DreamWorks Animation CEO: Movie Downloads Will Move To Pay-By-Screen-Size

Vitalius · April 30, 2014

DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg thinks the windowing model of feature films will become a “pay by the inch you watch.” During the Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Corporate World panel at the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Katzenberg explained what he thinks is the future of scheduling and distributing feature films.

“I think the model will change and you won’t pay for the window of availability. A movie will come out and you will have 17 days, that’s exactly three weekends, which is 95% of the revenue for 98% of movies. On the 18th day, these movies will be available everywhere ubiquitously and you will pay for the size. A movie screen will be $15. A 75” TV will be $4.00. A smartphone will be $1.99. That enterprise that will exist throughout the world, when that happens, and it will happen, it will reinvent the enterprise of movies,” he told the crowd.

And according to Katzenberg, this scenario will play out 10 years from now.

... Do these people even understand how technology works? Or what "Resolution" even is?

Seriously. This is some backwards thinking. It's like listening to a 4 year old try and tell you what is the way that things should be done. They're trying to do it in a somewhat logical way, but they lack so much information and understanding that they sound ... stupid.

“Few networks are impacted (by technology) more than the media business,” he said, adding that the amount of “clutter” in the entertainment universe, including videogames and social media, directly affects and reduces the value of the more traditional channels, e.g., film.

Maybe that's because the Movie industry does thing in fairly stupid ways? Maybe it's because they are too traditional and aren't modernizing to changing technology?

And people ask why pirates exist? Because this industry is lead by people like this. Who understand nothing about how their money makers are made.

Katzenberg also threw out the idea that young adults today should not follow passion but skill.

“Great leaders and thinkers talk to kids today and say ‘follow your dream.’ I’m not sure that’s a great idea. How about follow your skill? That thing you are really good at, that may become your passion,” he said.

This is about the only good thing I found that he said. It's mostly true. You should do what you love, but sometimes you need to relegate what you love to a hobby rather than focus on it as a profession because not everyone can be good at what they love.

You get the idea.

What do you guys think?

Everything that's been going all lately has me fairly frustrated. People have always said the leaders were out of touch with what they lead, and honestly, I'm only beginning to realize how true that is.

Either they are out of touch, or malicious in their intent (i.e. paid off). Either way, they need to be replaced in my opinion.