It's not an idea that hasn't been thought of before, but it is perhaps an idea whose time has come: With telecom operators in India looking now to leverage video content on 3G (i.e. fatter-than-2G) pipes, FridayMoviez has launched short films for the web and the mobile - FridayMoviez' WAP portal (http://m.fridaymoviez.com) was launched on 17th December 2010. Idea Cellular is a sponsor for the first five films being released, and even then, their content isn't available on the WAP portals of any telecom operator yet (i.e. not "on deck"). Sushant Baliga, MD, Friday Moviez told MediaNama that being on-deck is "A different revenue game. Right now, it's clear cut data charges on mobile. We're in talks with all telecom operators, and will assess how we launch. For now, we'll stick to sponsorship for monetization. I want my movies to be seen by as many people as possible." "We'll produce 10-20 minute films, something that you can watch on the way back home from office, or while waiting for a flight," he added. Friday Moviez intends to release three films each Friday. But can sponsorship pay for the cost of production of short films? Baliga wasn't very specific, but said that they've invested in production equipment up-front, to reduce cost of renting, and will keep cost of production low. 11 films, pre-productions from FridayMoviez, are ready. One film is already available for viewing - Inbox - and three are expected to be launched later this week - Rupantaran, Colleague, Buddhi…
