Waterborne to debut at Google Video Store
Filed under: Drama, Deals, Sundance, Tech Stuff, Distribution, Newsstand
Waterborne, Ben
Rekhi's directorial debut about "the fictional aftermath of a bio-terrorist attack on the water supply of
LA," was very popular at last year's SXSW Film Festival, where it was the runner-up for the Narrative Feature
audience award. Though the film's producers were offered $125,000 in exchange for distribution rights, they turned the
unnamed suitor down in order to become the first feature made available under the Google Video Store's "new
'download-to-own,' distribution model."The film, which made its online debut yesterday, will be available to view free in a streaming format for a week; in addition, it's available for download at the price of $4.99. According to Google, what sets their approach apart from those of other downloadable video sources, is that once a customer pays for a download, their use of the file is completely unrestricted - it can be moved to an iPod, or burned to DVD forty-seven times. Whatever the customer wants to do is fine, because they own the file. In addition, Google is reportedly splitting profits with the creators of content in an unusually friendly way: 30% for Google, 70% for the creators. This, if nothing else, should earn them looks from filmmakers who are searching for cheap ways to reach new audiences.
What do you think - are the guys at Google stretching themselves a little bit too thin with this new venture, or is it yet another great new step for an equally great company? Also, is the profit structure really as good as it sounds? Input would be appreciated, particularly from frequent users of Google Video (personally, the reliance on Flash is such a pain for me that I rarely use it).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-07-2006 @ 10:29PM
Scott Weinberg said...
Hey, cool. I liked that movie.
Reply
1-08-2006 @ 12:04AM
Geoff Kleinman said...
Waterborne debuted at SXSW... not Sundance.
Reply
1-08-2006 @ 12:53AM
flash said...
I like the fact that you actually own the file, its not just rented. Being able to burn a dvd 47 times is a bit strange, though. Looking forward to the future as the catalog increases.
Reply
1-08-2006 @ 6:06AM
Martha Fischer said...
Thanks Geoff; I'll correct the post.
Reply
1-08-2006 @ 7:42AM
Antonio said...
Google Video Store will be an opportunity for independent film makers...
Reply
1-08-2006 @ 6:11PM
doc said...
This is a little misleading. If the person that owns the content decides not to put protection on the file, then you can get it sans DRM. From what I read in the Business Week story on this service though, it is not all files. Google has developed its own DRM scheme that content owners can opt in to. If they choose to protect their content then in order to play your purchased movie/tvshow you must be logged in to google, you can't transger it to a portable, you have to use their player, and you must be running windows. And while I haven't read it specifically, I am guessing that you will not be able to transfer the protected movies to DVD once, let alone 47 times.
Now, ask yourself, how many movies and TVShows are going to be made available without the DRM? The burning to DVD for non protected content is an interesting notion, but also gets back to one of the big problems with the iTunes store. Resolution. I haven't seen any info on what resolution the TV and movies that you get from Google will be. At the moment though, it looks like they are asking DVD prices for quarter resolution files.
Antonio may be right. This could be a really big deal for independant film makers who don't have any other means to distribute their content. But for major studio/network stuff I think it is going to be more trouble than it is worth.
Reply
1-11-2006 @ 2:47AM
Ben Rekhi said...
i think google video has got a one up on everyone else out there. the major aspect of their whole operation, aside from the DRM issue (which is up to the content provider of how restricted / non restricted it is), is that ANYONE can post their film and put a price on it. this is the news here. now you dont need to be a major conglomerate to have a content partnership. yeah its still the word of mouth, but if youre patient enough you can create buzz online. and google is thinking ten steps ahead, this is just the first big move.
we've already gotten over 5000 views in the first 3 days. this is vastly more than any theatrical run couldve gotten us. let me know how the experience has been for you out there downloading it!
Ben Rekhi
WATERBORNE
Reply
1-15-2006 @ 12:07PM
Gus said...
Great job! The movie was fantastic and download streaming experience smooth and uninterrupted.
The great thing about this was i couldn't watch all in one sitting, i watched half at home and the other half elsewhere over the course of 2 days! Otherwise i might not have seen this.
Reply