Major studio uploads online movie clip service

(AFP PHOTO)

Allowing users to essentially purchase a "ring-tone" for movies, Paramount Pictures is creating an online video clip service to allow users to pull excerpts from dozens of feature films in its archives.

The new service, ParamountClips.com, allows a quote or scene to be found, selected and licensed-within minutes from the website.

Want Tom Hanks from Forrest Gump saying "My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates" for a blog? Scenes from The Godfather and Top Gun, and dozens more? Paramount will electronically deliver the selection in a format required, and in many cases, in multiple languages.

Initially it is intended for businesses, such as advertising agencies and foreign broadcasters seeking to licenses passages from films for commercial usage. It may become available to the public eventually as the service rolls out more films.

The technology is by Digitalsmiths and VideoSense, with automated indexing organized by actor, location, lines of dialogue, and other themes. As DVD sales decline, Paramount Digital Entertainment is hoping this service provides a revenue stream for its vast film library.

Eighty films, including Grease and The Addams Family, will inaugurate the service with 200 films to follow, and 1,000 movies eventually.

Clip pricing depends on the usage. For a national advertising campaign it might cost thousands of dollars, but when it is available to individuals for personal use, rates may be similar to ring-tones in the 99 cent range.

www.paramountclips.com

RC