Online Distribution

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"Something strange is afoot at the Circle K."

- Ted Logan

Unproven, infantile and clouded in mystery, web distribution represents the unexplored frontier of media production.

A century ago nobody had heard of a feature film, and movie theaters offered short films as a novelty experience rather than as a narrative art form. Today the nickelodeons seem a quaint inclusion on Disneyland's Main Street USA. Will more sophisticated audiences look back on YouTube and podcasts as similar vehicles? I suspect so.

It wasn't until D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation graced theaters in 1915 that audiences, and filmmakers, discovered the possibilities of the feature film. I believe we are on the verge of a similar awakening in internet based media. The technology is very close to offering a 'tv-like' experience delivered through your modem and computers are getting closer and closer to the living room. Services like Netflix, Xbox Live and Hulu are redefining user's expectations. Projects like Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog are pushing the boundaries of what "will work" on the internet, while DVRs and video-on-demand are decreasing viewers' patience with network-defined schedules and commercial breaks. The music industry has been turned upside down by listener's who prefer the iTunes store to a Virgin Megastore, and MySpace bands are stepping on the feet of Warner Music. All this adds up to uncertainty and fear among established entities as previously successful business models evaporate and revenue streams dry up.

Of course, I find this all very exciting. The new opportunities to reach an audience are both daunting and liberating. As we enter this brave new world we have a new freedom to experiment while we define a new set of rules and practices with our successes and failures. I personally believe new technologies will provide greater access and communication between fans and creators. Projects that would never succeed in a traditional broadcast environment will have the opportunity to thrive with the availability of a global audience. That's why I'm developing a new animated series, a tv-quality show specifically for an internet audience. Hopefully Gigasight Media's new business model will prove successful and further advance the availability, possibilities and quality of narrative media. Only the future will tell...