The always insightful and plain speaking Mad Pulp Bastard draws our attention to YouTube's latest announcement about pre- and post-roll advertising.
Here's Bill's very astute recap of the entire financial landscape for digital production:
- We now have a way to generate cash flow for web-premiere content while it is online.
- Sony has paved the way for web-premiere content going to DVD and beyond. (ANGEL OF DEATH), and we also have Strike.tv
- We have Cafepress online manufacturers/store (and others) to sell merchandise derived from content we own.
- We have digital cameras and editing software that is both inexpensive and of broadcast quality.
- We have online networks who will handle distribution throughout the world - or territory by territory.
- We have free online marketing tools - social nets, chat rooms, forums, widgets, Twitter, etc...
- We have free online storage to allow post-production and other folks (CGI artists, composers, etc...) access to the footage to contribute in an open source environment.
I don't have to fly someone to Hollywood to work.
So what do we need beyond this?
-- financing (tax credits, limited partnerships, actual cashflow, ad partners)
-- More Talent (in front of and behind the camera)
-- a restructuring of the business toward salaries ( Reasonable pay for a longer term with benefits and reasonable work hours) and stock options/ownership instead of big, unionized pay scales geared toward short-term workloads -- a theater company model ???
Can you see the day when Indie producers are pitching ad agencies instead of Hollywood?
Yes, Bill. I can see the day and I think it may fall this year.
