Why Distribute Online?

First there was the hype of VHS tapes, wiping out the Betamax, and the wide distribution they provided for film and videos only to later, slowly but surely, be completely replaced by DVDs. Then blu-ray discs were introduced and ran with the idea that they are of higher quality and a lot better than their predecessor, the DVD. Most people, including myself, thought that it would be the next thing and people would eventually have to replace their DVD players with blu-ray compatible ones. That was until the breakout of on demand video came to the forefront. Netflix is the most widely known name for on demand video being able to reach consumers very easily first on the Internet, but now on mobile devices, tablets, game systems and TV’s. Blockbuster wasn’t a direct competitor and of theirs and neither is Redbox. Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, had big plans for the company since the beginning and challenged their services to beat others to the homes of consumers. Of course with the rise of great idea that catches on come a lot of companies that try to feed off of the sales. Soon after emerged Hulu, Joost, Snagfilms and updates on already know online media distributors like iTunes, Amazon, and Google. The competition between online video distributions is happening along side the dying battle of blu-ray discs and DVDs. Only key difference is the industry trends of Netflix and their competitors overshadows that of the physical aspect of videos and films. What has become apparent is that is the near future movie distribution will rely heavily on the internet seeing as how easy access these medium for video are and how they acquire new licensing rights to a lot of the popular titles on TV and on the big screen. It will soon become clear for anything film or production company that distributing online will the sufficient and smart way to get their works seen.

References

Bacharach, S. (2009). Leading Industry Treads: The Future of Media Distribution

             Retrieved September 23^rd, 2012, from http://sambacharach.com/bacharachblog/leader/leading-industry-trends-the-future-of-media-distribution/  

Ritchie, L. (2012). Distribute Online [image]. Retrieved September 23rd, 2012, from http://www.lukeritchie.co.za/portfolio/distribute-online/

Why Shoot In Philadelphia?

While I am actively considering opening a film production business in Philadelphia, PA, I’m gathering all the necessary information about the area, trends in the industry, market statistics and so on. I’ve found some quite beneficial results as well as a lot of what the city offers to filmmakers and being a native Philadelphian I thought it’d only be right spread the word of the thriving film industry that the city of brotherly love possesses.

Most filmmakers seek out good incentives for in a city or state when deciding to shoot a production and the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit program offers a 25% tax credit to films, commercials, television series that spend 60% of their budget in common wealth. Not only that but the city of Philadelphia offers what they call “fee-free locations” where depending on when a production is set to shoot, certain locations around the city can be used free of charge. Moreover, two police officers are provided for traffic control and additional security for public shoots. They even offer free security assessments for the locations to be shot on to ensure optimum safety precautions and provide tips on how to safeguard production equipment from potential power issues, and to make sure the crew works in a that safest environment as possible. The Philadelphia film office even started a going green campaign in 2008 to help productions reduce waste and diminish their impact on the environment. They provide sets and resources from recycle materials to be utilized for the productions.

These are just several of the best services offered when shooting and Philadelphia which also makes it a better location to shoot for up and coming production companies or indie filmmakers since what they provide saves money in the overall production and allows more of the budget to be put towards other factors for the film. I highly recommend shooting in Philadelphia and checking out their film office for various other resources they provide.

References

Collier, J. (2012). About the PA Film Production Tax Credit Program

             Retrieved September 9^th, 2012, from http://www.film.org/Philadelphia/public/gpfo/taxcredits/18

Sirlin, N. (2011). Love Statue [image]. Retrieved September 9^th, 2012, from http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/pennsylvania/philadelphia/

Social Media Monetization

Social Media in the world today has become a big part of everything from the precious moments of your personal life to the to finding work, and marketing for business. Some people look to these sites as a way of expression of themselves and to stay connected to their family and peers. While others look to these platforms as a way to get the word out about their business or use them for monetization opportunities. In order to do this successfully you need to know which sites are capable of what and how they work so I thought it would be good to do so in this entry.

Social Networking

This is the type of social media that stands out above rest with sites like Facebook and the late great MySpace. These networking sites are used for a more direct connection to others and is an easier way to get what you post in front of others. MySpace emerged in it’s as a strongly personal networking site and later began to promote indie music artists. Although they can be personal these networking sites are great for business in that aspect, networking. Facebook has grown to be used for business as well as personal networking, while LinkedIn is more aimed at the professional standpoint.

Photo & Video Sharing

The social media that has changed the world as we knew it before it came about is YouTube, one of the various video sharing platforms but undoubtedly the most popular. YouTube and others like Vimeo, DailyMotion are used to upload recorded content to be viewed by others such as podcast, video logs, short films, tutorial, music, among countless others.

Then there are photo-sharing sites like Flickr that are solely image based and other users to comment and converse about all things in photography and still art. Some others include Photobucket, Picasa, and SmugMug.

Blogging

Blogging is a great aspect of social media because it was always there prior to the YouTube and Facebook sites of today, and has just grown over time. Blogs are majorly used to record opinions and information on a daily or consistent basis. These can encompass the traits of other sites all in one page; photos, videos, text, audio, etc. Bloggerand Wordpress are great for the professional route, but another great blog site has to be Tumblr. It of course accomplishes the same feats of other blog sites but has increased the activity that is now called “photo blogging.” Additionally, Twitter is a micro blogging site where you post updates in 140 characters or less.

Social News

A great way to stay informed while stay connected are social news sites where your peers share news articles, among other content, and everyone else then has the option to decide whether or not it’s important, which in the end reviews the most popular content uploaded. Digg, Designbump and Reddit are among the top best social news sites as of today.

Social Coupons

These are used to save money by offering discounts on local business and certain chain stores all by gps location. If you’re signed up you receive these coupons and codes periodically and are redeemable before their expiration. The most widely know coupon site is GroupOn. You can’t advertise here like on other sites but you can get your local company put on the site to send discounts and possibly increase sells.

All of these sites can be utilized to increase awareness and sells for your company/product. If you happen to be shooting a film you should check my previous entry Independence Movies & Building an Audience for Them. You can use the marketing ideas there and the social media mentioned here, hand in hand to better market for your film.