We’re doing a bit of a catch-up on things that have been happening in the blogosphere over the past few weeks and wanted to draw your attention to this piece by Noah Harlan on the Filmmaker Magazine blog - written after he returned from the Sundance Producer’s Lab. In it he addresses online, ad-supported business models and comes to the conclusion that “In an ad-based model you would need a minimum of at least 800,000 viewers and possibly as many as 3.3 million just to break even.” Give it a read and make sure to read the comments - there are interesting thoughts from people like Jan Rofekamp (FilmsTransit), Doug Block (D-Word) and Scott Kirsner (CinemaTech).

We blogged earlier about Laure Parson’s excellent new blog on digital distribution. She has recently relaunched the site with even more resources for filmmakers including a list of online markets and a discussion board. The latest interviews on the blog include Doug Block, Sujewa Ekanayake, Caachi, IndiePix and Shooting People’s Ingrid Kopp. This is a great resource for folk trying to get a handle on all the latest distribution options. If you find this helpful be sure to check out Lance Weiler’s Workbook Project too.

From the Tribeca Film Institute’s website:

The Tribeca Film Institute asked Intelligent Television to launch an examination of the current economics of independent film and video distribution in the United States to help producers, distributors, and funders better understand current realities and trends in the film and video distribution market.  This study, supported in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is intended to be of mainstream value—documentary films and education film and television remain popular, and education ranks high among the subjects American viewers watch online, tied in popularity with music, after news and comedy. “The Economics of Film and Video Distribution in the Digital Age” (PDF Download) thus investigates current financing models for independent educational media, the revenue that such film and video productions have realized from sales and licensing, and the potential for alternative models of video and film distribution in the digital age.

Have you had a look at the films in The YouTube Screening Room yet? Launched in June, the Screening Room is a curated space that allows you to watch 4 new films every second Friday - many of them films that have played at film festivals like I Met The Walrus. Brent Hoff from Wholphin explains why this is such a great thing, as the Screening Room facilitates “an explosion of community. . . based solely on what people love.”

Sara Pollack, Film Manager at YouTube, wrote about her thoughts about the role of YouTube and digital distribution back in May in The Independent:

We’re starting to see ever more sophisticated uses of the medium, from major studios as well as indepen-dent film-makers. Of course, most people simply put their finished work on YouTube to promote their films and to make some money from advertising. But many are putting experimental ideas on the site to gauge the reaction and refine their plans, while others have used viewer feedback to determine where in the world to arrange showings when distribution budgets are tight. The point is that film-makers are involving the viewer in every stage of the process – from ideas-generation, to editing, to distribution.

Movie-making has always been about collaboration. But the new kinds of interactivity we’re seeing are blurring the division between fans and film-makers. Look at m.strange’s We Are the Strange, which viewers have translated into 17 different languages; look at

Four Eyed Monsters, which is about the couple who made it and how they met on a social networking site, and which has drawn so many video responses from viewers that they’ve edited their favourites into a follow-up film.

The mainstream is catching on. After its success online, Four Eyed Monsters got a DVD release, and after 32 million views, an amateur nature film called Battle at Kruger has been adapted for an hour-long National Geographic special

There’s an interesting article on Digital Journal about Cinetic Rights Management, including an interview with Janet Brown and Matt Dentler from the company. Many of you may have heard of Cinetic but CRM is a new addition to the company, focusing specifically on exploiting digital rights which means they will be able to leverage films that aren’t going to get traditional theatrical or television distribution. This is what CRM say they can offer the filmmaker/producer on their website:

• Pioneering sales negotiation and strategy
  
• Digital encoding logistics
  
• Committed grassroots marketing
  
• Collated accounting and reporting

From the article:

“We act as a conduit for these smaller films that don’t have a fighting chance to compete with blockbusters,” notes Matt Dentler, a sales agent for one-year-old CRM. Dentler knows all too well about plucky indie films — his last job was director of the well-respected South by Southwest film festival. “Big budget films dominate the market, while other films don’t have the manpower to support a $20 million marketing budget.”

So how can an indie film attract eyeballs before its release? CRM is pursuing deals with various portals, although Brown is tight-lipped about specifics. Dentler mentioned the firm will try to get word-of-mouth buzz to prominent bloggers, while also embracing online-video campaigns to release scenes, outtakes and trailers on various media. Some strategies may involve podcast interviews with directors; others may use offline screenings to help build momentum. “These aren’t new tools,” Dentler admits, “but we’ll apply them correctly to the films that best fit them.”

Brown says CRM will focus on all films where the digital rights are cleared. Back catalogue titles can be spread virally, as well, such as the 1994 classic Hoop Dreams. Dentler envisions those kinds of films garnering new audiences. “There are younger fans who have never seen Hoop Dreams so if they heard about it online, maybe they’d want to rent it somewhere,” he says.

“We bring a specialized skill set,” Brown says. “We get these films to audiences who want to see them.”

Easier said than done. CRM is trying to stay on top of social media and blogosphere trends in order to give producers a much-needed digital boost. But it has to promote films online without irritating Web surfers and give audiences something fresh and exciting. The real challenge to promote a new film comes when the public is being bombarded by billboards and trailers from the major studios, stiff-arming less expansive campaigns by smaller films.

“The easiest way to not go viral is to try going viral,” Dentler says, half-laughing. “There’s no perfect science in how to market and brand films. We’re hopeful our deals with major portals will lead to a satisfying and enjoyable experience for everyone – filmmakers, studios and movie fans.