Dive into the archives.
- Open Source- coming to a laptop/portable/mobile device near you
The Internet Archive hosts something they call Open Source Cinema, which is difficult at first pass to distinguish from YouTube in terms of content- though it is less fun to navigate. Apparently, all the media they host is user generated, with a Creative Commons license, so that it not only is free to download and watch, but presumably to use in other noncommercial projects.
A few feature-length films have been created in an Open Source model- one coming up in December is called THE LAST DRUG. I can’t say this approach has yielded films I’d… [more]
- Funding for online distribution- indies apply for grant in NY
Through a regrant from the New York Council on the Arts’ Electronic Media and Film program, free103point9 is administering a grant that allows artists and independent filmmakers from New York to apply for funding to help support their distribution efforts. The potential distribution can include (but is not limited to) electronic distribution including VOD and online, and money can be used to purchase equipment that would make distribution viable (the money may not be used for production or post). The maximum amount of the grant is $10,000. Grants are due by online submission by 12/31/08… [more]
- Hollywood Under Siege- and how about Indiewood?
At Digital Media Law, Jonathan Handel has an interesting article about the shifts in film distribution as a result of technology. He concludes that though there are definitely a number of challenges, Hollywood has many factors in its favour. However, the sheer speed at which things are moving may be its downfall.
Independents have flexibility in their favour. On the other hand, the resources needed to react and reach markets are hard to access. Think Mugsy Bogues here… [more]
- Freemium models for online distribution
Chis Anderson’s latest post on the subject of “freemium” models of software pricing naturally has parallels to the issue of selling films in the digital age. I think there are some differences between utilitarian products and aesthetic ones, but fundamentally, how to create something that traditionally has cost a lot (a lot being 1-20 million for an indie and 40-200 million for a studio) and find a way to reach an audience who wants it without the audience directly paying for it.
The models he proposes are:
- Time Limited, Then Pay- This model is definitely better for a utilitarian product
- IIFF Panel on Film Financing 11/17
The Institute for International Film Financing hosts a panel on Monday, November 17 at SVA. Included among the presenters are David Rosen and Ted Hope
- Using Film and Digital Media to Change the World
New York Women in Film & Television hosts a panel to discuss how new technology can be used to promote films with a social message on November 18 at Showbiz Software at 19 West 21st Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues). You must register to attend.
- Sundance drops Mediastile, filmmakers left in the lurch
In the “what can go wrong” department, indieWIRE reports about the end of Sundance’s relationship with Mediastile, Inc., the aggregator that was placing the festival’s licensed digital content on services such as iTunes, Netflix, and XBox LIVE. Mediastile has apparently been neglecting to pay any royalties for the content they’ve sold, which is the reason for Sundance’s dissolution of the partnership. As of now, it doesn’t look like filmmakers whose films were licensed through Mediastile will have much recourse, short of legal action (and unless they can take a class action, it is probably not worth it for… [more]
- INTERVIEW- CONTROL ALT DELETE director Cam Labine
Vancouver, BC-based filmmaker Cameron Labine premiered his first feature, CONTROL ALT DELETE at Toronto this year. A black comedy concerning the onanistic joy of the computer age (and stuff), CAD has been described as “so completely originally that it defies comparison” (Slashdot) and “fun, strange, and a whole new road for geek-themed cinema” (Collider).
Infinicine [I]: Your film is about tech addiction, the internet, and the relationship between people and their computers, among other things. What do you think the relationship between people, their computers, and film is at this point– and… [more]
- SuperU has contests for filmmakers to get on TV- are they a winner?
Back in my hometown Vancouver BC this weekend I had a chat with an old friend Clare Hodge, who I met when she was the Executive Director at Women in Film and Video Vancouver years ago, She has a new gig now at a website called SuperU, owned by Canadian broadcaster Super Channel, who are looking for content (and presumably viewers) online. Their scheme is to offer a contest to filmmakers, who can win cash and broadcast opportunities for their films. The site is (I’m assuming) being publicized through Super Channel itself… [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]
