The Porn industry: the future of cinema

No, I'm not completely insane. The facts are there to prove what I’m saying.

Flashback to the 80s; a new technology now allows consumers to record content on a cassette. Two formats are competing, VHS and Betamax. JVC is OK with adult film producers using the VHS format to sell their movies when Sony and its Betamax refuse. Result: Although Betamax format was comparable in quality, VHS became the universal format for videocassettes. The Hollywood studios, initially reticent to this new technology (Universal and Disney took Sony's Betamax to court for copyright infringement) eventually follow the trend after witnessing the success of adult films in home video format the following years.

With the advent of the Internet in the mid 90's, the producers of adult films again showed to their more conventional counterparts how great a tool the web could be to promote films and reach audiences wherever they are in the world and at lower cost. The introduction of broadband has only confirmed the trend since the pornography industry has exploded with the emergence of countless sites allowing downloads and/or legal streaming on the web when, at the other end, conventional cinema is still in its infancy as far VOD goes.

However, the fate of the more recent war between new DVD formats (Blu-Ray and HDDVD) has not been decided by the adult industry as producers didn’t care much, having already understood that the future was mainly in the digital. Conversely, American and even French studios persist in their efforts to convert us to Blu-Ray, while DVD sales have collapsed over the past two years.

In short, all I was trying to say is that if you're an aspiring filmmaker/producer, you have much more in common than you think with your “adult” colleagues. Few people are willing to go into theaters to see your work and you cannot afford to spend millions on marketing or even in production. However you can find viewers around the world who are still interested in the message you want to convey through your films (“love each other” for porn and whatever you think you have to tell).

Well, now you know where to look next time you want to see where the cinema industry is heading.
And you also have a ready-made excuse if your boss catches you on questionable websites in the middle of the afternoon.

Don’t thank me. You’re welcome.