Apologies if this is the wrong side of the board to ask such a question, as I just now joined the forums to begin with.

Another thing I'm relatively new at, believe it or not, is following movies along with their general release slates. I've noticed that while most movies that appear in popular chains such as the AMC theatre already have pre-orders up for DVDs and Blu-ray (Lucy, Fault in Our Stars), limited releases are much less apt to the punch (Boyhood, Wish I Was Here). I understand that the latter type of film is less commercialized and sometimes unable to immediately slate for a DVD/Blu-ray release, but my question is a simple one: do these kinds of movies often take until after their screentime to have a home video release, or are limited release films sometimes made without home video release in mind?

I am far from an expert, but don't think any savvy producer would undertake a feature film production without attempting a home video deal. If the film gets a limited release, then you need any and all other income sources to recoup your costs. Without a clear revenue path, it's hard to get the money to make the film in the first place. Having said that, as the US market shifts away from physical media, a DVD or Blu-Ray release is probably not make or break anymore, especially for the most independent films. But I suspect that most every production tries.

For the films you cited, Boyhood is distributed through IFC Films and Wish I Was Here through Focus Features, both of which likely have extensive/mature home video distribution channels. It may be that lack of an obvious home video release (i.e. an Amazon "future release" entry) is more a matter of company style than lack of an inked deal.

It's been pretty much confirmed that Criterion will release Boyhood.

Oh, alright, so basically, though matter of DVD/Bluray sales is no longer the end all be all determination for whether a movie is a success or not, it helps to get those extra bucks in, so most media producers at least try to get a home media deal. And this is especially in the case of limited releases such as Boyhood and Wish I Was Here, which need all the revenue they can get. Limited Release films are often released in a similar manner to foreign and anime licenses, then, where it may be confirmed or assumed that they will eventually get a home media release, but will not be immediately up for preorder.

Did I paraphrase that up correctly?

Anyways, I'm glad you responded - I generally follow anime releases and the like, so I'm a bit out of the know when it comes to Western movies. I appreciate it.

I'm sure others here know the process much better than me, but until they come out of the woodwork, yes, your summary reflects my best guess of how it currently works.