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Bond/360 Launches “Pay What You Wish” Four-Movie “Creativity Bundle”
Indie Game: The Movie directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky Hailed as revolutionary back in 2007, “the Radiohead model” — pay-what-you-wish downloadable media pricing — never flourished in the years following. Even Radiohead abandoned it. Yet, as Bond/360 is setting out to prove, it may still have its place when it comes to independent film. Tonight at midnight they’re launching a four-film “Creativity Bundle” download through VHX. Pay what you want to own — not rent — four movies. And, just as Radiohead’s In Rainbows was one of their best, these titles (or at least the two I’ve seen) are excellent: Indie Game, Helvetica, Sign Painters and Beauty is Embarrassing. They all deal with art and artmaking and thus are well programmed together. (Filmmakers particularly should watch and learn from both the content and distribution strategies of Indie Game and Helvetica.) For those spending $15 — just $3.75 a film — an hour’s worth of bonus material will be unlocked.
Bond’s Marc Schiller has written about variable pricing before, and it’s indeed an underused selling strategy all across independent film. Discount matinees, lower prices for library titles, free promotion weeks — these have all been done in the past in film or are being done now in other media, like apps, but aren’t being explored enough in the independent film space. Schiller promises revenue and average selling price numbers next week, and we’ll be sure to post.
