Piracy continues to be a problem, but it pales in comparison to thousands of individuals becoming content producers.
The phrase for today is “personal technology.” Glenn Harlan Reynolds at the venerable publication Popular Mechanics broke down the topic of people producing high-quality content in a story.
His article is more than a cost comparison between the movie making process of today and yesteryear; it’s an object lesson in making use of the Internet and modern technology to be a self-sufficient content producer.
Musicians, filmmakers, and anyone else who thinks the world runs through the offices and meeting rooms of Hollywood and the media companies should think again, according to Reynolds:
My wife is a filmmaker. Her latest film, which cost about $25,000 to produce, would have cost close to $1 million two decades ago. She shot it with inexpensive digital cameras, edited it with Apple’s Final Cut Pro, and released it on the Web, where it has sold quite well….
I produced a 30-second TV ad spot (mocking political candidate ads on MTV’s “Rock the Vote”) using the video function of my digital still camera. I posted it on my Web site and got nearly 200,000 downloads within a few days. Later, I made a 15-minute documentary the same way: I had it shot, edited and on the Web within a weekend.
Reynolds also helps record bands and produce CDs for a small record label he runs out of his brother’s basement. Musicians weary of the whole music business process could benefit from this example:
Another brother has a band, Copper, that shot a music video and posted it on the band’s Web site. It quickly generated tens of thousands of downloads. Copper streams its music, promotes its shows and sells its CDs on its site, too. Sure, the band would be willing to sign with a big record company, but it’s doing far better on its own than it could have a decade ago.
The equipment needed to accomplish this has reached a price point where it can be afforded by all kinds people, not just the Edgar Bronfman Jrs of the world. Reynolds noted that Hollywood has to rely on talent now, and judging by what’s made it to public release recently, Hollywood “doesn’t have a monopoly on talent.”
David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
