Although it’s not exactly first sighting of a new trend, the NY Times has a story that illustrates how how independent filmmakers are looking to try to get as much distribution for their work via the web and phones in a kinda longtail-scattergun approach. Some agents are even looking to create deals with over 300 websites to make this work:
Mr. [John] Sloss and his New York company, Cinetic Media, are rolling out a new business called Cinetic Rights Management. The executive and his team… will act as sales agents for filmmakers who have been left on the sidelines. And here is the twist: The goal is not exhibition in theaters but rather distribution via the Internet and other growing delivery routes like cable on-demand services.
The idea is to create value for that other 90 percent of independent movies, or at least for a good chunk of them.
“We’re going to make it our business to go to every portal, every mobile provider, every video-on-demand service and make the most aggressive deals we can,” Mr. Sloss said… While no single title is likely to deliver a windfall — unless it breaks through as an unexpected hit — the company is betting that the “long tail” of niche content on the Internet will, in aggregate, produce meaningful income
Scene Stealer – Indie Films, Coming to a Small Screen Near You – NYTimes.com
Cinetic Rights Management
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JMHO but any forced attempt to make something “viral” will backfire. Users react adversely to having something, however interesting, shoved down their throat. Overexposure is sometimes worse than minimal exposure.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:33 am