'Riese' Pulled Down from Web by New Distributor

‘Riese’ Pulled Down from Web by New Distributor

by Marc Hustvedt on February 5th, 2010

riese And we were just getting into it! Riese, the steampunk-infused fantasy web series drama that has been unfolding online since its launch back in November, has been pulled down due to request from its new distribution partner Fireworks, the digital distribution arm of UK-based ContentFilm. The series had just begun Chapter 2 this week, releasing its six episode before the takedown occurred earlier today. This is the same firm that had picked up international distribution rights for recent web series like MTV New Media’s college mystery Valemont and Endemol UK’s sci-fi thriller Kirill.

Just trailers are left online on their YouTube channel and on KoldCast TV, which was the primary online network distributing the series. No word at this point when or if the series will return to the internet.

An excerpt from a blog post today by creators Ryan Kopple and Kaleena Kiff explaining the takedown (emphasis added):

We also recently partnered with Fireworks, a digital distribution branch of ContentFilm, based out of the UK. They’re largely responsible for the transition of the webseries Valemont from internet to television, and they handle a number of many other well-known webseries as well.

What does this mean for Riese? It opens up a number of opportunities. For one, it increases the chances that we can keep making this show and letting you become further involved in the world of Riese. Additionally, it boosts the possibility of us being able to distribute the series on other platforms (episode downloads, DVDs, and television).

Now, for the bad news. While Fireworks is negotiating deals on our behalf, we’ve had to remove our episodes from online streaming. We’re not happy about it by any means – we want all of our fans to enjoy Riese whenever they want – but we also understand that it’s a necessary move in order to keep a project like Riese afloat. The few of us that are responsible for producing Riese on a day-to-day basis are realistic that we cannot sustain it without the support of Fireworks and our viewers.

We hope to have everything back up as soon as possible, and we’ll keep everyone posted as we move forward. I know a lot of people will be bummed out, but just know that this slight delay could mean a whole new future for Riese. We don’t want to disappoint you all, but I know you’d be even more disappointed if we left the rest of this epic tale untold.

So far fans seem to be supportive of the move on based on comments on a fan Live Journal community, with most saying they are bummed but wish the best for the creators. One fan wrote: “While I am a bit bummed that the episodes have been taken down, as I was JUST about to rewatch them, I’m also UBER excited about the new opportunities this will open up for this franchise! I will be eagerly awaiting the return of Riese and hopefully you guys will have inked a deal for iTunes distribution, so I can buy a season pass!”

We reached out to KoldCast TV CEO David Samuels, who is a big supporter (and web distributor) of the series:

When KoldCast TV licensed Riese, a top-notch series, only KoldCast and YouTube distributed it and we were thrilled to be working with Ryan Copple. We worked very hard to introduce the series to our international audience which is now in 138 countries. As is the case in our industry, we monetized the series through pre-roll ads which, at this time in our space, does not fully monetize any individual programming, whether at KoldCast TV or any other distribution platform. When Ryan reached out to us to share the basic details of the new opportunity that landed on his plate, we learned that foreign rights were a material component of the opportunity. At this time, KoldCast does not geo block our Network programming, making it impossible for Riese to close their proposed deal. Nonetheless, Ryan gave us the opportunity to complete the remaining term of our two-year licensing agreement. If we had done so, we would have stood in the way of a genuine opportunity for the show to have a shot at generating greater revenues in foreign markets. While legally entitled to do so, we told Ryan that such a decision was contrary to our support of filmmakers around the world and that we would step aside in support of the show. Though painful to give up such a great series, it was the right thing to do for Ryan and all those who have worked so hard to achieve their dream. It goes without saying, we wish them the best of luck and we will still be big fans.

Really, this kind of shoots the series in the foot here, stranding the core online fan community that helped garner the series its early support. Sure, this was by most accounts not an inexpensive production—with the budget estimated around $200,000 for the indie series—and seeking paid international distribution options makes business sense. But in terms of fan strategy this just seems careless. Online entertainment has proven an effective launching pad for concepts, storylines and talent precisely because of that early dedicated fan support. Suffocating that community and throwing into a digital catalog for the rest of the year could prove to be an expensive mistake. Here’s to hoping they get them back online shortly.

Riese on YouTube

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Comments

Mark Gardner - February 5th, 2010 3:07 pm

I’ve been torn on hearing about this.
On one hand I’m really excited that they have some great opportunities ahead and I’ve always said they’ll end up on TV at some point. So good on them.
On other hand it is a little disappointing that with such a dedicated online fan base that was expanding with the promising season 2 that they suddenly have to leave them. What they do have on their side is that the online community showed plenty of support for Riese before they even launched. Let’s hope they all stick around and that the team behind Riese stays engaged with the fans during this hiatus. It should be interesting to see where they end up, and hopefully it won’t take too long.

Tim Street - February 5th, 2010 3:48 pm

I think this is great. Web video is opening doors to creative freedom and monetization. There is a clear business model with foreign distribution and Independent producers need to take advantage of this revenue stream while it is still here.

NewbieHere - February 5th, 2010 5:50 pm

I foresee fan backlash coming from this, and the potentially similar “disappearance” of Karma Kula. As someone who wholeheartedly supported the boycott of SyFy(lys) after the Farscape disaster, my loyalties do NOT lie with corporate interests. That said, I do of course want to see content creators “succeed”, but whether that MUST translate into selling out…. I started buying webseries when I got the DVDs for Amanda Hades, and have continued to do so for modern series and projects as well, such as Dr Horrible, and others. (Despite the fact that I was not MADE to: the media was freely available already)

I will wait to see what format Riese (and Karma Kula) returns in, before deciding if I will just move on to more fan-embracing projects.

Tom - February 6th, 2010 12:44 am

Curious how does pulling episodes that have been watched and downloaded ad nauseam at this point help exactly, what does that gain you breaking the links and embeds and the presence so far? That would be an interesting story to hear soon.

Is it going to be redone completely from ep 1? Offered at a price now? How can that move enhance the profitability of a web series at this point? Or enhance negotiations?

I can see not doing any more new until you know where it can be shown, or you charge, or you end up on TV but pulling web episodes that are out for months what’s the upside?

Doug Spice - February 6th, 2010 3:01 am

To play devil’s advocate for a moment here: fans are spoiled. They have become accustomed to a huge selection of shows catering to hundreds of interests, all at a price point of exactly $0. In addition to that, many shows offer unprecedented access to their worlds and their talent. It’s something that some have come to EXPECT from an online experience. From a creative perspective (and as a show creator) that’s wonderful in many respects. It’s great that we have these many avenues now to reach out to fans and build relationships.

From a sustainable career perspective, it is poison. I feel comfortable suggesting that for every fan that has ever actually paid for a DVD or made a charitable contribution to their favorite shows, there are many more prepared to turn away in a huff at the first inkling that the show’s creators have “sold out” – even though it’s perfectly clear that “selling out” is actually the only way for 99% of shows to continue being made.

Obviously, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do that. I don’t know what the reasoning was in this case behind the decision to pull all the content; I guess that will have to play out in time. It feels like a poor choice, but clearly it was done for a reason.

Either way, fans need to realize that they’re only shooting themselves in the foot if they expect their favorite things to remain free, forever. It’s just not possible!*

* with rare exceptions

Andrew D - February 8th, 2010 5:38 pm

I agree with Doug completely. Yes, the decision (Was it a decision? I can’t tell if the creators agreed to or were contractually obligated to.) to bring the episodes down is a disappointment. But from reading their press release, it sounds like it was a necessary step. I can’t even fathom spending that much money on a show and then having people expect it for free. It’s a baffling that it’s their business model, and it’s baffling that viewers expect it work. As programming becomes higher quality, we need to be prepared to pay for it. That only makes sense.