Mandy.com: A Great Resource For Filmmakers

A great website that was posted in the Google Docs assignment was Mandy.com.  I chose this website because of the various services the site offers to filmmakers. This website offers production jobs, casting calls, classified ads, vendors, and a film market in various countries. This site is a great place for filmmakers to seek distribution and buyers for their film projects.

A service that is offered by the website is a listing of over 96,000 producers, technicians, facilities, etc..  This service makes it easy for the consumer to locate and secure different staff members needed to produce an adequate production.  The fact that it lists all the different services needed in one location helps the consumer to eliminate the search process to locate someone to fill these needs.  The time saved could ultimately result in the ability to produce better products and more products in a given time period.

The site also offers the consumer access to a venue to sell their used equipment or purchase equipment that they may need.  This allows the consumer to search through a trusted reliable source.  It eliminates the unknown of dealing with people that are not credible.  Because the sites check out potential clients, it gives consumers a sense of comfort, and saves them numerous amounts of time.

The site also offers casting calls listings for actors. This allows the actors to check for casting calls in the United States for different types of productions for television, film, theatre and radio. The casting listings are available for SAG, AFTRA, and Non-Union actors. This site gives actors knowledge of potential jobs before any other site. The site also gives information about acting classes, digital arts classes, and film festivals.

Mandy.com is a site I would utilize to search for distributors, talent, and crew, and to purchase some equipment I may need for projects.

Anonymous (2011) Mandy.com: International Film and Television Resources. Retrieved on June 17, 2011 from http://www.mandy.com/ 

The Many Ways of Film Distribution

Technology has come a long way, and there are many ways films are distributed to the public. As technology advances so does the way movies are distributed. Films and television programs are distributed through movie theaters, DVD sales and rentals, websites, television, video game systems, and Internet. In the beginning movies were distributed in 2D, and on VHS. Now you can watch a movie in 3D and watch it anywhere, and on almost every electronic device made. 

The aforementioned advances have allowed for the distribution of movies to expand.  It allows for movies to be distributed electronically.  Movie can be electronically downloaded to Blu-Ray players, laptops, MP3 players, and a host of other devices.  This allows people to purchase movies in an eco-friendly nature.   Movies are also distributed in combination packs that include standard DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Copy.  This prevents companies from having to package three different copies.

A trend I see in film distribution is Hollywood studios and cable operators are in discussions to send movies to people’s living room just a few weeks after the films release at the box office (Anonymous, 2011). Executives from Time Warner Cable at a cable industry convention pitched the proposal in 2011. Warner Bros., The Disney Co., Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and other Hollywood studios, is taking this proposal into consideration. This will allow people to watch new movies in the privacy of their home 30 days after the release for the price of $20 - $30 a movie. Although people go to the movies to socialize, I believe movie theaters will become obsolete in the future if a deal like this happens because it will be cheaper for a person to watch the movies at home, instead of paying $12-15 to get into the movies, pay $5.50-$7.00 for popcorn, and $5.00 for a soda.

I hope movie theaters do not become obsolete because movie theaters have served as an integral part of the social development of society.  Movie theaters are places where teenagers go to hang out with friends, where first dates take place, and family members go to watch a good movie together.  

Anonymous (2010) Trends in Independent Film Distribution: Retrieved on June 14, 2011 from http://showbizmanagementadvisors.com/Trends%20In%20Independent%20Film%20Distribution.htm