Apple Attracting Indies to iTunes Movies

[MacRumors]

NYTimes reports on Apple's efforts to bring more content and visibility to the Movie section of the iTunes Store.

On November 20th, iTunes will serve as the exclusive launch for the independent film "Purple Violets" directed by Edward Burns. This is the first time that a feature film will make its commercial debut on iTunes.

In late September, iTunes also distributed a free 13-minute short "Hotel Chevalier" as a promotional vehicle for the film "Darjeeling Limited".

Apple's iTunes movie segment has seen some success but still houses less than 1,000 titles. Movie studios have reportedly been reluctant to provide additional content due to disagreements in pricing and digital rights management.

Article Link

[Grimace]

What a fantastic move -- hopefully iTunes will really become a full-service online media hub for new and established talent!

[lazyrighteye]

I actually think iTS is the perfect distribution model for indie films (music too).
Currently, it is near impossible to get your stuff made - let alone out to your audience. This option offers an easier distribution model (than the traditional method) that comes with an established user base.
In the end, the most important part of the creative process is getting your message out to the masses. And this looks to help the little guy/gal do so - which is good.

Now as far as subscription v. purchase, HD & surround... that's another story.

[chicagostars]

Originally Posted by lazyrighteye

I actually think iTS is the perfect distribution model for indie films (music too).
Currently, it is near impossible to get your stuff made - let alone out to your audience. This option offers an easier distribution model (than the traditional method) that comes with an established user base.
In the end, the most important part of the creative process is getting your message out to the masses. And this looks to help the little guy/gal do so - which is good.

Now as far as subscription v. purchase, HD & surround... that's another story.

I agree, this is a great way for indepedents to get out there and have their movies available to a larger audience. The major studios are absent unless they smell a definite financial incentive and doing the festival circuit, while important, can be a drain on filmmakers. Hopefully this can provide some revenue for the small filmmakers to strive in their trade.

Matters of technical quality (HD, Suuround, etc.) should hopefully become a non-issue in the near future as the advances we seek become the norm.

Anyone want to buy a VCR?

[quandmeme]

Originally Posted by Grimace

What a fantastic move -- hopefully iTunes will really become a full-service online media hub for new and established talent!

Dumping more content on does not equal becoming a full-service online media hub IMO so I am cheering with you. Take songs for instance, there are too many songs on iTunes for me to find something I like! Apple needs more access points like internet radio channels featuring links to iTunes and partnerships like the Starbucks. (I'm Mormon so I don't spend a lot of time in Starbucks I just think its a really great way to get exposed to music I'd want to try.) Movies are a different animal of course but Apple needs a great way to get at the content that is already there. (Why are trailer arranged that way? I go to movies.yahoo and link back to quicktime trailers instead of going through the Apple site.)

[mikeinternet]

[twoodcc]

great news! the more movies the better. next we just need Hi-Def

[Zwhaler]

this is cool and all, but I want HD content.

[megfilmworks]

What a great outlet for the indies!

[Squonk]

Hey ! Bring more movie titles to your store and that will push me over the top to purchase an TV. And while you are at it, include HD movies with full surround sound. And allow the TV to handle HD and surround.

Seriously, more movies to choose from is a great thing!

[mkrishnan]

I read this on NYT this morning also. Good news for Apple. Although... I actually would really like to see this movie, although I don't suspect I'll want to *own* it. So hopefully houses that do this still release DVDs so that I can rent it!

[samuraikiss]

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

I actually would really like to see this movie, although I don't suspect I'll want to *own* it. So hopefully houses that do this still release DVDs so that I can rent it!

I agree completely! Although if it's less expensive to purchase in the iTunes store, I might buy it instead of renting it. I'm such a discriminating movie connoisseur, I know.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by Squonk

And allow the TV to handle HD and surround.

It can and it can. Just waiting for content!

[LostPacket]

I don't even know if it's available in Canada. That's how much I care about iTunes movies.

[Blue Velvet]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Movie studios have reportedly been reluctant to provide additional content due to disagreements in pricing and digital rights management.

Fairplay needs an overhaul/expansion to cope with what consumers want from films and videos... streaming and rental. The model is not the same as music.

[ejbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Movie studios have reportedly been reluctant to provide additional content due to disagreements in pricing and digital rights management.

Translation: Movie studios want to charge more for digital content than for physical media, while allowing customers to do less with it.

No thanks!

For the movie store to really work, the prices have to be better. And, like everyone else, I want HD (and I'd certainly pay a premium for that).

[cuestakid]

I would like to propose a test for the movie studios-if you are soo worried about someone being able to strip the DRM from these movies, prove that its possible because as far as I know, it is nearly impossible to do so and so far no one has been able to do it.

so if you can prove it can be done, then I will understand your argument but if you can't prove it can be done, then shut up and give us your movies!

[RedTomato]

Originally Posted by cuestakid

I would like to propose a test for the movie studios-if you are soo worried about someone being able to strip the DRM from these movies, prove that its possible because as far as I know, it is nearly impossible to do so and so far no one has been able to do it.

so if you can prove it can be done, then I will understand your argument but if you can't prove it can be done, then shut up and give us your movies!

Er mate, I think you have the arguement the wrong way round there. As far as I know, it is nearly impossible to enforce DRM on movies / audio. There's plenty of theory behind that too.

Basically, if it can be seen or heard, then it can be copied. Every DRM system in the last 50 years has usually been broken within a few weeks of release. That's one of the key issues behind the current global debate over copyright and revenue models.

[cuestakid]

Originally Posted by RedTomato

Er mate, I think you have the arguement the wrong way round there. As far as I know, it is nearly impossible to enforce DRM on movies / audio. There's plenty of theory behind that too.

Basically, if it can be seen or heard, then it can be copied. Every DRM system in the last 50 years has usually been broken within a few weeks of release. That's one of the key issues behind the current global debate over copyright and revenue models.

I know that the audio has been broken in the past but I have yet to hear of a working model for the video from ITUNES. Other makers may have had theirs broken but I am speaking specifically about iTunes. If you can provide me with proof of concept that itunes video has been broken, then I will say you are right but as of now, like I said before, I have yet to see anyone break the video DRM on iTunes

[foidulus]

"An Inconvenient Truth" on their store? I mean, I want to buy the film, but having to go burn fossil fuels to go get a disc made out of the byproducts of refining those fossil fuels seems a bit counterproductive. Esp. considering Al Gore is friggin' on Apples board!

[mikeinternet]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

In late September, iTunes also distributed a free 13-minute short "Hotel Chevalier" as a promotional vehicle for the film "Darjeeling Limited".

Is this still available? I dug Darjeeling Limited. Wes Anderson rocks.
...
On another note, they should make it easier for independent film makers as well as musicians to add their stuff to itunes. And give them the option to give it away for free.

[pagansoul]

Originally Posted by mikeinternet

Is this still available? I dug Darjeeling Limited. Wes Anderson rocks.
...
On another note, they should make it easier for independent film makers as well as musicians to add their stuff to itunes. And give them the option to give it away for free.

Yes, Hotel Chevalier is still free. I just downloaded it for free off iTunes last night. Go to the Short Film section.

[rockosmodurnlif]

Probably unrelated but before I add any movies to iTunes, I need to separate the movie and audio folders. I can do without keeping my movies on my hard drive but I do want my music there.

And are these hi-def movies or dvd quality?

[mikeinternet]

Originally Posted by rockosmodurnlif

Probably unrelated but before I add any movies to iTunes, I need to separate the movie and audio folders. I can do without keeping my movies on my hard drive but I do want my music there.

I don't think you can. But I wish you could use more than one music folder. At least be able to allocate music to one place and video to another.

This particularly sucks for me, since my 500 gig drive is almost full and seeing as how itunes will only look in one spot i'll need to shell out for something bigger than that.

[pagansoul]

Originally Posted by mikeinternet

I don't think you can. But I wish you could use more than one music folder. At least be able to allocate music to one place and video to another.

This particularly sucks for me, since my 500 gig drive is almost full and seeing as how itunes will only look in one spot i'll need to shell out for something bigger than that.

I have a MacPro with 2TB on the 4 drives. I was able to point iTunes to drive 4 for its own 500GB. This can be done with an external HD so you don't use your internal space but you need to be hooked up to that HD if you want to hear your music and no, you can not split iTunes. I find that putting my Movies and TV shows on it's own drive, another 500GB, is the way to go. It's like keeping them in storage untill I feel the need to put on my iphone/pod for viewing. Import and delete.