Indiefilmchannel.tv is the first Italian VOD platform completely dedicated to first and seconda operas of European films. Indie’s catalogue, formed by shorts, docs, feature films focuses bothon emerging talented directors. IndieTV wants to be a valid distribution channel for all that European first and second operas that hardly reach main audience, promoting their intra-European circulation and cultural diversity, and a reference point for the indie cinema lovers and professionals, fighting piracy effectively.
European Independent first and second feature films, documentaries and shorts, continually have to face with lack of opportunity to reach the main audience. The main part are visible only in the occasion of bigger film festival, some are nationally distributed by independent distribution companies, that cannot guarantee a uniform distribution (i.e. number of theatre in bigger city vs small town) and a long last presence in the traditional distribution circuit, a minimal part is internationally distributed, but the screening are most special events. IndieTV aims to be the first European VOD platform dedicated to authorize streaming of first and second European films directors, becoming so the main archive of these operas. Our main objectives are, on one side, to be the alternative distribution channel for emerging independent directors and producers to commercialize first operas, on the other, to be the reference platform for indie cinema lovers and professionals, where watch niche films and programmes hardly available on other VOD platforms. In addition, a big effort will be made also to collect the first operas of now established directors in order to supply also their first operas. Indiefilmchannel.tv platform is a project made by Romefilmmarket.com Srls (RFM), a digital start-up founded in October 2015, with the support of Lazio Regional Funds, by three cinema professionals keen on independent cinema. From January 2016 to November 2016, RFM has focus its efforts, on one hand, on the creation and testing of the platform from a technological point-of-view (encoding of the films, subtitling, translation of side information, pay modality …), and, on the other, the setting up of the catalogues, through scouting activities and participation to the main European Film Markets (MIPCOM, Berlinale, Cannes, …).
In this first year of creation, IndieTV aims to mantein its original nature, to be a VOD platfrom with a TVOD commercial-free modality and with a revenues-sharing agreement with films suppliers (70/30). At the core of the project there will be cultural products, and even the reaching of a breakevn-point in 2017/2018 will be essential, in these first three years public supports as Lazio Regional Funds and EU Media Funds, will be essential to guarantee a high-quality free of commercial and able to dedicate special discount to cinema student and free contents for directors and producers. Starting from these considerations, the revenues generated by the platform will come only by the paid user transactions. To realize this prevision we are taking into consideration the following information: a feature films is available at an average 2,99/3,99 Euro per screening, a documentary 1,99 Euro and a short 0,99 Euro; the European SVOD programmes will be screen at 9,90 Euro per month, and Day-and-Date at 4,90 for screening.
Our target audience can be divided into three main clusters: young between 18- 45 years old, well-educated, cinema lovers and cinema student, strong internet users who loves to enjoy contents through internet whenever and whatever they want; professionals – directors, producers and distributors, looking for special contents mainly from Film Festivals; audience that hardly has access to theatres due to lack of structures in their territory. We have about 500 users in this moment. All users must be logged to access the platform, and the website is conceived as a social network provided with major web 2.0. features, dedicated to the audience. The audience involved in the promotion and rating of the films, it is able to attend discussion forums on-line, and to participate as on-line jury members in the cases of Day-and-Date European Festival special screenings
People love TV content, but they don't love the linear TV experience. Internet TV - which is ondemand, personalized, and available on different devices - is replacing it. This new era is likely to be big and enduring thanks to the flexibility and ubiquity of the Internet around the world. It is expanding rapidly because it is getting faster and more reliable on different devices, while penetration of smart TVs and adapters is also rising (Ecosystem Growth); consumers can watch content on demand, on any devices, and the experience is personalized to individual tastes (Freedom and Flexibility); Internet TV apps have frequent improvement updates and streaming is the primary source of UHD 4K video content (Rapid Innovation).