Internet Pay-to-play?
In yesterday’s WSJ Opinion Page, Peter Funt argues that customers will pay for online content:
Yet often overlooked is the fact that virtually all trend lines in recent communications history have moved, with success, from free distribution to some form of pay model. The viewing and listening public has demonstrated repeatedly its willingness to spend for content, so long as there is some degree of perceived value.
Could this mean the proliferation on the web of subscription based video sites? David Lynch has been experimenting with this model: www.davidlynch.com. There are already several established sites like Hulu, Jamon, The Auteurs, and Netflix that are offering this service. But could this model also work for an individual or group of independent filmmakers? Will there be a time in the near future when all cinematic genres, styles, and tastes are represented by independent subscription-based video sites?
