philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Sundance 2013: Are Filmmakers Vain or Nostalgic? The Digital Distribution Dilemma

Chris Williams, chief development officer at Maker Studios, responded that the idea of the theatrical experience is "a lot of vanity."

“You can distribute across myriad platforms, self-distribute and raise financing through digital," Williams said. “In a large way, a theatrical release is about a director who must see it on that big screen.”

Rick Rosenthal, a veteran director and producer and founder of Whitewater Films, took exception to that.  “I really disagree,” Rosenthal said. “Film was the outgrowth of theater, which was a tradition of gathering a community, telling a story and experiencing it as a group. As our society becomes more and more wired, we think we’re being wired together, and in fact we’re being wired apart.”

See the full story here: http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/sundance-2013-are-filmmakers-vain-or-nostalgic-digital-distribution-dilemma-73996?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mediaredef+%28jason+hirschhorn%27s+Media+ReDEFined%29