Michael Fioretto: We are about ready to disconnect DirecTV and sink the money into Netflix or something similar. There is just so much drivel on that it is not worth the monthly fees.I wonder how this would change the equation for documentary film makers? Could this be an alternate distribution channel? I find some similarities to what is going on at the Public Radio Exchange. Their goal is to produce a bridge between independent producers and public radio stations.
Yep, I heard someone from Panasonic at the Cinequest film festival describe this exact model. You (imagine yourself for a minute as an independent filmmaker -- not an unlikely a scenario as you might think) could post a clip of your independent film, have someone order it online, and then "just-in-time manufacture" the DVD and ship it.
Filmmaking used to be an amazingly expensive and time-consuming process. The digital media session I attended at Cinequest showcased a short created during the festival in just 48 hours (including shoot and editing). And all pretty affordable and doable with digital technology. The newest digital Panasonic camera retails for about $3500 and editing tools today are in the same ballpark or less. The Cinequest Audience Choice Award winner for the documentary category, Conscientious Observer (clips available online), was cinematically stunning and filmed using this same $3500 camera. I'm a devotee of the Sundance Film Festival -- an event I became addicted to when I lived a stone's throw from the festival. Somewhere, sometime while watching one of the Sundance features a seed was planted in my mind. Now, directing a documentary film is no longer a merely a wishful fantasy but actually on my list of my top 12 goals. And I toy with the idea of adding not just photos but video clips (bandwidth and storage issues being the main obstacle) to this blog during my travels.
This is all part and parcel of the democratization of culture trend that Lawrence Lessig describes so eloquently in his new book, Free Culture. Our generation has grown accustomed to consuming what is fed to us, he says. We are 'couch potatoes' to kids. To them the media is an experience of creativity and producing something new. (Part of the premise of the book is that the commercial and democratic potential of this creation trend is being suppressed by the "permission" required by law to re-mix or build upon existing creative works.)
I think the fun part is this stuff isn't just for kids (they just get the possibility and potential quicker), but accessible to everyone that has a story to tell, a vision to paint, a dream to share, or a self to express.
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