February 8, 2009

WEEKEND BRIEF: Online Distribution @ SFFS

Funny or Die Another quick tip for those who live much closer to GreenCine HQ than me... This Monday (Feb. 9) at 7pm, the San Francisco Film Society presents their monthly "SFFS Film Arts Forum" mini-conference, and tomorrow night's forum will begin with a panel discussion:
"It’s no secret that online distribution is changing the shape of the film industry. From giants like YouTube, iTunes and Netflix to emerging, intriguing sites like Jaman, Crackle and Funny or Die, filmmakers are faced with a distribution landscape that’s evolving daily. The latest Film Arts Forum -- the Film Society’s bimonthly information-sharing, discussion, networking, professional-development jamboree -- will assemble a panel to debate, demystify and debunk online distribution in all its varying forms. Panelists include Larry Daressa, codirector of California Newsreel; Danae Ringelman, cofounder of IndieGoGo; attorney George Rush; and filmmaker [and Webby Awards founder] Tiffany Shlain. Noted Bay Area film journalist Michael Fox will moderate. Also attending the event will be representatives from YouTube, Landmark Theatres, Wholphin, Caachi and more."

Personally, I remain unconvinced that online distribution is yet a viable outlet for feature filmmakers, which is to say that I'd be incredibly interested to what answers and certainties such a diverse group of panelists has to offer. It all goes down at Mezzanine (444 Jessie Street), so hopefully some of you can go, bring up The Curious Case of Kevin B. Lee to the YouTube folks, and please report back on everything.

For tickets and more info, visit the SFFS website.



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Posted by ahillis at February 8, 2009 7:47 AM

Comments

Just to give credit where credit is due. Graham Leggat, now at SFFS, is responsible for the first NYFF video series from 2004. This was before any publicists allowed independent video cameras at junkets and so on. Graham ran the FSLC press office and gave me carte blanche to do whatever I wanted. And from there, publicity started to thaw, allowing my camera (and others) to interview talent for the web.

Posted by: MutinyCo at February 8, 2009 3:48 PM

Long before online options replace theater / DVDs as the best distribution for filmmakers, the internet has, I think, become a way for small films to gain word-of-mouth attention in blog, forums, and communities. For example, our approach at Jinni, with search and recommendations from the Movie Genome, is to shift the focus from what's popular to what fits each person's moods and tastes.

Posted by: Phoebe at February 9, 2009 8:45 AM
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