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Why the New Apple TV, iCloud, and 1080p iTunes Affect Filmmakers More Than the New iPad

03.8.12 @ 4:59PM Tags : apple, appletv, icloud, imovie, ipad, iphoto, itunes

In addition to the”new” iPad announced yesterday, Apple also rolled out a whole host of other updates to its “iProducts.” The Apple TV was updated to 1080p, as was iTunes, and iCloud now includes the ability to buy movies and play them from any Apple device. In addition certain apps were updated including iLife, iMovie, and Garageband, and a brand new app for iOS was introduced called iPhoto. But it’s really the new 1080p iTunes and iCloud that could do more to affect filmmakers in a specific way than the iPad. More »

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The Latest HDSLR Success Story: No-budget 'For Lovers Only' Makes $200k Through iTunes (So Far)

07.14.11 @ 1:33PM Tags : distribution, dslr, hdslr, itunes, nobudget, success

Twin filmmakers Michael and Mark Polish, whose previous credits include Twin Falls, Idaho and The Astronaut Farmer, have released their latest feature through iTunes — with zero advertising. Joining the advertising budget is the production budget itself, which officially clocked in at $0 (they didn’t count food and transportation, though even if you do, we’re still talking “no budget” filmmaking). Instead, social media — chiefly Twitter and Tumblr — have led to the film generating word of mouth online, and as a result For Lovers Only (iTunes link) has already made over $200,000. Shot on a Canon 5D Mark II, here’s a clip of the black-and-white, French New Wave-inspired feature: More »

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Stonehenge Turns Your Indie Film into an iPhone/iPad App

09.28.10 @ 9:05AM Tags : apple, applications, distribution, ipad, iphone, itunes

When the iPad was first announced I wrote an article about how the device could affect filmmakers, saying, “when you’re developing a cross-platform story, what happens if you can’t define your project along clear lines? Should I say it? ‘There’s an app for that.’” Stonehenge Productions has stepped in to create these very apps, which basically package your film along with a number of extras in a manner similar to a DVD release. This allows you to sell your film in the App store — thereby circumnavigating your way onto an Apple device without having to go through the iTunes movie store. More »

4

Apple to release $99 Apple TV to trump Google TV?

05.30.10 @ 12:00PM Tags : apple, appletv, cloud, distribution, google, googletv, itunes

Rumors are circulating that Apple will soon release a 1080p Apple TV running iPhone OS 4 for just $99. Though Apple was long at work on this upgrade before the announcement of Google TV, the two devices are similar in that they both run on mobile operating systems (Google TV will run on Android). More important than the pricing or OS of the rumored Apple TV refresh, however, is what this could mean for Apple’s strategy of selling and distributing content. More »

3

Sitelight: Distribber

04.5.10 @ 12:00PM Tags : distribber, distribution, itunes, sitelight

With this weekend’s release of the iPad, Apple has once again proved they know how to design an elegant product and market its simplicity as a virtue. However, there is one big knock against Apple when it comes to their software/hardware ecosystem, and that is enabling independent content creators to sell their product. It’s ironic — so many of us use Apple computers to design, edit, write, program, or otherwise bring our creations to life — but when it comes time to distribute or monetize our work, Apple generally leaves us SOL. Getting an indie movie into iTunes has been notoriously tough; I’ve kept tabs on developments at Tunecore only to have their planned video release options disappear from their site.

Thus, Distribber: recently acquired by crowdfunding site IndieGoGo, Distribber is one of the new “minimalist middlemen”¹ that focuses on helping indies get their film into iTunes, Amazon VOD, and Netflix. These three stores lack an “upload” button — they all have walls around their paid content (you can get a podcast into iTunes, but only if it’s free). Distribber steps in as your “distributor” in an attempt to get your film into each store; they make no guarantees that your film will be accepted, but they refund you if your project doesn’t get in. Right now their fee is $1295, which includes a number of formatting issues and other ushering. Considering other indie distributors have charged “digitization fees” of up to $20k, Distribber’s service and price point is disruptive and very enabling for filmmakers planning on going the self-distribution route, even if it’s as Plan B.

Of course, it’d be nice if all three marketplaces would allow independent creators to sell their content without needing a middleman. But a non-exclusive, inexpensive middleman such as Distribber, like health care reform, is a BFD.

1. Not an established term, but I’m coining it! [↩]