Four online destinations for indie films
A look at iTunes, Amazon, Jaman and IndieFlix
ITUNES - itunes.com
It's the dominant (legal) online marketplace for movies, delivering about 50,000 pics a day for rental and purchase. Apple's entertainment store has for the most part only been willing to make package deals with known indie suppliers. In recent months, smaller distributors including New Video -- which now boasts 5,000 hours of programming -- have made inroads into iTunes, offering a slice of the Apple to a lot of small-profile filmmakers.
Amazon Unbox amazon.com
The second most popular movie download destination isn't impenetrable for the small, DIY indie. Using the Amazon service CreateSpace (createspace.com), filmmakers can deliver their masters and have a digital version of their pics appear for sale on Unbox. Filmmakers earn 50% royalties on transactions and don't have the luxury of setting their own price. Like iTunes, visibility for indie fare is limited among the cacophony of big studio titles.
Jaman jaman.com
The most sophisticated portal in terms of emphasizing and merchandising indie and foreign fare. About 90% of Jaman's 3,500 titles are either arthouse or international. The site has pacts with distributors including First Look, Magnolia, Lionsgate, Paramount Vantage and Bollywood supplier Eros Intl. while also offering provisions for self-distribbers who keep a third of revenues.
INDIEFLIX indieflix.com
One-stop DIY site offers a direct, no-fee, totally non-exclusive distribution arrangement whereby filmmakers collect 70% of revenues while setting their own prices (minimum of $9.95 for features, $5.95 for shorts). Free site takes care of "manufacturing," fulfillment and customer service while providing multiple revenue streams via PPV, sponsored streaming, downloads and DVD delivery. IndieFlix touts 125,000 viewers globally, using a range of new-media platforms.
http://IndieFlix indieflix.com
http://indie-fest.com
IndieFlix.com a Filmmaker First company. Library of 1000+ titles of truly independent film festival fare available at www.indieflix.com
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991741.html?categoryid=3235&cs=1&nid=2562
Comments