At this point everyone has heard about 3-D TV. It made a lot of noise at CES with some companies announcing their hardware and with some content providers announcing programming in 3-D. But when it comes to actually talk about it: will someone use it? Is it useful? Is it entertaining?

A few facts so we are all on the same page:

- This technology is going out really soon since all major manufacturers are announcing their releases and talked about it at CES 2010.
- You WILL have to use glasses and manufacturers WILL charge for every extra pair (around $50 Mmmm).
- There are already content providers that have promised to have content around June 2010 (DIRECTV will have three channels on air). This content includes live sports events (world cup included) and obviously movies.

Okay so let’s talk about good things and bad things about this technology.

Something good is that this it’s not the usual technology that we see currently in some products. For example TV shows that offer 3Dscenes with those awful red and blue glasses or DVDs like Coraline. 3DTVs will be able to reproduce the 3D content in HD and with the flickering technology, the same one that we see today in Avatar for example. This means a huge quality increase for what we already identify as home 3D. Actually another good thing that we mention before we’ll have content to enjoy in a few months.

But where is the added value of a product like this? Why is it going out now? The reality is that the new boom of 3D at theaters is boosting the release of these devices. The problem is that there are many issues to solve yet and we have already seen that we need sometime to see what happens. A good example being Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. There are no clues that is going to be the next standard (yes, there will be different 3D standards too) so my recommendation is no, don’t buy it yet.

Who will enjoy the most this product and it’s a large enough market? There are some numbers that say in 10 years we’ll have 200 million units in the hands of eager 3DTV fans. I don’t think is that easy.  Let’s start thinking about potential users and the content that will be available: sports. The world cup it’s a good example and it applies to my knowledge. Basically since I live the US I watch all my soccer on TV and I can assure you that there is no added value to what a fan is looking for when watching a game in 3D capacity. It just doesn’t add value. It’s a cool feature and nothing else. You don see the plays in a better way, you don’t obtain a better perspective of the game, etc. And I think this apply to almost every sport that is broadcasted.

Other users? Movie fans. Yes, there could be a market there, but again. There is almost zero content. Studios are just trying to release 3D versions of films and just one big hit won’t assure that this will go on. Still not a huge market.

So, where there will be a market for this product to be successful not immediately but faster? My best guess are video games. Yes, as gamer I see some cool features in having a 3D game in front of my eyes. Gamers usually value visual improvements more than other TV users. But the downside is that there are almost zero news about game studios taking advantage of this new technology. Why? They usually wait to see what happens, which is a wise decision.

We’ll have to wait to know how 3DTV enters the market but in the meantime, let users figure out for you if this will be a worthy technology. For me, once I’ll be able to play winning eleven in 3D, I surely get mine!

Perhaps a heavy statement, but with Sundance behind us, many of us opted (mostly from lack of funds) to instead follow the festival via Twitter or other online sources.  The availability of previews, reviews and in some cases, entire films, make for an easy pseudo-Sundance Film Festival experience right from your couch!

The NY Times provides a great article detailing some strategies that film makers took this year to make the rapid online availability work to their advantage as well as thoughts from festival organizers, such as Robert Redford, on decreased attendance. 

I don’t know about everyone else, but as much as I enjoy readily available content online in the comfort of my own home, there is nothing quite like the idea of throwing on your puffy coat and snow boots, attending screenings introduced by the film makers and actors, and successfully talking your way into one of the many exclusive parties…

According to Gartner Research, the battle for high definition home video will soon be won by Sony-backed Blu-Ray technology. While I was too young to remember the battle over video cassets (VHS vs Betamax), as a consumer later in life I definitely benefited from having only one format to worry about.

The same will be true for HD video, I’m sure. Like a lot of people I know, I’m holding out on the leap to purchase a HD-DVD player because like changing lanes in traffic I don’t want to get stuck in the slow lane. Now I’m not about to go out tomorrow and by a $200 Sony player based on Gartner’s word alone, I’m sure they have some idea what they are talking about.

At the very least, Gartner’s pronouncement could turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just ask The Little Train that Could.

Dear DMEC Friends and Colleagues,

Happy New Year! With the birth of 2008 comes the birth of IndieGoGo. Eric Schell and I (DMEC’s 2007 Co-Mavens of Film and co-founders of IndieGoGo) invite you to join IndieGoGo’s vibrant community of filmmakers and fans.

IndieGoGo is an online social marketplace connecting filmmakers and fans to make independent film happen. The platform provides filmmakers the tools for project funding, recruiting, and promotion, while enabling the audience to discover and connect directly with filmmakers and the causes they support.

On IndieGoGo, filmmakers can raise money and awareness, find cast and crew, and gain credibility through the help of their number one resource, the fans.

Fans get the opportunity to discover and impact the films of tomorrow, while getting insider access and VIP perks for their support. It’s easy and fun!

Filmmakers who have already joined IndieGoGo include Irena Salina (“FLOW: For Love of Water,” 2008 Sundance selection), M dot Strange (“We Are the Strange,” 2007 Sundance selection), Christopher Roberts (“The Believer,” 2001 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner), and Michealene Cristini Risley (“Tapestries of Hope;” Huffington Post Blogger).

If you would like to learn more about what’s possible, just follow the 3 steps outlined below. The more you take action, the cooler IndieGoGo becomes for everyone.

Enjoy making independent happen!

Best,
Danae Ringelmann & The IndieGoGo Team

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SIGN-UP:

• Go to www.indiegogo.com
• Sign-up for IndieGoGo by clicking on the Sign-up link in the Short Cuts window on the right side.
• Confirm registration via email and start exploring!

DISCOVER & PERSONALIZE:

• Click Around: Familiarize yourself. Read the “FAQs” and “How It Works” if you’re curious.
• Discover: Check out the Projects listing, People listing, Resource listing and MyGoGo pages. Click into Project & People profiles. Toggle through the Info, Media, Q&A, Team & Private sections. Watch videos, click on links, and have fun exploring! Check out the Take Action icons on the left.
• Create Personal Profile: Click on your Profile in the Short Cuts box and add some personal flavor. Include a cool pic & bio. Showcase your interests and tastes as a fan.

TAKE ACTION! (actions embedded in each profile on the left)

• PROMOTE projects you like (grab the widgets and stick them in your blog or websites).
• ENDORSE projects and people you like.
• RATE projects and people based on the different criteria.
• FUND the projects you would like to see made. Every little bit counts.
• BECOME A FRIEND of projects and people to gain insider access.
• COMMENT ON projects and people in their profiles. Ask questions. Do shout outs! Open up conversations with other filmmakers and fans.
• WATCHLIST: If you’re not ready to endorse or rate a project add them to your watchlist and follow their progress. Revisit your Watchlist on your MyGoGo page.
• GET VIP PERKS: Filmmakers decide what perks to offer their contributors. VIP Perks could include a credit in the film, an invite to a cast party or even a character named after you!
• CREATE PROJECT PROFILE: If you’re a filmmaker (or would like to be), create a project profile and use IndieGoGo’s platform to help bring it to life.
• SUBMIT FEEDBACK: If you have any problems or suggestions, please let us know by clicking Feedback or via email. We’re not perfect; help us get there!

Have fun making independent happen!

I attended a meet-up today on the Open Media Web during which the presenter from Creative Commons commented on the irrelevance of whether record labels stay in business. Time will tell how many musicians will manage to make a living from music as a primary source of income, but, with the unlimited shelf space of the internet and the draw to making music, it seems certain there will be no shortage of music for us to enjoy.

As the WGA strike carries on, does the same logic apply to Hollywood? There’s certainly an abundance of video on the web. As the industry loses “share of attention” (and revenues) to web video, where does independent film-making fit into all this? Does a union still serve a purpose? Seeing as any video can find its way onto the unlimited shelf space of the internet (and our mail from Netflix), can working with producers willing to fairly compensate writers provide an attractive alternative to union bargaining with studios? (Despite the career benefits of striking reported on by Marketplace: the opportunity for less-established writers to network.)

For a humorous take, I enjoyed this inside report on the negotiations between screen writers and studios (as well as the text at the very bottom of that blogger’s site). My favorite line: “Bunch of smelly hippies, stealing our intellectual property is what the Internet is.”

(Some back and forth on Derek Powazek’s blog got me thinking about this.)