QRedux_logo_white-300x231-e1341521535769uite a few services have tried to get in on the direct-to-audience movie sale, with choices of streaming and download to a number of devices and smart TVs. Redux is an aggregator of online video, and it attempts to find videos for you based on user interests and social sharing mechanisms. The company is pushing hard into the connected TV space with their own app, and they're trying to recreate the experience of watching regular television programming with aggregated online video. One of Redux's newest additions, Redux for Artists, is a distribution channel where filmmakers can sell their videos directly to consumers.

Here's a little bit from TechCrunch about Redux for Artists:


The next project to leverage Redux for Artists will be Smiley, a feature-length film that was a collaboration of YouTube stars like Shane Dawson and Michael Gallagher. Those folks will be distributing the film directly to fans online, selling it for $8 and making it available as a stream or download. Viewers will be able to watch the film online or on a number of different connected platforms. That includes mobile phones, tablets, and even connected TVs. For that last part, Redux will be leveraging work it did with CE manufacturers to make its video app available on their devices. Redux CEO David McIntosh says that will be available through 40 million connected TV devices in total.

The trailer for that film, Smiley:

From the Redux for Artists site:

Give your fans the best TV everywhere experience - fans can instantly stream or download your performance, pause, then pick up where they left off on another device. Deliver a delightful experience on Connected TV devices like Xbox, PS3, Samsung, Google and Apple TV. Streaming anywhere means more fans can easily watch and buy your content...We handle all hosting, order processing, transcoding, and download/stream serving seamlessly across hundreds of devices.

It should prove be an interesting service for filmmakers looking to distribute to a number of platforms at once. As smart TVs and game consoles continue to rise in popularity, these services will have a far better chance at success. Prescreen, another online distribution service, suspended operations recently as it tries to figure out its future -- but there's a good chance it's the end of the road. In this new age of self-distribution and connected devices, there will surely be many more services that offer filmmakers the chance to get their movies on many devices -- but success will largely depend on the appetite for these independent films, as well as the adoption of smart devices.

There's no question that independent filmmakers don't have the budgets for advertising that big Hollywood studios do. In light of that, what services have you used recently to watch independent films that were outside of Netflix, iTunes, and VOD?

Link: Redux for Artists

[via TechCrunch]