I’m just reading the new book published by TFC, Jon Reiss & Sheri Candler and wanted to make a couple clarifications to points made by David Averbach, of TFC in the book.

1. Regarding Film Sales: It’s correct in that there haven’t been any in-app sales of the film Adventures of Power. David’s statement that we thought the DVD hindered sales is incorrect. We don’t think that at all. In fact we believe the FilmApp probably helped drive sales of the DVD by giving users a bunch of really cool content to watch and interact with for free, plus a cool air drum game which got them hooked on seeing the film, and then going to purchase the DVD. (Ari Gold did a killer job promoting the DVD.) While we didn’t have a direct measurable link between the App and DVD sales, one of our other clients, John Paul Rice, the producer of One Hour Fantasy Girl, tweeted that One Hour Fantasy Girl downloads were up over 400% due largely in part to the FilmApp.

2. Regarding Streaming vs. Embedding the Movie in the FilmApp: When we started Stonehenge Productions, we decided that the quality of the viewing experience should be one of the most important aspects of our FilmApps. Sure you can stream a 90 min film but most people watching a film on a mobile device are, you guessed it MOBILE, so If I’m on a train or plane I don’t want to be streaming over 3G and have a really bad and frustrating experience. When you download the FilmApp you do indeed download the film. I agree that we can enable an option to download the in-app purchase so that the download only happens when the film is bought. And if the film isn’t purchased, the app is much smaller in size and easily downloaded. And we are in fact doing that now.

We think FilmApps are a great way to promote a film, build an audience and engage them to participate and communicate with the film maker and each other. We encourage them to become a part of the experience. Some of our latest apps do just that. The film is not even the main component of the App. The FilmApp is built with A UTILITY. A PURPOSE. and An OBJECTIVE…to build community and the movement around the idea the film is communicating. Check out our Race to Nowhere FilmApp. The purpose is to build awareness of the U.S. Education system’s problems and get people to take action. The App literally gives a voice to the concerned student, parent or educator by allowing them to record a video testimonial, upload it to a YouTube channel and share their experience with others watching that channel.

We encourage film makers not to think of a FilmApp as an App to wrap your film around for distribution. It’s way more. It’s a multidimensional marketing tool, it’s a communication vehicle for your fans to chat with other fans and for you to chat with your fans, and yes, and them to you. It’s a way to send notifications to fans that screenings are in their neighborhood or protests are being organized. A way to sell merchandise, & DVDs. And a way to distribute your film around the world on iTunes and the Android Market. A way to make the film much more than something you go to watch and then leave.

I was just reading this article on Warner Bros entry into the FilmApp business and came across this…

“The new initiative is notable because it is the first time films have been made available for Apple’s iOS devices outside of a content deal with Apple or other third party, such as Netflix.”

It got me thinking as to how long we have been building FilmApps for Apple devices. So I went back and looked at our first App: Geek Mythology. We started building this app way back in August 1999 and it was approved for sale on iTunes App store in December 1999.

Sorry guys…you weren’t the first. BUT, we’re glad you’ve decided to enter the market.

The delivery of Films to devices isn’t in itself very exciting. The ability to use mobile devices as a way to get fans to participate while providing them with content is what is really going to make FilmApps exciting. We’re building Apps now that have games, social activism tools, location awareness, integration with social media and analytics that broaden the message of a film and get people to DO SOMETHING with that message. Over the next few weeks we will be announcing two new Apps that will use some new tactics to build momentum for movements that have the ability to change institutions.

Warner Brothers announced their entry into the film app buisiness today bringing the Dark Knight and Inception Apps to iTunes App store.

“Warner Bros. is bringing more than 100 million Apple device owners a highly innovative new way to experience their favorite films,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “For many, watching a movie is a social activity and App Editions are the first mobile product to deliver this capability on a global scale. They offer a fully connected experience, allowing viewers to engage with others around the world in real-time through Facebook and Twitter.  In 2011, Warner Bros. will release a full slate of App Editions including new release and catalog films.”

While we’ve been bringing films to mobile devices for over a year,  we couldn’t agree more with your sentiment.  Welcome to the party!

Let us know if we can help you build Film Apps.  Contact us.

Inspired by Seth Godin’s post

Here’s what Stonehenge Productions shipped this year…

Started Stonehenge Productions
Partnered with Level4 Distribution
Launched SHP web site
Launched Appalooza program for SHP
Launched Behind the Scenes of Total Hell
Launched Broken Hearts Club
Launched Burning Inside
Launched El Segundo
Launched Fans of Film A New Tomorrow
Launched FirstGlance Films
Launched Hey Diddle Diddle: The Series
Launched Let Him Be
Launched Level 4
Launched Love Me Tender
Launched Lovers in a Dangerous Time
Launched Mr. Sadman
Launched Nasty Old People
Launched One Hour Fantasy Girl
Launched Russia Hour: Who Am I?
Launched Suck: The Movie
Launched The Competition
Launched The Freebie
Launched With God on Our Side

Looking forward to 2011!

From now on, we’re going to post our blog thoughts and musings to our Facebook page.  Just seems more straight forward and centralized.  SO, come and visit us here on FB.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stonehenge-Productions/163952450304027

You just wrapped post production of your film and now you’re ready to get your film distributed to theaters, VOD, and DVD. That’s all well and good, but think about what you’re trying to accomplish. You want to get a lot of people to see your film. You want people to tell other people about what a great film it is and that they have to see it as soon as possible. You want to create a buzz about it. You want them to become emotionally involved and take action. You can spout, tweet and facebook all you want, but unless you get other people talking about your film, this will never happen. So the magic question is “How do I get people to talk about and share my film?”

Beyond the fact that you need a film that is worthy, you have to enable fans with tools to spread the word. You need to make it as simple as possible for them to share. Putting a film in the theater, on iTunes Movies, VOD, or on DVD is a one-way, one-dimensional distribution channel. The channel is flat. The theatrical experience is arguably the best option of these channels because it provides a rich social environment with lots of other people in the same room, sharing the same experience. However, with all of these distribution methods, there is little to no engagement, participation or action. You watch the film. When it’s over, that’s it. The End.

Enter the App. Take the traditional experience of watching a film and now add engagement, participation and sharing. Only an App allows fans to watch a film and engage with other fans and friends at the same time. Your effort to share and communicate has just been streamlined by having that functionality a button-click away from the viewing experience.

Here’s a scenario: I’m watching a new documentary film on my iPad as an App….we call them AppFliks™. Video and sound equal to that of any downloaded film, and perhaps better than some theaters. There are no buffering issues or need for internet connectivity (the film is not streaming, it’s embedded). The film finishes. I watch a couple extended interview clips, a director’s interview and then click a button to “like” the film and share with my friends (they get a link to watch the film and download the App). I can also click another button and live chat with others who are or have watched the film and share my experience. I can click to send an email to my Congressman to let him know how I feel about the issue examined in the film and request action to change the laws governing the issue. I can view upcoming events, register my support and make a donation to the cause.

My experience is now one of entertainment and education, sharing, building a community, becoming an activist, and supporting a cause and enabling change. All from my iPad App. My experience is no longer flat. It is multi-dimensional. And it accomplishes what the other distribution methods cannot. It engages and causes sharing, and participation.

Give your fans the tools to spread the word, build buzz, share and promote your film and all the other distribution channels will benefit.

Watch. Engage. Share. Build.

We’ve submitted a panel with some cool indie film folks on it for next year’s SXSW called “Indie Film Apps. Engage and Distribute”.  Currently, there is a voting mechanism in place for people to vote to choose which panels make it.  I would very much appreciate a vote for our panel.

Please VOTE for our SXSW Panel “Indie Film Apps, Engage and Distribute” http://bit.ly/cucZPK

Here’s the blurb on the panel:

Please spread the word, and get your friends and colleagues to vote.  Tweet it, FB it or email!

Massive Thanks
Mark

Pick me, PICK ME, PICK, ME!

On Aug 6th you’ll be able to help us get selected as a panel for SXSW 2011.  We’ve invited Sheri Candler, Jon Reiss and some others to participate on a panel to discuss using Apps for iPhones/iPad/Android etc..as new ways to distribute indie films and engage fans.  To vote for this panel goto: The Panel Picker to register

Here’s the description:

Indie Film Apps, Engage and Distribute

The distribution model has changed for indie film makers.  It’s time to take charge and utilize new technologies to distribute and engage your audience.  Film makers can now build Apps that run on a variety of platforms such as Apple, Android, and soon Google to distribute their films.  More importantly, perhaps, is that these Apps offer something that no other platform offers: The ability to interact with other fans and film makers from within the App over the lifecycle of the film.  By leveraging social media, film makers gain an unprecedented view into their audience.  This Panel will discuss and debate this new engagement and distribution platform….

sxsw film festival & conference
march 11-19, 2011
www.sxsw.com/film

We recently had some question about our fees and how we work, I thought I’d provide some commentary on it. Hope it helps.

We charge a flat fee to develop an App that is non-refundable if the App is not approved by Apple. Unfortunately, we have no control over Apple’s approval process and at the end of the day it’s their call.

During the submission process we are required to fill out a rating form that Apple provides. We ask film makers to fill this out (www.stonehengeproductions.com/rating) and we then transfer the ratings to this form to the iTunes approval site. Basically, this form determines Apple’s rating for the App. If the rating for: “Prolonged Graphic or Sadistic Realistic Violence” or “Graphic Sexual Content and Nudity” (the last two in the form) is anything other then “None”, by definition, Apple will not approve the App and we will not develop the App (before any fees have been paid). We have also worked with film makers to determine how we can get around a “Not Approvable” rating…to get to the next rating level down…”17+” which is kind of like an “R” rating and is “Approvable” (and we have a number of “17+” Apps approved and available on iTunes).

To date we have been 100% successful in getting Apps approved. We have worked with Apple to ameliorate their concerns, and again, this has been successful. For example, Apple has come back and asked for a stricter rating than we had originally submitted and upon changing it, the App was approved.

We work very diligently to get an App approved. You can ask any of our clients and I’m sure they will vouch for us. We put in a lot of work to build these custom Apps, and that work has costs associated with it. We try and pre-screen and let the film maker know if there are issues before we begin and as a result we have never been in a situation where the film maker has paid us and not gotten the film App approved. But at the same time, we have to have some protection built in on our end so that we are not working without pay.

From The Next Web a piece on the future of social TV (read movies too)

“We’re standing on the edge of the next big social media revolution and your TV viewing will never be the same.
Where we are right now

To date, online TV experiences have been quite limited. Apple TV, Roku and others offer easy ways to access online video content on your TV, while Netflix has brought movie streaming to a wider audience of TV viewers in the US via its service for games consoles.” Read More