In "Magnolia" a phone call resulted in the delivery of a loaf of bread, some water, perhaps, some peanut butter, and, oh yeah, several magazines for which Mr. Flynt has built an empire.

      In a world where everything has to be faster, better, and more efficient, we have to invent new terms to describe the next speed. For the Internet generation, speed is sometimes broad, or broadband. Broadband technology and the other forms of highspeed Internet connections have truly made multimedia web surfing a reality. With or without Broadband, Robofilms.com brings the web savvy multimedia hungry populace movies on-demand.

      A few weeks ago, while rolling around the web (I'm running out of descriptions for "surfing"), I happened upon a cool little site filled with everything from animated shorts, to feature length motion pictures. To some of you, already comfortable with Napster and compressing processes, you know from what I've written here that I have little grasp of the new terminology and have yet to feel the multimedia strength of the Net. For the rest of you, who do not have to shield your eyes from daylight and who more than occasionally breath air unfiltered by a heating and cooling system, sites like Robofilms.com may be a pleasant surprise.

      Kevin Feinstein the Robofilms founder and president, sat down with einsiders.com on October 16, 2000, and October 17, 2000, to introduce us to his little corner in cyberspace.

EInsiders.com: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to be involved with Robofilms.

Homestar Runner Cartoons, some of Robofilms' most popular short subjects.

Kevin Feinstein: Well, I went the film school at Florida State University. After I graduated, I put together an independent feature film, shot on DV as did many of my classmates. We thought, "oh, no, what do we do with these films, everybody and their grandmother has a made a no?budget film, nobody is going to want it." Our budget seriously was only a few hundred dollars. So then I thought, "I'll distribute the movies myself" via the Internet. But looking around the net for film sites, you find sites such as Ifilm and Atomfilms, that are these huge corporate sites. They are confusing and ugly, and uninteresting, and all they have are "Wassup!" spoofs. So, I started robofilms in order for filmmakers to have a place to distribute their films. Since then robofilms has evolved into a company that is about helping the world and assisting filmmakers. The Interest gives you a great opportunity to make a living and not sell out. At least I hope it does :)

What position do you hold with Robofilms?

I am the founder/president.

Where are the headquarters located?

Nowhere, really. Robofilms exists in cyberspace. The mail is sent to Tallahassee, Florida. All the people who work for robofilms graduated from Florida State

Did the Pop.com failure scare you or encourage you?

No, we had already started robofilms when I heard about Pop.com. We don't want to "join the game" so to speak, anyway. We just want to provide good content to entertain and inform.

I noticed that you feature films that are not produced by your site, how did you hook up with those other sites?

Gin Daddy, a live action comedy hosted by Robofilms.

We just link them.

Do you ask permission, or is it something that is just done?

We go around, find movies we really like that are hosted on other sites, and we just link them, giving our own description. We act as a "portal" as well as a movie site.

Last night, I was reading and watching clips on a tough little site badmovies.org, The site has a very simple section on copyright. Any worries that you guys might go beyond the "fair use" exception?

I don't see how. We are not to our knowledge violating any copyrights. Linking other sites is perfectly acceptable. We've been linked by several sites without our permission because no such permission is required.

You like the free exchange of content?

Go Napster!

Tell us about how you find your films.

Which ones? The ones we host or the ones we link?

The ones that you actually host, "Hacksaw" for example. Linking has already been covered.

Hacksaw: Foot Dead Up Your Ass, great title, shows blacksploitation promise. Don't trust whitey! Likeable cast lead by fresh face Dean Muhammed

Several of them are student films from contacts of ours. Several have been submitted by random viewers. We have filmmakers that consistently send their stuff to robofilms for exposure.

Do you pay them anything for their films?

No, not yet, anyway.

How long has Robofilms been up?

We went live June 23, 2000.

How did you raise the capital? Do you do this full time?

We raised the capital through credit cards, saved money, friends and relatives. Yes, I do this full time, several other of our employees hold additional jobs.

It must be exciting to work for yourself. Are you incorporated?

We are incorporated at the moment.

How does it feel to be the corporate head?

Confusing because the modern concept of a corporation is so whacked.

How so?

It's like joining the system in order to change it, etc. That's why it is confusing. Ever since a court case after the civil war, corporations in this country were given god like power. They have the "rights" of people but no liability really. So, today they are the feudal lords of the world. At least, the big multi?national ones. It's like "all politicians are liars," but running for office to help make things better. That's why being a head of a corporation is confusing for me.

Tell us about the technology. How do you digitize the films?

Using Media Cleaner Pro, QuickTime codecs. We have a DV cam and firewire with our Macs. Almost all of us have Macs, so, if I said Mac or PC your answer would be....

I notice that some films flow better than others, why are their differences?

Films we did earlier on may be slightly less quality than more recent films, but no one to date but you has noticed anything of this sort. I guess a few of the films may look different because they were emailed to us already compressed, but only a small number of them are like this.

Maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. Do you take raw video and pump it into your computer or what? Give us some pointers for submitting films. What about films that are not on Video but on real film, what about the transfer process?

In order for a film to get on robofilms somewhere along the line raw video (VHS, Hi?8, DV, etc) must be digitized into the computer, via video card or most commonly today via firewire then compressed using software. Films . . . all of our movies were on some sort of video format when digitized, even the ones that were shot on film.

Any suggestions for increasing our download speeds?

Get broadband :) With DSL and cable modems, all of robofilms movies "stream." They start playing immediately.

How would filmmakers submit their films to your site?

: Filmmakers need to email us at submit@robofilms.com with the following information:

title
director and/or animator
Run Time
Synopsis

Robofims staff, they may stand out at a party..

What's next for Robofilms?

Robofilms is in the works with many companies in hopes of making partnerships. We are now accepting submissions for the Atomic Holocaust Film Festival, that we will host in the near future.

Tell us about the Atomic Holocaust Film Festival? Isn't it some kind of Cold War leftover? What about doing a festival devoted to "Waterworld" see the September issue of Time, there are actual lakes that run for miles in the Arctic where there used to be ice just 10 years ago. I'm kidding, tell us about the festival.

: There are many dangers that face the world today, and I think the greatest one is the destruction of our ecosystem due to the decadence that surrounds us. Nuclear War, though still very possible, makes one think about the future, but at the same time you can sit back and laugh at the silly "duck and cover" propaganda.

You mentioned earlier that you are a filmmaker yourself, what are you doing as a filmmaker or writer?

I am working on a feature script right now. I wrote the pilot to an animated Sci-fi series that's still on the robofilms drawing board. I am editing a DV feature I shot last summer.

Do you prefer to be on the East Coast?

It's beautiful out West. Probably will relocate there at some point, but not LA.

I spoke with a producer, actor, writer, filmmaker in Chicago who told me that doing the "jack of all trades" thing opened up doors for him. Do you find that your site is opening doors for you?

Yes, doors are opening up for robofilms. I'm sure that will lead to more opportunities for my filmmaking as well.

Met anybody famous? Any of your directors get features or paying jobs directing/writing etc, yet?

Well, the guys that make the "Homestar Runner" cartoons have had a few pitches to the cartoon network.

What will be the lifespan for Robofilms? Are you in it for the long haul or is this just a stepping stone?

We'll just take whatever the defense gives us ?? :) After all, the economy could collapse tomorrow. I think what's important to robofilms is the message, the cause--to make the world a better place, where everyone is free and happy and, to assist independent filmmakers and artists.

Art or Business?

Public service and rent money.

Mac or PC?

Mac

Bush or Gore, Nader or that other guy?

Nader!

Vote for someone on November 7, 2000, and visit Robofilms.com today, you won't be disappointed.

Jonathan W. Hickman