James Cameron: Innovation trumps digital piracy http://bit.ly/8ZccXO So *he* gets it.
Rather than react and try and hold back the tide, the movie and television industries need to re-examine their business plans.Make product people will leave the house to see and will buy on DVD or Blu-ray and make the experience in the cinema much more pleasant. Perhaps not treating your customers as criminals and offer adult beverages for those who would like them.
TV’s Disappearing Status Quo http://bit.ly/aDgoQg Mutiple trends conspiring to make the old models difficult at best??
The convergence of the FCC’s proposed National Broadband plan mandating new and open set top boxes, that broadband being open, deceleration in Telco business growth and the iPad all work against the status quo for the TV business. But with the vast majority watching TV in the old fashioned way, don’t expect dramatic change in the short term.
Is Hollywood Overestimating the Appeal of 3-D? http://bit.ly/a0jIwF Will higher 3D ticket prices drive people to cheaper enterntainment?
There’s certainly been growing interest in 3D from the studios when 10% of all income in 2009 was from 3D movies (gross receipts). But is it that much better than 2D that people will pay an even higher premium with prices going up last weekend at major chain theaters?
An Alternative to the MPAA for ratings? http://bit.ly/99cu6s Who knew the law established two ratings boards.
I think everyone believes that the MPAA are the only ones that can issue ratings for films and other programming, but the Film Advisory Board is also established as an alternative in legislation. Maybe it’s time for a fair, transparent and consistent ratings system that’s not given out in secret by a secret panel who’s capriciousness is legendary.
Independent Film Marketing Checklist While in Production http://bit.ly/bVFGLg
Although I’d say that the website should be up in pre-production at a minimum with a production blog and opportunities for people to sign up as fans. Get their email address (and if you can zip code) and find ways to involve them during production. For those getting involved, provide a little something extra – behind the scene video, for example.
Piracy UP in France after draconian (no proof required) “3 Strikes law.” http://bit.ly/bxL2eH That was effective!! not.
Like the ACTA treaty would likely force the US to follow, the “Hadopi” law kicks users off the internet after three accusations of piracy. Given that accusations in the RIAA’s “sue our customers” campaign have been against dead people and have no oversight, this is a big deal. Whatever happened to “not guilty until proven?” A judge is allowed 5 minutes in a review process added to the legislation after it’s first defeat.
How about updating business models instead of propping up old ones. Times change and business models have to change along with them. (I’m not saying content should be free or that piracy is good, but I am saying that failing business models should not be propped up by Governments.)
ACTA is without oversite, private members club will entrench obsolete business models. http://bit.ly/9klPDR
Supposedly about Anti-Counterfitting measures it would force signatory countries to enact even more draconian law including shutting people off the internet on an accusation – no proof required. Â This must be stopped.
No trade negotiation should ever be conducted in secrecy. Now that the full text has leaked the ramifications are even more horrific than thought, and it proves that the US Trade Office has been lying – outright lies – about what it contains.
Great rant on dialog writing from David Mamet to The Unit http://bit.ly/ba2xAA but it applies to everyone writing dialog.
(Caps from the quote)
THERE IS NO MAGIC FAIRY DUST WHICH WILL MAKE A BORING, USELESS, REDUNDANT, OR MERELY INFORMATIVE SCENE AFTER IT LEAVES YOUR TYPEWRITER. YOU THE WRITERS, ARE IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE EVERY SCENEIS DRAMATIC.
A good discussion of the segmentation of market into high end (Apple) and “good enough” Acer http://bit.ly/9NPWrL
While Apple have been claiming the high end markets, others have been working on a different tactic.
On the contrary, companies like Ikea, H. & M., and the makers of the Flip video camera are flourishing not by selling products or services that are “far better†than anyone else’s but by selling things that aren’t bad and cost a lot less. These products are much better than the cheap stuff you used to buy at Woolworth, and they tend to be appealingly styled, but, unlike Apple, the companies aren’t trying to build the best mousetrap out there. Instead, they’re engaged in what Wired recently christened the “good-enough revolution.†For them, the key to success isn’t excellence. It’s well-priced adequacy.
Audiences Don’t Pay for Content (they never have until now) http://huff.to/a62xKB Beyond newspapers. Worth a read.
We need to stop blaming digital technologies as the reason that consumers stopped paying for content and recognize that digital technologies may actually be the opportunity to get the consumer to pay for content when they were never willing to do so before.