MINUTE BY MINUTE (PT2)

From 60 to 180 Seconds, The World of Cell Cinema

Ever since Verizon introduced its LGVX8000 handset, Apple its 60GB Video iPod, and Sony its video capable Play Station Portable, technology wonks have been divided over the viability of Cell-delivered Cinema. For aspiring mini-moguls however, the answers are simpler. Does take too long to load video content? Yes. Can the buffering issues be aggravating? Yes. Will VCast, MobiTV and their cousins catch on? Of course they will. After all, not so long ago, today’s ubiquitous online video feeds faced the same problems.

More importantly, because there are far more cell phones than computers floating around in our world, the demand for cell cinema may create a much more substantial venue than computer’s have.

For the moment, filmmakers interested in producing 60 to 180-second shorts have a variety of options. For instance; Sprint’s MobiTV offers content from numerous shorts clearing houses—including the UK’s Channel 4, the aptly named ShortsTV, Nano TV, and iFilm (who also supplies Cingular Video). There are similar services popping up everywhere from Germany’s Debital and Vodafone to a Latin American take on MobiTV to Nokia’s new service for Kuwait and Qatar. Even online shorts pioneer Atom Films is offering a new “To Go” service aimed at iPod and PSP users.

But, according to Tim Bajarin, president of the futurist firm Creative Strategies. “Wireless carriers haven't really figured out the best business model for getting the content onto Palm's Treo 650 or Sony's PlayStation Portable. The issue continues to be figuring out exactly what people will want."

“Mobile movies have to be created with mobile users in mind, featuring simple storylines, basic characters and sharp writing,” said Mitchell Weinstock, vice president of business development for smart phone media player and production tool developer Kinoma.

So the trick will be producing high-quality short films with running times of three minutes or less. Or, as Verizon's associate director of programming Alex Bloom put it, "A mobile device is not the place for a 30-minute show, I don't think people have the time or the patience."

TO BE CONTINUED . . .