Sony to release royalty free video clips targeted at VJs?!!!
In a statement to counteract the rumors that Sony is preparing an online digital video store of the concept "iTunes" Sony Connect vicepresident Steve Banfield is telling the world that no such service is in the planning right now. BUT get this (siliconvalleywatcher):
Mr Banfield said Sony was digitizing its movies, and it would also allow some clips of its digital video to be used royalty-free for video “mash” projects, in which music and video footage is remixed, sometimes in live performance.
Sony is recognizing the VJs! Its clear that the VJ market seemes to have evolved enough that we are getting attention from huge corporation. As I always said this is VJ year zero everything onward from here goes UP.
Personally I will continue to prepare my own clips and movies as I ultimately think that this is the only way that will ensure that I have an distinct style but its a very noteworthy development.
PS(22.April 2005): after thinking about it a litte I have two intervened takes on it. First is that I think - purely speculative - if they really release some of their "better" content for vjs to use it will ultimately raise the quality of the vj content out there - which on first glance is kind of good. The twist in that seems that if a lot of newbie vjs use this high quality content it ultimately leaves those without much production money but their own content pretty much in the dust. And this is where I think this strategy comes from - fear - fear that the vjs might be somehow successful in their endover and posing a thread to traditional media - something like a preemptive strike. Now people like myself who produce their content not only have to scope with the "pre-delivered" (mostly shitty and replicated) content from arkaos, motion dive and the like but have to compete with the high end content coming out of big ass corporations. After thinking this over and over I think it does not help us much other then raise overall awareness - which could be good if it would not kill creativity at the same time.
But maybe I am just paranoid.