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Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

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Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#91
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It works fine here. Why use OpenDNS? They mess with your DNS results. Instead, try 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4: http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using.html

Google DNS makes for a suboptimal Netflix CDN load-balancing experience. :(

Would OpenDNS be any better in that regard?

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#92
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More valuable than the long tail is that he probably has an email list of ~20,000 people -- and more by the hour -- who have demonstrated interest in paying money for Louis C.K. comedy specials. I trust I don't need to tell you what to do with that if you're the exclusive producer of Louis C.K. comedy specials.

I'm curious where you're getting the 20k figure from. He mentions only that he's sold over 110k copies, but not what percentage of people opted in to the mail list.

Its a guesstimate based on what clients of mine or I get for opt-in in similar situations, with a discount based on his customer population disproportionately being Redditors or demographically similar to them. I figured "Meh, 20% sounds about right."

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#93
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagree. I've never bought a comedy DVD in my life, because frankly, an hour of humor isn't worth $15 + the overhead of receiving a package and storing a physical artifact in perpetuity. But $5, I can have it in seconds, and forget about it until I want it again? Different story entirely. So I bought it. I don't think I did it because it was an experiment - if every comedian released stuff like this, I feel like I'd…

You're proving my entire point. You bought this because it's an experiment, you wanted to validate the experiment.

Unless he likes the business model, and it meets his needs. The novelty of the model is unrelated to it's efficacy.

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#94
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious where you're getting the 20k figure from. He mentions only that he's sold over 110k copies, but not what percentage of people opted in to the mail list.

Its a guesstimate based on what clients of mine or I get for opt-in in similar situations, with a discount based on his customer population disproportionately being Redditors or demographically similar to them. I figured "Meh, 20% sounds about right."

Fair enough.

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#96

I really hope people don't turn this into a "Louis CK did it, so you should publish without DRM!". I agree with the anti-drm sentiment a lot of people hold, but this experiment only worked because it's "rare". Every time something like this is done people use it as evidence of the viability of the idea (Radiohead's pay what you want comes to mind too) and that really shouldn't be done. The only reason I heard about t…

this experiment only worked because it's "rare"

I said the same thing about the humble indie bundle, but they seem to be doing really well still!

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#97
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're proving my entire point. You bought this because it's an experiment, you wanted to validate the experiment.

Of course this is personal analysis of my own motivations and thus hardly scientific, but yeah, my whole point was that I think I would buy this even if it wasn't an experiment. I didn't buy Trent Reznor or Radiohead's experiments because I don't like their music, but I did want to see this show, so I bought it.

Because two points make a line and therefore are irrefutable (ha ha), I'd like to add that I also passed on those experiments and bought the DVD. It was $5, just like the games I tend to buy on Steam. But if it were $15+, I would have passed, like I have on the rest of his DVDs.

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#98

Can anyone comment on the $170,000 cost to produce the video? He says he edited it himself so that pricetag must cover only the recording side of it. Is this cost a reflection of the price that large studios normally pay, or would he have gotten this rate from a smaller shop as well?

My interpretation is that this was the cost of the cameras, cameramen, and venue (tickets, box office, ushers, sound setup, soundboard, lights, spotlights, advertisements). Basically, all the costs associated with getting people in the seats and the show on film (or whatever the cameras record to)

Re: Louis C.K. experiment results: over $500,000 in 4 days

#100

Can anyone comment on the $170,000 cost to produce the video? He says he edited it himself so that pricetag must cover only the recording side of it. Is this cost a reflection of the price that large studios normally pay, or would he have gotten this rate from a smaller shop as well?

This one video spanned three performances (Nov 10, 11, 12). Three nights in the Beacon theatre + audio/video engineers + equipment + set + lighting + production assistants + security + travel expenses + other stuff I can't imagine.

I'm sure it adds up quick.

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