RealNetworks has launched a film and entertainment news site, Film.com, featuring film previews, movie trailers, DVD releases, and coverage of television programming and celebrity news.
Plenty of other web sites and blogs already offer similar content – so it remains to be seen if Real can build an audience in a crowded space.
Having said that, I’m always impressed with Real’s resourcefulness, in this case putting to use the great domain name they owned (but had essentially mothballed several years ago), and creating inventory for online advertising.
I also like that the site will offer a free full-length independent movie each week. The “Film.com Movie of the Week”, supported by in-movie sponsorship and advertising, will initially draw on a catalog of movies through a deal with GreenCine, a San Francisco-based company with a library of independent, international and documentary films.
Seeking to further differentiate the site – and no doubt get media exposure – Real introduced the new Film.com at Sundance, where Film.com contributors posted daily video reports and commentary from the film festival.
Among my friends from Real working on the project are Elizabeth Coppinger, Vice President, Media Software & Services (pictured); Michael McMurray, Director, Product Management; and Ted Kuoppamaki, Product Manager (who was Art Director at the original Film.com, which was founded by Lucy Mohl in 1994). Congrats on the launch of your new product!
