Netflix, The Power Law and The Long Tail. What could they mean to film makers?

Netflix is the video rental outfit with shelves that cost them next to nothing. Unlike Blockbusters they don't have quite the same need for performance from each of the titles they offer. In other words, they can gain good financial return deeper down the long tail of audience interest from titles that rent only so often. The result is that they're always likely to have the films you want to see.

The only problem they have is that there might not be enough films to fill that long tail because film makers chase the traditional routes to distribution. But it's a shortage of multiplex theatres which limits the distribution deals. Each screen has to perform in exactly the same way that Netflix's shelves don't. And the result fot the independent film maker is that it's extremely hard to get a theatrical ditribution deal. And because of that it's extremely hard to get funding and so the hole Indie scene is a bugger in which to make a living.

Now the Netflix model works so well that they evidently have a solution to the vexed state of Indie affairs. Well maybe more of a crumb but it's a start. They are offering a prize in the honourable tradition of the Board of Longitude, Jaques Schnieder, Sir Harold Hales' Blue Ribband and the X-Prize. I probably left loads more examples out but the idea is to stimulate interest in reaching an objective by offering a prize. Be the first to get your homebuilt robot to crawl across half a kilometre of moon and Google will give you $350 and that sort of thing.

The Netflix FIND Your Voice Film Competition will be the answer to one film maker's dreams. The prizewinning script will get $350,000 and practical professional help and mentoring throughout the production process. It's quite clear that they see tremendous financial advantage in encouraging abundance as it's the model which has worked so well for them.

So what does this tell us? Well I think it evidence of a nascent demand which we should hope to see thrive and feed from hitherto struggling film makers. However sceptics might think it wish fulfillment on my behalf. Anyway, let's hope a venture capitalist gets to hear about it.

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