The forums I frequent have been on the quiet side lately. I think this is one of those “eclipses” where a lot of people are deep into production mode on their next films, and time for chit-chat is minimal. In all likelihood, that should yield us a very strong set of summer releases which I’m looking forward to very much.

Amidst the relative quiet, there’s been a recent minor shake-up over at Sims99.com regarding “adult content” in films listed there. I call it minor because a very small number of films were affected, but it’s impacting those who were “banned” in a major way. A couple of the filmmakers are even feeling a bit guilty, as if they are responsible for the crackdown. I don’t think guilt is warranted here.

Several filmmakers have been pushing the envelope lately with machinima that has some more adult-oriented themes and/or content… most notably in The Sims 2. todnyc28’s acclaimed series, “The Fixer,” is perhaps the most edgy material to come out of that engine with its depiction of murders-for-hire and a fair share of skin. But it was two very recent releases that seemed to bring the issue to a head: “Hyperballad” by gillyflower, a music video for the Bjork song of the same name, and Jovial’s double-feature “Come My Way” and “Come Undone,” a pair of music videos telling a story of love and disappointment. Jovial’s films were a frank depiction of sensuality, and “Hyperballad” featured an unprecedented amount of artistic nudity. These, and some other films I’m sure, ultimately put Nova (the site admin at Sims99) in the difficult position of having to censor some films from the site, largely because of a commitment made to the site’s sponsors, but also in response to complaints she’d received from some of the site’s patrons.

It’s a tough situation, and one that other sites like Machinima.com and Machinima Premiere have thus far (somehow) been able to avoid. But this is an issue that any such site will have to confront one way or another. And that is: how to simultaneously satisfy these two distinct groups of viewers:

1. Minors and/or their parents, who do not want to be exposed to “adult content.” (In some countries, this is a legal imperative, not just a choice.)
2. Adults who don’t mind watching something comparable to pay cable stations in the U.S. (or standard television in most of Europe).

There’s not an easy answer to this problem, as anyone involved in cable television in the U.S. could probably tell us. Reasonable and unreasonable arguments are made on either side of the issue, and neither of the extreme ends of the continuum are likely to change their thinking any time soon. The workable answer probably lies in some kind of compromise.

No one wants the “brand” of an actual Adult Site, but it could be that someone will have to take up that mantle in order for content directed at “grown-ups” to get any reasonable exposure. Examples exist in areas of content development for The Sims 2, where age verification and in some cases a paid membership help regulate access to sensitive material, though I have no idea if these sites are losing or making any money.

DailyMotion.com might be worth a look. It’s kind of a Euro-YouTube, with far looser content restrictions than YouTube itself.

Until such a venue exists, filmmakers may need to take a lesson from Howard Stern and temper their material while the “public airwaves” are the only viable distribution medium, waiting for the time when they can have the freedom to do what they want in another venue. [No, I’m not suggesting that any of the films I mention above are crass or crude like Stern can be.] Where I’d recommend they NOT take a lesson from Stern is in the bitterness he let fester inside himself for so many years, which ultimately eroded the entertainment value of the very show he was so passionately fighting for.