you can say "see, I told you so," but you're going to be waiting a long time. In the meantime, I'm going to be enjoying my collection.
Sorry. So much Word Salad. This fella was non committal in all he said.
And you didn’t ask the right questions.
No.1 if sales are On a decline - he is certainly not going to tell you this. As it could have an adverse impact and make others ditch the format!
No.2. Month on Month sales are pointless.
Should have asked about year on year.
I’m sure there is a truth in what he says. But if all he’s ‘sharing’ is that past 2 or 3 months. It means nothing.
A company will put a positive spin on anything.
And a positive spin can be created easily.
He said for the past two years, they've seen month-after-month growth. Dude was totally transparent about the risks and challenges of the market. And if sales WEREN'T great, he didn't have to say anything about them.
You've created a no-win scenario. A Kobayashi Maru, if you will. If he tells the truth and it's positive, you think he's lying. If he said nothing, you'd complain that he didn't have anything to say. And if he had said things were a struggle right now and the Australian market was in decline, you'd say "see, it's all dying" to confirm a bias. There's no positive outcome here for you. And the only reason I'm commenting is because I see it too often in fandom and I hope that we can stop being so negative and start being more optimistic.
How about we reframe the narrative? An employee of a company that historically doesn't do many interviews decided to go on the record to speak about Disney, one of the biggest studios in the world, a studio that has angered an awful lot of people through their negligence of the collector market. It's a bold move, and one that no other Aussie company was willing to do. A lot of people are afraid of Disney. This took guts.
Like many people in fandom, you’re equating pessimsm with truth. If things were as bad as you’re assuming, we wouldn’t hear “spin” like this. They’d just abruptly up stakes and shut down like Kicks, Disney Australia and Random Space Media did.
@@lexx2847random house literally said they closed up due to low sales. Same as kicks. Sales charts don’t lie.
@lexx2847 People seem to bend over backwards to be negative and pessimistic. Fandom has a streak of misery running through it a mile long. It's sad, more than anything, because they're so busy predicting the death of cool things that they're apparently not enjoying much of any of it.
@@CerealAtMidnight it’s called ‘Realist’
Physical media isn't dying anywhere. I'm sure in Australia they can find bootlegs
😂