Amazon to offer independent films in HD format online

[diabolo]

Amazon.com and Microsoft Team Up to Help Indie Filmmakers Jump Into HD DVD

Up to 1,000 new indie titles to be made available in HD DVD through the CustomFlix DVD on Demand Program; Sundance Channel origi

By: PR Newswire
Jul. 2, 2007 07:01 AM

SEATTLE and REDMOND, Wash., July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amazon.com Inc. , and Microsoft Corp. today announced the 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project, designed to lower the barriers to entry for filmmakers to produce and distribute movies in the HD DVD format through the innovative manufacturing-on-demand technology of CustomFlix, a part of an Amazon group of companies. Jointly sponsored by Amazon and Microsoft, the project will provide free authoring and setup services for up to 1,000 selected indie titles.

"This collaboration with Microsoft is a great opportunity for independent filmmakers to reach Amazon customers with their films via the HD DVD format," said Peter Faricy, vice president of music and movies at Amazon.com. "By working together with Microsoft and leveraging the proven CustomFlix DVD on Demand model, we can lower the barriers to entry for independent filmmakers and dramatically increase the selection we offer our customers."

The project will be spearheaded by CustomFlix, which will bring as many as 1,000 feature-length independent films to Amazon customers using the CustomFlix DVD on Demand technology, which produces and ships DVDs only as they are ordered. This model greatly improves the cost structure for independent filmmakers by eliminating the need for costly inventory.

"From a technical standpoint, we found that the HD DVD format fits our business model perfectly," said Dana LoPiccolo-Giles, co-founder and managing director of CustomFlix. "With retail shelf space at a premium, our model eliminates the risk of carrying inventory and immediately expands the number of great HD DVD titles available to consumers."

"Programs like this one from Amazon lower barriers to entry for independent artists and provide audiences with increased access to high-quality, high-definition content," said Christian Vesper, senior vice president of programming, acquisitions and scheduling for Sundance Channel.

Sundance Channel will be reviewing the high-definition features for potential broadcast on the network as well as making its own HD original eco-series, "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," available for purchase through Amazon's HD DVD program.

"Amazon's participation in this project will be a major benefit to independent filmmakers wanting to break into the high-definition market segment," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president for the Consumer Media Technology Group at Microsoft. "The use of Microsoft(R) technology and authoring expertise will ensure that all the HD DVD titles offered by Amazon have impeccable quality, thanks to the VC-1 codec and innovative interactive scenarios with HDi(TM)."

Amazon.com offers a broad and growing selection of HD televisions, players and DVDs through its HD DVD store at http://www.amazon.com/hddvd. Filmmakers interested in submitting their HD DVD work for consideration as part of the 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project can go to http://www.customflix.com/hddvdindies.


Amazon.com to Sell More Films in HD DVD

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 2, 2007

SEATTLE, July 1 (AP) — Amazon.com will begin selling high-definition independent films in the HD DVD format through its on-demand DVD printing service, the company said on Sunday.

The company said it would waive processing fees for the first 1,000 films it accepts for production by its CustomFlix Labs subsidiary.

The company currently offers more than 300 HD DVD titles for sale on its site, and more than 400 that use the competing Blu-ray DVD format championed by Sony.

The two formats have been battling since last year. Studios hope the high-definition discs, with sharper picture and more room for interactive special features and games, will replace standard-definition DVDs. Blu-ray and HD DVD formats are incompatible, and neither type of disc can play on a regular DVD player.

In June, Blockbuster decided it would rent only films in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores when it expanded its high-definition selection, dealing a blow to the HD DVD camp.

[divian]

All these news are very important!
Sounds great
Thanks Diabolo!!!

[VC-1]

sounds like a great idea.

[diabolo]

Originally Posted by divian

All these news are very important!
Sounds great
Thanks Diabolo!!!

You're Welcome
Good news indeed

[half-sane]

im very interested to see what comes of this!

[The Main Event]

Really good news.

I like how MS wants to bring in more independent studios support.

[Dare]

Interesting that they produce a physical packaged product for your movie, instead of just letting you download it.

[Blurry]

This is really awesome news. I am looking forward to hearing more news about what is being offered. I think this story goes beyond what is said here, as this approach opens the door to even more innovation.

[HomeTheatreFreak]

This could ultimately end up being a huge positive for me. me and my wife love independent films and we have actually been to Sundance twice. We usually have to download illegally or purchase sundance films from other countries which is a pain in the arse. If they cold use such a system to offer a large selection of independent films for HD DVD I for one would buy alot of titles, of course if they were the right titles.

Again depending on the selection of films they offer this could end up being huge for me. Very nice indeed and actually really cool if you think about it. The whole process of makingthe discs per order and stuff is pretty cool and I never even knew that had such services. Very cool idea and one I hope to take advantage of.

[INDY-HD-DVD]

I had this on Smackdown to see what the Blu-Boys had to say, lol.
They want it to mean nothing, but I say the more good news and releases for HD-DVD the better.


Diabolo, thanks for the link by the way.

[hogie]

Originally Posted by Dare

Interesting that they produce a physical packaged product for your movie, instead of just letting you download it.

Downloading would take too long...you'd still look at 1 hour to 1 day, depending on the connection. Plus, this gives you the physical disk so you can't accidently delete it off your hard-drive.

[hogie]

Originally Posted by INDY-HD-DVD

I had this on Smackdown to see what the Blu-Boys had to say, lol.
They want it to mean nothing, but I say the more good news and releases for HD-DVD the better.

You are so right...Blu doesn't want to say that "we got the four biggest movie producers in Sony, Walt, etc etc...and what does HD have...only who knows how many independent film companies..." who i think produce better films most of the time anyways.

[JAG1977]

Mediom to large independant movies tend to be distributed by major studios.

[HomeTheatreFreak]

Originally Posted by JAG1977

Mediom to large independant movies tend to be distributed by major studios.

Only the very few that go on to become very popular or the ones that get selected for the Palm d'Or at Cannes. I dont think you realize just how many indepedant films get made every year especially since the advent of digitial cameras have brought the price of films down drastically. I would estimate that roughly 90% of all indepndant films never get touched by a major film studio.

[INDY-HD-DVD]

Originally Posted by JAG1977

Mediom to large independant movies tend to be distributed by major studios.

You have to admit that this will help them get exposed to the major studios.