Movie clip sharing service launches with big Hollywood studio support
MovieClips.com
On The Web
Site Search
Get the latest news alerts: Follow LTW at Twitter.
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Movieclips.com, an online movie clip-sharing service, launched in beta test mode on Wednesday touting the cooperation of six major Hollywood studios amid an industrywide slowdown in DVD sales.
The founders and private backers aim to make movie clips searchable and sharable and earn referral fees for viewers who go on to buy or rent movies via links that lead to Amazon.com or Apple Inc.'s iTunes.
After exiting the beta period, the company also hopes to put advertisements over the bottom third of the clips and share ad revenue with the studios.
"It's a great way to introduce an older movie to younger audience," said Zach James, the company's 27-year-old co-founder and chief executive.
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based startup is launching with 12,000 clips from more than 1,000 movies from 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
The notable studio exceptions are Disney and Lionsgate.
James declined to identify the investors.
The launch comes about a year and a half after Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures launched its own clip-sharing service called "VooZoo" on Facebook. That service has since ceased functioning.
Clips from some newer movies, such as "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs," are on the site along with classics like "Raging Bull." Users can share clips over Facebook, Twitter and e-mail among a few other services, but clips cannot be shortened like on Hulu.
Featured
Hot Off The Wire
- Red Hat's new Fedora lead; Cree LED breakthrough; Google, Cisco top 'green' list; Oracle rejects SAP settlement; Yahoo board shakeup
- Will Cisco report progress in its turnaround efforts?
- Cisco server fire threat; Lenovo Android upgrade; cloud startup vs. Cisco; Epic's Blesinski to host awards; Google 'Solve for X'
E-mail Preferences
The Skinny
- Groundwork Labs refocuses mission as Triangle Startup Factory nears launch
- Epic Games' Tim Sweeney reaps arts Hall of Fame honor today
- Charlotte's startup efforts pick up steam as more data pours in
- 'Battle in Bay 7' returns - Are you techies ready for some basketball?
- Inside RTP's new angel fund: Founders meeting 'significant' need
- Who won 'Social Bowl'? Super Bowl ads paying fans to play
- RTP broadband firm Overture, minus two top execs, launches new look
- Will RTP-based ChannelAdvisor go public? They're thinking
- What brands are winning Super Bowl hype? Two Durham firms to find out
- In Super Bowl of social media, Patriots win, Triangle firm says