Vimeo On-Demand service, - what do you think?

[mtheory]

Do you guys think this is a game changer? Why?

 

Thanks,

 

mtheory

[HurtinMinorKey]

For people who don't know what this is:

www.vimeo.com/blog/post:559

[Andrew Reid]

People are willing to pay for original content they can't get anywhere else. As long as it is high quality, quick and convenient.

 

One of the best things Vimeo did here was have Don Hertzfeldt animation It's Such a Beautiful Day as a launch title. If you haven't seen it yet, get it. I love the minimalism of the animation and how much personality and dark humour is in it. It is completely blessed of the hand of an artist.

[jgharding]

Interesting... yet more power to PR just like in music. I can upload an album tomorrow to Spotify, iTunes and Amazon via a distribution company. But no one will buy it unless they know about it.

 

It doesn't change who is in charge of the media that spreads knowledge of content, it just means you don't have to go through a filter to have it hosted. The hard part is making people aware of it and watch it... that's how none of the big labels are dead yet, they still control it.

 

So it's positive, but it doesn't change the world, same as digital distribution of music didn't.

 

Remember when they pretended Lily Allen "made it" via MySpace, when actually she'd been on a major-label development deal for years (doubtless through her father's contacts)? I expect similar stories in film...

 

But then the arts becoming colonised by the children of the elite and wealthy is a different subject.

 

Either way, curation is more valuable now than ever. I like festivals because they're often well picked. Wading into the sludge of online music or film can be quite a negative experience, there are more minutes I wish I could have back than films I would have paid for... but there were some gems... so perhaps some people who otherwise wouldn't have, will make a living from it.

 

interesting.

[Julian]

I don't think it will. So much good free stuff on Vimeo/Youtube. Why pay? And that's probably how 99% of the internets think.

Also, it is apparently restricted by region. I just clicked trough the available movies and some of them are not available.

 

I do like the idea of a cheap watch-now price and a more expensive download option. Would be nice if you could 'watch now' and pay the difference if you want to download it afterwards.

 

Also, I think a micro payment system would be more interesting. I wouldn't care to spend 10 cents on watching a short. Still, 100.000 views would give the makers $10K. There are so many shorts i've seen on vimeo that have much more views.

[Andrew Reid]

I bought Don's stuff on DVD, I'd pay to download it on Vimeo all the same. I also rent movies on iTunes and I'd pay to rent stuff on Vimeo as long as it was good content and entertaining.

 

Yeah there's a lot of free stuff out there, and most of it is 12 seconds long and of novelty value.

 

Vimeo On Demand will work with the longer form stuff.

[mtheory]

I voted no because while I think Vimeo On Demand changes the game it will have a mild effect on the industry for the simple reason that it does not change the players. What I realized from analyzing the 5D revolution is that the imaginary army of Tarantino's and Rodriguezs' I expected to hit the Internet never materialized. Instead, production was made more affordable for existing filmmakers, who would've been shooting films even without 5D's appearance.

 

No technological band-aid, whether easier production with 5D or distribution with Vimeo will change the fact that in the end it is only the human factor that counts for 99% of success in filmmaking, - the ability to deliver amazing content and that seems to be a very finite resource. While there have been some decent films from new directors around the internet here and there, much of new content created were just wedding videos, docs and sentimental DOF slideshows titled as "films" without any narrative story or dialogue.

 

The most interesting filmmakers to appear in the last 5 years like Garreth Edwards, Neil Blompkamp and Gareth Evans came very much from traditional industry means and were either funded and distributed through the old traditional means. ( Though Blomkamp did gain through YouTube exposure ) So where are our Internet filmmaking stars? Vincent LaForet, Philip Bloom and Shane Hurlbut were all seasoned professionals before 5D revolution hit, so we can't credit technology ( whether 5D, Netflix, Amazon, Vimeo or YouTube ) to their success.

 

So I think Vimeo On Demand will make life easier for existing filmmakers. Like the Don Hertzfeldton above. There will be a handful of decent films ( mostly docs ) coming out, but mostly the quality of content from new players will be average, if that. I remember the iTunes store first opened Steve Jobs was asked why Apple makes it so difficult for independently produced musicians/filmmakers to get distribution there. ( You still have to go through an intermediary company that must be vetted by Apple, and that still doesn't guarantee distribution. ) His response was very blunt, - "We only want good content." He was clearly implying that indies were not up to standard. It made me mad at the time, but over the years I ended up agreeing with him.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing some good docs and niche films on Vimeo from veteran filmmakers that I could only catch at festivals otherwise, but to catch the next Tarantino I will still head for the traditional cinema.

 

I hope to be proven wrong. 

 

mtheory

[Julian]

Yeah there's a lot of free stuff out there, and most of it is 12 seconds long and of novelty value.

 

Vimeo On Demand will work with the longer form stuff.

 

Yes, of course most of it is. But it's not difficult to find some good 'curated' stuff. I love http://shortoftheweek.com/ for this. Or the Vimeo Staff picks, or some channels on Vimeo.

[sanveer]

I guess, more than anything else, it has got to do with Numbers.

According to Vimeo, they have 14mn registered users. Even if just 1% of those buy movies, it will be a big thing.

 

http://www.iac.com/brand/vimeo

 

 

I feel, many things will govern, whether an artist looks to Vimeo as an Alternative to regular Film Selling. IMHO, it may include:

1. Right Pricing. Most iTunes movies cost 

 

2. It advertises enough. Even Right now, shockingly, a lot of youtube users, haven't still heard of Vimeo.

 

3. It removes restrictions (buying and selling) regarding jurisdictions. This whole US Only thing stinks of regressive colonial hangovers. Especially, considering, that everyone is moving towards the BRIC.

 

4. The payment gateways are flexible (I don't really know about the present ones. I am not a Plus Member).

 

5. They create something on the lines of the Google Play Store or iTunes Store, where the interface is both Intuitive, as well as (Purchase) Inviting.

 

6. If some Big Directors (Atleast 5) go the Vimeo way. 

 

cont .... got to run. late for dinner.