Home Media Part 3: Why Are Digital Movie Downloads So Important?
When it comes down to it, what are we hoping for in terms of movies?. That’s simple, we all want better content, films that we enjoy more. The problem is that unless you’re an adventurous type, the typical anglosaxon is pretty much limited to whatever the big studios give us. These are the cinematic behemoths, they deliver giant, worldwide releases on huge budgets.
The problem is that these kind of things cost a lot of money, so to get something meaningful out of their investment producers have to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Everything is dictated by markets; kids films have to appeal to adults, action movies have to have a love interest for the girls etc, etc. There is little room for the niche markets that make the music industry for example so great and diverse. Not everyone likes the same thing, but if you’re only into free improvisation electronic art music there is a corner of the market ready to satisfy your needs. The same cannot be said for film in most cases.
The technology is there, the investment required to get the necessary equipment is comparitively small. More and more movies are being edited on Final Cut Pro, which i have right here on my laptop, and professional film cameras aren’t that much of a step up from the Canon HV20 i have on my desk. The problem is distribution, hello internet.
If you’re a new band, you make a few songs and put them on myspace. If they’re good a fanbase starts forming, you pick up steam and eventually a big company might take notice and give you a contact, if they don’t you’ve still got a whole load of listeners. But what do you do if you’ve made a movie? Our whole way of thinking needs to change in terms of cinema; from one where filmmaking is very much an industrial exercise, justifying the loss of the ‘art’ index, to where anyone with talent can do it. This is what Francis Ford Coppola was talking about long ago:
"To me the great hope is that now these little 8mm video recorders and stuff have come out, some... just people who normally wouldn't make movies are going to be making them, and - you know - suddenly, one day, some little fat girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart - you know - and? make a beautiful film with her little father's camcorder - and for once the so-called professionalism about movies will be destroyed. Forever. And it will really become an art form."
Now we have the cameras and technology, we just have to take the leap into a fair distribution method. Of course what a few people can produce on their own isn’t going to match up to Hollywood. No, my hope is that this will inspire the creation of many more smaller studios, that don’t have to compete with the biggies to get their movies shown. We’re judging on content, not on claught. Just think what this changes. Suddenly you’re multiplying the amount of films produced ten fold. Then we’ve got real choice.
Inevitably it won’t be easy to get your name attached to the rising stars of digital distribution. I’m sure Apple would be reluctant to put your little movie in their store. What i’m talking about is a change in the way we think about getting films where alternate, independant sites start offering downloads and for better value. When people get used to getting their movies from the internet, it won’t be long before they venture further afield than iTunes or Netflix streaming. However far you decide to go is a victory for choice, content and quality, and will finally turn cinema into something more than the stagnant beast it is today. Viva La Revolution.
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