YouTube to Start Showing Independent Films for a Fee
USA Todayreports that YouTube is going to run a test on charging fees with the Sundance Film Festival. USA Today says YouTube will charge $5 for YouTube users to watch films from the 2009 and 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
The Web's most popular video sharing site Friday will offer five films from the 2009 and 2010 Sundance Film Festival for a fee around $5. It's a way, YouTube says, to bring more exposure to independent films. But it's also a test to see if viewers will pay for content, YouTube says.
YouTube product manager Sara Pollack says the program is a response to the problems facing independent filmmakers. Too many movies are getting produced, with few places to exhibit them. For instance, she says of the 9,000 films shown at Sundance last year, only 53 found some form of distribution.
The model could be a way for independent films to get more coverage. YouTube will also be launching a section where filmmakers can upload film. YouTube will let the filmmaker set the price for what to charge.
USA Today 
