Film Distributor Convinced Oscar Nominees To Take Down Their Own Short Films, Because No Real Film Would Be Online
from the wtf dept
While the Oscars already happened this past weekend, we missed this one bit of insanity in the lead up. Apparently, Carter Pilcher, CEO of distributor Shorts International, made the rounds last week telling all of the nominees for "best animated short film" that they needed to take their films down from any online site. Why? Because, apparently, online stuff is too lowbrow, and no serious filmmaker would ever promote their films online. From the letter:The fact that all the films were put online is perplexing as Academy voters have other and better means of viewing the films, including through the Academy-provided DVDs of all the Live Action and Animated short film nominees sent to all voting members. Making the films available online creates no competitive advantage.First off, that last statement is pure hogwash. A large and growing number of feature length films have been released online for free as a marketing tool. There's a whole company called Vodo.net that has helped filmmakers do that. All the way back in 2008, we wrote about director Wayne Wang (who has directed movies like The Joy Luck Club, Smoke and Maid in Manhattan) releasing his latest feature length film... free and online. Another success story involved a relatively unknown indie filmmaker who got his film on Hulu (for free), where it became the most watched thing on Hulu for a while. And, of course, Nina Paley famously released Sita Sings the Blues for free online. The idea that no maker of a feature length film would ever use the internet to release it for free is simply untrue.
Unlike Webbies or Ani's, the Academy Award is designed to award excellence in the making of motion pictures that receive a cinematic release, not an online release. Since 2006, we have built theater audiences significantly and created widespread interest in the films themselves and their place in the movie theater. This release of the films on the Internet threatens to destroy 8 years of audience growth and the notion that these film gems are indeed movies--no feature length film would consider a free online release as a marketing tool!
And, in many ways, it seems even dumber to remove these short animated films from the internet. As many people have noted, obscurity is a much bigger threat to most content creators than anything else, and one way to guarantee further obscurity is to make sure your work cannot be found or seen easily. Somehow, I doubt that any of these animated short filmmakers are seeing that much money from whatever limited theatrical release Pilcher is able to give them. And yet, by taking their works offline, they may be missing out on building a much bigger and more loyal fanbase, which can help support future projects (Kickstarter, anyone?). The idea that no real filmmaker would promote their films online is something that comes from the viewpoint of an obsolete industry, not someone who is looking out for today's filmmakers' best interests.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: animated short feature, internet, marketing, oscars, publicity, short films
Companies: shorts international
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in thread ]
"marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
But a whole industry can't work on "give away and pray".
Take a loopy tour of Techdirt.com! You always end up at same place!
http://techdirt.com/
The only forum where "give away and pray" is taken seriously.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
It worked pretty well for religion.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Wait a sec...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
obscurity is a much bigger threat to most content creators than anything else
I say let those who are as myopic as he is fall into obscurity and into oblivion. Such artists are not needed. If we simply started ignoring artists that think like this moron (Metallica comes immediately to mind) then they should experience first hand what's to fall into oblivion.
I'm seeing it happen (specifically with Disney), slowly. People are turning to alternatives that are affordable and that they know the ones behind it aren't arseholes.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Wait a sec...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
but letting seth macfarlane host the oscars was A-OK
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
I don't know anyone that makes a short film hoping to get a return on their investment by getting people to pay to see their film, and if they do they're fools.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Wait a sec...
http://www.bugcomic.com/comics/award-for-deadliness/
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Both of things supposedly threatened here are probably not at all threatened. The statement is based on nothing but a gut feeling from someone who cannot see beyond what IS.
Give away and pray is NOT what judicious use of free availability, AKA promotion, in a business model is all about. REAL movies can be released in various ways.
<sarcasm> It devalues the Academy Awards to show them on television, which is such a pervasive and free medium. They should invite only Hollywood elite, and hold them in a big theater in secret somewhere. </sarcasm>
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
You know, it is kind of funny you should say that. There have actually been a few studies about this "give away and pray" method. A prime example is the common car wash as a fund raiser. You will actually make more money if you setup offering "free" car washes and asking for donations than if you try and charge a set price.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
"When Finnish filmmaker Timo Vuorensola came up with the idea for his movie Star Wreck, a parody of Star Trek, he knew that looking for conventional distribution would be futile. An amateur, science-fiction comedy with a miniscule budget — and in Finnish, to boot — would hardly be attractive to mainstream studios. So Vuorensola took matters into his own hands: he used a Finnish social networking site to build up an online fan base who contributed to the storyline, made props and even offered their acting skills. In return for the help, Vuorensola released Star Wreck in 2005 online for free. Seven hundred thousand copies were downloaded in the first week alone; to date, the total has now reached 9 million.
"Releasing it for free is just good marketing," he says. "Whether it's through piracy or distribution your film is out there on the Internet, so we decided to harness this." And he has managed to make quite a bit of money out of it. Online sales of merchandise — including T-shirts and collector's editions of the DVD — have generated $430,000 on a film that only cost $21,500 to make, Vuorensola says. He and his team have also now secured a proper distribution deal with Revolver Entertainment in the U.S. and Britain."
YES, IT'S EASY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY LABOR AND ACTORS! (Besides pesky promotion.)
That's why I have the tag line:
Every "new business model" here requires first getting valuable products -- including money and labor -- for free.
Getting a profit is never a problem when expenses are artificially minimized. We need Mike to show us HOW to promote and get the free products up front, not just repeat claims that it can be done. He's not even a very good cheerleader.
[BTW: I've seen this. It's okay, even well done in spots. Yet I wouldn't PAY to see it.]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I hate award ceremonies as you can probably guess.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Another element...
Perhaps everyone complied because it was threatened the insiders wouldn't fairly consider them if they didn't?
Either way, I avoid these award shows like I avoid "Reality" TV shows (& I avoid them like the plague). They take what I want to watch off the air & replace it w/ nonsense.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Can't avoid prayin'
Choose "distribute to theaters and pray"...
- that your distributor bothered to promote your project
- that the weather that weekend is good
- that anyone is willing to shell out any amount of money to see your magnum opus
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
Blue, your intelligence level is dropping noticeably with each passing day. I guess your medical professionals haven't worked out the correct dosages yet.
Anyways, if you actually took some time to read articles here on Techdirt you might know that Mike doesn't think that "give it away and pray" is a very good business model at all and has been saying that for many years now.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080522/1545021204.shtml
Leveraging free can be a integral part of a good business model, but it needs to be done with forethought and focus towards the ultimate goal - making money.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
To hell with the Internet, I've got somebody's Oscar.
There's the problem. They only care about getting the Oscar.
When all you care about is rewards, then fuck the Internet. If you're a true artist and want to get your stuff seen by everyone, the Internet is a godsend.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
Next time, just shorten it to "I didn't like it".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
That's kind of stupid, Blue, even for you.
Why do you consider that to be "artificially minimized"? It wasn't forced labor, it was volunteer work, plain and simple.
This guy has come up with a solution to your narrow-view question of "How do I pay for my $100,000,000 movie?" by reducing the upfront costs to something that is manageable and now you are mocking him? What gives?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
How is that different from anywhere else? Think about it, if I want to make a movie your way then I have to make something that can be pitched to a movie producer. I have no money, they're not going to pay me to make a script.
If I want to start a company I have to produce something that is worth buying before I can draw in investors. The investors aren't going to give me money with a promise of "I'll think up something good, I swear".
At least our way lets us keep control of the distribution platform. I don't think I could live giving my stuff away to a movie producer and praying that he will promote my movie, get it into theaters (that's a different prayer right there), and then pay me... ever.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
You do know Mike works as a consultant in the area of business plans, don't you? So...how much are you going to pay him to show you what to do...or are you expecting him to donate his labour to you for free?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
so i dont see he car maker complain because they are not paid before the r&d begins for the new car model, i see them geting a product first then chargin
[ link to this | view in thread ]
A shot at Disney
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with anything the article's about, which for a start addresses filmmakers who have already willingly put their material online. Reading comprehension, for gods sake, learn it.
"But a whole industry can't work on "give away and pray"."
Do you YET AGAIN need to be pointed to the articles where Mike has specifically said that's a bad idea and not something that's part of the business models he supports? Read the damn articles occasionally rather than fight your fictional phantoms.
"The only forum where "give away and pray" is taken seriously."
Liar
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
It's amazing really, he watched a movie legally for free, admits it generated huge interest (can he name any other Finnish movies, let alone any he's seen?), has achieved traditional distribution in some markets and generated at least 20x its production budget (by whatever date the article he's quoting was written, so probably more by now). Yet, to him it's still a failure because someone didn't wank enough money away to make it in the first place.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A shot at Disney
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Two points
Second, those of us who make a living in filmmaking have always volunteered some of our labour at some point -it's how you break into the business. But to stick with it long term most of us need to get paid a stable, non-speculative wage. Thats why the "give it away for free and pray" approach remains mainly applicable only to certain niches in today's capitalist economy.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Two points
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I think this is about codding the theaters
Am I the only one who read that statement and thought this was the more important part: keeping audiences in the physical theaters? This is about windowing. Denigrating online is only a means to an end -- throwing a conciliatory bone to the theaters to preserve windowing.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Two points
For your second point, how many people working in the film industry actually get royalties vs. simply being paid union rates for the days they work? Given Hollywood accounting, you're probably better off with the latter, and if you're working for that rate the amount you're paid for your day's work shouldn't alter whether the movie is distributed via traditional means, via a freemium model or funded upfront via crowdsourcing. Yes, low budget movies might have to ask you to volunteer - but that happened 50 years ago as well under the traditional models. Ever hear of "poverty row"? The existence of those films didn't affect the viability of those models, and it was much more difficult to get traction outside of those studios.
"give it away for free and pray"
I do wish people would stop repeating this fallacy. It definitely doesn't help your argument when it's not only false for many films out there but specifically warned against on this very site.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A shot at Disney
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Two points
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: A shot at Disney
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No global exposure
Then once you boast that you're well known in the world, we can say this magic question: "Who are you? And what did you made to become famous?"
*cue rage against the questioner*
[ link to this | view in thread ]
You missed one…
[ link to this | view in thread ]
For whatever the reason, short films are treated like precious jewels that are only taken out occasionally to be shown to a select group of people before being locked away again.
Like this one, which the majority of the world will never see, despite looking like a very cool film;
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942059
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: "marketing" to industry types means "get money in return", Mike.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
http://vimeo.com/21965312
If something interests you, don't ignore it simply because you won't be able to rent it on DVD.
"For whatever the reason, short films are treated like precious jewels that are only taken out occasionally to be shown to a select group of people before being locked away again."
Erm, no they're not. The problem is that since the multiplex model arose (removing the theatrical distribution models that often left shorts being shown as filler in double features, etc.), short films rarely get mainstream distribution. They play a lot at film festivals, quite often show up randomly on TV or get released as compilations or edited into anthology movies. Occasionally, they even get expanded into full length features (Saw began life as a short film, for example, as did District 9), and often included on the DVD of the resulting feature.
They're not deliberately locked away, they're simply difficult to sell to a mainstream audience. If you're really interested, have a look online, watch them on YouTube, etc. - since they're not commercially viable there's less of a grey area. You might even find short films showcased as part of a film festival, and some areas even have festivals dedicated to short films. The more people support them, the more likely they will be made available in a more accessible paid format...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This does not go far enough
The audience are dolts, poltroons, unable to appreciate true art. Once a film gets nominated for an Oscar the public should be banned from seeing it. It's the only way to protect the art of movie making from the unwashed masses.
Of course the government should reimburse each film for the money they should have taken from the public if they had done their duty and seen the film before it's nomination.
It's the only way to ensure a thriving movie industry.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: If you can SAVE ON COSTS this way...
I own it but others get to enjoy it as well. Shouldn't they each have to pay for my car? Why should others be able to see it for free?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
Thanks. I did search for it, but didn't get have any luck finding it.
Now I just have to figure out why I can't get anything on Vimeo to play...
They're not deliberately locked away, they're simply difficult to sell to a mainstream audience. If you're really interested, have a look online, watch them on YouTube, etc.
There was one short film whose trailer I watched on YouTube. I wrote a comment asking why they didn't upload the whole thing to the net and was told that because he had used some copyrighted music in it, he wasn't allowed to distribute it.
In another case, a short film showed up on YouTube, but was quickly taken down by the author. When I asked why, he said that he only wanted it on a particular site. The problem was that the site he used restricted viewers to his home country (Germany I think).
Many other short films I've been unable to find online. Another one I've been looking for is "Equestrian Sexual Response" (2010). The trailer is online, but I haven't been able to find the actual film.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
But, just understand that "we couldn't distribute it due to copyright" and "I can't find it" are very different from your original assertion that they're "treated like precious jewels (and) locked away". Most short film directors I've spoken to are desperate to have their film distributed, there's just not a mainstream market for them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]