Paramount Pictures has struck an unlikely partnership with peer-to-peer "pirate" site Bit Torrent to release Aussie horror film The Tunnel.In an unprecedented move Paramount will launch the movie on Bit Torrent as a sort of "tease" with the hope that viewers like it enough to pay for the DVD version which includes bonus material and an alternative ending.
It's a unique model and the films producers, and Paramount Pictures, are waxing lyrical about this was always part of the plan and that they were looking to do something new with the films release. The movie’s producer/editor Enzo Tedeschi told Torrentfreak: “From day one we’ve maintained thatThe Tunnel is not supporting or condoning piracy, but instead trying to incorporate a legitimate use of peer-to-peer in our distribution strategy internationally.”
I'm all for embracing new ways to distribute movies and to look at innovative ways of reimagining new ways of monitising entertainment and media content but this stinks of a film company, and the movies producers, trying to grab a headline for a movie that would have otherwise gone unknown to most people.
Is the film strong enough that after seeing it for free people are going to want to buy it, well with the amount of low rent straight to DVD horror movies released in any one year its hard to say but my guess is no! Also, why would consumers pay for the extra content and alternative ending if they too become available on Bit Torrent (as someone is surely going to rip them off the disc as soon as the products released).
However, this does, for me, bring up the interesting discussion about how moving forward film companies, just as some record labels have, began to use free content to not just make news but to genuinely drive the paid for venue opportunities.
I'm all for embracing new ways to distribute movies and to look at innovative ways of reimagining new ways of monitising entertainment and media content but this stinks of a film company, and the movies producers, trying to grab a headline for a movie that would have otherwise gone unknown to most people.
Is the film strong enough that after seeing it for free people are going to want to buy it, well with the amount of low rent straight to DVD horror movies released in any one year its hard to say but my guess is no! Also, why would consumers pay for the extra content and alternative ending if they too become available on Bit Torrent (as someone is surely going to rip them off the disc as soon as the products released).
However, this does, for me, bring up the interesting discussion about how moving forward film companies, just as some record labels have, began to use free content to not just make news but to genuinely drive the paid for venue opportunities.
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