The movie industry is changing rapidly, due in part to the adoption of digital technologies. Distributors now send films to theaters electronically. Consumers can purchase or rent movies instantly online and then watch them on their high-definition televisions, their laptops, or even their cell phones. Meanwhile, social media technologies allow independent filmmakers to raise money and sell their movies directly to the public. All of these changes contribute to an “on-demand culture,” a shift that is radically altering film culture and contributing to a much more personalized viewing experience.

Chuck Tryon offers a compelling introduction to a world in which movies have become digital files. He navigates the complexities of digital delivery to show how new modes of access—online streaming services like YouTube or Netflix, digital downloads at iTunes, the popular Redbox DVD kiosks in grocery stores, and movie theaters offering digital projection of such 3-D movies as Avatar—are redefining how audiences obtain and consume motion picture entertainment. Tryon also tracks the reinvention of independent movies and film festivals by enterprising artists who have built their own fundraising and distribution models online.

Unique in its focus on the effects of digital technologies on movie distribution, On-Demand Culture offers a corrective to address the rapid changes in the film industry now that movies are available at the click of a button.

CHUCK TRYON is an assistant professor in the English department at Fayetteville State University. He is the author of Reinventing Cinema: Movies in the Age of Media Convergence (Rutgers University Press) and has written for Screen, the Journal of Film and Video, Popular Communications, and the Canadian Journal of Film Studies.

"A fascinating study of the current state of film culture … Tryon's book contributes quite well to the necessary project of intervening in how history - in particular 'popular culture' history - is documented."

"On-Demand Culture provides a compelling exploration of new technologies and opportunities for accessing film and television and methods for assessing changes to business practices, distribution, and consumer viewership. It is an up-to-date and fully engaging exploration of the impact of digital delivery and new technologies upon producers and consumers as efforts continue to increase viewership, find new forms of entertainment, and gain access to more media in an expanding marketplace."

"On-Demand Culture should be in demand for an instructor looking to add a highly readable and pertinent text that engages with new models of digital delivery and discourse in film industry and culture."

"On-Demand Culture explores how technological advances and economic imperatives have brought films to our computers, living rooms, and cell phones. Tyron’s analysis is a welcome addition to the field and well worth reading.

"Tryon compellingly argues that digital distribution, while offering new avenues and venues for film and television, is contributing to a fragmented and individualized media culture…an interesting and insightful read."

"Distribution finally gets its due in Tryon's rich exploration of contemporary digital media practices. On-Demand Culture is an absolutely indispensable guide to the landscape of dramatic changes transforming our media culture."