Distribution Channels Are Changing, Pt. 1
Newspaper Graveyard
Everyone knows that the internet has really rocked the boat of traditional media outlets. File sharing and iTunes have taken a bite out of the record industry. Newspapers everywhere are in the midst of a death rattle. And it hasn’t been that long since the WGA dared to protest the fact that they were not getting paid for work distributed over the internet.
It’s kind of a free-for-all right now. The technology is so new that no model really exists, and big media distributors are in a panic trying to find ways to squeeze revenue from this new system. But there is a silver lining for aspiring artists. Everyone now has relatively equal access to new distribution channels.
Anyone with a video camera can make their work available to millions via YouTube or Vimeo. Aspiring musicians can make a record in their garage with a laptop and post it to MySpace, or sell it on iTunes. Journalists can find their voice with a blog. It’s the great democratization of media.
Granted, this results in a lot of crap. But it also gives artists, who may never have been noticed 20 years ago, the chance to break through. You don’t necessarily need the backing of a huge studio or label to get your work produced and noticed anymore.
A pretty cool example of this trend is writer/illustrator/filmmaker John Bergin. His 1994 graphic novel, From Inside, has become something of a cult favorite. And now with advances in animation and editing software, along with the rise of internet video, Bergin has been able to bring his book to life as a feature-length film.
Still from John Bergin's 'From Inside'
What’s impressive is that Bergin has done virtually all of the work himself. He has added motion to his original illustrations and supplemented them with 3D animation, dialogue, and sound design. Apparently the author did all of the animation and editing. The only parts of this film he is not responsible for are the voices and the sound design.
It’s pretty cool that a talented individual is able to see his vision realized with only the minimum of help from others—especially since the film is reportedly pretty good. (It’s gotten some significant love from festivals.)
One of our producers, Mitch, is much more interested in this topic than I am, and hopefully contribute more to this thread. (That’s why I’m calling this Pt. 1.) Read some of his thoughts here.
Bad day for the newspaper business:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/19/newspaper.decline.layoff/index.html
Includes my hometown Ann Arbor News. This should be a wake-up call for all those giant industries trying to plow on with products or distribution models that no longer work in this new market.
The question I had was how will these artists get paid? Been having this same debate with a friend and here’s what he had to say about that…
“I’m not so sure that downloading stuff for free is going to hurt TV and films. With music, fanatics will still shell out money to have stuff on CD or vinyl (see Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero media blitz)–I certainly have, even though I occasionally download stuff for free (out of print b-sides, of course!). Or, fanatics will pay to see their fave artists live, and buy artist-related merch. The money’s there, really. There’s also licensing, where some bands have morphed into making soundtracks or doing music for commercials (see Shudder To Think).
In terms of TV and films, people want to watch stuff on their TV and go to the movie theatre to see blockbusters–it’s a different mode of watching than on a small computer screen (or worse, on their iPhone or mobile). IMO, David Lynch’s rant on watching movies on TV or mobile phones pretty much says it all, lol.
Music artists (as well as directors) will start marketing directly to consumers via the web; in that sense I do think there will be a slow and steady build in terms of online business. Even though mainstream record labels are obsolete, I think there’s a cool factor/tastemaker cred with indie labels that will survive this change in the business. I still love Minty Fresh records (another Chi-town label!); I still love Warp. I still will check out Slumberland Records’ site, or even Astralwerks or Domino. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.”
I think the answer to, ‘How are they going to get paid?’ is relatively similar to what it’s always been in most cases. That is to say, you pay your dues until you get noticed and then rely on your popularity to command revenue.
So for instance, where once upon a time a band would have to play dive bars for 5 years to build up a fan base, now they can use the internet as a means for generating buzz. Different methods, but the principle is still the same: The cream rises to the top.
Ultimately these artists make the majority of their money on live shows anyway. (After everyone takes their piece of the pie on a record, there isn’t much left.)So they make money by having fans, not necessarily by selling records.
I think it’s similar with film directors. Getting a gig directing a feature is largely a function of being trusted to be at the helm of increasingly larger budget projects. The major barrier of entrance is getting someone to finance that first or second project. Well, now with the internet, you can publish your work for free and demonstrate your skills…which would potentially get your foot in the door.
So even while distribution streams are changing, the big hurdle for artists is just breaking through. Since these new media streams are much more accessible, it really does give more people a fighting chance.
The arts industry has certainly changed and continues to. There is not a clear path towards becoming established in this business. Coming from the perspective of independent filmmaker, you are almost better off not following the routes of others, and instead invent your own path towards success. The door is wide open for exploration. You have to be willing to step out and take risks if you want to be noticed.
And yes, I agree, the most relevant work will float to the top, but it can be very difficult to become recognized as a result of over-saturation.
Sure…anyone can make a film, but can anyone make a good film?
Looking for a good film on YouTube is like shopping at the world’s largest T.J. Maxx. There is a lot of sifting through unwanted items before you find the gem. But personally, I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to make the films that I have made. And I enjoy playing my part in this very large creatively expressed community.