Support the monster
In an interesting experiment FOUR EYED MONSTERS has joined forces with film community site Spout.com Together they are running a 1 week promotion which started yesterday. The promotion has the full movie running on youTube and for each person who signs up for a FREE Spout.com account FEM will receive a dollar.
In traditional models of distribution this type of internet releasing has been known to cause issues with selling certain TV and foreign territories. The logic being that releasing the full movie online will kill deals. Most outlets are still struggling with the issue of digital rights and almost every distributor tries to freeze them - meaning that they want to exploit them and control when the movie is released and how.
The concept of giving away a full length feature film for FREE is counterintuitive. But what’s interesting is that FEM is using sponsorship to offset the cost. Distribution via the internet is still unproven which is both good and bad. Good in the sense that experiments like these can yield a direct return to the filmmakers with little expense - the movie didn’t even have to go through delivery hell (E&O, transfers, audio mixes, etc.). The bad side is that this experiment could impact FEM’s chances for wider traditional distribution. But no matter how it spins out FEM is forging a path that is helping to challenge distribution conventions. If you hope to make money from your work online at some point then make sure to support this effort. It’s FREE and painless and helps us all.
this conference is being recorded - cambrianhouse
In this edition of “this conference is being recorded”, we sit down with Jasmine Antonick from Cambrianhouse, a crowdsourced incubator for ideas. Cambrianhouse combines the concept of open source with crowdsourcing to create an interesting model that is providing new revenue streams for the members of its community. For instance a recent project, fundablefilms.com was selected from a pool of ideas by a community vote. Then a call went out through the community for programmers, project managers, and producers etc. Once the team was assembled they began developing the project. When the project is ready Cambrianhouse will bring it to market. As money is generated the revenue is returned to the team that built the project. Fundablefilms.com is a project that puts filmmakers in touch with film lovers in an effort to fund projects. *Special note this interview was recorded this past winter.
For more info on Cambrianhouse click here
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Filmmakers That Think Outside the Film
Filmmakers That Think Outside the Film
By Christy Dena
In the 1940’s filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (known as “The Archers”) championed a multi-artform cinema. They created films that represented music, dance, painting, literature and photography; for they believed that ‘all art is one’. Now, with the proliferation of media platforms, the palette for filmmakers is stupendous. Not only is it impossible to encompass all artforms in a single film, but there are aesthetic and economic reasons for maintaining their integrity. All art is not one within the film, but in its relationships with artforms around it. Filmmakers are now thinking beyond cinema and DVD to include the web, theatre, books and mobile technology in their canvas.
In this article I’ll take you through a whirlwind tour of some of the ways filmmakers are thinking beyond the film. Our first stop is a look at how the assets of a film are repurposed. This is not a discussion about distribution methods or how the medium of delivery influences the experience. Instead it is an exploration of the ways assets can be reused to create new works. The first example is that of filmmakers offering components of their film in digital format for anyone to ‘remix’. Remixing is rife with fans, but it is only in the last few years that filmmakers have begun to offer their content for remixing.
this conference is being recorded - Andrew Baron
Today we sit down with Andrew Baron the creator of Rocketboom. An early player in the daily videoblog space, Rocketboom launched in 2004. Over 200,000 viewers download Rocketboom daily across a wide variety of outlets. Andrew explains how he created his own daily show and turned it into a self sustaining model that has a staff of six people.
For more info on Andrew and Rocketboom click here.
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this conference is being recorded - Brian Newman
Today our guest is Brian Newman. Brian is the executive director of Renew Media (formerly NVR). Prior to joining Renew, Brian served as executive director of IMAGE Film & Video. Renew Media supports media artists & advocates on their behalf, connects audiences with independent films and contributes to the media arts field, via innovative programs and direct cash support. In our discussion we cover a variety of topics that have a direct impact on the way filmmakers make and distribute their work, such as Net Neutrality, copyright, fair use, and digital distribution.
For more info on Brian Newman and Renew Media click here.
Related Links
Save the Internet
Fair Use
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this conference is being recorded - DJ Spooky
Today we are joined by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky. Miller is a writer, artist and musician. His work often combines art, technology, and politics. One of his recent media projects entitled “Rebirth of a Nation” is a remix of D.W. Griffith’s 1915 “Birth of a Nation.” Miller’s work is at the forefront of the emerging remix culture and during our discussion he shares his feelings about art, technology and global politics.
Still from “Rebirth of a Nation”
To find out more about “Rebirth of a Nation” and DJ Spooky click here.
To listen NOW click the play button below.
tools - Remixing with Eyespot
I’m a fan of remixes and mashups. A couple years back mashups exploded onto the scene. One of the most downloaded albums of all time is Danger Mouse’s Grey Album - a creative mashup of JayZ’s black album and the Beatles’ White Album. The Grey Album was plagued by copyright issues and couldn’t be officially released but that only fueled demand and massive downloads via p2p networks.
They often say where audio goes video follows. Bands were crafting their own master pieces via their desktop computers long before it was possible to edit video on consumer gear. But with the current explosion in user generated content, large numbers of people are spitting out content for mass audiences consumption. It seems likely that the next evolution in user-gen might just be found within in a remix / mashup environment.
One of the more exciting remix communities that I’ve seen so far is eyespot.com.
Eyespot allows users to simply shoot, mix and share their content. If you don’t feel like making the commitment to upload content there are a number of media sets that you can choose from. Media sets are collections of audio, video and stills, most of which fall under a creative commons license.
Hats off to Eyespot for creating an easy to use rich feature set mixer. The mixer allows users to experience the thrill of editing without the typical steep learning curve of traditional editing software. It is obvious that eyespot’s tools are being created for the masses who are embracing user-gen content.
One feature that is particularly impressive is the eyespot’s ability render various video, audio and still formats into a single file. In addition eyespot provides users with five output options – mac, pc, ipod, psp, and divx.
When it comes to sharing users can send videos via email or by entering their friend’s mobile phone number. Eyespot is also providing a variety of mobile options. The newest is Mobile Share a simple-to-install application which allows users to easily record, send, receive, publish, search and rank video directly on their phones. Users can also subscribe to mobile video RSS feeds so that they can receive new videos automatically.
THE PROS: Rich features and a simple interface make Eyespot a great place to experiment with creating content. The use of media sets that carry a creative commons license means that there is always content to remix. The multiple formats in and option for pc, mac, psp, ipod, divx and mobile sharing output make it a diverse platform that allows for sharing not only with friends by also a variety of devices.
THE CONS: None at the time of this writing
OVERALL: I really enjoyed Eyespot and highly recommend it. At its core Eyespot is a remix community that allows anyone to create content.
To hear an interview with Eyespot CTO David Dudas click here.
this conference is being recorded - Does the WGA owe you money?
Today we focus on the Writers Guild of America scandal that has been heating up over the last few weeks. In question is the multiple millions of dollars that are owed to guild and non-guild members for foreign-levies royalty payments. We are joined by Stefan Avalos (The Game, The Last Broadcast, Ghosts of Edendale) who has written an investigative piece exposing the scandal, and JF Lawton (Pretty Woman, Under Siege) writer, director and former WGA board member who has been working to educate the public about the situation. Together they explain the far reaching impact of the scandal and what it could mean to the future of copyright.
Related Links
When the Levy Breaks by Stefan Avalos - Fade In Magazine
Double-Cross at the WGA - LA Weekly
Whistle Blower sues WGA - Variety
JF Lawton’s blog WGAtruth.com
Additional resources www.erichughes.net and www.williamrichert.com
In the interest of fairness, here is a link to a WGA press release in response to the scandal.
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HOW TO: Cutting through the static
Cutting through the static
by Lance Weiler
Last November the internet hit a major milestone, over a 100 million sites with registered domain names and active content. The web is considered to be the great equalizer for filmmakers, one which promises cost effective promotion and distribution. But where do you start and what’s the best way to design a cost effective online promotional campaign that can help you build an audience for your work? Here are few suggestions to help you get started.
It is never too early – There’s an old adage, don’t seek publicity too early for a project because the press won’t cover it twice. For some reason people apply the same theory to their online strategies and often wait until the last minute to create a site for their work. By waiting until the last minute they loose valuable time that could have been used to build their audience. For instance I used the audience that I cultivated for HEAD TRAUMA to help me promote the movie at my festival showings, during my theatrical runs across the country and most recently with the Cinema ARG screenings.
Identify your audience - This might sound simple but you’d be amazed how often filmmakers say “I made the film for people like me.” Maybe this is true, but you need to take some time to identify your audience. Who are they and what will attract them to your work? Once you know who the audience is you can start to figure out the best way to reach them online. In some cases you will also be able to find partners to help you amplify your reach.
this conference is being recorded - JT Petty
Our guest today is JT Petty. JT is an accomplished author, screenwriter and director. Over the last few years he has moved fluidly between films, games and novels. When it comes to film he has directed two features; Soft for Digging (sundance 2001) and Mimic 3: Sentinel (Dimension Films). In addition he has a new disturbing doc entitled Sandman (HDNET) which has been playing to rave reviews on the festival circuit and will be hitting theaters later this year. He has scripted some of the biggest video games in the industry - Splinter Cell, Batman Vengeance and the upcoming Iron Man release. Last but not least he is a well regarded author of children’s books - CLEMENCY POGUE: FAIRY KILLER and CLEMENCY POGUE: THE HOBGOBLIN PROXY.
For more on JT and his projects visit sandman-movie.com and softfordigging.com
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