YouTube has opened an indie film screening program called YouTube Screening Room. They’ll release 4 films every two weeks, both animation and real action short films, featuring award winning high quality movies. YouTube really steps away from it’s regular distribution methods, for the program it drops it’s 10 minute limit and experiments with a higher video quality. Moreover, all screened indie short films take part in a revenue sharing program. What’s really thrilling is, that you can buy the films directly from the page via direct download (1.99$) or DVD. Looks like a new distribution channel for the indie film industry?! Submit your film to ytscreeningroom@youtube.com
From the first batch of films I deeply enjoyed Miranda July’s “Are you the favourite person of anybody?”
What’s interesting is, that Atom films tried to push exactly the same idea for about ten! years and finally failed and has become a sub brand of comedy central. YouTube has a much bigger audience so I’m quite excited that they might can create more awareness for indie films.
What I don’t understand is that YouTube constricts the community tools for the Screening Room. You can’t embed the films, there’s no option for commenting or bookmarking them. Haven’t those tool been the key to YouTube’s success? So why do they make a step backward for distributing indie films?
New Art TV is specialized on contemporary art video cotent. Their categories include Exhibiton features, Studio visits, Performances and Collections.
D’ont miss the Jonathan Meese Performance and the BANKSY exhibiton.
I think specialized channels with a clear profile and high quality content will become quite succesfull soon. Concerning New Art TV, I’m very curious what’s their business model. As far as I understand they only distributing the cotent from their own website. I’m going to write the makers and email to find out more.
More Movie Distribution news:
The Internet Movie Database, a Amazon subsidiary, is the world largest information portal about movies, serving a 50 million visitors each month. IMDB has aquired Withoutabox, the definite support system for filmmakers, organizing festival submissions and preparing marketing material. Withoutabox has agreements with 3000 festivals and around 150 000 filmmakers.
It looks like a perfect marriage because it brings film lovers (IMDB) and filmmakers (Withoutabox) together. And Amazon definately brings in the money for some serious moves in Independent Movie Distribution.
Lot’s of things happening around alternative movie distribution and production lately, so let’s start the week with some news:
“Have you made a film you think the world should see? FROM HERE TO AWESOME is a discovery and distribution festival that might be the perfect system to get your film blasted to audiences in theaters, living rooms, online and via mobile phones.
All filmmakers are welcome to be a part of the festival. There are NO submission fees, and filmmakers retain their rights while receiving revenue directly from the distribution outlets. A wide range of major promotional partners and distribution platforms are on board. All we need now is your film. Please submit ASAP to give the festival’s audience time to vote your film into the April Showcase.
FHTA was founded by DIY filmmaking pioneers Lance Weiler (The Last Broadcast, Head Trauma), Arin Crumley (Four Eyed Monsters) and M dot Strange (We Are The Strange).”
…and once again, all the great photos in this entry are made by the very talented Anne Helmond!
And on yet another rainy morning in Amsterdam (not surprising, you get used to it after a while!), full of curiosity and hopes for the day, I went to the second day of the Video Vortex - Responses to YouTube conference. I was hoping that today would be more fruitful than yesterday, and indeed, what a pleasant surprise! Well, call me selfish, but instead of giving a general overview I will focus on the session that was the most interesting for me personally: Curating Online Video.
On a rainy morning in Amsterdam (that demanded lots of coffee!), the Video Vortex - Responses to YouTube Conference was kicked off at Club 11. I will be blogging on the conference for movingweb, but I was also there because I have been involved with the project through my work at the Netherlands Media Art Institute where we made an exhibition with the same title and related topics. Well, the program of the conference is quite extensive, and I was very disappointed by some of the presentations today (that seemed unprepared, unfocused, had nothing new to say…a total contrast with the first Video Vortex conference in Brussels!). So I will focus on the gems of today’s presentations!
While some media reactions to the Apple Keynote presentation were dissappointed because Steve Jobs had no new jesus-like gadgets to show, the effect on the online movie business could actually be tremendous.
Itunes now has a serious movie rental system. The big suprise is that every major film studio participates!
Movie rentals cost from 3-5$, but you only can watch the film for 24 hours from the point you start it. When the service will launch in february (USA only) it’ll have around 1000 movies. I think that’s not enough to really reach big user groups, we want all the full back catalogues, too! So it’s not the big breakthrough but having all studios onboard is the first important step to really get online movie rental going!
Apple also improved the AppleTV, now becoming a serious home entertainment device.
Read a full feature list of the new intunes and Apple Tv on Newteevee.
Film: The Digital Future is a one-day conference presented by South West Screens on December 11th, 2007.
‘Film: The Digital Future’ will bring a pool of experts to the region to explain how best to embrace and exploit the ongoing digital developments within the production, distribution, exhibition and marketing sectors.
Following on from ‘Funding your Feature’, the informative South West Screen film finance conference of March 2007, ‘Film: The Digital Future’ promises to be both compelling and entertaining, and of course immensely informative.
Speakers confirmed from companies / organisations including the UK Film Council, Arts Alliance, Content Republic, City Screen and Hammer. Quite simply, there is no better way to get the lowdown on the changing landscape of digital film.
via Projector Films.
“A Swarm of Angels is a groundbreaking project to create a £1 million film and give it away to over 1 million people using the Internet and a global community of members. By subscribing for £25 members become part of a revolutionary process to make an open source feature film.”
