Crowned as TIME Magazine's #15 Top Invention of 2008, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (odd as the title sounds) has redefined the film industry... online.
Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly released a 43-Minute, thre- act musical for free online for a week in June. After the week, Dr. Horrible was available off iTunes for the low price of $1.99. On December 19th in the US (and 30th in Canada) the film was released on DVD with a ton of special features and an elaborate Easter egg hunt. Dr. Horrible currently holds the number 3 position on Amazon for DVD sales in the US and number 11 in Canada.
A ‘n’ E Vibe named Joss Whedon one of the most influential people in entertainment for 2008. The film is groundbreaking as Whedon funded the project out of his own project and side-stepped any affiliation with any studio. By the time Dr. Horrible was set for DVD, the film had already paid the cost of production. Simply put, Dr. Horrible proved to be highly profitable, without a studio, and even though it was available free online for a week.
Whedon and his blundering villain may have staged one of the biggest plots in film history, and brought the concerns to film commerce as well as the music industry. Plus, ya know, the film is cool.
Watch for Dr. Horrible to become a major trend in the next couple of years.
Online Musical Film Marketing
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Trend Themes
1. Online Film Distribution - The success of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in the online film market highlights the trend of distributing independent films online, bypassing traditional studios.
2. Direct-to-consumer Marketing - Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog demonstrates the potential for independent creators to directly market and sell their content to consumers, bypassing traditional distribution methods.
3. Free Content as Marketing Strategy - The strategy of offering free online content as a marketing tool, as seen in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, is a growing trend in the film industry.
Industry Implications
1. Film Production - Independent filmmakers can explore online distribution platforms to reach a wider audience and monetize their work, based on the success of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
2. Digital Entertainment - The success of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog highlights the potential for direct-to-consumer marketing in the digital entertainment industry, encouraging other creators to follow suit.
3. E-commerce - The success of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog demonstrates the potential for selling digital content directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retail channels.