Indie Movie Releases Via iPhone App - Is This The Future?
Your iPhone could soon be the place where you would be watching all the latest movie releases.
In a first of its kind, the new indie flick, "Rage" directed by Sally Potter and starring Jude Law and Judi Dench is being released on the mobile platform, and that too, for free.
So here is how this will work. The movie was released last week through Babelgum, the popular streaming media iPhone application. iPhone and iPod Touch users shall be able to view the movie in a series of seven parts streamed via Babelgum for free. However, the users may not be able to download the movie. The movie has also been released on the DVD and those willing to own a copy of the movie shall be able to purchase the DVD from the movie's website for $24.95 which contains 21 scenes not available on the original.
Sally Potter says this innovative marketing strategy is to primarily fight digital piracy. Also, Rage is an ideal fit for the mobile audience since the movie wears a minimalist look with no special effects and where the story is told through a series of close-up interviews with fourteen people who witnessed an event at a New York Fashion Show.
The innovative distribution strategy has won the movie a lot of good PR. But can the mobile medium serve as an ideal distribution platform for future releases? According to Jim Shomos, an Australian producer who has earlier released mobile video series, the mobile platform can be a very good fit to reach out to the target group of less than 35 years.
Considering that movie popularities grow primarily through word-of-mouth, this strategy of offering the original movie for free via the iPhone helps in increasing the viral effect. Also considering the fact that iPhone users form a significant portion of the influential crowd, a positive response from this audience can go a long way in determining the financial success of the movie.
So download the free Babelgum iPhone app using this direct iTunes link to watch the movie and please share your experience in the comments.
[via ReadWriteWeb]
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