MUMBAI: Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp announced the 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project, designed to lower the barriers to entry for filmmakers to produce and distribute movies in the HD DVD format through the manufacturing-on-demand technology of CustomFlix.
CustomFlix is a part of an Amazon group of companies. Jointly sponsored by Amazon and Microsoft, the project will provide free authoring and setup services for up to 1,000 selected indie titles.
“This collaboration with Microsoft is a great opportunity for independent filmmakers to reach Amazon customers with their films via the HD DVD format. By working together with Microsoft and leveraging the proven CustomFlix DVD on Demand model, we can lower the barriers to entry for independent filmmakers and dramatically increase the selection we offer our customers,” said Amazon.com vice president of music and movies Peter Faricy.
The project will be spearheaded by CustomFlix, which will bring as many as 1,000 feature-length independent films to Amazon customers using the CustomFlix DVD on Demand technology, which produces and ships DVDs only as they are ordered. This model greatly improves the cost structure for independent filmmakers by eliminating the need for costly inventory.
“From a technical standpoint, we found that the HD DVD format fits our business model perfectly. With retail shelf space at a premium, our model eliminates the risk of carrying inventory and immediately expands the number of great HD DVD titles available to consumers,” said CustomFlix co-founder and managing director Dana LoPiccolo-Giles.
Sundance Channel will be reviewing the high-definition features for potential broadcast on the network as well as making its own HD original eco-series, Big Ideas for a Small Planet, available for purchase through Amazon’s HD DVD program.
Amazon.com offers a broad and growing selection of HD televisions, players and DVDs through its HD DVD store at http://www.amazon.com/hddvd. Filmmakers interested in submitting their HD DVD work for consideration as part of the 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project can go to http://www.customflix.com/hddvdindies.
