Paramount Pictures have taken a brave approach to film releases by embracing BitTorrent.
The 'hated' P2P platform, accused by many in the music industry as the instigator of its demise, has now become the 'savour' for the film business.
Well, these are early days, but the fact that a major film studio is seeking to distribute for free an Australian Horror film called 'The Tunnel', is significant.
Instead of having a cinema release and a World premiere, the film will be free for download. The indie flick was funded by small donations ( crowdsourcing) by selling still frames for $1.
'The Tunnel' will get its BitTorrent launch later this year, and people in the entertainment industry will be keen to see how it plays out in DVD sales.
The aim of this free release is to create enough marketing buzz for the indie flick that fans will want to buy the film on DVD. It will include a whole range of special features and a bonus ending.