It’s a pixilated world of gigabytes and high speed bandwidth that’s taking over entertainment. Although Hollywood knows it, industry execs still seem to be battling bit torrents and piracy while in the wake, independent filmmakers and animators are going digital – regardless of the cost.
New Media vs. Old Methods
…Box offices are losing money… online services, like Jaman, are gaining popularity… it could be a major indicator that existing film distribution models are outdated
YouTube may have revolutionized online video but it is taking the film industry a little longer to see that things are evolving. Box offices are losing money every year and more online services, like Jaman (a streaming movie website) and bit torrents, gaining popularity. On a whole it could be a major indicator that existing film distribution models are outdated and audiences are starting to prefer being entertained at home. Online is the way to go.
Traditionally distributing a movie can be costly to independent filmmakers. In theory, distributing films online can be a better deal for the filmmaker. They retain the rights, creative control and can get their movie seen by millions of people with a single post on YouTube. Monetizing is the other issue here.
The Cost of Art
…in their quest to distribute their art freely… re-negotiating contracts could cost more than what the music distributor (or whomever) would potentially earn from the filmmaker…
Nina Paley, animator of Sita Sings the Blues, a freely distributed film based upon the epic poem, the Ramayana, may be free but technically the films song catalogue isn’t. In order to be able to use the 80 year old songs by Annette Hanshaw, Paley paid $50,000 – a price significantly more than the expense of producing the film itself. This is only one of the many challenges that threaten indie filmmakers in their quest to distribute their art freely using the web – with no terms to handle new media or small scale distribution, re-negotiating contracts could cost more than what the music distributor (or whomever) would potentially earn from the filmmaker in the end.
