Fighting Against VOD

Yesterday, 23 directors and producers spoke out against VOD.

Not AIDS. But Premium VOD Services.

The group which includes directors/producers like Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Michael Bay, and more big-name filmmakers sent an open letter opposing the new DirecTV VOD service that provides movies from Warner Bros, Sony, Universal, and 20^th Century Fox in home televisions only 60 days after a film’s theatrical release.

The letter states:

“…We ask that our studio partners do not rashly undermine the current – and successful – system of releasing films in a sequential distribution window that encourages movie lovers to see films in the optimum, and most profitable, exhibition arena: the movie theaters of America.”

Such protest against VOD services is largely due to the fact that the distribution window of movies are significantly becoming shorter than before, concerning many theater owners. Yet analysts speculate that such services will have little impact on the theater industry.

Personally, I think this is an interesting twist of the VOD service from the previous services. Yes, we have streaming videos and things like that, but releasing a film in such a short period of time after its theatrical release is definitely an experimental attempt for both the television and film industry. I don’t blame the filmmakers or the theater owners for their concerns.

You never know how people will take advantage of this system.

Someone with a plasma TV might call few of his or her friends and collect a couple of dollars for the viewing of a $29.99 freshly released-movie. With the movie prices ranging from $11-$20, it definitely saves a few bucks in the midst of this economic turmoil. (Save a few dollars on gas, too. Especially with the gas prices flying through the roof right now!)

But on the other hand, I really don’t believe that the VOD services are going to take the place of the theater experience. Since NATO (National Association of Theater Owners) has been meeting with various segments of the film industry over the past several months to discuss the problems of the premium VOD, it will be interesting to see how the VOD services will turn out in the future.