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David Arquette, actor and husband of Courtney Cox, is planning to launch a digital distribution platform for video this month, Hollywood trade magazine Variety reports. Called inmoo — for reasons we don’t understand — it will allow independent filmmakers to find an audience online, and even earn some money.
Arquette is working with a couple of buddies on this, namely movie producer Mike Wittlin and a chap called Sergio Radovcic who seems to have perfected the art of being anonymous on the Internet. Wittlin has been talking to Variety, and said their motto was “live free, watch free”. Once we’d finished vomiting on to our computer, we looked into their business model, which actually seems pretty fair to up and coming talent.
The funding system is nothing new, with videos being broken up with ad breaks throughout. What is interesting is that the firm plans to split revenue 50/50 with the producer. Wittlin added that it was “very anti-establishment and un-Hollywood”, at which point we laughed so hard a bit of Fanta came out of our nose. But we love the idea that popular videos could make their creators some real money, especially as we’re still waiting for our first YouTube millionaire.
The trio claim to have around 3,000 titles ready for launch and Arquette wants to have exclusive, professionally made content on the site too. He also says he wants inmoo to be “like a public library” and he has plenty of plans to engage young filmmakers and keep them interested. “We’re developing this site with all these kids who are the future of the world,” he added creepily.
We don’t really know how it’s like a public library — perhaps inmoo will be staffed by people who keep telling the Internet to “keep it down over there”.
But all things considered and with our scepticism pushed aside (just for one paragraph, don’t worry), this could be an excellent service for filmmakers trying to find an audience and fund future projects. Who knows, something like this could evolve into a studio in its own right, pushing new movies into traditional film outlets.
The site is due to launch later this month, but you can submit your email address to be considered for an early preview, if you’re really that keen.
