1. Fandor: Ted Hope, former executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, recently took on the job of CEO of Fandor, the online film platform. Hope sat down with Indiewire at SXSW to talk direction distribution, cinema community, and saving indie film. Read more here.
2. VOD Numbers: “I decided to release the numbers for the same reason we created PDA and Film Buff. Transparency is a good thing. Where better than to start with ourselves?” Producer John Sloss is repeating his call for other distributors to release VOD numbers. It didn’t work the first time around, so he’s shouting a little louder. On a panel as SXSW, Sloss not only called for distributors to release those stats, but for filmmakers to demand them as well.
3. Maker Studios: It’s not a done deal, but they’re talking it over. Disney is poised to pounce on Maker Studios – an acquisition that would value the YouTube network at $500 million or more Recode reports. Read more about what’s going on.
4. Casey Neistat: All you need is the internet connection to reach the entire world – so says self-taught filmmaker Casey Neistat. At a keynote address at SXSW, Neistat talked about becoming a Youtube filmmaker in 2010 (before it was cool). Take a look at how he got his start, his commercial success with HBO, and his belief that the distribution model has evaporated.
5. “Yeah!:” The new iPad Movie app from AMC Networks, “Yeah!” has offered up a gift to the world. The 1984 mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” hit its 30th anniversary today, and is now free and streaming via the app to all iPad users (and through the web as well). Users get a free movie, and “Yeah!” gets a chance to show off some of it’s features. Check all of it out.
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