Louis C.K., a Self-Distribution Success Story

Many people know about the hilarious comedian Louis C.K. but did you know he is of Mexican and Hungarian descent? (IMDB Profile) Louis Szekely was born in Washington D.C. but lived in Mexico City, Mexico, until he was 7 years old. He has dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Mexico. He started doing stand-up comedy in 1984 in Boston, MA.  He was so terrible his first time out the gate that he didn’t attempt stand up again for a few years. In addition to being a stand up comic, Louis has worked as a writer on The Chris Rock Show, Saturday Night Live, and his own television shows Lucky Louie (HBO) and Louis (FX). One thing that makes him unique as a comedian is that he discards all of his material every year and starts from scratch in an attempt of always remaining fresh and relevant. 

In December 2011, C.K. released his independently produced comedy special Live at the Beacon Theater via his website. According to the Emmys 2012: Louis C.K.'s Digital Download Experiment Pays Off article by Seth Abramovich from the Hollywood Reporter, the special has grossed over $1 million. I have chosen Louis CK’s success story for this first blog post because he is a great example of what a strong work ethic and dedication to his craft can yield…a successful self-produced, edited, and distributed work that is entirely representative of the comic himself.

The show took place in November 2011 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Louis C.K. not only produced his special but he personally edited the work as well. Four weeks after the taping of the special, he launched it as a digital download on his website for $5. The show was produced for $250,000, and with the $1.1 million in sales as of September 2012, he has shown that it is possible to take the corporation out of the picture. (Abramovitch.)

On his website, CK says, “I am not a company or a corporation. I'm just some guy. I paid for the production and posting of this video with my own money. I would like to be able to post more material to the fans in this way, which makes it cheaper for the buyer and more pleasant for me. So, please help me keep this being a good idea.” He wanted to cut out the corporation for his fans. He figured there was no point in paying a company to market his special when he already have a fan base willing to buy his material. By cutting out that middleman, he could reduce the price of the special for the fans and still turn a profit. A profit, that he has been very transparent in how he is spending it. In a December 21, 2011 post on his news page from the website, Louis shows a print screen from his PayPal account that showed that the special had grossed $1,006,996.17 and how the cost was broken down.  It was simply divided over 4 key segments.

1.     The production and the website to sell the download cost $250,000, he paid back that amount with the initial $250,000 he received.

2.     He wanted to give his staff for both this production and his FX show Louie bonuses, so the second $250,000 went towards those bonuses.

3.     He decided to give $280,000 to charity. Several charities that were recommended to him including The Fistula Foundation, Kiva, and charity: water amongst others.

4.     Finally, with the last approximately $220,000 he paid himself. He states on his website that he felt this was reasonable enough for him to pay for his rent and take care of his children. There was no excess profit that he took from the sell of this special.

What is great about this story is that Louis CK was not after a huge profit that he could keep to himself. He put everything that was important to him ahead of his personal gain, paying off the production costs, giving a bonus to everyone involved with his show, and giving to charity before paying himself. He has been in comedy for over twenty years and he still loves doing it. He has been successful and makes enough money to suit his lifestyle but doesn’t seem to be in it for the money at the same time. I am one of the approximately 200,000 fans that purchased this digital download, not only because I am a fan of his work but also because this is exactly what I would like to do in the film business. I would like to help people create works and distribute without the expense and wastefulness of the studio system’s marketing strategies. This is an idea that I support, and when possible contribute to. Louis may not have needed my $5 specifically, but the more people that paid for his independently produce download, the better the chance that he will be able to continue to distribute his work this way. It is a great model to work towards for any art form where there is a product that may be self-distributed to remaining in control of your art and still get it out to the masses.