Every independent filmmaker and distributor need a secure online platform to distribute their content without the persistent fear of piracy. A platform like Screener Copy.
As an independent filmmaker, we understand that creating original content — often on a shoestring budget — can be a daunting task. But as tough as it might be, it is still your time to shine and to let your creativity flourish.
However, many independent filmmakers struggle to find an audience for their projects after it’s done. They send it to various distributors or possible influencers in the hope that somebody, somewhere, will be willing to pay for it. But during this laborious process of sending their film around, the same terrible thing happens over and over again: the movie gets uploaded to an illegal piracy site and is downloaded — for free — by thousands across the globe.
The solution lies in a platform that indie filmmakers and distributors can use to securely distribute their creative works to anyone, be it prospective buyers or investors, without the fear of it being leaked to piracy sites.
And it’s not only independent filmmakers that are targeted. Several main stream films have fallen victim to hackers and disgruntled studio employees leaking bona fide copies of big-budget movies weeks before its official release. Piracy has definitely gone mainstream with an alarming increase of 408% in uploads to sites like The Pirate Bay every year since 2013.
These days it’s easier than ever to find high-quality pirated content, be it downloaded from torrents or streamed directly to Smart TVs. Yes, the struggle to protect your creative content is real.
Here are three reasons why every independent filmmaker, distributor and marketer should, therefore, be using Screener Copy, a one-click digital solution to secure online distribution.
1. Screener Copy is a closed system
We know there are many platforms for filmmakers to choose from when they need to upload their content to the internet. But most, if not all of these platforms come with serious flaws.
Both YouTube and Vimeo are great for uploading and viewing videos online, but when it comes to security both fall short. Yes, you can protect a video on Vimeo with a password, but if you send that video link to 10 people, everyone will have to share the same password, increasing the odds of the file leaking to the wrong people.
In turn, it’s easy to set a video on YouTube to private viewing by link only, but there’s no way to trace that link and be certain it’s not forwarded to other people.
With Screener Copy you have a closed system where you upload your unique videos to your profile. First, each video is individually and imperceptibly watermarked before it is sent out to your list of nominated recipients via a secure email link. Each recipient is required to create their own password-protected profile to view or download the video from the platform.
This completely removes the need to share the same link with various recipients or for them to share the same password. By using Screener Copy, you’ll know who watched your movie, who downloaded it and most importantly should it leak, which one of your recipients was responsible.
2. In case of a leak, you’ll be instantly notified
Screener Copy uses the Bitcoin blockchain to expose piracy of media files effectively and in real time. How, you might ask?
Basically, it turns the downloaders of pirated files anonymously against the pirate uploaders by offering the downloaders an embedded financial reward, which upon retrieval, exposes the identity of the uploader.
A global network of bounty hunters that crawl the dark web and popular download sites use a special extraction tool to see if any Bitcoin bounty was hidden within a video file during the watermarking process. Every copy sent on the Screener Copy platform is embedded with a unique Bitcoin bounty, linking that copy to its intended recipient forever.
So the moment a bounty hunter finds the Bitcoin bounty and claims it, the transaction is logged on the blockchain sending a notification to our servers. We then notify you that an infringement of your content has been detected.
Knowing that you can be found out will also make recipients of movies more vigilant about taking care of the files and making sure they are kept safe and not end up on piracy sites.
3. It’s easy to use and supports all the popular video file formats
The Screener Copy platform is truly a one-click solution to digital distribution. You simply upload your file, nominate a single or multiple recipients via their email address and viola! Each recipient receives their unique viewing link to either stream the movie directly on the platform or to download onto their favourite devices.
The platform supports all the popular video file formats, including MP4, Mkv, Avi and more. Once the video file is uploaded, it’s converted to a watermarked format suitable for online streaming, or optional downloading for viewing on a separate device.
The product also comes integrated with viewer analytics that the owner can use to keep track of who watched the movie, who downloaded it as well as infringement reports in case of a leak. The infringement reports will also be sent to the owner via email the moment a copy of their film is detected in the wild.
Screener Copy is designed for film producers, distributors and marketers. To apply for access and 10 free credits worth $40, click here.
