Feature Length Movies Online?

I've always been annoyed viewing 5-minute segments on my PC...and that's with high bandwidth cable and fiber optic connectivity. I never even considered watching a feature sitting at my desk. It's not very comfortable and what about download times?

Today's NY Times has a great piece by John Quain that addresses this nightmare in detail. Not that I find any of it surprising, but I thought it worth a share here...

Films That Come Over the Net Don’t Come Easy

By JOHN R. QUAIN
Published: August 31, 2006
[The New York Times]

Several obstacles — meager libraries, frustrating download times, copyright issues — have hamstrung online movie offerings to date. But the biggest challenge has been what those in the industry refer to as the “last 10 feet” problem. You could download a digital copy of a movie to your computer, but you were stuck watching it on the PC.

The meager libraries are quickly filling up with titles to rent or buy.
And several movie sites are even on the verge of bridging those last 10 feet.

There are a variety of ways to obtain movies online — legitimately. One
approach from Vongo (www.vongo.com), for example, is a subscription movie rental
service. For a monthly $9.99 fee, movie fans can watch any movie on the service
on their PC’s. But the selection is limited to titles licensed by the Starz
premium cable and satellite service, which owns Vongo. That means that there are
typically only a few hundred full-length feature films available at any given
time, mostly post-DVD release titles, like “Jackie Brown” and “Bewitched.”

Vongo’s subscription model has two additional drawbacks. You cannot purchase movies to own, and each movie has “available until” restrictions. When Starz’s license to broadcast a movie ends, so does your right to play the downloaded file.

To avoid such confusion, most movie download sites try to mimic the offerings of dwindling brick-and-mortar video stores. Typically, the online rental sites like CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com) and Movielink (www.movielink.com) offer digitally compressed movies on a pay-per-rental basis. Customers download movies from an online catalog; rentals last for 24 hours, or you can purchase titles to keep.

While the idea sounds simple, carrying itout has been anything but. A digitally compressed movie takes at least 30 minutes to download over a high-speed cable or D.S.L. connection. If you want picture quality comparable to that of a DVD release, it can take more than an hour to download a 90-minute movie. CinemaNow also offers several titles in a crystal-clear high-definition format, but downloading these monster files is an overnight process.

In addition to the lethargic download times, the playback restrictions imposed by studios are reminiscent of the fine print on a car lease. CinemaNow’s typical rental fees for the store’s 1,000-plus library of movies range from $2.99 for older titles to $3.99 for new releases. Offerings include most of the latest major releases, matching those you would find in a video store. You have 30 days from the date of rental to watch a movie, but once you hit the start button you have just 24 hours to watch before the rental self-destructs.

If you want to download a title permanently to your hard drive, prices at CinemaNow are $9.95 to $19.95. The catch is that to adhere to Hollywood’s copyright restrictions these movies can be viewed on only three devices, all compatible with Windows Media Player, that you register with the service. You can make a backup copy of a purchase to a DVD, but that DVD will play only on the computer that was originally used to download the movie. Furthermore, not all rental movies are available for purchase — and not all movies available for purchase are available for rental.

Confused yet? If so, you should be happier with the latest CinemaNow feature, offering movies you can burn to a disc that will play on any DVD player. Intended to solve the “last 10 feet” problem, the burn-to-DVD service is still in preview or “beta” mode, but it already has a selection of over 100 titles, including “Center of the World” by Wayne Wang, the Al Pacino movie “Scent of a Woman,” and concert videos by artists like Johnny Cash and the Doors.

It took me an hour to download the $12.99 offbeat thriller “Panic.” But when it came time to burn the DVD, which CinemaNow’s software does automatically, the recording failed after 30 minutes, wasting one blank DVD. A second attempt, which took about 30 minutes, was successful.

In addition to the time investment, buyers should know that the
copy-thwarting software that CinemaNow employs to make the DVD’s is not an
industry standard. Consequently, some competitors warn that the discs may not
play in all DVD players. But in informal tests with new and old DVD players, I
encountered no problems, and the picture quality was comparable to most
store-bought DVD’s.

The CinemaNow burn-to-DVD feature is a harbinger of what is to come in the next few months from other services, according to Jim Ramo, the president of Movielink. Movielink offers a similar library of mainstream films with playback restrictions that are virtually identical to those of CinemaNow. Rental prices range from $1.99 to $4.99, with download-to-own prices starting at $8.99 and going up to $19.99. Movielink differs from CinemaNow in that it does not have a section of sexually explicit films, and it offers a handful of titles in a format for new portable media players based on the Windows Ultra-Mobile PC operating system from Microsoft.
Owned by major studios — MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers — Movielink does not yet let customers burn movies to DVD’s, but Mr. Ramo says the studios are eager to do so. Consequently, in a few months Movielink will include a burn-to-DVD option with a copy protection program called the Content Scramble System (CSS), which will require the use of special DVD’s.

Other sites are trying to lure movie fans by adding downloadable Hollywood movies to the type of free amateur clips found on sites like YouTube. Guba (www.guba.com), for example, originally offered only free video clips culled from newsgroup postings
but now includes mainstream films like “V for Vendetta” for purchase at $9.99.
Twenty-four-hour rentals for older films, like “Rebel Without a Cause,” can be
as low as 99 cents, but there is a limited selection (mainly Sony and Warner
Brothers titles).

Last week, AOL introduced its own AOL Video portal (www.aolvideo.com), combining free video fare with downloadable movies and a range of TV series, like “Wonder Woman” and “Blue’s Clues.” Backed by AOL’s owner, Time Warner, the site is quickly amassing an extensive arsenal of shows and movies as it signs up more studios and television networks. It already has movies from four Hollywood studios, including 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures, and features ad-supported content from A&E, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and TNT. Like YouTube and Guba, it also includes free amateur videos.

Even AOL’s download service, however, can be confusing for customers
trying to figure out what is free and what is available for purchase. For
example, “Wonder Woman” episodes can be viewed free as a streaming video feed,
while “Blue’s Clues” shows can be downloaded to a PC but cost $1.99 each.
Movies, like “Spider-Man 2,” can be bought for $9.99 but not rented or burned to
DVD.

In September, AOL will introduce a “10-foot edition” of AOL Video designed to be navigated by remote control on a TV connected to a Windows Media Center PC.

The current online mainstream movie services are for Windows
users only. But the superstar in digital downloads is still iTunes from Apple,
whose offerings so far are limited to $1.99 TV shows and music videos for
playback on iPod screens. Enlarging the picture even to computer monitor size
yields a fuzzy image. On the other hand, Apple claims it has sold more than 35
million videos online, so it may not be long before iTunes realizes it has to
join the downloadable movie movement.

Ultimately, what may hamper sales of downloadable movies may not be download times or trouble with DVD burning. The obstacle will be price. It is often more economical to rent DVD’s from local rental kiosks or mail-order outfits like Netflix (www.netflix.com). So for now the best way to solve the “last 10 feet” problem is still to get up off the couch.

Procrastination [pro-cras-ti-na-tion, noun]

from the verb pro-cras-ti-nate /pro-kras-tuh-neyt, pruh-/
1. to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
2. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

Every writer knows this word all too well. It's what I'm doing right now. But is this a bad thing? I'm writing, which is what I want to do, so it must have some value to it. Practice makes perfect and all that, so I guess it can't be all that bad.

I came across an interesting essay by a gentlemen named Paul Graham. You can see the entire piece at his site (http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html), but I want to show you the lead that really caught my eye:

The most impressive people I know are all terrible procrastinators. So could it be that procrastination isn't always bad?

Most people who write about procrastination write about how to cure it. But this is, strictly speaking, impossible. There are an infinite number of things you could be doing. No matter what you work on, you're not working on everything else. So the question is not how to avoid procrastination, but how to procrastinate well.

Procrastinate well. Now THAT'S a concept I can really relate to! Like the man says, you can't do everything all at the same time. Take my film Wings Across the Sahara. Here's a project I've worked on nearly 5 years. With no money coming in from sponsors, and a major medical issue thrown in for good measure, anyone's production timeline would be a bit long. (The old adage "Better, faster, cheaper - pick TWO" comes to mind here.)

In the meantime, I've been trying to make ends meet with other production work that comes along. Here's where I earn my bread and butter while the letters, calls, and e-mails go out in search of funding for the film. Can't really call this procrastinating, can I? Putting food on the table and a roof over my family's head qualifies as procrastinating well in my book!

Then there's my foray into screenwriting last year. I know my wife would absolutely disagree with me on this, but it's a different form of work in the same industry. It may or may not bring in any money, but I know the whole experience of learning the ins and outs of fictional film writing has been great for my storytelling skills. Documentaries are just stories structured from film shot without a pre-written script, so anything that helps me learn to build a better story definitely qualifies as procrastinating well. Is it taking away from the film or my ability to make a living? No. In fact, it's an educational tool that has already helped me restructure the film into a better story.

So many different things to do. As long as one is being moved forward while the others are not being adversely affected, I think a little procrastination done the right way is actually a good thing!

Just dont't take your eye off the road while you're changing lanes!

Reading Is Writing

OK, ok. I know the saying is "all writing is re-writing", but that's for later - after you've actually written something down! For many (most?) writers, writing starts with reading. Maybe it's research into the background of your subject, or learning the ins and outs of dramatic screenwriting. Or even figuring out how your documentary should be set up. At the very least, reading can teach you how writing should be done: what works and why.

If you write books, read books. If you write screenplays, read screenplays. Even BAD ones. You'll get an even better idea of WHY something is bad after reading plenty of good ones.



When I'm in my dramatic screenplay mode, I can't get enough of William C. Martell's articles in Scr(i)pt magazine, or Ron Suppa and Karl Iglesias in CreativeScreenwritng. It always amazes me how, as I read these trades, the tips always seem to resonate with the story I am creating. Most times, I'll find something that gives me a better direction - or ANY direction - if I'm at a crossroads in the story.

If I'm working on a documentary project, there's nothing like reading Realscreen magazine and sitting in front of a few doc films. Some classic that may touch a chord, or maybe something entirely out of my expertise that will give me an idea on how to change up a stagnant scene. But the filmmaker stories and industry updates in Realscreen really help me the most.

After years of reading AIVF's Independent and IDA's Documentary, the folks up in Toronto have taken Realscreen from virtually nowhere and pretty much blown the others out of the proverbial water in my opinion. It's the one magazine I really care about anymore in the factual programming arena.

I was always an avid reader growing up thanks to my father. Now I know why I was always tops in English class and Creative Writing...you read enough good stories, you learn how to TELL a story. Structure, pacing, character development are all the things we learn subconsciously when we read. Now I make a conscious effort to follow all these as I read.

Read to write, then write for a good read.

The Main Ingredient In Producing Your Film:

PASSION

Yep. Forget funding. Unless you have the passion to get your project on its feet, you'll never get the funding. And should you fall short of your funding goals, passion is what will help you 'beg, borrow, or steal' to WILL your creation into being. You simply must be persistent. Face it, if you walk away from the project for six months and it still gnaws at your subconscious to be let out, you have to continue.

We've all seen the stories of filmmakers maxing out credit cards to get a film completed. I am not one to recommend that route to anyone. These days you at least have a fighting chance with those cheap camcorders I ranted about last month. I'm not taking back anything I said then. In fact, I'm confirming it: if there's no other way of getting the story on tape, by all means go ahead and do it yourself. This way, at the very least, you can show something around that may generate a sympathetic wallet to help you along. It may take years, but that's better than never happening at all.

Take my doc Wings Across the Sahara. This project started with a meeting at the National Air & Space Museum in January of 2001. With no money, a few favors, and a bunch of frequent flyer miles, I was able to cajole a good chunk of interviews out of two or so days of taping. Lucky for me since at least one major interview and two other characters that appear in the film have since passed away.

In the interim, funding has been impossible to obtain. A few folks have pitched in with minor donations - which is fine - but I could use a whole lot more to get this done. The delay might actually have helped the project since I now have a name narrator on board and two major players in the story have surfaced. My goal is to get these men on tape before it is too late.

Passion.

Unless you are a filmmaker, nobody will understand it. Surely, my wife doesn't (and don't call her 'Shirley'). She's heard it all before and is long past getting enthusiastic about any new developments on the film. Just don't spend the grocery money, dear.

My colleagues in the industry give me that knowing nod and a smile.

My friends shake their heads and ask how I can keep going.

It's the story. It's THEIR story. Someone needs to tell it. Providence has chosen me to do it. I can't fail them after all this time and effort. The money has been scarce, but in the long run passion has kept the project going. In the end, passion will get it done.

Maybe then will the ghosts of these fine men leave me...

The Devil Is In The Details

Sometimes it seems like wrapping up a project is more complicated then getting into production. Especially when working with a small prodco that hires staff on an 'as needed' basis. When the producers, APs, and researchers go away, it is that much more difficult to cull together all the paperwork that was amassed over the course of production and post production.

If you're lucky, you've had diligent people who have taken copious notes and kept everything in order - preferably in one place. Many times this is the case, but quite often it's not. Pulling together archive and music cue sheets, appearance and location releases, and network forms can be maddening without proper back-up.

Some producers will lay music in their rough-cut that hasn't been cleared. Some will put in footage when they haven't even discussed cost with the PM. This usually makes for a series of clenched-teeth phone calls between producer/AP, PM, and EP. Not fun.

Then there are the endless network deliverables. PBS has a great policy that states if you shoot & deliver a program in HD, you must also deliver a widescreen SD version on DigiBeta. Same with promos. They now have a digital forms submission program which ends up making you do the work twice - once on your spreadsheet, then again to input into their system.

Discovery Channel has different requirements that are no less stringent. Nat Geo has its own, and so on and so on. Keeping up with each network's requirements can be a full-time job in and of itself.

Creating quality films is very rewarding, but beware - the road to delivery (deliverance?) is filled with land mines that can blow holes in your budget if you don't plan ahead.

Road Rules

Traveling with your crew can be so much fun. Then again, it can be a TON of work. But at the end of the trip, there are usually more good memories than bad. Take my May trip to France: A 12-day whirlwind tour that took us to Geneva, Thonon-les-bans, Valence, and Paris. Most days lasted upwards of14-15 hours. But we met some very interesting people and got to live, among other places, for 3 days with Trappist Monks at their Monastery in the Cote-du-Rhone region near the south of France. Not a bad place to be.

Logistics for this trip was a nightmare...DP from DC, Producer from northern NJ, Sound and AP from Long Island. Getting staff and equipment out through 3 different airports, then through customs with 2 different carnets, traveling from city to city in mini-vans and TGV trains (that's me on the TVG in my blog photo). Swiss Francs, Euros, and US Dollars...aaarrgh! But the vistas, food, and wine were second to none. And so was the crew, which is always a bonus!

Today, I returned from a much shorter trip. 4 days/3 nights in suburban Cincinnati which is actually a small rural area in Northern Kentucky. What a nice trip this turned out to be. The locals were some of the friendliest, most creative people I've ever encountered and the scenery was wonderful. Makes you wonder why more people don't come to these parts.

Again, the trip was full of filming time and the weather was hot and sticky. This time we spent a morning in the woods near a farm foraging for plant material to build model houses with. Now THERE'S something you don't see every day. Then the subject's neighbors held a barbeque for us. The home cooking was a gift for road weary travelers. And the ribs were the best I'd EVER had.

Times like these are why I got in this business in the first place: finding interesting people and their stories, traveling to places I'd never dreamed of going, and the camaraderie of a professional crew.

Now, if we could just find the funds to finance all of this!