Kannada short film makers need to read this !

Early morning on a weekend, I wanted to research about the predictive analysis and logged onto the internet. Thanks to power ministry, my desktop had an unexpected shutdown yesterday due to the powercuts.

As soon as I started Chrome, it asked “Whether I should restore your session? “And I said, yes!

After sometime, I got an offline message on FB chat asking for my phone number from a Kannada short film maker.

Wondering whats in store, I shared the number and the first Q which popped up was “ Are you admin of Samanya Kannadiga (SK)page? “

I said, since I busy with other things I am not managing that page but let me know if you need something to be posted on that page.

Then, Shashank ( the person who pinged me on FB ) told me that SK page has posted the video of his friend and he likes it to be removed.  He didnt say that directly but his conversation in leaning in that direction.

Yesterday night, I was just wondering about the misplaced priorities and lack of understanding of the digital marketing of the KSFI (Kannada Short Film Industry)
Kannada Film Industry is having lot of people who doesnt even know what is a computer or internet ; so lack of digitial marketing is ok. But , the young creeds of FB, Youtube fans are making this assumptions regarding Youtube views was disturbing.

Just to illustrate. You must know or heard the Kolaveri Di song from a Tamil movie. I don’t even recollect the name of the movie but I know that song.

The youtube views of this video is  9.83 crores. Sony Music India knows that there are lot more videos which have used the song directly or indirectly but still are bothered to check each of them and take them down.

"Most of us would be familiar with the Korean pop star Park Jae- Sang’s, (better known as PSY) music album Gangnam Style that went viral over the internet and became the most-viewed You- Tube’s video. And with this song PSY is all set to make millions from You-tube adds and i-tune downloads. His relaxed attitude towards mass copying and sharing contributed in making the song a super-hit. This has infact helped him in earning significant reputation. 
...

Last year, Dhanush’s “Why this Kolaveri di”‘s overwhelming popularity had made it the song of the year. Dhanush had sold his rights over the song to Sony Music. However, in spite of the viral nature of the song and the mass copying and sharing of this song, Sony Music restrained from taking any action to sue the infringers."
I am quoting the sentences from this blog

In Karnataka and especially Kannada cinema industry is treating piracy as goondaism.

The bylanes of Benglauru and Karnataka has persons selling non Kannada cinema to all the cinema fans. Kannada film industry is not concerned about that? Are they fighting piracy or just denying low cost options to view Kannada cinema to Kannadigas?

Also, why are other film industries not concerned about piracy sales in Karnataka? Why are they not concerned about it.
Reason being

• They know that good content always attracts the audience. 
• They are seeing sales of pirated CD's as marketing for their industry and way to build their audience base.  

To summarize,

• Audience wants sample of the work. This drives them to view the work in theatre, buy legitimate prints later down the lane. 
• First, illegal copies of a content good can play a sampling role by attracting consumers and driving them to purchase a legitimate copy later.
• Second, many content goods generate network effects; that is, the attraction of the good increases with the number of consumers of that good, regardless of the consumed copies being legitimate or not.
• Piracy can increase demand for goods that are complementary to the pirated content; the producer is then able to capture indirectly the value that consumers attach to the pirated good.
• Finally, I would like to say that "Good content" generate good publicity and causes network effect. To illustrate one example, I choose the Kolaveri Di again. 

Legitimate views of Kolaveri DI

9.83 crore views from the official Sony Music India

Legitimate views of Telugu masala video.

Combined view of 7.2 crore for these 2 video

A recently added video with 2 crore views

Out of these 4 video's , which one do you recollect?

The good content or poorly made content

Now, it shows that youtube view or count doesn’t matter

I shall call the FB video uploading as piracy by KSFI. Since most of the KSFI makers are skeptical to upload content on FB and expect the viewers to watch them from youtube channel alone.

• Why are content producer of KSFI fearing piracy or not ready to look beyond the Youtube views?

Numerous studies have converged on the conclusion, now widely accepted, that piracy has had a negative impact on physical CD sales. But, it has never mattered to the artist since they are making money using stage shows.
 In your case, a FB video might have impact on your Youtube views. But, it would always result in more publicity for your video.

However, let’s not discount the fact that vast majority of content sharing from FB ( that were considered as illegally consumed) would not have happened in the absence of FB video.

My wish list for KSFI :

• Get out of the mould that Youtube views = good content or would make as next star director/actor,
• Use the FB video, watsapp video feature to share the content
• Use the watermark or use the banner to promote your cinema house, production house or your own name
• Make it easier to reach you - phone, email, blog, twitter etc
• Listen to audience feedback ! they are your consumers at the end of the day