I don't know if you saw where YouTube launched theY new rental program... they debuted by putting four Sundance 2010 films on the front page... They weren't up there on the front page for very long 0_o
Offering no free version and viewing only in the U.S. angered the INTERNETS So the INTERNETS all rated them one star and commenced to carpet BOMB h8te comments...
What do yall think of this? How do you think it should be?
As a poe filmmaker d00d: I think its AWESOME that we will be able to charge for our films with people easily paying through Google Checkout... I've been in the partner program for awhile now and the way Google payment program works is pretty smooth... Now I only make like $50 a month from ads haha ^ ^ but it doesn't cost me anything and is very simple to setup and monitor... I assume payments from Google Checkout will work the same way...
NOW what was wrong with the Sundance/Rental picture...
Firstly... its the internet ...and I continue to believe the INTERNETS is like some Old Testament gawd you have to sacrifice things to so it doesn't EAT YOU ALIVE... NOW the sacrifice in this case SHOULD have been a standard reZ version to view ANYWHERE in the world in its entirety... throw ads on it whatever as long as its free and people anywhere can watch it... THEN have a HideF version for rental BUT the rental needs to be permanent NOT for a limited time... I mean what if you want to watch it again a week later? Pay again? IF you HAVE to have a limited time rental then 3.99 is way too much...should be like .99...... I have some other ideas and details on dis topic and I'll try to talk to the film peeps at YT about it...
SecondLY and sheT... I know the films were selected by Sundance but I HOPE they didn't get a cut of the sales... the split should be between The Filmmaker and YouTube and no other entity...if so..why? Because they discovered it or curated it or whatever? HUH?! How difficult is that to do? Don't let people step in and become gatekeepers when they aren't needed...
But yeah this is a very interesting development... one that is very exciting for back room filmmakers like me and probably you ^ ^ Upload your film... charge whatever you want... a trusted mega brand Google handles all the payment stuff and you just get checks.... pretty suite eh? I have to always THANK GAWD for YouTube because without them I's M dot Strange would not exist...So yeh thanks YouTube I believe in yall and I think you'll be able to provide a shiny path for filmmakers like meH... I personally thanked Chad Hurley for creating YouTube when I met him in 2007... So yeh just know YouTube and teh INTERNETS your weirdo stepchild M dot Strange will return with his latest creation at the end of this year BE READY!
i aggre with you on that m dot lol i hate "renting" something online if i wanted to rent id go to a convienence store im going there anyway for snacks for the movie might aswell rent a movie while im there (but most movies don't even appeal to me in the slightest these days so i usualy just buy the snacks and animate)
ReplyDeleteI had this idea for youtube (I'm sure they may have thought it up on their own as well... but I did mention it when I was talking with them to set up my account for their partner program, and they "didn't have any plans" to do rentals, at least back in october...)
ReplyDeleteRenting something on the internet seems kinda like a scam. You're not actually 'renting' anything physical, like if you go rent a DVD (that you can lose and get charged late fees for :( Though: I suppose either way though you end up not having the thing you 'rented' and hopefully you have a good memory, or else you have to rent it again.
The 'rental' model should be more of a 'tip jar' There should be a tip jar button beside each youtube video where you donate $1 or whatever to the filmmaker if you like the film. That on top of adsense revenue, (which is like walking down the street and picking up lost coins in my opinion) = free money ;D
HD rentals is something I proposed to youtube... hopefully they will implement it and open it up to their 'partner' program, and leave it up to the filmmaker to set the 'rental' price. I totally agree: free low res version with HD rental if you want to see it in super-awesome-o-scope
Free low res sounds with ads sounds like a smart idea to me. I mean it just seems kinda weird renting on the net. I understand buying a video on the net sure, But renting..eh..
ReplyDeleteThe only good online rental type of thing I've ever seen is netflix and that's...not really online since they send you a dvd.
Maybe they should do like a "Rent the hd video for 2.00 or buy the video for 10.00 or something like that. And if they plan to sell anything then they need to make sure to always have a trailer or sample clip ready to view. If I (The consumer) see's a cool looking movie for sale but don't see any footage or anything then I'm probably not gonna risk my money on what's basically a surprise box.
Oh and selling media player versions of movie are a neat idea to. But Like for example you buy this episode of...(Red vs blue or smosh or whatever) for your ipod phone or nano or whatever they have now :/
ReplyDeleteOr are they already doing something like that?
Apple has already plowed this ground with their iTunes Movie Rental Store. I have my credit card on file. I click on the button that says "rent" and the movie downloads. I have a month to watch it.
ReplyDeleteYouTube got flamed because visitors are used to getting their content for free, which, after all, is Google's MO since they make money on the advertising. Apple has focused on charging and that has been modestly successful.