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Tribeca Film Festival wants to normalize VR for the masses
Genna Terranova wants virtual reality to feel "commonplace." That is, she wants to make it normal. Terranova, who serves as the director of the Tribeca Film Festival, thinks now is the time to break VR out of its headline-stealing sideshow and make it accessible to the general public. And with a mix of 23 VR exhibits and installations planned for the fest's upcoming slate this April in New York, she's on track to do just that. "Yes, the Gear [VR] is out there and Oculus [Rift] is coming, but it's still a bit rarefied as far as the general public goes," says Terranova. "So we want to create a place where people can really explore this and not feel intimidated by it. But also create a space where you can experience these individual pieces and then have conversations about them."
Tribeca Shortlist movies arrive on iPhone, Roku and Fire TV
Since launching in October, Tribeca Shortlist had only been available on the iPad. But, starting today, the movie-streaming service will expand to iPhone, Roku and Amazon's Fire TV. To make things better, if you're an iOS user, Tribeca Shortlist says its entire film catalog can now be downloaded and viewed offline -- which, notably, isn't something supported by apps like Netflix or Hulu Plus.
Tribeca and Lionsgate's video-streaming service is now available
It took almost a year to get here, but Tribeca and film distributor Lionsgate have finally launched their paid video-streaming service. Shortlist, as the on-demand product is called, will have a $5 monthly subscription fee and give users access to over 150 "critically acclaimed" movies. Among them are Crash, City of God, Chasing Amy, Fargo and The Producers, to mention a few. Right now, Tribeca Shortlist is only available on the web and for iPad, although we're told it'll be available on the iPhone, Fire TV and Roku later this year, as well as Apple TV and Android in 2016. Tribeca, which is the company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, says the $5 price is set to stay until the end of 2015, but then it plans to increase it to $6. Nevertheless, if you're interested in seeing what it has to offer, you can sign up for a free trial.
Tribeca Film Festival welcomes a tech-driven change in storytelling
Storytellers are finding new mediums, like mobile apps, virtual reality headsets and web-based products, to convey their narratives. Of course, events like Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival are the perfect place to exhibit any fresh or interesting project, where people can actually experience them firsthand. And they all have one thing in common: The key is to make you part of the story. At Storyscapes, an exhibit at the Tribeca Film Festival that showcases immersive creations, we came across some that caught our eye. For example, a couple use VR to express the director's message, another an app and, in the case of Door Into the Dark, a 6,000-square-foot labyrinth that relies on audio to guide those who try it. Sounds like fun, right? Don't worry: You, too, can check these out if you happen to be in New York City from today, April 16th, through April 19th.
Lionsgate and Tribeca are launching a video-streaming service
There's no doubt that video on demand is about to go through its own gold rush era. From giant TV networks like CBS to wireless providers such as Rogers, it looks as if everyone wants to join the fun before it's too late. Taking note of this, film studio Lionsgate and Tribeca Enterprises, the media company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, announced today they are teaming up on a new, subscription-based video-streaming platform. The service will be known as Tribeca Short List and is slated to launch sometime during the first half of 2015. You can expect a "prestigious selection" of movie content from Lionsgate, which will be curated by Tribeca with help from "leading voices in contemporary culture."
Embracing the future: Tribeca Film Festival goes beyond its roots
As has been the case since 2002, this year brought thousands of movie buffs to New York City for the Tribeca Film Festival. While at its core, the festival is still very much rooted in providing a platform for film creators to show off their latest productions, the event itself has grown to be about more than just films. This year, TFF introduced a few new technology-focused initiatives, in hopes of providing more options for both filmmakers and the media. That, coupled with panels, interactive events and, of course, the late-night parties, makes the festival one not to be missed.
PayPal to open NYC pop-up store next month, showcase new mobile payment services
The idea of a physical PayPal store may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but that's exactly what the company is planning to open next month, in Manhattan. As TechCrunch recently revealed, the forthcoming pop-up store is slated to open its doors on November 1st, as part of a campaign designed to promote PayPal's new slate of in-store technologies. Located at 174 Hudson Street in Tribeca, the outlet will also sport a large QR code on its exterior, which passers-by can scan with their smartphones to find more information on the company's new mobile payment services. Inside, merchants will be able to better familiarize themselves with PayPal's commercial offerings, which include location-based promotions, cross-device payment services and real-time inventory checks, among others. The store will be open for about three and a half months, and PayPal's new features should be making their way to physical retailers in the near future. No word yet on specific partnerships, though the company is expected to announce them soon.
Joystiq interviews the "Good Versus Wiivil" creators
Jack Paccione Jr. is one happy guy. Of course, he did just get sent to the Top of the Rock in New York City to show off his short film to the influential members of the Tribeca Film Festival community. Having an extra $10,000 in his pocket certainly must feel nice as well. How did he get there? He won Nintendo's short film competition, Shortcuts, with his film "Good Versus Wiivil."The film turned a happy-go-lucky Carvel employee into a human mannequin controlled by a Wii Remote. But, what would happen when an evil Wii Remote (the titular "Wiivil") interfered? The incredible concept was backed by fantastic production values, and great performances. We had a chance to talk to Jack Paccione Jr., Jerry White, and Robert McCormack from Escape Goat Pictures to hear more about the production of the winning short film.What inspired the concept behind the film?Paccione: Well, I never thought seriously about there being an evil Wii Remote. But, with all our short films we want to get into some kind of conflict as quickly as possible. So, the Wii is a really fun, happy place, and we wanted to mess around with that a little bit, and figure out its dark side. And there we go. That's how it came together.
HDTV on BitTorrent: Soderbergh's next film
Everyone's favorite day-and-date releasing director, Steven Soderbergh recently spoke at the Tribeca Film Festival and had some sharp words for Hollywood's current distribution model as noted in Wired. What they didn't mention was that his next project, a short film for a DVD monthly, will be distributed via BitTorrent. Is he going to be able to redesign Hollywood from scratch one torrent at a time? We don't know but we'll keep our uTorrent client at the ready just in case.[Via digg]
