Video-On-Demand - Suburban Bliss?

This post is a too big for twitter, explanation to a recent tweet conversation @FilmTVDiversity had with one of our much respected twitter follower's @AngeloBell

Angelo Bell, connected us with a Retweet of a Tweet of an article from the LA Times:
"@AngeloBell RT @TheLoneOlive: RT @latimes: DirecTV poised to launch early-release video-on-demand; theater executives voice outrage http://lat.ms/fjxW4W"

We Retweeted his tweet and our observation:
FilmTVDiversity
@angelobell we actually think that early release video-on-demand could be a great game changer for films by people of color

Mr. Bell was interested in hearing more about how we thought this could be a game changer? And this is how we think early releases On-Demand could be a game changer.  No studies have been conducted so there is no science here, but our personal observation.

Let’s take the movie Mooz-Lum as an example.  Several of our friends of varying ethnicities who were interested in seeing the film, live near Concord, California. The closest theater at the time was 39 miles away in San Francisco.  Very few of our friends were up for traveling such a long distance to see what many have indicated is a great movie.

Suburban dwellers often don’t get movies like Mooz-Lum to play locally.  Even with moderate to large minority populations or great interest by non-minority populations, suburban movie theaters can tend to select films, even more so, by what they think will get the most audience, not necessarily films of diversity.

The prohibitive cost of traveling long distances to see movies of diversity, not available locally, may represent missed opportunities and revenues from suburban audiences.

It's this untapped suburban market that may be just the ones interested in the less prohibitive cost option of early release On-Demand viewing vs traveling long distances. There’s a whole audience of minority and non-minority viewers for films like Mooz-Lum  who don’t live relatively close to the big cities and early releases On-Demand may be able to tap these markets in ways that suburban theaters aren't.

What if more films of diversity were to somehow leverage having an early release available On-Demand in general or in areas where the local theaters may not have opted to show a particular film of diversity.

Game Changer?  We're open to anything that can level the playing field and the broader availability of films of diversity.

Welcome, About Us

Thanks for visiting @FilmTVDiversity's Blog, also referred to as FATDIVE, a acronymn crafted from the words

F(ilm) A(nd) T(v) DIVE(rsity)  

Originally established as a Social Media presence primarily on Twitter.  @FilmTVDiversity. was borne out of the desire of the Founder, C Joshua Griffin to see greater diversity in the Film, Television and Theatre Industry via increased roles of People of Color, as well as increased exposure to the roles people of color play in these industries both in front of the camera and behind. 

Established in January, 2011, our founder embarked on a solo mission to discover the people of color in the industry both mainstream filmmakers, as well as independent filmmakers and using that knowledge and discovery to promote them and their work. 

The Founder:  C. Joshua Griffin, a Native Chicagoan,  a graduate of Iowa State University in Management Information Systems.  Previous work includes working for Iowa State University Extension before moving to California in 1995. Lived in Northern California, Bay Area through 2011 working as a Business Analysts for a Financial Services firm. In 2010 begin attending Film School and completed 3 full semesters with emphasis on Screenwriting and Producing Courses plus basics of Filmmaking, before moving to the Greater Los Angeles area, mid 2012.  

Add to this being a lifelong avid fan and watcher of television/movies, a soul moved by music combined with a technology background, all of which prepared and equipped our founder to craft and build what many know today as @FilmTVDiversity.   

If We could sum up what we do in Film talk, our logline. 

"Brand is everything, Keep it Positive, Let Your Instincts Guide You, Promote Others" 

It's not a journey fully mapped out, we adapt to the needs of those we promote, but it is one that is a must for future generations.  So join us and with your help we can change the world of Film, Television and Theatre and the Diversity represented within it. 

Thanks for taking the time to read what @FilmTVDiversity / FATDIVE is all about.