Linda Nelson

Top 10 Video, Multimedia Websites: January 2009

The domination of YouTube is amazing! Finding ways to leverage that domination is key to our future film marketing.

Gadget Makers Finally Realize Content and the Consumer Are King

It's great to see that trend is finally being embraced by the large content creators. The major Hollywood studios, like the automakers have gotten so big, it's hard for them to be nimble and adjust to the changing times, but change they must or they will go the way of GM. The groundswell has taken over and we all have to learn how to engage with it. Technology has destroyed the old distribution business models and as Tome Peters predicted more than ten years ago, intermediaries are disappearing. We are close to the point where content creators can connect directly with content consumers - all thanks to technology. Apple dropping DRM, is just a small indication of what's to come. Great systems for delivering content to the best digital platforms is a great new business to be in and several companies are well positioned to lead the assault on outdated business models, such as the delivery of content via digibeta tapes. The tapeless media world is well on its way to becoming a reality.

Who Will Win the Home Entertainment Battle?

Finally, someone who gets it! I've been using my laptop to stream from Netflix since they started without having to buy anything. As the internet and broadcast TV continue to converge the winners will be the people that enbrace the new technology. I just bought a terabyte of storage that fits in my pocket for $120. That's a lot of HD movies. Why would I ever need a BlueRay disk or player at the prices they are trying to charge?

Movie Download Wars: Wal Mart Grasping at Straws

MovieLink and CinemaNow only offer studio films. The market for sophisticated independent films is huge, as evidenced by the large number of indie titles on Netflix. The best source for downloading to own or rent right now is Amazon.com's Unbox service. With one click, I can download content to my ZEN (mobile video iPod-like device, but ten times better). I can watch full length films (that download in about 40 minutes) either on the go or I can plug it into my TV and watch DVD quality on the "big screen". The ZEN acts like a DVR, but it's totally portable. Services like MovieLink only download or stream content that can be watched on a PC. Boring. HP will be supplying the infastructure and branded websites for downloading for companies like Walmart. Netflix's streaming is also not interesting, as it isn't mobile. By the way, EZTakes.com offers a download to own service that will let you burn a DVD that plays in your TV's regular DVD player. VOD is going to be huge and people will want the flixibility to watch it when and where they want. Those that get it right will do killler business. My film, Shifted, was the first indie title on Unbox. Independent filmmakers can make their title available for download on Amazon.com's service by using Customflix (www.customflix.com) Check it out. You'll my film on the ZEN and if you click on the ZEN you can see how easy it is for filmmakers to get their content up on the service. iTunes is missing the boat in this respect, as the video iPod is an inferior product and kids still like to go to the theater - it's a cheap date. Overall box office and attendance is down two years in a row and DVD sales are flat as a pancake. VOD is future, not necessarily on PC's but anywhere, anytime.