The Blog for Video 2.0

Hulu is launching a private beta of its web video service. The NBC/Fox venture was formed as a direct reaction to YouTube becoming the number one destination for viewing content owned by the major studios.

Time will tell what role Hulu plays as early reviews are mixed. It adds another player (no pun intened) to the video-on-the-web mix.

Labels: hulu, NBC, youtube

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how more and more big time Hollywood editors are now using computers decked out with Avid or Final Cut Pro for editing. Looks like the digital word is not just for indie film any more...

Labels: avid, final cut, hollywood, indie film, video editing

The San Francisco Chronicle writes about how iTunes and Web sites are fueling new interest in short films. It focuses on Tiffany Shlain ('The Tribe'), Jon Bloom ('Overnight Sensation'), and Jesus Beltran ('The Grass Grows Green'), among others. From Joe Garofoli's piece:

Creators of short films (40 minutes or less) have finally found an audience through such online sites as iTunes, Revver.com and San Francisco's Frameline Films and Caachi.com, which specializes in distributing independent films. And those sites are even starting to bring a revenue trickle to older shorts that audiences are unearthing online.

Shorts haven't had this kind of exposure since before 1950, when pre-TV-owning audiences saw shorts on the same bill with features and newsreels at the local movie theater. Now, when Oscar viewers hear about a handful of really cool-sounding short films that screen at one the world's 5,000 film festivals, they can actually see them.

"We are at the beginning of a transitional moment" in the short-film industry, said David Straus, CEO and co-founder of Withoutabox.com, an 8-year-old Los Angeles outfit that has helped 150,000 independent filmmakers market their films using the Internet. "It's not just that people can download them and see films online, it's that filmmakers are learning what they can do to reach out to audiences themselves."

Labels: hungryflix, independent film, indie film, iTunes, short films

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he iTunes Store will now debut Purple Violets on November 20, a $4 million film from indie director Edward Burns. It will be the first time a feature film debuts exclusively on the iTunes Store, according to the New York Times, and the latest step towards injecting life into the store's struggling movie section. For now, it seems as though only indies are steadily hopping on board and singing the praises of the iTunes Store.

There are other resources for indie filmmakers, including the iPod Movies site HungryFlix.com.

Time will tell on how much success indie have in these new models.

Labels: independent film, iTunes, movie downloads

In preparations for the launch of Hulu.com, NBC has confirmed that it has removed it's content and channel from YouTube.

YouTube spokesperson Ricardo Reyes said in an emailed statement to http://newteevee:

"NBC informed us on Friday that they were taking down their branded channel and clips. Our relationship with NBC was a YouTube success story, so we hope NBC decides to post more original content and stay engaged with our users."

Labels: NBC, online video, youtube

The Insomnia Film Festival provides an opportunity for high school and college filmmakers to show their talents, win prizes and gain some great experience.

The festival is another 24-hour competition. Where entrants write, cast, shoot, edit, score, and upload a 3-minute masterpiece within 24 hours. No problem, right?

Labels: apple, film festival, filmmaking, indie film

The international open source film, www.straycinema.com, has released new raw film footage on their website.

This is the second open source film provided by Stray Cinema.

The new footage was directed by New Zealand filmmaker Naomi Lamb and features characters in period costume set amidst the spectacular New Zealand landscape and an eerie back alley.

Stray Cinema wants to give everybody the opportunity to have a say over what story is told with this footage.

To participate, people must edit a one-two minute version of the film they wish to make from the available footage. Participants are then invited to post their film edits back onto the Stray Cinema website, to be judged by their online community

Labels: directing, filmmaking, independent film, video editing

Viacom's Comedy Central channel today will unveil a website for "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" that's designed to satisfy the most avid fans of the mock-news show with oceans of free video clips.

In a move away from the norm of providing just a sample of content, Comedy Central is offering the works: about 13,000 video clips representing every minute of the show since its 1999 inception. The site (http://www.thedailyshow.com) is meant to pull in advertising money from Day One, but it also provide a test run for Viacom and other "old media" players.

This is yet another attempt and finding the right mix of ads to content.

Labels: online video, the daily show, viacom, video download

Heath McKnight of Digital Media Net has a great introduction article with tips to keep you organized while producing/directing an independent film.

The article gives insight into developing your script, pre-production and production tasks that every producer/director should know.

Labels: filmmaking, indie film, producing

In a major move toward providing more choice for consumers, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will include on its Live Free or Die Hard DVD a digital file of the movie that can be downloaded from the disc to a PC or portable device.

Warner Home Video will include downloadable movie files on its Dec. 11 DVD Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The digital Live Free copy will come in two versions, one for the PC and one for portable video players featuring Microsoft Windows’ PlaysForSure technology. However, the file’s digital rights management is currently not compatible for playback on Apple products, such as video iPods.

Labels: fox, ipod, movie downloads, portable media, Warner

VideoBusiness.com is reporting that Netflix has filed paperwork to include set-top TV boxes under the Netflix logo. The company laid out a long-term vision in 2006 that included a set-top box to download movies.

The filing, discovered by Trademork.com, was made in late August, which was shortly after the company reportedly tested several models with a secret focus group. The filing discusses "receipt, download, playing, viewing, and rental of audio and video programming through the use of internet connections".

Netflix has given no indication of when such a box might make it to market. There is also no discussion on exactly what content Netflix will support on the device. For example, will Netflix be open to providing indie films on the box or will only major studio works be promoted.

Any independent filmmaker or producer knows how difficult it is to acquire funding. Micro Filmmaker Magazine has published an article on "Fund-Raising For Your Micro-Budget Film.” The article is written by two filmmakers who have raised funds for three separate films one at $28k, one at $26k, and their last film around $10k.

The article gives details on a variety of film fundraising options: investors, credit cards, scrimping, grants, favors, and found money. This is a great read if you’ve never tried to get financing for a film before and can give you a good idea of what options are out there for you. You can check out the article Fund-Raising For Your Micro-Budget Film.

Labels: filmmaking, independent film, indie film, micro-cinema, movies, no budget film

Apple released the iPhone to much hype and fanfare. It billed the device as three devices in one. It was a revolutionary product for the cell phone industry. But the iPhone is having an effect outside of the mobile phone and computing industries. In fact, we belive that history will show the iPhone's release as one of the single biggest events in the history of independent filmmaking.

What, exactly, does the iPhone--a mobile phone/internet device/widescren iPod--have to do with indie film? Well, a lot. The movie download market must prepare for a great new phase as we look forward to more and more great devices capable of playing our content.

For independent content to survive and thrive, it must move to new delivery devices like Apple TV, iPod and now the iPhone. Support for these new devices will lead to growth in the audience for indie content. Many "mainstream" consumers will not view indie films at screenings, festivals or DVD. The films are too hard to find, often barried in video rental store shelves or playing in small art house theaters. This has been the case for the past few decades. Once every five years there is a breakout hit--a Clerks or Blair Witch--that gives the indie community something to rally around. The independent movie press declare, "We've arrived. This is the 'Year of the Indie'". Just as quickly as these hits arise, the excitement dies down and the great content made in the aftermath gets lost in the shuffle.

Now, for what may truely be the first time, consumers will have in their hands a great portable media device. You may argue that the iPod with video or the PSP have existed for a few years. But, these are devices that most people do not *have* to carry at all times. These are "luxury" devices that we carry when we want to. Cell phones are vastly different. Most Americans now carry their cell phone at all times--to the gym, on the bus, walking through the mall, at the ball game. We always have our phones with us. Now that Apple has delivered "the best iPod ever built" (Apple's words) and snuck it inside a phone, we now have a captive audience that will always have viewing capability.

This is, or has the potential to be, huge. Just look no farther than the iPhone's home screen. Right there on that gorgious 3.5" screen is a direct link to everyone's favorite dancing-cats-meet-dancing-teenagers clip sharing site, YouTube. Think about that. Apple put YouTube directly on the home screen of their revolutionary new device. Now, this could be entirely motivated by a new advertisting or search revenue deal Apple has struck with Google. But even if it is, the fact that YouTube is on the home screen of the iPhone can not be ignored.

Apple believes in mobile entertainment. They created the iPod so that we all could enjoy all our music at any time or place. Now, we are closer than ever to that dream for video. The iPhone's 3.5" screen has a resolution higher than many computer monitors. It displays MPEG4 H.264 video beautifully--better than any portable device ever has. These quality features combined with the simple fact that people will actually have the device with them, lead to great market opportunities.

Of course, the iPhone is, for now, a niche device. It's high price tag mean that it won't be found in the hands of many teens or college students in the near future. But just as with all technology, the price will drop over time. The iPhone will also force other handset makers and cell providers to design better devices. Devices that compete with the iPhone. When this happens, consumers win.

HungryFlix.com is ready to help independent producers, filmmakers and musicians in this new distribution world. We believe that this new class of mobile devices will open the doors to great indie content. It is time to get onboard. There are hundreds of thousands of movie and music fans out there with new devices that are hungry for great content.

http://www.hungryflix.com

Brian Andrews is an independent filmmaker and producer and CEO of http://www.HungryFlix.com, an online film distributor focused on new media.

Labels: independent, indie film, indie movies, iphone, ipod, movies, short films

Rumor sites are reporting that Apple has made the decision to revise the pricing of Plus songs on the iTunes Music store. To date, iTunes DRM-free tracks have sold for $1.29 US.

Some users have reporting seeing iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks already listed for $0.99. It is not clear at this time if this was simply due to a mistake or if it signals a shift from Apple. The change could be Apple's reaction to Amazon MP3 store and it's 256kbps DRM-free MP3 files, many of which sell for $0.89 - $0.99.

Also reported are Apple's plans to expand iTunes Plus to include certain indie music labels starting Wednesday, October 17.

HungryFlix.com has provided DRM-free movie downloads from indie filmmakers for over two years now. We continue to believe that consumers deserve choice with their media, and that DRM schemes simply do not work.

Labels: Amazon MP3, apple, DRM, ipod, iTunes

The NYTimes is reporting on Led Zeppelin's decision to sell its music online. The group is one of the last superstar acts to hold out against the digital tide.

Under a series of new agreements, the band will make its songs available first as ringtones and similar mobile features starting this week in an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless. Digital downloads of songs from the band’s eight studio albums and other recordings are expected to be available through Verizon and digital-music services, including iTunes, on Nov. 13.

In the US, the only digital holdouts that outsell Led Zeppelin are the Beatles and Garth Brooks

Labels: digital distribution, iTunes, led zeppelin, music, music downloads, online music, rock

YouTube today is announcing the beta of its video filtering technology.

The program calls for rights holders to upload versions of their copyrighted videos into a database,YouTube will then identify matches and pull them for review. Publishers will then have the choice of blocking the content or to monetize it via ads or run promos.

Labels: DRM, Google, online video, youtube

Businessweek details the plans of Universal chief Doug Morris to take on Apple's iTunes music service.

Morris was once a proponent of Apple's iTunes music store, but has since changed his tune. According to Businessweek sources, Morris is joining forces with other record companies to launch an "industry-owned" subscription service.

Representing 75% of music sold in the U.S., they would ask hardware makers or cell carriers to pay them a $5/month subscription fee. In exchange, consumers of their products would get unlimited music at no additional cost to them ("free"). Music companies would get the $5/month and hardware companies would theoretically sell more units.

Of interest, Businessweek notes that despite these efforts to undermine iTunes, Universal can't afford to simply pull their music from iTunes, which holds a 70% marketshare in music downloads.

Labels: iTunes, music, music downloads, online music, Universal

ZDNet's Ed Bott asks where you stand on the legal issues around digital media in this article.

HungryFlix.com has always felt that artists deserve to be paid, there is no question there. The debate does heat up when we look at organizations such as the RIAA, MPAA, big record companies and movie studios and their control over what we can and can not do with media that we purchase.

DRM simply does not work. It keeps honest people honest, nothing more. It is time to move past these failed DRM schemes and deliver real value to consumers. If you are looking for DRM-free movie downloads be sure to check out HungryFlix.com.

Labels: DRM, iTunes, movie downloads, music downloads

Apple TV Source, a great blog that covers all things Apple TV, has posted a review of video download stores that offer and alternative to iTunes for Apple TV owners.

The site takes a look at HungryFlix.com, which offers Apple TV movie downloads from independent filmmakers. Apple TV Source says that with some improvements HungryFlix can become, "a powerhouse for independent filmmakers."

Labels: apple tv, filmmaking, hungryflix, independent, indie film, iTunes, movie downloads

In continuation of the ad revenue sharing model that is gaining ground in the online video world, Web publishers that participate in Google Inc.'s AdSense ad distribution network will now be able to make money by offering ad-supported video clips from Google's YouTube video sharing site.

For advertisers, the program opens their video-based ads for distribution across the AdSense network, instead of being limited to the YouTube site. Meanwhile, video producers get a chance to generate revenue from their clips.

The video clips will be delivered within "a customized, embedded player that's ad supported," Google announced on Tuesday.

Online video is currently monetized in one of three ways: share of advertising revenue, paid download-to-own, or subscription based services.

Labels: adsense, Google, online video, video distribution, video sharing, youtube

PaidContent.org is reporting that Facebook is working on an artist platform to be launched later this year, which in essence is supposed to be better than what MySpace allows with its platform, according to multiple sources I have spoken to since this morning after a slightly off-the-mark rumor came out earlier. The platform will allows bands and labels to create artists pages, and allow various widgets to be embedded for music promotion, organizing events, etc.

Current rumors state that Facebook with partner with iTunes and go after Apple's popular download service.

Labels: facebook, indie artists, iTunes, music, music downloads, online distribution

In the wake of large chain video stores, DVD sales, Video On Demand, Netflix and video downloads Content Agenda is reporting that "Independent video stores need niche to survive".

Many small mom and pop video shops have already closed their doors due to increased competition form large chain stores. Industry insiders say brick-and-mortar stores will dwindle in the next few years, eventually being replaced by online operations.

Dean Brandt, owner of the Dreaming Ant movie-rental stores in Pittsburgh's Oakland and Bloomfield neighborhoods, said that he sees the DVD-rental business migrating more toward businesses that have movie downloads to computers or televisions.

To survive, a movie-rental store must find a niche, Brandt explained. His forte is foreign and independent movies, and keeping attuned to his customers' wants.

"I think there's always going to be a need for an immediate fix, and that's why the video store is still around," he said. "It's like bookstores. People like seeing the selections, looking at the cases, talking to people."

Charles Hall, senior analyst with Rider Research, a Louisiana-based group focusing on the Internet's impact on the entertainment industry, estimated that within seven years a sizable number of movies with high-quality pictures and sound will be downloaded from the Internet to computers or televisions.

But video rental stores will survive for a while because of those customers who don't want to use other services or are slower to embrace the changes in how their movies are delivered.

There are many options today, and the list will continue to grow over the next few years.


Checking out history

Highlights in video and DVD rentals over the years.

1977 -- George Atkinson launches the first video rental store, a 600-square-foot storefront in Los Angeles.

1983 -- Less than 10 percent of U.S. households own videocassette recorders.

1997 -- The DVD is introduced in the United States.

2000 -- Video sell-through revenues total $8.3 billion, surpassing theatrical box office sales of $7.7 billion for the first time.

2002 -- MovieLink launches its Internet video-on-demand store.

2003 -- Annual rentals of DVDs exceed VHS rental revenues for first time -- $4.38 billion to $3.82 billion.

2004 -- McDonald's launches Redbox DVD rental kiosks; Blockbuster begins its online DVD rental service.

2006 -- CinemaNow launches the first "download to burn DVD" service for major theatrical motion pictures; first Blu-Ray high-definition discs are issued.

Source: The Entertainment Merchants Association

Labels: blockbuster, DVD rental, movie downloads, video stores