Dive into the archives.
- Online Markets for Films updated
The Online Markets that Pay section has been updated. Have you had experience selling your film online as a download, rental, or with ad-supported content? Do you think this model will really work for independent filmmakers? Are there sites you have found (that pay) that aren’t on this list?… [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]
- Indies get tactical, but is self-distribution the answer?
Anne Thompson’s recent post on ‘changing tactics’ for independent film distribution shows how tenuous things are in the game these days and how much digital is becoming a part of all distribution strategies. She proposes that self-distribution is becoming increasingly attractive and/or viable, with films like BOTTLE SHOCK and GOOD DICK entering into service deals rather than going the straight distribution route.
But the idea that “filmmakers don’t have to give away the store with DVD deals anymore” seems a little premature, at best. Especially for independents, revenue on digital download and streaming is not even in the… [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]
- INTERVIEW- Online Markets - Indiepix.com
Indiepix has gone in a few directions over the last couple of years. The latest is a partnership with SnagFilms, Ted Leonsis’s widget-based monetized documentary player and a production end, Indiepix Studios. They are also staffed by very dedicated, delightful young people.
[I]nfinicine: What services are offered on your site?
[IP] Indiepix:
DVD Sale
Download to own
Download to disc[I]: What is the structure of the deal, i.e. flat fee, percentage of sale, ad revenue, etc. Provide terms if possible.
[IP]: We do not give advances, but we do all the design, production, manufacturing and marketing. The filmmaker receives a… [more]
- INTERVIEW- Online Markets- Caachi.com
As part of the ongoing series of online markets, Infinicine presents an interview with Charles Choi from Caachi.com, a streaming and download service that specializes in independent film and is friendly to independent filmmakers.[I]nfinicine: What services are offered on your site?[C]aachi: Streaming online - We provide high resolution (700Kbps) streams of the films we offer. This enables a high-quality viewing experience.Download to own - the films distributed in this fashion are “DRM free”, to provide the greatest user flexibility in viewing.Download to disc - Films downloaded… [more]
- Are digital downloads "good" for indie filmmakers?
Are digital downloads “good” for indie filmmakers? It could be the title of a panel discussion (and may well be one in the future)- it should certainly be a topic for discussion in the forums when Infinicine.com launches properly (8/8/8!).For now, though, let’s start off the conversation with some basic pros and cons. For the sake of simplicity, I am limiting this discussion to downloads specifically, though some points may overlap with concerns and delights of streaming, VOD, or other kinds of online distribution methods.On the good side:
- Terms of a lot of these deals seem quite favourable to filmmakers
- Yarrr
You might be lingering in the past, thinking that while the major blockbusters are scanned, ripped and up on every free download/streaming/torrent site you could imagine, just by virtue of demand (or lack thereof), smaller independent or foreign titles are still somewhat protected from the phenomena. I recently got schooled by a young pirate who explained that, to mix a few metaphors, the long tail has snaked deep into the booty troves of “stolen media” traders. Even fairly obscure films are to be found on the file sharing servers and P2P networks trolled by the technically savvy film… [more]
