New video management software debuts
Dotstudioz promises one-stop solution for sharing, distributing and monetizing
For the founders of Vancouver’s Dotstudioz, this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival has special significance.
Joe Pascual, Phoenix Gonzalez and Selena Paskalidis, all filmmakers themselves, have been working toward the release this week of their new video management software that gives content creators a one-stop solution for sharing, distributing and making money from their films and videos.
The new platform, dotstudio-PRO, is geared to a wide range of users, from the producer of a single video to multi-channel networks and multi-platform networks.
“Dotstudioz is the only Canadian company really in the space doing this kind of model,” said Pascual.
The big push to get dotstudio-PRO ready in time for the film festival started last December when the company raised $830,000 in seed funding, giving it the financial boost it needed to set other work aside and focus on the new release, which is a total revamp of its earlier product.
“This version of dotstudio-PRO is scalable from one person who’s uploading one feature film that they want to monetize either through advertising or through VOD (video on demand), all the way to being able to bring in multiple channels and bring in a whole catalogue of videos they would like to monetize, all the way to the multi-platform network where we actually connect that content as well as their brand, their own application, within all the connected devices — whether it’s a Roku box or a smart TV,” said Pascual.
“It’s all managed and tracked through one dashboard. So all the monetization, advertising as well as transactional VOD and moving into SVOD (subscription video on demand), as well in the future, is all managed.”
Dotstudio-Pro has both a free version and paid versions with more features that vary in cost depending on the needs of the company. For content creators who want to try it out or manage just a few videos, the free model offers two movie uploads a month, for a limited time, allowing new users up to one terabyte per month of CDN (Content Delivery Network) usage free.
The enterprise version delivers more professional tools and allows companies to create their own branded sites.
“The way we’ve architected it we are enabling a bridge for free users to become enterprise users,” said Pascual. “They can bridge from being a single creator to being their own brand.”
Dotstudio-PRO also works with YouTube videos and allows users to embed their video-ondemand network on their Facebook site. It can be used to create microsites for companies and content creators, allowing them to brand and make money from their videos, with advertising, paywalls and rental fees enabling them to create their own video on demand.
Content creators can limit distribution by geographic region and they can syndicate their playlists across multiple platforms and channels — from smartphones to smart TVs. Ads can be provided through a deal with Dotstudioz or users can schedule their own ads, just as they would for traditional television.
It also provides for in-depth audience analytics and the ability for users to engage with their viewers.
“We believe the more we can be transparent with data, the more it unlocks monetization,” said Pascual.
Added co-founder Selena Paskalidis: “We always say content is king, data is queen.”