I am working with a number of filmmakers and small distributors who would like to sell streaming rights for their films. It is an eclectic group but mostly documentaries and classic films. Most, but not all can sell lifetime streaming rights, but some can only sell for their own contract term which is probably about six years. I should mention some of these films are institutional only and sell for a few hundred dollars each and others are available retail for around $30. In most cases PPR rights would also be included and many of these are films that actually get screened on campuses. Streaming prices seem to be all over the map these days. I was thinking of roughly $200 extra (beyond the current sale price) for singledisc titles and $300 or more for multi-disc sets. As mentioned not all of the films will have lifetime rights, but even those for which the term would only be 6 years would have to be at the same price point. It would be possible to license a film for less for one time/semester use. Standard restrictions would apply such as going on password protected system and accessible only to students or faculty using them for a specific course.
Besides pricing the other big issue is the "access" issue. These filmmakers do not have the money or time to set up their own servers so they would be selling a physical DVD for which the institution could digitize and put on its own system. I would like to know any general feedback to the above and if many of you are now buying or licensing streaming rights for classroom films. You can email me on list for discussion or off list for more details etc. email is jessicapros...@gmail.com
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
