Remember at CES Google made the announcement that they would allow anyone to sell video on Google Video? Well in case you haven't checked, only major content producers can set a price on their content while little guys like you and me are left out of the video monetization party. A Google employee made this post in regards to the end of further development on the idea.It's true -- we have decided to postpone the purchase feature to the general public indefinitely.
So where can independents go to sell their video online? Apple and Google are both major players and could rake in a fortune by allowing anyone to sell content via their respective channels. Although, at the same time, big studios wouldn't want the onslaught of competition pouring in to their small, closed-off ecosystem. I believe the studios would refuse to join the online-distribution party sharing the spotlight with the average joe-blow. The idea of downloading movies is still not a mainstream one and Apple/Google need the popular mainstream content to entice the average consumer. I'm just disappointed Google fell through.
(via CinemaTech)
1. I sincerely doubt it's because the major studios fear competition from the "little man". And I'm speaking as an indie filmmaker myself who has two shorts up on YouTube and Google Video. More likely Google doesn't see that it's worth their time and money now to set up a payment system for independents.
The fact is, the average person is probably far more interested in, and more likely to purchase, a movie they've already heard about that's produced and/or distributed by a major Hollywood studio, than s/he is in some nobody independent filmmaker's feature.
Posted at 11:42PM on Oct 17th 2006 by Scotty