Dive into the archives.
- Monday: News from the Nets
I’ve been on a little hiatus- but what is interesting about the current state of digital distribution is that for all the constant barrage of “news” and “innovation”- for indies, things remain pretty much as they have been: confusing. I hope in ’09 there will be a little more clarity.
Recent news:
Netflix and Film Independent have joined up to create a $150,000 contest to support the creation of a feature film, which will have “distribution” through Netflix Watch Instantly (rather an increase from their standard WI license- see below for why the value of that may be changing).Not… [more]
- Distribution, Downloads, Democracy and Doubt
I was at a NYWIFT event the other night talking with some filmmakers about the necessity of distribution today- as in, is it time to toss the whole concept out with VHS and Pluto being a planet. It seems to me that distribution is responsible for my knowing about most of the cool films that I do- that without it people in the US might have remained blissfully unaware of the French New Wave, of Takeshi Kitano, or Down By Law. Now perhaps the magical internet has made everything different, but I wonder if some of the… [more]
- Sony’s “Open Market” could open the Digital Market- a little
TechCrunch reports today on a move by the major studios to protect digital media through a DRM scheme called Open Market. Rather than bow to the the individual protections of a single retailer, otherwise known as iTunes, the studios are working with about 30 different retailers and portals, including Amazon, Best Buy, Direct TV, Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile, Target, Wal-Mart, and others to create a system whereby any digital media available through the participating companies would be subject to third party encryption that would only work on registered devices. (Essentially, you could only play the movie on a device… [more]
- iTunes and Indie Films – Meet the Middleman
In a nifty bit of synergy, Scott Kirsner over at CinemaTech has taken on the question “How to get your indie film on iTunes?” (a somewhat similar query to the very first post in the Infinicine discussion forum). Getting your film on iTunes does seem like a bit of an apex at this stage in the digital distribution evolution, not only because iTunes sales are so commanding relative to other download services so far but also because they charge a relatively high price and share it with the rightsholder. (As with any customer, terms will vary).
The… [more]
- Infinicine Site Launch Date and Recent News
First, my news: LAUNCH DATE 8/8/8 (in keeping with the infinity theme).
Infinicine.com will be a resource for filmmakers and distributors about digital and online distribution. It will be a place to discuss your experiences with different approaches and find out about new developments in the medium. Infinicine.com will cover online distribution including downloads, streaming, download-to-disc, etc. as well as digital theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray, mobile, and satellite technology. Just as importantly, the social side of online distribution will be explored (and even exploited).
There have been all kinds of developments during my posting hiatus. Among them… [more]
