Back in September, Vimeo launched their new Creator Services suite, a set of tools designed to help video creators make a little bit of money for their efforts. The first tool that was unveiled as a part of the suite was Tip Jar, which allows viewers to “tip” creators with a contribution ranging from $1 to $500.
At that time, Vimeo also announced a brand new pay-to-view service to allow video creators to charge a set fee for access to their content. They were tight-lipped about many of the details, but said it would be coming soon.
Today, they are previewing that pay-to-view service by releasing 6 new films to the newly-created site, Vimeo Movies.
Starting today, Vimeo users can pay between $5 and $9 to stream the films. Here’s what they are offering:
Sunny – Level 1 injects a positive mood into the ski season — giving a dose of light therapy to dark northern landscapes of Scandinavia, Alaska, Japan and British Columbia.
Further – Award winning producers Teton Gravity Research are pleased to announce Further, the second installment in the Jeremy Jones snowboard movie trilogy, Deeper, Further, Higher, presented by O’Neill.
Shut Up and Play the Hits – documents a once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the end of LCD Soundsystem.
Beauty is Embarrassing – a funny, irreverent, joyful and inspiring documentary featuring the life and current times of one of America’s most important artists, Wayne White.
We are Legion – The Story of the Hacktivists, takes us inside the complex culture and history of Anonymous. The film explores early hacktivist groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Electronic Disturbance Theater, and then moves to Anonymous’ own raucous and unruly beginnings on the website 4Chan.
Son of the Clouds – This compelling documentary brings to light the political and human rights issues facing the people of the Western Sahara and the responsibility of Western powers in the effort to restore peace to the region.
Once you purchase a film, it will be available to stream on any compatible device.
“Our mission is to support totally original video and the people who create it, which means providing more than a home. It means creating an environment where creators can access the resources to make their next film, and the one after that. Our new pay-to-view service enables creators to upload and distribute work that they depend on for their livelihood, all with easy setup and affordable rates. In turn, our community gets access to amazing work from the world’s leading filmmakers,” says Vimeo.
Of course, Vimeo is not only monetizing in order to help artists, but to help their bottom line. The mostly ad-free service generates most of its revenue from selling pro services to both users and creators. Vimeo is currently taking a 15% cut of any contributions made to videos’ tips jars. The pay-to-view service is still in beta, and Vimeo says they will open it up to more video creators in 2013.
