

Show HN: FilmBreak is launching a fully integrated virtual film studio - corwinstephen
http://www.filmbreak.com

======
jawngee
I'd like to give you some advice if you are ears. I'm the former CTO of
Massify, which set out to do exactly what you are doing, and we did it to a
certain extent:

[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/business/media/10massify.h...](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/business/media/10massify.html?_r=0)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/business/media/20adco.html>
[http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/12/first-
internet-...](http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/12/first-internet-
created-feature-film-debuts-next-month/)

Massify started out as an idea for a viral video site, but after a lot of
pivoting turned into a virtual production studio similar to what you are doing
with your site.

One of the biggest problem for Massify was monetization. You seem to have the
underpinnings of that covered with your distribution channels and your deal
with godigital. I wish those things existed when we did (2007) and I wish our
CEO at the time had the forethought and leadership to pursue those kinds of
deals. That was actually the biggest problem we had (the CEO). He attempted to
pivot us in so many different directions when it was apparent that
monetization was going to be a hard problem to solve that we all eventually
got sick of it and quit on the same day. It also had been 2+ years and I think
we were all kind of burnt out (so much so that I refuse to do any kind of web
development any more).

Another major problem we had was user acquisition. It's such a niche that I
always thought it was silly to concentrate on the number of users and not
focus more on getting distribution in place. Of course, I think we were a
couple of years ahead of that curve. Had we held on awhile longer, I think we
would have been in a prime spot to really make a success of it because we were
the only site like that around at the time. We also had a lot of awesome
technology sitting in the wings waiting for the non-technical part of the team
to do something with it. But, instead, a lot of pivoting and a lot of money
burning. So much money burning.

Anyways, love the site and good luck! Looks like you are off to the right
start.

~~~
corwinstephen
This is really helpful. Thanks for the advice. It'd be great to keep in touch,
and perhaps even meet up at some point. There's no sense in us making mistakes
that have already been made!

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hjkl
I really hope this site works out. Posted a few of my films:

<http://www.filmbreak.com/projects/framed-baby-photos>

<http://www.filmbreak.com/projects/strange-human-custom>

<http://www.filmbreak.com/projects/signatures>

------
wasd
Really cool website and idea. I'm a programmer and film maker. It took me a
few glances to find the "What is Filmbreak" button because the center of
attention isn't at the top of the page.

------
wj
Very cool. My current project is to help the production side but this is what
PG was talking about in killing Hollywood.

Best of luck.

~~~
gee_totes
Do you need help with your project? I'm a producer and programmer.

~~~
wj
My biggest to do list is the marketing side at the moment but I'd love to have
your feedback.

indieintern.com

Hit me at will at that domain and I'll send you a code for free months if
you're interested.

------
kmfrk
Gorgeous website and great domain. Keep us posted.

Your Twitter updates are a wee bit prolific, though. I'm not sure I'll want to
follow one with that activity with fairly little info about the site itself.
Maybe split it up into several?

I see a similar thing with other accounts filled with what I call vanity
tweets retweeting mentions of themselves.

~~~
corwinstephen
A very good point, and something I hadn't really considered. Much appreciated!

------
pav3l
Any project challenging RIAA's monopoly is getting my upvote. Looks very well
thought through and nicely executed.

------
gee_totes
Great site -- this looks like a well-designed and well executed Wreck-A-Movie
[0]

Have any projects started raising money yet?

[0]<http://www.wreckamovie.com/>

~~~
corwinstephen
We have one project currently in talks for financing, and several that found
us after completion and used us for distribution. We're hoping to continue the
momentum!

------
swalsh
I was thinking about making almost exactly this several months ago. I'm glad
to see it made. I completely believe this to be the path towards killing the
evil that has become hollywood.

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benkant
Stop saying "awesome".

~~~
kleiba
Agreed, I not only found that irritating in the video, it also makes the
product seem less professional to me. But then again, it's hard to make
everyone happy.

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erichocean
Wow, an Internet film distribution company with an integrated "HypeMeter"!

If you want to know why Hollywood isn't very innovative, it's because _this_
is what passes for innovation in Hollywood these days.

Here's a movie studio that _actually_ innovated: Pixar.

See if you can spot the difference. "HypeMeter" indeed.

~~~
corwinstephen
As we all know, Hacker News is a community based around the idea that comments
should be either positive, or at least constructive. Since your comment is
neither of those things, my first instinct was to scold, however, I decided
first to do a little research.

Your stack overflow profile led me to discover what was once called Fohr,
which seems to be a company you founded with the hopes of becoming "the next
Pixar." Considering you also mentioned Pixar in your comment above, I'm
sensing something of an obsession. But regardless, I've decided not to harass
you for your bad-taste comment, because I assume it's due mostly to you
feeling bitter over the fact that Fohr was not successful, but some other
company in the same space might be.

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wtracy
So, are you hiring? :-)

(Full disclosure: I've been kicking around a very similar idea myself, but
never got past setting up a landing page: <http://www.mediaindie.com/>)

