Withoutabox.com / Imdb

Cryogenic Filmworks

Cryogenic Filmworks

Veteran
Got this eMail a week or so ago.
We're happy to let you know that Withoutabox has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), an Amazon.com subsidiary. This presents a great opportunity for all our independent filmmakers, festivals, and industry professionals. The new arrangement preserves the vision that Withoutabox has championed for eight years, teaming it with the Internet's number one destination for film lovers and film insiders.

As Filmmakers and self-distributors, you can look forward to more ways to help reach your audiences and monetize your work.

As Festivals, you can look forward to more powerful tools to scout, collect, select, and schedule films, plus access to a vast audience of movie lovers that only IMDb can deliver - more than 50 million visitors a month.

As film Sellers, Sales Agents, and Acquirers, you can look forward to unprecedented information, discovery, and connectivity at your fingertips, across the entire landscape of commercial and independent film.

The day-to-day operations of Withoutabox will remain much the same, including the entire management team, our experienced staff, and the dedicated customer service you love.

We look forward as always to seeing you at festivals and other industry events.

Happy New Year. Here's to new beginnings!

All the best,

Your Withoutabox Team
Click to expand...

Thought? Personally I think it could possibly help streamline the process to get listed on IMDB. On the other hand if they meddle too much it might degrade Withoutabox.
 
As a long time user of withoutabox, I hope the imdb - Amazon connection may improve getting listed and especially to be able to sell movies.

Withoutabox made it easy to apply to festivals before, but with so many films submitting (literally thousands per festivals) it was nearly impossible to get a movie into a festival. Hopefully with imdb's help there will be some help in this department as well.

Certainly imdb and amazon are big companies and picking up withoutabox is a validation for those individuals who built withoutabox.

I suppose congratulations are in order.
 
I don't see how their involvement will affect the festival decision process. Yes, there are a ton of films flooding the festivals, but there are a ton of festivals flooding the circuit. Anyone can host a festival, pretty much it seems. I bet I could start one and make more money from that than distributing my film - but that another story. I don't see an immediate benefit from the acquisition. I've got my film on Amazon, but the only difference between being on Amazon and being on Film Baby is there's a better chance someone may stumble across it on accident.
 
I'm planning to put my DVDs on Amazon via their subsidiary.

I'm interested in filmbaby and some other websites that sell movies. I'm hoping that together all these websites will sell enough DVDs for me to make it worthwhile.

I appreciate your sharing some info on this subject. I'm just hoping that Amazon and imdb will make withoutabox more effective for indy filmmakers selling their movies. Withoutabox was supposed to be a way to distribute also, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.

As for the fact that there are so many festival, I agree. It's too many. A lot of producers are starting their own festivals so they can showcase their own movies.

I can understand that, but where does that leave us filmmakers who don't have the time to host a festival?
 
Getting your movie on Amazon certainly can't hurt. But if people don't know it's there, there's slim hope of them finding it by accident. You really need to find a way to market it there. Amazon makes it very easy for people to purchase it, now find a way to let people know it's there (along with a trailer).
 
Marketing?

Marketing?

Thanks for replying. Yes, I agree, marketing is really important. And it's good to point out that even putting a movie on iTunes doesn't mean people will buy it.

I was thinking of sending e-mails to about a 1000 people I know who might buy it.

Do you think sending a million e-mails via one of those services advertised on the web will help getting me orders?

How do I find a reliable e-mail sending service?
 
The film festival 'circuit' now has one outlet that is totally cyber. Apparently with cash awards in 7 catagories. But it is paid out in Euros therefore the competition is international and I'm sure the subject matter will be required to be as well. At least with a world view. Spike Lee is a spokesman for there first online festival. Anyone have another viewpoint or info?
http://www.babelgum.com/index.php
 
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