Finding what you want to watch when you want to watch SHOULD be the easiest thing in the world. It still will always be hard to know what you want to watch, mind you — but if you do, you should be able to find it.
In terms of the knowing part of the equation, playlists are a start. Every social media site should have an easy to use playlist function that allows you to post what you are going to watch, and for others watching those films to find you. The film watching experience is only partially about content. It is also about social and we need to have easier tools to connect with if we are going to make it all work again,
And combining playlists with easy searches of what is available online is the start of something truly great. Clicker helps a great deal in this regard. The ability to share playlists is a key thing when it comes to discovery and it doesn’t look like that is a possibility with Clicker unfortunately. We want to be able to build playlists, post them, embed them, share them.
Reid Rosefelt’s SpeedCine is another such searcg tool. Or rather was. It’s was easy to search but still had no playlist function. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that such a service shuts down in these economic times — but still I am. These are the tools we need. Search & Share. They are services that all film organizations should offer. Someone should take over what Reid built, be it IFP, FIND, Indiewire, or MOMA. Someone, please!
What of course all these services miss is a real curating function managed by a trusted critic/educator/filmmaker/brand. Or rather several curators. Imagine how cool it would be if you could see what filmmakers you respected wanted to watch, and with one click there you were, and with another click, you could engage in discussion with a whole bunch of other film fanatics and discuss the film.
Surely, some smart people must be out there building this stuff. It can’t be that hard. If only the film world had more collaboration with the tech world. Let’s get it built and put it to use.
