This article assumes only certain types of drone shots are useful in film and tv. Sure, if your visual lexicon is limited to basic establishing shots then this isn’t for you, but maybe neither is filmmaking.

It’s like trying to argue that handheld shots aren’t for filmmakers when we have tripods, dollies and cranes.

Which could easily work, like gym memberships or insurance. If the extra premium costs only count towards Netflix content playing at exhibitors, there’s a good chance that plenty of Netflix viewers couldn’t be bothered going to cinemas to watch the same content they can watch at home, which would subsidise the full ticket costs for those who do go. Even if that premium tier is smaller and pretty much just the cinephiles, apathy is a pretty safe bet.

Alternatively, Netflix could just release their own chain of theatres that exclusively play their own content. They either still continue with day and date releases, or they could run a premium window for new content which limits them to their theatres only (but that really seems to contradict their ethos). They’d have plenty of content to pull from and could have a lot of fun with it.

It would take some reconditioning and reassuring for exhibitors, as they’ll be timid of the earnings potential of a film that’s guaranteed to keep a large majority of filmgoers waiting at home knowing it would come exclusively to their home platform soon enough.

And for Netflix, it might deter their incentive for original content, which isn’t just to appease their current audience but to function as a drawcard for those who are yet to sign on. If someone doesn’t have Netflix, then they’ll still be able to go see the movie without subscribing to the Netflix service, and then Netflix loses out on that sale. Perhaps the film earns them goodwill in this new potential customer’s mind and they join to see the rest of the catalogue though?

It’s a good suggestion and could work as a solution. Netflix really is great for indie filmmakers who make a film that doesn’t sit neatly into current distribution categories, where there might be concerns about earnings potential for the film. Spielberg has the luxury of relying on his on name and brand at this point, plus the significant P&A spend that accompanies the blockbuster caliber budgets he works with, and that makes his films easier and less risky to release theatrically when going up against mainstream competition. I doubt he knows the feeling of having your film pushed out of one of the few cinemas willing to exhibit in in favour of freeing up a couple extra screening sessions for one of those behemoths which already have over 50% of the screens in that theatre locked up - but indie filmmakers do, and that crushes both the earnings potential and the hearts of everyone behind the film. Not all films are made to compete as Oscar contenders, and not all films will be regarded as such, regardless of their merit, so imposing more barriers for entry just seems unnecessary at this point.

I started watching this the other day but have yet to finish it. It's really great! Beautifully awkward and uncomfortably hysterical. Can't wait to watch more. Nice work, people!

Nice April Fools.

The only disappointment is that the best bit might be missed if people tune out before the end of the article:

"It seems as though RØDE has yet again pushed audio recording to another level—a super high level—like—a level so high that you have to get your big brother to beat it for you because the boss is super hard and you're frustrated and broke a controller already and you just know your mom is going to freak out because she just told you to "have respect for our belongings" yesterday, but you're just a ball of adolescent rage, so you didn't really think about the complex responsibilities of ownership when you were getting bombarded by King Pete's magical ring powers in Disney's Magical Quest for SNES"

That, my friend, is just gold standard writing and so uncomfortably familiar to me. Loved it. Well done!

All in all, I love the move. Two companies that are all about the creators. But...

"The VHX site promises that their acquisition by Vimeo will mean, 'better streaming infrastructure'"

Better than what? Vimeo has appalling streaming infrastructure for a site of its popularity.

I love the Vimeo community and everything else they've done, so I hope this pushes them to finally deliver a professional quality streaming service. Considering that is the foundation of their business, it should be of utmost priority.