Score another victory for those who hope to change the way Hollywood distributes movies. Filmmaker Joss Whedon just released his latest independent movie -- In Your Eyes -- and it's available for $5 on Vimeo. Fool contributor Tim Beyers explains the implications in the following video.
In a way, the news isn't surprising. Vimeo, a subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC), has lately become more aggressive in helping creators distribute independent movies. A new $10 million fund for backing festival standouts or crowdfunding successes could make it tougher for studios to acquire and profit from emerging properties in the same way that they always have.
But Whedon as one of this disruption's participating catalysts? The guy with a rich contract with a major Hollywood player -- specifically, Marvel Studios -- to produce a blockbuster sequel and shape a multibillion-dollar big-screen universe? Yes, and yes.
Tim says investors shouldn't forget what fans already know: Whedon is a believer in indie films, having not only written and produced In Your Eyes but also written and directed the 2012 indie Much Ado About Nothing, adapted from the Shakespeare play of the same name.
As Whedon says in his video introduction for In Your Eyes at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, "This is exciting for us because it means we get to explore yet another new form of distribution, and we get $5." Media stock investors should expect more such experiments -- from Whedon and others -- in the months and years to come.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. How do you see movie distribution changing? Please watch the video to get the full story and then leave a comment to let us know your take, including whether you would buy, sell, or short IAC/InterActiveCorp. stock at current prices.
