Content owners and service providers need to shift their focus from content protection to a two-pronged content monetization strategy, consisting of digital rights information management (DRM) and offering a better user experience than illegal P2P services, according to a new report from In-Stat. US broadband households download 14 billion videos each year and, according to the researcher, 85% are still illegal. Yet assuming that better DRM technology and a superior user interface can be introduced, legal video services would generate $1.4 billion in subscription revenue and $1.1 billion in advertising revenue.

Nehst Studios has launched a new website, G.I.Pictures, to help veterans, active duty military and dependent families pitch their scripts and entertainment ideas directly to industry insiders. The site will also post opportunities to produce, direct, act, and crew professional movies, television and web series.

[LINK]

In the wake of a capsized economy, risk-averse investors are floating their finances further and further away from independent films; toward safer waters in titanic tentpole titles and franchise features (Hollywood's new 'hedge fund'). At the same time, fickle philanthropists and cash-challenged charitable organizations have rendered an already daunting and highly-competitive gift-granting process nearly impossible for first-time filmmakers to wade through. On top of all this, Bernie may have Madoff with whatever monies were left afloat in the panic-stricken production pool, making it increasingly difficult for emerging visionaries to tread water. Despite this very strong current, the demand for independent films for a sea of under-served audiences continues to grow, and therefore it must and undoubtedly will be met. Somehow, some way, somebody somewhere sees their story through--from concept to completion, one supporter at a time.

Although attracting individual investors and corporate donations is always sink or swim, your struggle upstream is made altogether easier when your benefactors can dump their donations on Uncle Sam. Although there are circumstantial factors to consider and rules to follow, a non-profit funding scenario may be the best bait to net your fish and can your film. This does not mean your film cannot make money!

Understanding the non-profit environment requires a specialist, consultant or a great deal of homework, so choose your source and make sure you're compliant because you will definitely be held accountable. Having said that, most movie-making models are not non-profit ventures unless you're producing a documentary, an art installation, an art house film or you're simply in it to change the world. Even if your selfless endeavor is to raise monies for a worthy cause, revenue streams do exist (contrary to popular belief) so make sure you know your audience and your movie makes dollars (and sense). Everything you create has value, and nobody does anything for nothing in business--the movie business is by far no exception whatsoever. However, a burgeoning movement to increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in “the commons” — the body of work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing, use, repurposing, and remixing may offer intriguing alternative financing and distribution models moving forward.

Non-profit fiscal sponsors offer a solution for emerging film companies, individual filmmakers and film collaborators to apply for funding usually available only to organizations with 501(c)(3) non-profit status. The right fiscal sponsor will not only allow you to manage your project efficiently, but can actually help you to raise more money and shoot your film. This is because you can apply for grants and solicit tax-deductible donations to support your film using your sponsor’s tax-exempt status. Your fiscal sponsor should inspire donor confidence because they have a recognized charitable purpose and a structure for accomplishing your goal, holding you accountable to the public. Please be advised that you cannot solicit (raise) non-profit funds otherwise if you are not a non-profit entity with a 501(c03 license. You can apply for this license but never in connection with a profit-making company, so if you have long term goals of operating as a for-profit film company or want to ultimately change the way your films are financed with significantly larger budgets, I highly recommend non-profit filmmaking on a film-by-film basis using a fiscal sponsor to avoid problematic legal and tax ramifications moving forward.


Independent films with modest production budgets may be financed using the non-profit fundraising model. Your production budget and your ability to raise ALL of the funds via non-profit contributions largely depends on who you know, how well you can sell your idea to individuals and organizations for funding and what you intend to do with your completed film. Again, please refer to a specialist or consultant, or consider one of many fiscal sponsors specializing in the non-profit film funding model. The only non-profit fiscal sponsor I will personally endorse is NYFA (New York Foundation of the Arts) as they are a one of the oldest, largest, most prestigious and artist- friendly fiscal sponsors in the country. No matter who you select, consult with your potential sponsor to ensure all of your questions, concerns and relevant issues are addressed as you consider your alternatives.

-- Miles Maker

Santa Maria, the Vampire Queen has been left for dead in a shallow grave in Hell. Young Jeremy resurrects the ruler of the Clan of the Snake, but will true love save him from her need to feed?

Vampyre Films are Alive and Kicking

Considered one of the preeminent figures of the classic horror film, the vampire has proven to be a rich subject for the film and gaming industries. Screen vampires always come out at Halloween, but in the coming year, we're bound to see more fanged fare (Daybreakers) and understandably so. It's at times of economic and social crisis that the undead tend to haunt us most, which is why Mar*Val*Les Films', "The Kiss" works on so many levels. You'll find this movie on Amazon and Netflix.

Sex, blood and gore is a universal language that travels well internationally--drawing hoards of bloodthirsty viewers "From Dusk Till Dawn" and into the "Twilight," and although I haven't seen "The Kiss," the trailer assures me it will follow in their bloody tracks with a modern twist to an age-old storyline. In addition to the Juror's Award, "The Kiss" smacked it's lips on two other prizes at the 2008 West Hollywood Film Festival: 'Best Horror Film' and 'Best Supporting Actor' (Vincent Rivera as Fonso).

Horror films are highly recommended for first-time filmmakers as an inexpensive vehicle to break into the industry, and Director Scott Madden looks to have succeeded in delivering a well produced (17 days) technically sound feature film on a modest production budget ($265K). The genre is also known to be forgiving of unfamiliar talent, generally because the genre itself supersedes the relatively unknown Actors on screen. Having said that, emerging Actress Lourdes Colon ("The Movie Time Showcase") sinks her fangs into the leading role of Santa Maria, whose jaw opens 90 degrees (tearing handfuls of flesh from her victims). Unlike the all-two familiar pricks in the neck, Santa Maria's bite is bloody overkill--she leaves no survivors! Primary cast members include Lendon Lemelle, Valerie Feuer (Co-Producer), Robyn Jensen, Angie Rachelle, Michael Galvez and Jack Hill.

One of the bonus features on the DVD is a half hour documentary made by 16-year-old Sam E. Rubin, who followed the film's progress throughout the entire production. Sam interviewed the cast & crew on their trials & tribulations of bringing Santa Maria back to life. In capturing the spirit of the set and the passion of everyone involved, Sam may have set the tone for his directorial debut sometime soon!

-- Miles Maker

When motion pictures were invented at the end of the 19th century, most films were shorter than a minute, because of the limitations of technology. A little more than a hundred years later when Web videos were introduced, they were also cut short, but for social as well as technical reasons.

Two years ago, David Wain broke the first episode of “Wainy Days” into three parts for the Web. Video creators, by and large, thought their audiences were impatient. A three-minute-long comedy skit? Shrink it to 90 seconds. Slow Internet connections made for tedious viewing, and there were few ads to cover high delivery costs. And so it became the first commandment of online video: Keep it short.

New Web habits, aided by the screen-filling video that faster Internet access allows, are now debunking the rule. As the Internet becomes a jukebox for every imaginable type of video — from baby videos to “Masterpiece Theater” — producers and advertisers are discovering that users will watch for more than two minutes at a time.

FULL Story by Brian Stelter on New York Times.

The mantra from networks has long been that online entertainment will never replace the experience of watching TV in the living room, but is this accurate? Short form video is now being viewed by 43% of internet users at least once a week and it's perceived as being equally or more entertaining than television by 37% of the online public, according to new research from Frank N. Magid Associates, sponsored by video entertainment portal Metacafe. Seven in ten of males 18-24, the power users of the genre to be sure, view online video weekly. Consumer-created and uploaded clips are still the most popular particularly among young males, accounting for 42% of videos viewed among males 12-17. Yet people of all ages and both genders are watching short professional videos online - ranging from males 25-34, where 64% of this group is watching such content, to females 55-64, 39% of whom view it. Other interesting findings include:

* Over half of TV viewers go online while watching TV; 13% report dong so "all the time"

* 70% of weekly online video viewers play video games regularly, compared to 47% of non-online video viewers

* 41% own a personal digital media player for music and video vs. 23% of non viewers

* 28% rent DVDs weekly (vs. 17%)

* 11% own a smartphone, compared to 7% of non-online video viewers

Content delivery network Akamai Technologies announced variable bit streaming support for live and high quality video content for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This means that content providers such as Discovery, MTV, Turner Sports and USA Today will be able to distribute quality video to the device utilizing a single unified solution.

Zoom Media and Marketing is teaming with VH1 to host "The Great Debate," a multiplatform, multiscreen marketing initiative enabling audience participation via TV broadcast; VH1; Facebook; Viacom's massive 44 ½ foot HD screen in Times Square; and Zoom's network of digital out-of-home media locations. "The Great Debate," which kicked off last night, argues the merits of pop cultural icons such as Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Rocky vs. Rambo and Boxers vs. Briefs. Viewers can chime in via real-time text messaging at over 300 Zoom Media & Marketing nightlife locations in the US, along with the Viacom Times Square screen, and via Twitter and Facebook.

New media analytics firm Viralheat exited beta yesterday, offering affordable key word-based search and tracking services across video, social media and blogging sites. Rather than purchase its data from third parties, Viralheat has built its own cloud-based network in order to control costs and mine data in near real-time, according to CEO Raj Kadam. For as little as $10 for 10 terms/month, clients can track uptick of brands on viral video sites and Twitter, with the option to add more exotic analysis products.

The MJJ Memorial Service proved to be the live web streaming event of the [ ? ] with several outlets planning coverage beginning at 10am PST including E!, CBS News, ABC News, Fox News/Hulu and MySpace. CNN hooked up a Facebook Connect feed as it did during President Obama's inauguration, allowing users to input commentary during the service. Media outlets ensured access to their feeds from multiple sites and platforms. For instance, CBSNews' live streamed on CBSNews.com, CBS.com, TV.com, TheInsider.com and across the CBS Audience Network, which included all CBS O&Os and affiliates. CBS Mobile also offered live coverage on Verizon's VCast TV, ATT TV (via Media Flo) and on Sprint TV via Mobi TV.

The MJJ Memorial proved to be another litmus test for live video streaming as outlets struggled to keep up with traffic demands and make their social integrations relevant. The live traffic meters of internet infrastructure firm Akamai, which handles an estimated 20% of the world's web traffic, counted about 109 million customers/minute during the event - a high for the year. Internet monitoring specialist Keynote Systems, which reported significant slowdown on major news sites after news of Jackson's death spread, also saw slowdowns across its Keynote News index.

Michael Jackson's memorial coverage in the US trails that of Princess Diana's 1997 funeral which totaled 33.2 million and Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004 with 35 million viewers.

Worldwide Michael Jackson Coverage also achieved stellar results:

* In the UK, approximately 6.3 million viewers on average watched Michael Jackson's memorial on Tuesday over five channels with BBC2's coverage garnering the highest share with an average of 4 million viewers. The overall viewer number did not come close though, to the 11 million UK viewers who watched Michael Jackson tribute shows over six channels on June 26.

And per Variety:

* In Germany, an estimated 20 million viewers watched over numerous channels with ProSiebenSat. 1's N24 drawing the most viewers with its all-day coverage.

* Mediaset's Italia 1 channel in Italy posted a 15.7% audience share or 15 million viewers.

* Spanish channel Cuatro delivered an 11.7% share and 1.1 million viewers with its special on Michael Jackson.

* In France, the memorial aired live on TF1, France 2 and M6 totaling a 51.2% audience share.

Additionally, Nielsen cites Michael Jackson's memorial created a big stir online Tuesday, ranking as the third most-discussed topic ever at 3% of conversations. The synergy between television and the web also created buzz as almost 15% of all online conversations about Michael Jackson also referenced a broadcast or social network.

It's all about audiences. Know yours! Audiences are as unique as our DNA, and so are their preferences and tastes for content consumption on any given day. The truth of the matter is, moment by moment your audience may prefer meaningless media or uplifting entertainment--but neither will resonate with all audiences everywhere all the time, whether it was produced to enlighten the masses or make them laugh their asses off.

At the end of the day, content meets audience--and if you know WHO your audience is, you'll know what they like, where to find them and how to deliver and feed their fix, so CONNECT WITH THEM, woo them, wow them and they will wuv you wight back! The folks over at 8 Sided Films articulated this well when they stated,

"At 8 Sided films, we believe that new technology and the new economy have made the collaborative, community-based ethics of theater more relevant and meaningful to the business of media than ever before. In every practical way, we are a repertory film company."

From an audience standpoint, local communities would become fans and champion their favorite repertory theater Actors, who would be treated as celebrities. Sometimes entire families would make a visit to their local repertory theater as part of their weekly routine (like going to church). For young people, the indoctrination process influenced their future appreciation for live "legitimate" theater.

The primary statistic to measure the success of your property (content) should be profits--not sales! A $50 million opening weekend is one thing; it's entirely another to state that your film yielded a 5000% profit margin (it cost you $1 million to make it). Whether you're a Hollywood Studio or a brick & mortar-less indie, you can always improve your selling process dramatically by shifting away from revenue sales and focusing instead on profit selling (a return on investment is why investors invest). having said that, the bottomless bottom line suggests we're still not producing enough quality content to satisfy niche audiences--so let's get out there and can more content!

Just remember WHO's Boss.

-- Miles Maker

Sorry Variety, but I think you guys are full of SHIT. I used to respect and appreciate your contributions, but as I continue to evolve in this business as a result of my own diligent research I have been rudely awakened to your killer loop. YOU get stories from Studio Execs., who in turn get their stories from YOU, so essentially all you guys do is repeat what you hear your friends saying. No wonder there's so much executive turnover! Very few Studio Execs. have any real vision, which is why 31 Paramount Executives, including the head of Paramount Vantage, got a big fat juicy pink slip! In truth, the last paragraph I've bothered to post here sums it up best.

-- Miles Maker, Visionary

By Jennifer Netherby:

With millions of devices in homes now connecting HDTVs to the Internet, online movie services are poised to send a flood of high-def movies down those digital pipes. But the flow may be less than smooth, given limited broadband connection speeds in U.S. homes and the superior video quality on Blu-ray discs.

Vudu, Apple iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand have all added high-definition titles in the past six months. This fall, Microsoft (via the Xbox 360) and Roxio CinemaNow are each planning a major high-def push. In addition, almost every service is offering high-definition viewing via instant streaming so consumers no longer have to wait hours for large HD files to download.

But few expect digital downloads to be a serious competitor to Blu-ray discs anytime soon. That's because most consumers don't have broadband connections fast enough to stream HD video and, even if they did, most companies say HD streams can't yet match the quality of Blu-ray.

The average consumer has only a 2.5-megabit-per-second broadband connection, said Mark Ely, VP of strategy for Sonic Solutions, which owns Roxio CinemaNow. To stream HD content in the standard MPEG-2 compression quality requires an 18-20 mbps connection.

Vudu's well-reviewed HDX streams, which it touts as the highest-quality HD streaming, require a 10-mbps broadband connection, while its standard 1080p HD streams need a 4.5 mbps connection.

Because of broadband limitations, most companies in the space are positioning HD downloads as a complement to Blu-ray. That's not surprising, since many are planning to offer their services through Blu-ray players in an attempt to expand their reach into the home. Sonic and Netflix, for instance, already have deals with LG Electronics to offer their services on BD players coming this fall.

Also limiting the potential growth of HD streaming and downloads is the amount of content studios make available and the terms under which they do so. So far, studios are releasing almost every new release, but since most HD new-release downloads and streams are available as rentals, they are available only in the VOD window, sometimes debuting after DVD and only available for a limited time.

FULL Story (which is only 1/2 the story) on Variety.

Television is a more effective platform for commercials than the internet or mobile devices, so says a new research study initiated by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and the research company NeuroFocus, cites Adweek. TV ranked high in the areas of emotional engagement, commercial recall and intent to purchase while viewers find advertising on mobile devices and online to be less engaging. The report did mention mobile devices provide overall good recall since the user focuses on what is directly in front of them. The study also pointed out commercials on TV and mobile both are good at closing a sale, though internet ads require multiple exposures before generating a buying response.

It may be early days in the web video space but the major entertainment distributors have already carved out over half of the market share of U.S. online ad revenue, according to a new analysis from Screen Digest. The ABC Full Episode Player, CBS Audience Network, NBC.com, Fox.com and Hulu, the joint venture between NBC Universal, News Corp. and Disney, accounted for a combined 53% of an ad-supported US online TV market that generated $448m in revenues in 2008. Their share is only likely to increase as revenues grow to $1.45bn by 2013, as third party platform struggle to get their hands on premium content rights. Yet despite advances in targeting and increases in ad inventory, online TV as a medium will fail to make up for the expected shortfall in traditional TV ad revenue, pegged to decline $2bn during the same period.

2008 Share of U.S. Ad Supported Online TV Revenues:

44% Broadcasters Direct Services
15% Others (sports leagues, indies, etc.)
10% Hulu
09% Portals

Source: Screen Digest

The founder of gadget guide Gizmodo and Engadget, Peter Rojas, and his partner at Engadget Ryan Block, have put their heads together to launch their latest gizmo site GDGT. It will rely on user-generated reviews and user profiles to fill out its pages, providing a forum for discussions and advice seeking.

YouTube introduced a "call to action" overlay service to help producers drive traffic to their sites, collect signatures or drive song downloads. The site also confirmed its has doubled the max size of standard uploads from 1 GB to 2 GB, translating to longer shorts from those handheld HD cameras.

If you currently own the rights to one or more films and do not have an exclusive distribution deal then you should visit www.indiefilmdepot.com.

Indie Film Depot is a website that allows you to list your film for sale with no upfront fees. They simply take a percentage (20%) of your sales and a low per transaction fee of 30 cents, and the rest goes in your pocket. Their fees are much lower than other sites with similar sales models. Most sites start at 30% commission and go as high as 65%. With Indie Film Depot more money goes directly into your pocket! The website is currently in development and they expect to launch in the first week of July (2009). They are offering pre-registration now and will offer many features that you can read about below after the official launch. To pre-register go to www.indiefilmdepot.com and scroll to the bottom for the 'pre-registration link'.

Famly Trēo is back with their bi-weekly scene series workout performance for NYC Actors!

24 Actors will be selected to choose one of three scripts--then paired in a round-robin format to perform for a live audience of industry peers.

*** ACTOR SUBMISSIONS FOR JULY 11th ARE NOW OPEN ***

JULY 11th SCRIPTED SCENES:

"PATIENT ZERO" written by Philip Reissman
Conspiring physicians (Lind and Lowenstein) choose to terminate the life of a terminally ill patient with an infectious disease with the potential to start a global pandemic.

"LOVE IN THE CLUB" written by Shanell LaDawne
Two competitive female friends (Angela and Star) face-off over lost love and a one-night stand as they exit their favorite weekend hotspot.

"THE CLEMONS" written by Miles Maker*
An odd elderly couple discuss the sordid relationship their sex-addicted neighbors are indulging in.

* an excerpt from the screenplay entitled, "Extra Marital Affairs," based on the bestselling novel by Relentless Aaron.

RSVP or Register on Facebook: [LINK]

Hulu continues with its strategy to remain an online only service, this time blocking access to the PlayStation 3 platform. Until last weekend PS3 users could access Hulu through the gaming platform's web browsing feature.

Beating Hulu to the punch, CBS Interactive's TV.com portal completed integration with the Facebook Connect ID service launched about a year ago, allowing visitors to use their Facebook log in info to participate in TV.com's community features, including leaving comments, adding reviews, etc.

The Online Publishers Association announced that 37 of its members were launching new OPA ad units across their sites powering campaigns across a variety of sectors including consumer packaged goods, automotive, and financial. The new units, designed to re-energize the sagging online display advertising sector, will be utilized by brands such as Bank of America on CNN.com and Time.com and Mercedes-Benz on a variety of sites including NYTimes.com and MSNBC.com. The OPA ad units include:


* The Fixed Panel: 336 wide x 700 tall, remains constant as the user scrolls to the top and bottom of the page

* The XXL Box: 468 wide x 648 tall, opens for seven seconds to 936 wide x 648 tall with 1/24x frequency

* The Pushdown: 970 wide x 418 tall, opens to display the advertisement and then after seven seconds rolls up to 970 wide x 66 tall, with 1/24x frequency

Swedish software maker Global Gaming Factory announced it will buy the notorious Pirate Bay P2P (peer to peer) sharing site for 60 million Swedish Kronor ($7.8 million) to pave the way for a new "compensation model."

"We would like to introduce models which entail that content providers and copyright owners get paid for content that is downloaded via the site,"

-- Hans Pandeya, CEO of GGF.

The suddenly altruistic Pirate Bay says the profits from the sale would go into a foundation to "help with projects about freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openness of the nets."

Joost is dumping its consumer video portal to focus on delivering white label video services to other industry players. Joost CEO Mike Volpi, mentioned as a candidate for CEO job at British public broadcaster ITV, will step down as chief executive but remain Chairman of the company. Joost was applauded for introducing innovative features - such as advanced social networking and recommendation features - but ultimately lost out to the premium content of Hulu and the amateur fare of YouTube. The model's failure has the online video industry wondering who will be the next to falter.