Are Apps Bullsh*t? Or Are Apps (the kind that play on tablets) the Future For Indie Filmmakers Eager to Monetize Their Content?

Will tablets replace laptops and desktops?

With VOD becoming a viable source of revenue for indie films, should indie filmmakers rush to make their content (both their films and ancillary content, like behind-the-scenes videos and games) available for the New World of "touch and swipe" tablets?

That's the new world Jack Marshall of digiday (pictured above) is writing about in a January 11th, 2012 post from CES. Marshall observes that tablets represent "the largest change in the way humans interact with digital content since the advent of the mouse and the keyboard... touch and swipe is increasing both user engagement and the volume of content they consume."

I agree with Jack Marshall that tablets are set to boom because they are cheap and portable - and because the user experience is interactive and engaging.

Even if you think you'll never give up your laptop computer for a shiny new tablet -and you don't want users watching your film on a 7 inch screen - you must admit - with a natural and fun user interface and the price of tablets plummeting - the worldwide market for the "touch and swipe" content that plays on tablets is set to explode.

But how can indie filmmakers profit from this new platform?

Films will stream, but how will the other content around your film be delivered to tablets?

Many content companies are betting that the future will be apps - but other are focusing instead on rich Web experiences.

No one knows for sure which way the New World of content will unfold, but Jack Marshall explains that (as the mobile internet continues to improve) some insiders are predicting that web experiences will come to dominate the market: "Short-term apps [may be] the easiest way to get their content onto tablets, but the long-term solution is the web."

Support for the "apps are bullsh*t" position comes from startups, like OnSwipe, that are betting their future on tablets and the web (not apps). Here's a short video with the head of OnSwipe making his pitch:

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