Netflix
-
Video Streaming & Indies
Now that the 2013 Sundance Film Festival is underway, it’s an opportunity to remind indie filmmakers that, sadly, their future is on the web and not in movie theatres. Park City screenings, parties and other get-togethers are great fun and a good chance to meet other makers and distributors. However, don’t expect to make a deal! This year Sundance will screen 119 feature-length films from 32 countries, including works from 51 first-time directors. These works were selected from 12,146 submissions, including 4,044 feature-length films and 8,102 shorts. One can only wonder if the odds for having one’s feature selected (2.9%) […]
by David Rosen on Jan 18, 2013 -
On-Demand Culture
In April 2012, comedian Mark Malkoff embarked on an extraordinary challenge when he set out to use his Netflix account to watch as many streaming movies as possible over the course of one month. Reasoning that he wanted to get the best value possible for his $7.99 monthly subscription, Malkoff pushed Netflix’s promise of a deep catalog of streaming movies to absurd lengths, managing to watch 252 movies — about eight titles per day — and bringing his cost per film to an impressively low three cents. The stunt helped to illustrate how easily and cheaply consumers can access and […]
by Chuck Tryon on Jan 17, 2013 -
The Berneys Return to Distribution with the Revived Picturehouse and a Netflix Deal
Distribution veterans Bob and Jeanne Berney are returning to the business of releasing movies with Picturehouse, reviving the distribution brand Bob Berney headed in the mid-’00s. Reports Michael Ciepley in the New York Times, the Berneys, along with a group of investors, have bought the Picturehouse name and logo from Warner Bros. and have signed a deal with Netflix, which will release the company’s films following their theatrical release. A first picture is already lined up: “a 3D action movie,” Metallica Through the Never, starring the band. From the New York Times: On Tuesday, Mr. Berney said he is seeking […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jan 15, 2013 -
Will Data Caps Kill Indie Film?
Do you watch movies downloaded via the Internet to your laptop, tablet, smartphone or even TV set? If so, have you received a love letter from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) informing you to either go on a digital data diet or plan to pay more to suck down more streaming 1s and 0s? If not, it will arrive shortly. The leading ISPs are changing the usage and pricing models they have long used, shifting the industry from one with “unlimited” plans to “limited” deals. The effort to impose data caps – sometimes called data throttling – may have significant, […]
by David Rosen on Jan 7, 2013 -
Transparency & Emerging Visions
An older filmmaker friend of mine recently told me about his first experience with Kickstarter. He hated it. It wasn’t that he didn’t get his money–his campaign was actually successful. No, It was something else. As he put it, it was “transparency.” He really didn’t like having to be so open about his needs, about the status of his project, about his desperation to raise money. Transparency can be uncomfortable for filmmakers–too much and you seem like you don’t know what you’re doing, too little and you don’t get the help you need. I guess it’s about finding the right […]
by Musa Syeed on Oct 9, 2012 -
Movie Business Shrinking
A curious occurrence took place in the wake of the Aurora, CO, mass killing on the opening night screening of the latest Batman release, The Dark Knight Rises. Revenue from opening weekend ticket sales was $211.8 million, slightly less than the $222.2 million for The Dark Knight. This was the highest box office gross for a conventional 2D movie for 2012. While the large turnout for the movie can be linked to a response to the shootings as much as the appeal of the movie, the numbers hide a darker truth. The movie business is shrinking. Ticket sales and DVD […]
by David Rosen on Jul 30, 2012 -
MEDIA CURRENT: NEWS & ANALYSIS FOR INDIE MAKERS
Indie-Current is a monthly heads-up tracking developments effecting the indie film scene. It’s a big — and forever getting bigger – world out there, so readers are encouraged to e-mail me stories I’ve missed or something you believe is important for others in the indie community. I can be reached at drosennyc@verizon.net. * * * Occupy Wall Street rocks To shouts of “We Are the 99%,” the Occupy Wall Street movement is spreading throughout the country and the world. Indeed, the whole world is watching. FCC latest scam On October 27th the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a plan to reform the […]
by David Rosen on Nov 2, 2011 -
5 HORRORS YOU CAN WATCH ON NETFLIX RIGHT NOW
Netflix has been getting a lot of heat lately, but with this being Halloween I thought it would be nice to put all issues aside for at least a day and get into the season. Here’s five horrors you can stream right now. Why only five? Well, assuming you indulged in some of your ghoulish favorites over the weekend, five seems about right for just today. And don’t be shy, comment below on what you’re watching. Happy Halloween! 5. Cronos Guillermo del Toro‘s debut feature still creeps me out. A testament to low budget ingenuity, the film follows an aging […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Oct 31, 2011 -
WHY NETFLIX IS CRASHING
Felix Salmon at Reuters has a succinct explanation of why Netflix stock is crashing. (Note to non-investors: a stock and a company are two different things. A stock looks at not only current value but future growth potential. Thus, a good company with a healthy but slowly growing business can be worth less than a similarly sized company that might be losing money but is expected to grow into larger earnings.) In a post titled “Why Netflix Stock is So Volatile,” he explains that Netflix’s meteoric rise to a $300 share price drove short sellers from the stock. Then, when […]
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 25, 2011 -
MEDIA CURRENT: NEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR INDIE MAKERS
The world of indie filmmaking is forever colliding with the larger worlds of technology and giant media conglomerates, regulatory and legal developments, non-profit groups and a fickle consumer who loves indie film and other indie media. “Media Current” is a monthly heads-up tracking these developments. It’s a big — and forever getting bigger – world out there, so readers are encouraged to e-mail me stories I’ve missed or something they believe is important for others in the indie community. I can be reached at drosennyc AT verizon.net. Shrinking Universe One of the important, if least appreciated, developments of the independent […]
by David Rosen on Aug 2, 2011
