Youtube Rentals/ Sundance
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!Brought to you by professional weirdo M dot Strange.