FIRST PERSON | Four-Walling the Internet: Gigantic Releasing’s Mark Lipsky

In the first case the answer was geo-targeting. With Gigantic Digital we have the ability to turn on or turn off access to our content in real time and at very fine granularity. In other words, if a film is or will be opening theatrically in, say, San Francisco, we can limit access in the greater San Francisco area - or in the entire state of California - until after the theatrical engagement(s) there has completed. Those limits can be set as finely as one mile or as broadly as U.S.-only or anything inbetween. No other digital delivery service can or is willing to provide that critical, exhibitor-friendly feature. (By default, of course, access is limited to the U.S. so that international rights remain secure, although we also have the ability to turn on individual countries. In this way distributors with rights outside of the U.S. can actually open their films themselves in those markets if they choose.)

As for convincing local media that Gigantic Digital represented the future of independent film distribution, that would be a matter of literally thousands of phone calls and emails and thousands more follow-ups. We were relentless yet patient; our outreach was personal, one-to-one and genuine; we were willing to hand-hold and cajole; and we were right. The results exceeded our best expectations. “Must Read After My Death” was, indeed, covered by publications large and small - some in print and online, others exclusively online - as if it had opened in a local cinema. Journalists with a deeper understanding of the issues really appreciated what a sea-change Gigantic Digital represented and wrote feature stories about the release strategy itself, often giving the quality of the experience a rave review. And in every case, the website and ticket price was noted.

Now that we’ve proven the concept we’re expanding our focus. We’re looking to Gigantic Digital as a way for all independent distributors to have the ability to open their films ‘nationally’ and with extraordinary flexibility that can serve any contingency and thoroughly satisfy any potential roadblock or gatekeeper along the way. Whether a film is set to open theatrically in 5 markets, 50 or 500, Gigantic Digital can be employed in tandem with the release and provide the deepest possible reach of any film into the U.S. market without ever cannibalizing theatrical revenue, requiring a single extra hour of the distributor’s time or a single extra dollar in P&A.

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Another significant and exclusive feature of Gigantic Digital is that it was designed and developed by film distributors for film distributors. We understand the nature of the beast and we’re willing to put that knowledge and our newly won media relationships into service for our partners as a standard feature. In a very real sense we’re offering distributers (and select independent producers without distribution) the ability to four-wall the Internet. To reach hundreds of millions of moviegoers instantaneously and for an unlimited duration rather than ten thousand here and fifty thousand there and for a finite number of weeks. Whether employed in tandem with a theatrical release or as the exclusive delivery mechanism, Gigantic Digital is a powerful game-changer and we’re excited to have opened its capabilities to the industry at large. Ever forward…  ‹ Previous Page (2 of 2)   posted on April 27, 2009 |Share