There is a lot of talk about what the Internet (and P2P in particular) means for the future of filmmaking. A story that often goes untold is the empowerment provided by the Internet to indie filmmakers. According to Ted Hope, producer of 21 Grams and Adventureland, just four percent of the independent films made in the U.S. annually get traditional distribution. The Internet has created opportunities for filmmakers who are interested in making quality entertainment for large audiences outside the traditional media business model. At a time when the Internet has essentially driven media distribution costs to zero, distributed networks like BitTorrent provide an effective and flexible way for filmmakers to distribute their content. Moreover, it allows filmmakers to tap into online communities and reach millions of people who might otherwise be inaccessible. These communities are powerful and provide intrinsic value for an indie filmmaker trying to build a fan base. Increasingly we are witnessing creative new approaches where making money from rich media will not rely so heavily on holding media under lock and key. Filmmakers are developing business models that address the digital native generation with a coherent and authentic proposition that takes advantage of all the strengths of the Internet.
Mike is the visionary behind Techdirt, building up the core idea into reality and recruiting the management team. In addition to providing the strategic direction for the company, Mike oversees all editorial aspects of the Techdirt’s public and customer sites. Mike's insight into the realms of business and technology are the basis for his frequent posts to the award winning Techdirt blog. The widely followed, often quoted blog was launched in 1997. Prior to founding Techdirt Inc., Mike worked in business development and marketing at Release Software, an e-commerce startup, and in marketing at Intel. Mike has a bachelor's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations and an MBA -- both from Cornell University.
Film distributor with output deals into movie theaters, discs, and on VOD. Ran Pioneer Theater in NYC during its most successful era. World premiered first several "Scareflix" films from Glass Eye Pix; employed Aaron Katz. Worked with many, many other great filmmakers, too, most of whom had absolutely no SXSW connections. Left to establish own company (Cinema Purgatorio). Have distributed Christmas on Mars by the Flaming Lips, Voltaic by Bjork, many others.
Current releases:
Zenith, Beyond the Game, The Afterlight, Daylight. Most titles average 20+ theaters, mass DVD, cable VOD, and internet VOD release.
Jamie King is Founder & CEO of VO.DO, producer/director of the Steal This Film series (www.stealthisfilm.com) and Media Evangelist at BitTorrent Inc.
Well-known for its pioneering release through 'pirate' sites using the BitTorrent protocol, Steal This Film (2006,2008,2009) examines cultural experiences around file-sharing and discusses broad changes in intellectual property and the distribution of media. Considered one of the most downloaded documentaries of all time, it has been featured in numerous international film festivals.
King has become a spokesperson for a growing movement promoting the possibilities of 'free culture' and free-to-share distribution of media as a viable alternative for filmmakers and other cultural producers, advancing the argument that for many filmmakers, P2P infrastructures can be a valuable way not only of reaching and engaging new audiences but of monetising their practice At the end of 2009, producer Ted Hope named Jamie one of '21 Great Free Thinkers of Indie Film'.
In late 2009 Jamie founded VODO, a site that works with creators to distribute free-to-share media via notable P2P sites and services, including uTorrent and BitTorrent.This innovative P2P distribution platform is already reaching audiences of around one million per release and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for filmmakers in its first eighteen months of operation. VODO has been called by Moviemaker Magazine one of the '25 Resources that every indie filmmaker should know.' In December 2010 the project was named one of the 100 most significant innovations of the year, by France's Netexplorateur Observatory at UNESCO.
Jamie continues to produce and direct documentaries and feature films. His 2010 fiction feature Dark Fibre, shot on location in Bangalore, India, is currently being distributed online by Babelgum prior to a BitTorrent release.
