The guys behind Aussie horror film have always planned on seeding their film to the world using torrent software, but they’ve just received a huge boost, with BitTorrent themselves committing to include the film’s torrent with every download of BitTorrent or Utorrent.
Considering both clients have approximately 400,000 downloads daily, that’s a pretty massive distribution from launch day, and potentially turning the film into one of the biggest Aussie movies of the year. For those that don’t download either client, the film will be offered as a free download through UTorrent’s App Studio, and has been selected for BitTorrent’s Artist Spotlight program. Vodo.net, a UK-based film sharing site for independent filmmakers, will also feature the Aussie flick.
In addition, the film will also get a theatrical release at Hoyts cinemas, a DVD release, an iPad release and a screening on ShowTime all around the same time as the torrent release.
This approach to universal release on every format is what people have been asking for from movie studios for years. Let’s hope it’s a huge success for the filmmakers. It officially hits the torrents on May 19.
James
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 3:48 PMFinally, someone willing to embrace the technology of torrents as opposed to trying to squash it.
Dan
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 4:03 PMAbout time. Torrents are not the problem, the studios are the problem.
Emily
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 5:01 PMVery clever release strategy
Christian
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 5:02 PMI bought a piece of this film to help fund it right? or is this a different film?
Nick Broughall
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 5:09 PMSame film.
Pattus
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 11:34 AMChristian, did you buy more than one frame of film? And if so were the fames sequential or random?
I sent an email to the company asking this weeks ago and still haven’t recieved a reply. :(
elliot
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 5:24 PMthis is amazing. i’ve been wanting to release my debut feature doing this same method (i’ve been working on it for a year now). it will be interesting to see how well they do. i wish them the best of luck.
jungleboy
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 6:11 PMGood luck…but no matter which way you look @ it, it’s still an ‘Aussie’ Movie. I give it a few weeks at best. The Waiting City had the full shebang but failed dismally in box office profits. Animal Kingdom & Kings Speech did well because of the script alone so lets see if the story really does find them! I suspect this is more of an ego money making scheme than anything. In fact, apart from the online geeks & a few industry ppl, practically noone even knows it exists. They are like “wha, who”? After it all blows over, we can go back to our daily lives & The Tunnel will just be a distant memory fading into the background! @ least then we can get some peace 8)
warcroft
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 7:29 PMI bought a piece of this movie too, 25 frames.
Im surprised more people havent bought frames.
Lets hope it does well and people actually buy the movie too, otherwise all the downloaders and their cry of “If I like it I buy it” will be proven as crap.
warcroft
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 7:30 PMOh, and I hope the torrent version is decent quality. Not some compressed to shit 700MB version.
Old Codger
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 8:47 PMI bought frames also. Hope it a great film.
Spikey8D
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 10:57 PMbut how do they intend to make a profit/cover expenses?
jeremy
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 9:29 AMIt is a myth that torrents reduce profits – films fail because they are bad, not because of piracy. Plenty of people will stump up to see a movie in a seat on a huge screen, or on bluray in lovely 20mbps HD, or buy a piece of related merchandise. Think music – the radio stations in the US pirate music (legally!), but music still sells if it is good. Radiohead managed to make more money than they has ever before by giving away an album. Australia is the most torrent rich country in the western world per capita, but also the most profitable country per capita for media. The science of media just does not back up the idea that private piracy is actually a problem, though bootlegging (piracy for profit) might be.