Film distribution in the digital age : pirates and professionals / Virginia Crisp, Coventry University, UK.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-203) and index.

Machine generated contents note: -- Introduction -- 1. Formal Film Distribution -- 2. 'Independent' Distributors -- 3. Disruptive Innovators -- 4. Informal Distribution: Discs and Downloads -- 5. A Brief History of Film 'Filesharing': From Napster to Mega -- 6. Informal Distribution Networks: Fan 'Filesharing' and Imagined Communities -- 7. Intersections: Pirates Meet Professionals -- Conclusion: Ecologies of Distribution and Shifting Gatekeepers.

"Film Distribution in the Digital Age critically examines the evolution of the landscape of film distribution in recent years. In doing so, it argues that the interlocking ecosystem(s) of media dissemination must be considered holistically and culturally if we are to truly understand the transnational flows of cultural texts. Through a series of case studies and examples, the book presents the argument that rather than just representing the movement of an economic commodity, the act of film distribution also mediates and facilitates the social and professional relationships of film distributors. The fact that these distributors exist across a number of arenas (online/offline, official/unofficial) does not necessarily mean that their aims and motivations are necessarily distinct and oppositional. Indeed, this book argues that their actions come together to form a complex ecosystem of distribution that should be considered through the metaphor of symbiosis rather than parasitism. "-- Provided by publisher.