Multimedia
Blogs
Forum
Affordable HD
Whitepapers
Newsletters
Events
Advertisers
Blogcast
MillimeterThe Distribution Beat
Apr 17, 2009 2:36 PM, By Eric Melin
New filmmakers can always use help in the funding department. Once enough money is raised for something to be shot and edited, however, there’s still the hurdle of getting the project in front of an audience. Knowing that emerging filmmakers need maximum exposure for their work and could also do with some collaborative help, a new website called beneflix launched just last month.
| Related Links | ||||||
|
What makes beneflix different from other video-distribution sites is that it brings charities into the picture and purports to be mutually beneficial to both parties. "We can draw substantial attention to novice filmmakers’ work, which will double as a philanthropic endeavor," says beneflix founder James Malley. "The videos loaded onto beneflix are, in effect, an ongoing fundraiser for charities, with benefits for both parties. The filmmakers have the opportunity to expand their fan base, while the charities gain exposure and increase revenue."
As anyone who’s ever organized a benefit can tell you, charitable work does tend to open doors, and beneflix is a promotional tool that allows filmmakers to connect their film with (and directly contribute to) a cause that they believe in. Users can vote for their favorite videos by donating 25 cents to the charity of the filmmaker’s choice via the site. At the same time, the site’s one-episode-at-a-time format allows the users to influence upcoming scripts by popular vote.
While it’s yet to be proven on any website that letting the audience help the screenwriter is a feasible way to improve a story, there’s no doubt that charities could drive traffic to a beneflix-supported series while also having a stake in the series’ online success. In addition, filmmakers that raise the most money each month for their charity will receive prizes such as state-of-the-art recording equipment.
Obelisk Road, an independent production from New York-based Passage Pictures, is the site’s first original series. All proceeds generated from its votes go to Seeds of Peace, an organization dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation.
Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.
