The recent Brian Epstein biopic Midas Mann, a film about the Beatles manager, debuts on a startup that charges itself “Shopify for filmmakers” rather than on platforms like Netflix or Amazon. I did. So, what might you ask?
The answer is that the new platform, Olyn, claims to provide a new model of film and video distribution that leans towards the power of social referrals to spread “a la carte” streaming content. The scale of production that is downwards from Hollywood's big hit can use the platform, but the company is a game changer in the independent film industry that tends to fight against the marketing budgets of larger films distributed to mainstream streaming platforms. It claims that it is possible.
California-based Olyn (founded by Ana Maria Jipa, Jeremias Buireo, Kiran Thomas and Malcolm Wood) allows filmmakers to maintain up to 90% of their revenue while providing access to the streaming experience for their audiences . Instead of selling movies to platforms like Netflix, models are on the filmmakers' own marketing budget and combine them with influencers, film critics and content creators to create purchase links to content, blogs and social channels. Embed it to act as a distribution partner.
This peer-to-peer approach will abolish the platform as an intermediary and turn movie distribution into more e-commerce-style engagement.
Jipa, CEO and co-founder of Olyn, told TechCrunch that the company offers filmmakers the equivalent of a full-fledged streaming platform. “We suggest all technology from all tools such as DRM, 4K streaming, casting, complete landing pages that present films in the same way as they appear on Netflix and Apple TV, as well as geotargeting. Analytics, and audience data. They promote the film with PR, journalists, bloggers, film critics and more,” she says, and recommendations from people you trust are on streaming platforms. He added that it has much more weight than the algorithm's proposal.
Olyn also provides filmmakers' analysis of viewers, including a database of viewers and users who watched the film for a few minutes. “Filmmakers can make films for years, but never meet or own an audience. So I consider this a very powerful tool. I deal directly with the next film. And then you'll become an audience that can grow from there,” Zippa said.
The problem is that Olyn can compete with the convenience and size of major streamers. That model offers filmmakers much higher revenue stocks, but that means that all the weight is placed on the shoulders of the production team, driving marketing and partnerships.
Studio Pow producer Perry Trevers uses Olyn to distribute “Midas Man” and sees the platform as a useful step in the right direction. “Olyn has made it possible to think beyond traditional platforms and have us become our own streaming service. […] It is to allow filmmakers to market and distribute films in a way that reflects the direct consumer success of e-commerce. […] He said in a statement.
One of the most pressing issues in the film industry is copyright infringement. Many users turn to illegal sources simply because the film is not available in their country. Zipah argues that Olin's global reach will help address this issue. Because if someone pays for the film and can watch it right away, they're much more likely to do so.
Orin's foray into film streaming came when entrepreneurs and filmmaker Wood first launched as a way to catalogue physical assets when he joined as a co-founder of the platform. Wood launched his own film, The Last Glaciers, on the platform.
“Independent filmmakers are already taking financial risks to make their own films. Studio Pow is self-sufficient. They created the “Midas Man” film. They have the freedom to sell those rights to those they want. They traded on the UK market with Amazon, but they felt it was more profitable to use Olyn as a tool to go directly to the US market audience,” he said.
Wood feels that Orin is considered “Shopify for filmmakers with referral links.”
He said the average film on Amazon in the UK has earned around 2,000 views a year. “So, there are a lot of movies that have got millions of views, but the majority of films are below the 2,000 view mark,” he added.
Major streaming services typically offer lump licensing agreements. This means that filmmakers will receive a one-time payment, regardless of how many times the film is being viewed. Olyn flips this model into his mind by allowing filmmakers to monetize directly based on their audience.
“With Orin, filmmakers still sell their rights to the US market and use it to raise funds for films in advance, but they can also use to become direct consumers in Asia, for example.” Wood said.
But can this platform be used to distribute porn in the adult film industry?
Zippa admitted the challenge: “Now, this is not the tone we want to set, it's easy to attract that category,” she said. “Initially, we set the tone by making sure the films featured in Olyn are of high quality.”
“But in the long run, we aim to create space for filmmakers to decide what is being distributed, not platforms,” she added. “We don't want to act as gatekeepers. Our vision is to give filmmakers complete control over what they distribute and ultimately allow them to move towards a full SaaS model. ”
To date, Olyn has raised only a small amount of money (total of $2.8 million) in a $1.8 million combination of US VC company Hard Yaka and many angel investors.
