The Internet as movie theater

Independent film sites bring cutting-edge (and lesser) works directly to film buffs. The transmission method is a work in process, however.

By STEVE PERSALL, Times film critic

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 4, 2000

You've probably seen one of those television commercials for Internet sites where independent filmmakers make their work available to computer users.

This is the new trend for Hollywood hopefuls. No longer do they have to wait for a distributor or festival to pluck their films from obscurity.

Buzz is being created online, and several filmmakers have already earned invitations to convince studios they're ready for the big leagues.

AtomFilms (http://www.atomfilms.com) has been the most obvious advertiser among these sites. The spokesman is Angry Kid, star of 10 of the hundreds of short films available for viewing as streaming video or downloading on AtomFilms.

Did I say spokesman? That's stretching it. Angry Kid, with his fleshy, animated face and Carrot Top hairdo, simply sniffs his fingers and makes disapproving noises. Finally, he sums up the aroma with one word: "Stinky."

AtomFilms' logo appears with its Web address. It takes a few viewings to notice anything beyond that weird Angry Kid character.

The short film isn't particularly artful. In fact, it's pretty darn dumb. But the commercial did convince me to check out a few of these newfangled Internet "theaters." A detailed feature will be forthcoming in the St. Petersburg Times, as soon as I get the hang of this fresh direction in film exhibition.

Three observations from a beginner:

First, Web masters for these sites are taking relative Internet rookies like myself into consideration these days. Computer neophytes shouldn't be intimidated by the process. Your PC should provide a warning before anything terrible happens to your system.

Instructions are clearer and any downloads necessary for viewing (such as Real Player, QuickTime or Windows Media) are usually available on-site. But display may disappoint. Images lose definition as their size increases. Streaming video looks fine in a 3-inch box, but expanding to full screen creates blurred pixilation. Sound quality also suffers a bit. And that's on a computer with a fast processor, accessing the Internet with a cable or T1 connection; 28.8 modems need not apply. Also, many of the films themselves won't be worth the trouble. These are fairly open forums for filmmakers, so some junk sneaks through. Stick with the site's showcased films, or those audiences select most, until you get the knack of choosing and discarding material.

Most online films run under five minutes so, if you're downloading, the stress on your computer's memory won't be drastic. If you want to download a longer film -- some films run nearly an hour -- you'll need more patience and computer storage space.

A good starting point for beginners may be the Indie Film Guide at http://www.live-at.com/feature/indie/index.html.

Links to more than a dozen film download sites, including AtomFilms, are available there. An introduction to the process and its history is provided for easier instruction.

My two favorite online films so far can be found at iFilm (http://www.ifilm.net).

One is titled 405, created by two guys and one computer in three months. The 3-minute film makes it appear that a jet airliner lands atop a car on a Los Angeles freeway. You may have seen it profiled on a recent episode of Roger Ebert and the Movies.

405 has been viewed nearly 800,000 times on the iFilm site, according to its count.

The other film is a sharp satire of Internet comedies based on popular Hollywood releases, with titles like Pies Wide Shut and Saving Ryan's Privates. Spoof! An Insider's Guide to Short Film Success is a not-so-gentle poke at gaining fame through lame imitation.

If you see only one film on your computer screen this summer, this is it.

The trend of online movie watching seems to have popped up overnight, but what Internet advantages haven't? Sure, tech-heads have an early grip on the process. But, if the trend is to become vital to the cinematic process, not merely a cool gimmick, then average computer users also need to be involved.

If you have any ideas how to navigate the process, problems to be wary about or a particular film to suggest, send an e-mail to persall@sptimes.com.