A 'Horrible' Hit

by Eric Kohn

The end result of genre television hero Joss Whedon's intriguing episodic short film Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog suggests a brighter future for mainstream entertainers than previous attempts at digital programming have suggested. Whedon, one of the few pop culture forces to make a comic book mentality accessible to large television audiences, manages to pull of the same feat with Dr. Horrible, a forty-minute satire of superhero and music tropes (at once!) that streamed for free in three acts over the weekend before becoming available for $1.99 an act on iTunes.

All the Whedon fans devoted to his work since Buffy: the Vampire Slayer and Firefly will surely pay up to make Dr. Horrible a part of their Whedon libraries, but the movie is only available through July 30. As Scott Kirsner points out at CinemaTech, this arrangement allow for an exclusive DVD deal from which Whedon will gain immense profits, but limits the lightning potential for this indisputably cult-friendly product. No matter: Dr. Horrible has such sleek performances, sharp writing and ubiquitous confidence in its material that it only devolves into camp when the creators decide that's where it should go. It has lasting potential wherever it ends up.

'Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog'

DIGITAL BRIEF: IndiePix Studio Launches, Films Get Snagged & More

Good News for the Marketplace

While many specialty divisions and independent distribution companies are currently in peril, some people are taking the opportunity to expand. The latest news comes from IndiePix , the unique independent film distribution company that Bilge Ebiri profiled in Stream a few months back. While the company has had moderate success with their DVD and Download-to-Own sales of small independent titles, they've decided to take the next step with the launching of IndiePix Studios, which will produce original titles for IndiePix Films. Production veteran Ryan Harrington is heading up the operation, which already has the documentary The Trials of Darryl Hunt in the works, in addition to "a verite-style drama about a family struggling to stick together in Buffalo, NY" from first time filmmaker Samantha Buck.

Since Warner Bros. killed off its specialty divisions, Picturehouse and Warner Independent, and indie distributor THINKfilm had to the face the public about its financial woes, it seems like a crazy prospect to launch a new venture at this chaotic time. And yet, if anyone's going to do it, IndiePix makes the ideal candidate. They've profited immensely from the growth of new media, and their distribution strategies are founded on grassroots campaigning and tasteful selections. The future may be uncertain, but IndiePix at least understands the general direction.

Pioneers of the New Frontier

by Eric Kohn

A few days ago, YouTube film manager and Wonderland Advisory Board member Sara Pollack took a nice long look at the way digital distribution has been kickstarting filmmaker careers in unique bottom-up strategies that Hollywood can't touch. She mentioned a few examples, each of which showcased a different approach. The key here isn't the setting of precedents so much as the importance of experimentation: Each artist was willing to subject themselves to uncharted terrain in order to reach audiences that would otherwise seem unattainable. Here's a quick overview of the bolder ones whose efforts paid off.

A 'Horrible' Hit

DIGITAL BRIEF: IndiePix Studio Launches, Films Get Snagged & More

Pioneers of the New Frontier

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