nofilmschool » vhx

Internet Piracy vs. Copyright Law: Watch 'The Pirate Bay - Away From Keyboard'

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:47:11 +0000

We recently mentioned the documentary TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay — Away From Keyboard as part of VHX’s drive to make strong independent work available direct-to-audience. TPB AFK is a documentary that follows three Pirate Bay co-founders as they face prosecution for aiding piracy on a massive scale (or, in other words, founding The Pirate Bay). Released for free on BitTorrent as well as on YouTube, the film raises powerful questions about piracy, intellectual property law, and an ungoverned internet, and gives us a glimpse into the lives of a few individuals who created a web portal that is still going strong even today. Given that law is so much slower to change than the internet, is the problem with the pirates, or with anti-piracy laws that may need some updating? Watch the entire 82 minute film below. (more…)

Disrupt and Distribute: VHX Helps 'Internet Revolutionaries' Self-Release Their Films

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 02:10:52 +0000

As promised, the team behind VHX is steadily working to change the independent film distribution landscape. Veteran experience in populist collaboration and the building of Vimeo means VHX understands web video, audience interaction, and tracking social trends. Can it really work? The likes of NPR and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl (as director) think so, joining the ranks of non-fiction VHX-powered releases like Indie Game: The Movie. VHX has also empowered documentary filmmakers spotlighting the ‘hacker’ community Anonymous, and the creators of the controversial BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay — even with the latter doc’s simultaneous free release through YouTube and BitTorrent. (more…)

'Dark Horse' Reddit AMA with Ted Hope, Plus Why Film Looking Forward is DRM-Free

Dave Kendricken — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 01:00:50 +0000

In the future of film and the internet — the marriage of which is certain, and ever-expanding — there are some things that are uncertain, such as how major studios and large productions will or won’t quickly adapt. Small startups and independent filmmakers, on the other hand, can be more in touch with the underground pulse that could become the mainstream heartbeat, and able to maneuver accordingly. Indie producer Ted Hope isn’t new to adapting to ‘what’s new,’ and is also a vocal indie-industry web presence. On his own blog and through a Reddit AMA he and few other cast/crew members held for the newly VHX-released Dark Horse, Ted has highlighted several key things up and coming filmmakers should be keeping in mind — including why DRM has to go. (more…)

Join Producer Ted Hope and Writer/Director Todd Solondz for a Reddit AMA December 19th

Joe Marine — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 02:23:47 +0000

Ted Hope and Todd Solondz are both gigantic names in the indie world, and they are about to release the new film Dark Horse DRM-free on VHX online VOD. The film was just coming to theaters when Ted Hope had his talk at the Vimeo Festival back in June, and now the two of them (Hope and Solondz), are going to be participating in a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything on Wednesday in celebration of the VHX release. Click through for all of the details. (more…)

Video Pandora, Play-Forever-Lists: Other Things VHX is Doing You Don't Know About Yet (But Should)

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:00:58 +0000

By this point, you probably know about what VHX has been doing for direct-release cases and various self-promoted media start-ups. It’s clear the project will continue to bring us a lot of great films directly — and a lot of success stories along the way. You may not, however, be totally in tune to the things the project is trying to do for video on the internet in general. There’s something to be said for socializing a video-based browsing experience — in a lot of cases, you may never easily find videos that captivate or interest you on YouTube or Vimeo, because unless they’re being shared on Facebook or Twitter by people whose tastes you trust, how would you come across them? This is just one example of why you may find yourself living in a very VHX future. (more…)

VHX Meets VHS, Taekwondo, and Ninja Bloodshed: The Triumphant Re-Release of 'Miami Connection'

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:00:02 +0000

If you were previously unconvinced that VHX is out to remodel the internet cinema landscape for the better, a recent announcement just may do the trick. The self-distribution provider — already instrumental in the release of such direct-to-audience success stories as Indie Game: The Movie (a key tale to be told for independent filmmakers) and a proponent of a revolutionary new model of self-release philosophy — is now offering another first. As of today, December 11, the joint Drafthouse Films and VHX-powered re-release of midnight movie/underground martial arts film Miami Connection (with physical media such as VHS, a first and maybe only for a VHX release) is now underway — and any non-enthusiasts of Taekwondo, ninjas, B-movie swagger, and what appears to be among the greatest films ever made, need not apply. (more…)

Busting Internet Distribution Myths with Jamie Wilkinson of VHX

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 02:13:19 +0000

There’s been a lot to say regarding self distribution recently, and that’s a very good thing. We’re in the midst of what could be a renaissance of decentralized creative efforts, with film at its forefront. You can now, more than ever, literally do everything yourself — and that’s very important to us. We’ve heard from the creators of Indie Game: The Movie, and there’s a lot to learn from their success. Now, VHX co-founder Jamie Wilkinson has presented the common misconceptions of internet-based self-distribution, why the old studio ways of thinking are obsolete, and what powers the new media ecosystem puts directly into your hands. (more…)

'Indie Game: The Movie' Case Study: You Don't Have to Be Louis C.K. to Successfully Self-Distribute

Guest Author — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:01:50 +0000

We’ve talked about a number of success stories involving self-distribution on this site, from Louie C.K. to Aziz Ansari (who both also happen to already be famous and successful). What if you’re not famous, however, and your name isn’t already plastered on billboards? That’s exactly the case with a film we’ve featured on this site before, Indie Game: The Movie. The filmmakers, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, self-distributed their film and chronicled their success in a case study (part of which we’re featuring below), wherein they discuss what it takes to get yourself and your movie out there.

This is a guest post from Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, the Directors/Producers of the film. (more…)

Project Specific, DRM-Free, Directly to Your Audience: Why VHX Could Be Your Next Distribution Platform

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:32:54 +0000

Slowly but surely outlets for online media distribution are blossoming — with some major players finally rolling out monetization options and others already in place. We’re starting to not only have the ability to self-distribute, but also pick what’s best for us from among some healthy competition. One of the more recent developments in pro-creator content delivery systems (that’s PCCDSs — can that be a thing from now on?) is VHX distribution, not to be confused with VHS distribution, which is completely different. VHX originally began as a video sharing social media platform, which is very functional but still largely in its infancy. In addition to this service, however, VHX has already proven its potential for media monetization with its first two web releases — both tailor-made for the client and DRM-free. Click through for the full low-down. (more…)

David Branin & Karen Worden from Film Courage Release Feature 'Goodbye Promise' for $1 on IndieGoGo

Ryan Koo — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:15:20 +0000

Many of us have used crowdfunding platforms to get a project off the ground or at least to gauge interest in it — and many more of us have considered, or are planning, on doing so. But David Branin and Karen Worden from the indie film site Film Courage are utilizing a crowdfunding platform for another purpose: to distribute their finished film. Yesterday they released their DIY feature Goodbye Promise on Indiegogo — for just $1. David and Karen are seeking answers to the question we all face as filmmakers: how to best release our films to a changing world. I spoke to them via Skype about film festivals, online distribution, crowdfunding platforms, social media strategies, and more: (more…)

'Indie Game: The Movie' Premieres Online with DRM-Free Download from Indie Startup VHX

Ryan Koo — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:06:28 +0000

I mentioned recently how big a fan I am of the feature doc Indie Game: The Movie, and today they premiered the film for everyone online, with a DRM-free download served up by indie film distribution startup VHX. Check out the trailer for Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky’s doc on indie creativity in the gaming world, and notice the all-important “buy it now” button at the bottom of the trailer, “straight from the filmmakers:” (more…)