Stacey Parks wrote the excellent book, ‘The Insider’s Guide to Independent Film Distribution.’ She’s recognized as one of the indie film world’s most knowledgeable people when we talk about distribution, but the MeDeploy plan only surfaced after her last book, so I wonder what she thinks of this new service to aid indie film makers get their films sold via the internet.

MeDeploy have designed a pay-media distribution to be incorporated straight on to websites, social networks, blogs and to use web widgets. The API allows complete control over look, layout and function.

It allows video download to own, digital rental and on demand sales distribution to be added to mobile devices. The dashboard allows clients to manage all content, sales and distribution easily.

It’s available in two versions: professional at £199.95 per month while indie, with up to two films, can be used for $19.95 per month.

They say that everything is included:

• media transcoding,
• content management,
• media storage and delivery,
• anti-piracy tools,
• secure credit card processing and much more.

There’s a revenue share model for both professional and indie (higher for professional) which enables content holders to build a digital video distribution business with a distribution platform that scales as business grows. All without risk, or the excessive costs usually associated with introducing a digital media business.

Filmmakers out there who want to test the waters prior to signing up can get started with a free 30-day trial: just visit www.medeploy.com

Please let us know what you think, once you’ve used it. We’ve not tried it ourselves yet so we can’t comment yet, so please do.

Looking forward to Stacy Parks’ view.

I can see the sense in these plans. It provides you with the money when you need it. If you have the money in the bank (at least in stage payments) then you can go ahead and write knowing you’re getting paid for the writing you’re undertaking. If someone has paid you for the script there’s a much higher chance you can pre-sell the distribution rights before you make the movie. This may give you the funds to actually go ahead and make your film and save you from the many horrors of trying to arrange funding.

Attachments help as well. If you say you’ve got Halle Berry attached to your script/film, then the money that follows will be plentiful and quick. In fact, companies will be bidding against each other to get your screenplay.

We like Halle Berry – she’s a wonderful actor who has appeared in some great films, but even she will admit that a couple haven’t been up to her usual high standards. Is that because the money came first and the ideas fell into place at a later stage?

Having the right elements in place will bring bonuses. Knowing what is going to be the right genre in two years time will help.

Brainstorming here again now; planning is making lists of the reasons why people would want your story and the reasons why they would pass. Then clear away the second list and you’ll have a best seller.