Monty Python Banks On the Long Tail Via YouTube 222
JTRipper writes "Monty Python seems to have done the right thing. Instead of issuing take down notices of their videos on YouTube, they are doing it better themselves with their own YouTube channel. They are putting all their clips (including snips from their movies) up in a decent resolution, with the only caveat being a link to buying the movies and TV episodes from Amazon."
No problem (Score:4, Insightful)
That's not a caveat (Score:3, Insightful)
That's just a link to amazon.
A caveat would be a warning or proviso indicating terms of use, like that you have to pay them $1 million if you don't buy the video from Amazon.
It's good to see some people are getting it... (Score:5, Insightful)
All your old business models are dead... it's time to find a better way and stop treating potential customers as the enemy.
(I have the entire flying circus on DVD bought and paid for... what a wonderful waste of time.)
Re:Well, Not ALL of Them Really (Score:0, Insightful)
Seems like a better model to me (Score:5, Insightful)
I was a huge fan of the way id released their games back in the day, first episode is long and free, the next two will cost you something. Now with Monty Python, the last show went in the can years ago and they're not likely to produce anything new. But for newer shows, I think the PBS model would work. Give the content away for free but let the fans who really like it become direct patrons to support the arts. Let's face it, stamping out piracy is pretty much impossible and not every pirated copy is really a lost sale to begin with. Better to support the culture of patronage and count on the real fans to help you turn a profit.
One thing the networks are struggling to contend with right now is gaining an accurate measure of just how popular a show is. We know about Faux's surprise when Family Guy was canceled for poor ratings and the DVD set went on to become the #2 selling show ever. This sort of performance gap is continuing with geriatric-targeting CBS having great Nielsens while shows skewing towards younger demographics seem to be under-performing but this does not reflect the interest on p2p sites. ITunes only depicts a portion of the overall success online. And DVD sales aren't figured until long after the current season is over.
I'll be happy when the middle-men are completely done away with and first-run shows are produced with no need for networks. We're already seeing quirky comedies doing well on Youtube but those are extremely low-budget. It'll take some bucks to put together something like Firefly on a fan-funded basis.
What I'd like to see of Python: laugh-track free (Score:4, Insightful)
I hate laugh tracks.
No, scratch that -- I am annoyed by laugh tracks. Partly because I'm used to them, and when I notice a laugh-track it's often too late.
Please, Pythons -- your sketches are funny (on albums) without the degrading use of laugh tracks. Do you still have the masters from which to make better video clips, without them?
timothy
Oblig XKCD (Score:5, Insightful)
Going WAY back on this one...
http://xkcd.com/16/ [xkcd.com]
Re:Let it begin (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm as big a Python fan as the next, but let it not.
They 'get it' - but today's audience does not. (Score:5, Insightful)
to wit: "with the only caveat being a link to buying the movies and TV episodes from Amazon."
caveat? -caveat-? Holy crap. The people behind the actual stuff can't put a f'ing "BUY THIS NOW" link with their videos without being chastised for it now?
The "me me me" generation needs to move along and die - the sooner the better.
I've always said (search my comments - I'm sure I've ranted on this topic here before) that the content owners should have a two-part strategy..
1. yes, by all means, send DMCA takedown notices of clear rips (if for no other reason than that I am tired of the leading title sequences for clips saying "video made by GangFunksta!!!!" in bright yellow on blue put together in windows movie maker, followed by the actual video overlaid by "made with unregistered hypercam" in the corners all over, and the sound too quiet to hear without setting the volume to 11)
( Note that I say 'clear rips'; somebody playing some stupid song in the background of their kid dancing shouldn't get a DMCA takedown. Somebody putting up a still image with the artist name and title of the song with the music in good quality -should- be DMCAd left right and center. )
2. Make an official and -good- quality version available themselves. Doesn't even need to be high quality or HD - leave that for sales if you want, but just set up good quality versions, add links to other productions of yours, add links to amazon, to swag, insert special promo codes - whatever you think would bring you more customers instead of driving them away (and to those crappy rips).. heck, put in an actual ad at the end of the video.
Re:Well, Not ALL of Them Really (Score:3, Insightful)
You mean you either hate it (Americans) or you love it (the rest of the known universe)? :P
Re:Well, Not ALL of Them Really (Score:5, Insightful)
Shoulda been public domain anyway (Score:4, Insightful)
Under the original terms of US copyright law (14 years with optional 14 year renewal if author is still alive, and zero copyright protection for foreign works), most monty python material would already be in the public domain in the USA.
Just something to think about...
Re:It's good to see some people are getting it... (Score:2, Insightful)
...yet another rip-off of Philogelos