Filmmaker Magazine recently ran an article that immediately caught my eye with the opening…

Question: “When was the last time you went to an art-house?”
Answer: “Years ago. I watch everything online. I don’t have time to go to the cinema.”

The inevitable has begun, and as filmmakers we must consider the realm of digital and online distribution to reach a relevant audience. The article then goes onto describe how the majority of an entire generation under under 30, indie film consumers can only be found online. Let’s just call it was it is…the Hulu Generation!

Sticking with the Hulu Generation concept, we are dealing with a younger audience that is used to being connected through the “instant” concept – with the click of a button one can instantly access something on their laptops, on their Xbox, Netflix, mobile device, etc. So, if it’s not mainstream Twilight or Ironman, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see young adults paying for $12 movie tickets and a $10 popcorn and soda combo.

As filmmakers, we constantly have to be looking at finding our audiences. So, if our audiences are leaning more towards the “instant” rewards then maybe that is the direction we need to head. Creating more viral and grassroots campaigns surrounding our films. Creating more down-loadable features and projects that include a transmedia storytelling concept. Creating more high impact shorts that can thrive on the web and fit into a Hulu Generations attention span. Afterall, studies show that we have an average of 56 seconds to keep someone’s attention before they go back and send a tweet or change their Facebook status.