UPDATE:
In recent months, film industry experts have written and spoken extensively about how streaming films is indeed the future. Many indie filmmaker are taking them at their word and gleefully bypassing the theatrical run to get their films listed on one or more of the popular digital platforms. It sure is easier than the struggle to get a theatrical release. Just list the film on iTunes or Amazon and watch the money roll in. What joy!
Oh, if only it were that simple. Filmmakers often fail to realize three things about streaming:
(1) There are now hundreds of streaming outlets, and more emerging every day. The choices are overwhelming.
(2) The most popular digital outlets like iTunes and Netflix are very selective.
(3) Thousands of films are out there all competing for viewers.
This is why a theatrical run is still so vital: it will generate reviews, possibly a few articles, and give your film the lift that will separate it from the herd.
CINEMAflix DISTRIBUTION offers the ideal solution since we wear many hats: we handle the theatrical run, we submit the film to the digital platforms and cable VOD stations, and we market the film to the major DVD wholesalers.
NEWS BRIEFS:
There's no question that the internet generally, and Netflix specifically, upended the traditional content-distribution supply chain and caused profound changes in the entertainment industry. Google, Apple, and Facebook are moving aggressively into Hollywood's turf, preparing to spend billions to create original programming, as Amazon did before them.
---James B. Stewart, The New York Times.
Spotify and Hulu are teaming up to offer a streaming entertainment bundle, aiming to lure subscribers to both the music and video services for a cheaper monthly payment. The anticipated cost will be $4.99 a month.---Jack Marshall, The Wall Street Journal.
BEST FILMS ABOUT SPORTS:
With the National Football League in the U.S. in full swing, I decided to compile my list of the best films about sports:
Basketball: Hoop Dreams. 1994.
Hockey: Slap Shot. 1977.
Football: North Dallas Forty. 1976.
Baseball: Field of Dreams. 1989.
Boxing: A tie: Cinderella Man 2005 and Raging Bull 1980.
Track: Chariots of Fire. 1981.
Horse Racing: Seabiscuit. 2003.
Golf: The Legend of Bagger Vance. 2000.
Any complaints?
FILM EXCHANGE:
Would you pay $30 or more to watch a film on your VOD system the same day it opens theatrically in your neighborhood? Or would you just wait until the film eventually hits one of the digital platforms or your cable VOD? Or, finally, would you just go and see the film at the theater? These are choices you will confronting in 2018. What would you do?
