Bear with me, it's a long one... While covering the film festival a couple of months back, I had the pleasure of a meeting with Matt Dentler in Cannes to discuss digital distribution and the role websites like our own can play in the potential success of the model. One thing that became abundantly clear as I sat talking to Matt, and subsequently that all of our cinematic futures will in some way be digital. Having sat on this article since my plane's wheels hit British tarmac, through a combination of the variously-faced monsters of temptation (I'm not an alcoholic I swear!) and a sincere desire to explore what the idea of a digital revolution, and its real implications for arguably the biggest cultural marketplace out there, I've decided it's now time to get into this debate. Let me just get my own simplistic opinion out here: I think digital distribution is a welcome, and potentially invigorating new facet for the distribution marketplace, and I think it will do a lot of good. It isnt necessarily the best idea for all films, and it surely cannot be claimed as the future avenue for ALL distribution, but it is an opportunity with conceivably massive advantages for the industry. But as with the advent of the digital music revolution, there will be detractors and doubts, questions to be answered and fears to be allayed. I hope this article will go some way to convincing you that this is a positive step towards a more open and accessible film market, and to enthusing you about the new digital movie revolution. So, on to some of the issues, and the case for digital distribution... Indie Releases In the same way that the Myspace wave that hit a few years ago opened the door to every wannabe musician with a dial-up, and Youtube has offered a platform for every film-maker with a creative itch to share their art, the arrival of digital distribution on a greater scale will represent infinite opportunities for those who wouldnt necessarily have had a chance before. Chief among those set to benefit are the indie film-makers- the prospective Kevin Smiths who are out there making movies that are worth a watch, but would never in a million years get any kind of distribution deal in the current market. Obviously, the issue that immediately springs to mind is the same one that presented itself when the internet made everyone a critic- that of the dillution of critical censorship leading to market saturation with inferior products, but with distribution companies like iTunes, LoveFilm, Netflix and Blinkbox representing a level of artistic selection that should force the shit to the fringes. Basically what we are looking at is a move to make rare material available to the masses. And exciting times are coming... Accessibility Let's face it, the romanticism of retail has long been a dead endeavour (if it ever really existed) despite the furious efforts of certain major retailers to establish brand awareness and create a shopping "experience" in an attempt to glamourise what is essentially just a necessary function of our econo-centric lives, and make it more than just the exchange of goods for money. Even the unbridled joy of buying a DVD in-store is largely a thing of the past, with internet retailers providing far more range and value for your buck- my own experience of working in a DVD department in the recent past was one littered far too much with the phrase "I'm sorry it's not in stock". And who wants to traipse to a store to be told that what they made their journey for isnt even available?! The natural next step is to do away with the physical shelves entirely in your transaction and go digital. There will be a time sooner than you may think where every film you could ever want to watch- and millions you wont- will be just a few clicks away (provided everyone has access to high-speed broadband). There is now a frightening proportion of film-lovers who take to the net to discuss whatever film has just taken up two hours of their lives: if it wasnt for that lovely lot, sites like this would be but mere sparkles in the eyes of every aspiring Matt Holmes out there, and providing them with a legitimate avenue of access to any film they could ever wish to watch would go some way to appeasing them. Which leads me nicely to the next point of issue. Piracy Making anything more accessible, you run the very real risk of making it more open to crime. But would making more films available through the digital route really exponentially affect the levels of illegal downloads. I'm not so sure. When iTunes appeared with a manifesto offering downloadable music for a price, when the product was already available for free via the various illegal options people scoffed- how on Earth they planned to convince a customer to hand over money for something they were already able to access without it was a mystery too complex for the doubters to even fathom. Yet iTunes continues to thrive, drawing on successes to gain further strength and momentum, with artists as big as Radiohead turned on to the marketing power that the download holds (their pay-what-you-want ploy arguably got them more physical sales than a direct distribution deal would have). So why cant it work for films too? Looking at the iTunes model for music, you have to believe that there is a significant proportion of illegal film downloaders who would go for the legal option if they were fully aware of the availability of that option. Before iTunes, everyone who wanted easy and accessible music downloads went with Napster, because it was an enormously recognisable brand (despite its illegality), just as modern film downloaders look towards the most famous Bit Torrent sites for their ripped off downloadable film content. And no, I'm not going to name any, nor am I going to get into the debate about intellectual copyright or filesharing or any other related piracy issues here, as I know where that usually gets us! All that the current model needs is an injection- some good marketing strategies that will make film downloaders aware that sites like iTunes, Netflix, Blinkbox and LoveFilm provide downloadable films for very reasonable prices legally, and they can potentially tap into the success of the music dowloading industry. Which is where sites like OWF come in. Part of the discussion I had with Matt Dentler was concerned with the role fan sites can have in promoting the downloadable content that might otherwise be confined to being oveerlooked in favour of the recent tentpole releases and recognisable actor vehicles. We are a voice of and for film fans who are always on the look out for hidden gems of film, who shun the Michael Bay monstrosities and who tell it like it is- so what better a repayment to those of you who stick with us through thick and thin than uniting you lot with some excellent overlooked gems? Classics Reborn If you're anything like me, the fact that a massive percentage of classic films remain unavailable on either conventional DVD or high-definition (my own particular gripe centres on the lack of Jimmy Stewart films- besides his most famous- on Region 2 release), and the possibility of them having more opportunity for release can only be a good thing. The fact of the matter remains that physical shelf space costs money, as well as the issue of theoretical storage (for every product on a shop floor, an equivalent multiple of reserve stock is taking up warehouse space somewere) which is another financial concern when putting a DVD out. And with the current market dictating that classic DVDs (i.e. non-new release or prestige re-release titles) can only expect to sell at bargain basement prices at the very best, it is simply not viable for every classic film committed to screen to find space on shelves and remain profitable. So to have every film you could possibly want available on the infinite theoretical shelves provided by the internet and digital distribution platforms, and not have the same kind of financial hold-ups is a mouth-watering prospect to say the least. The Death of The DVD? Again, we must look towards the Music Industry for a pattern. With the advent of the iTunes revolution (and before it the less-than-legal Napster revolution), important mouths from the music industry proclaimed the advances in digital distribution to be the death knell of the physical product market. Why would anyone want to buy a CD or a Vinyl if they could purchase a file containing the product that occupied only minimal theoretical space on a computers hard-drive, and for less cost to boot? Surely sales would drop massively year-on-year until physical formats were rendered obsolete, like the 8-Track and the Mini-Disc before them. Well, not everyone can be right all of the time. In an improbable development, 2008 became the year of Vinyl's best ever sales figures, and while the CD market has unquestionnably faltered, demand remains large enough to necessitate supply. Buying a CD is more of a ceremonial gesture than it was formerly- the fact that Singles CDs have indeed become obsolete is testament to the strength of single-unit downloads, but albums and collections remain on the shelves as fans use their purchase of an album to stamp their allegiance to their favourite bands. The gig might now be the foremost asset in a band's marketing campaign- leading to more income than album sales could ever hope to generate (for all but the uber-successful bands of the world)- but the CD purchase remains a statement of intent now more than ever. Having ACDCs new album on your shelf is an indication of your support to them in a way that a downloaded file simply cannot offer. So, what does all of that mean to an industry that does not really have the added dimension of the live performance? Well, it's all about prestige. With digital distribution there is bound to be a form of culling- it is likely that the digital revolution will force down cheaply-made DVD releases of older films- those heinous products with poorly scanned cover images and barely legible blurb on the back and no special features to speak of besides Interactive Menus (which I personally see as more of a necessity than an additional extra). But there will always be a market for Special Editions- as long as there are folks like me who will happily stump up for the epic Up to 11 Special Edition of This Is Spinal Tap, featuring a small working amp, or the uber-prestigious Jack Skellington bust edition of The Nightmare Before Christmas. With more impetous on film distributors getting the most out of DVD releases- as with the CD Special Edition boom of the past few years; you only need look at the success of the recent Beatles rereleases to see the potential and if the big boys of film distribution can retain even a small part of that fervour and focus it even more (an inevitable by-product of the afore-mentioned cull) we could be looking at an exciting time for special edition buyers. The Theatrical Arena But what then for the big screen? There is already a shift away from films getting traditional theatrical distribution deals, with even big names like Agora and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus famously struggling to attract much interest even as late as Cannes- and a few years ago there would have been no question of a Terry Gilliam or even an Alejandro Amenabar being immediately snapped up for theatrical release around the world without pause for thought. Say what you want about Gilliam's artistic eccentricities, his movie starred Heath Ledger (not to mention Messrs Depp, Law and Farrell) which alone (somewhat morbidly) should have guaranteed a significant global purse, assuming that the public reaction to his death was a gauge for his stardom. But even Parnassus struggled. It's a sign of the times, and of the future. As I mentioned, DVD distribution costs, so smaller or classic films can unfotunately fall by the wayside. This is nothing in comparison to the scale of the financial concerns attached to theatrical distribution deals. Some might say that you cant judge a film by the size of its box office takings- but the sorry reality is that we do; the industry uses opening weekend figures to deterine how "successful" a film is, regarding an audience's likelihood to hand over coins as far more indicative than what that audience subsequently says about hat they've just watched. With such a focus on purses, 90% of films that get made struggle to get anywhere near cinema screens, and find themselves confined to DVD-only release (the perversion of this is that customers then view these films as "inevitably" worse somehow than those that get cinematic releases). With the 3D advent proper about to arrive, and in my humble opinion, about to completely change the way most films are made (whether suitably or not), the window of opportunity for films to get cinematic distribution deals is likely to close even further. For those films which wont or cant move with the new technological times, traditional a cinematic release is likely to become either a very limited thing (probably a good thing for arthouse cinemas) or not an option at all, determining that the prospect of small screen and digital distribution wll become enormously more important in terms of a film's "success". The Future Already available on the market, though not widely known is this wonderful invention... While the music model has not really made any in-roads into the development of a physical player- an iTunes player has long been mooted, but so far has failed to appear on the market at all- the digital distribution industry already has a darling of an invention already available to buy. The Roku works effectively as a hard-drive, allowing you to store and stream your digital purchases into your TV: a stream-lined library that cuts out the need for masses of physical shelf-space. I foresee a time when the majority of homes will have a similar device alongside their cable/satellite set-top boxes, and that time is just around the corner. It is merely a matter of turning film-makers, and those with the power to decide such things on to the idea of giving every film the opportunity to be digitally distributed, probably initially alongside theatrical and home video deals before certain films opt specifically to be circulated only using the available download programmes. For now, available from Cinetic Media- Matt Dentler's home- and via iTunes UK and Blinkbox (and soon LoveFilm) are a selection of excellent titles including the following, with added reviews: The Team The epitome of the indie titles that the digital distribution model will serve best, The Team chronicles an extraordinary event, the first Homeless World Cup in 2003, held in Graz, Austria under the stewardship of Man On Wire helmer James Marsh (the documentary, not the team). Those familiar with Marsh's work on Man On Wire, as well as early work for the BBC like The Burger and The King- a documentary on the legendary dietary habits of Elvis Presley will recognise the director's unfailingly earnest look at his subject, and his fascination with the human capacity for wonderment. I have to confess something here. I took a great deal out of the perverseness of the subject- why on Earth would anyone set up such a mad-cap tournament (in effect glorifying homelessness) rather than actually using the money it no doubt cost to actually help tackle the problem itself. But that's gloriously attractive to me- in a move reminiscent of Werner Herzog's attraction to the oddball elements of society who live at the fringes (there is something beautiful about the liminal that I will never tire of) Mars doesnt judge the organisers, nor does he fetishise the homeless stars of the documentary, which would have been infinitely easy. At the end of the day, the film offers no lasting redemption- these footballers are homeless, and no matter what their glories or the pride they manage to inspire, they will continue to be homeless. And thankfully, James Marsh decides not to berate the tournament's organiser for their fleeting promise of hope, which would have been so painfully Michael Moore-like that I would have instantly turned away in disgust. Instead what we have is a more lasting comment on the problem of homelessness and the curious situation where we are all far too willing to ignore the huddled figure on the pavement but we will celebrate them when it comes to an oddball football tournament. The Auteur If you watch this endearingly comic mockumentary following the fictional "Kubrick of porno" Arturo Domingo (played admirably and with considerable laughs by Melik Malkasian) for one reason alone, let it be the hilarious porno-pun titles from My Left Nut, and Five Easy Nieces, to his masterpiece Full Metal Jackoff. But beyond that childishly chucklesome feature, The Auteur is still pretty darn watchable, though it fails to plum the depths of the comedy that the subject could well have offered- offering instead more frat-boy style gags about spunk and a predictable over-interest in Domingo's "hilarious" Borat-style accent. The film centres on a post-peak Domingo, made reflective by his split with actor/muse Frank E. Nomo (John Breen on great form) and subsequent dip in film-making form, and morose at the loss of his one true love Katherine Flynn's Fiona, who is intent on releasing his controversial director's cut of Full Metal Jackoff. It's not just a reflection on the destructive influence of delusion- Domingo is a perfect portrait of failure, but totally refuses to accept that he has failed- it is also a cutting and surprisingly insightful parody on the industry that spoofs Hollywood hits and infuses them with some delicious lingering shots of cocks and pussy, as well as the deluded notion of the star-lead porno flick. Great stuff, but not as explicit as you might think, so if youre looking for a carefree tissue-friendly flick go rent Domingo's "Snatch Adams" or step away from the boxof man-sized. One Day Like Rain Drawing inevitable Donnie Darko comparisons thanks to a predominantly metaphysical narrative idea, One Day Like Rain is an excellent independent film in the proper sense- there is a very small chance that any major studio would have gone anywhere near the project, but what resulted in Paul Todisco's second foray into directing is a gem of a picture. For the weak of brain a warning: there is little in the way of explanation- central figure Gina (Samantha Figura) appears to be a normal suburban malcontent teen, but it quickly becomes obvious that she is nothing of the sort. What she is is a matter for debate that the film simply does not offer- but it is clear that she has powerful metaphysical powers which she intends to use to save the world from impending doom. If you stick with it- and it would be a crime not to- the narrative is eventually rewarding and the film itself shines as one of the best independent films of recent memory. It looks beautiful, it sounds terrific- the soundtrack is the stuff of dreams for music nerds like myself, with a vibrant and thrilling array of New Wave 80s music that throws another comparable glance towards Donnie Darko. Mainstream film-making probably beckons for Todisco, but the independent world would do well to hold onto him. Happy Birthday, Harris Malden It's all frightfully friendly. Happy Birthday, Harris Malden is a comedy about friends made by a group of friends- ever so post-modernly called Sweaty Robot. But more than than that it's an exploration into the molly-coddling effect a group of friends has on a quirky individual (played by Nick Gregorio) who has dealt with a childhood tragedy that curiously resulted in the loss of his ability to grow facial hair (as well as far more devastating effects) by denying the effect and drawing a moustache on his face every morning. His friends accept this comfort-blanket style piece of self-delusion in order to let him live a "normal" life (just about ignoring Harris' other eccentricities- though they dont allow him t leave town alone) until an outsider (a friend's girlfriend played by Brigitte Hagerman) comes in and forces them to examine their jolly ignorance of Harris' problems through the simple questions that noone was willing to ask. Happy Birthday, Harris Malden is a fairly surreal experience, though the ultra-realism determines that the comedy doesnt get so Pythonesque that the underlying heart of the movie is corrupted. All very funny, and surprisingly heart-warming stuff. It's not likely that any of them would have made it to the silver screen, but all are worthwhile and meaningful experiences in themselves- and I urge you to take the first steps on your digital journey with any one of them. Get behind it! And dont be shy with your comments...