Well, we’ve had an exciting week here at b-side. Last Friday, Four Eyed Monsters made history by becoming the first feature film to be posted in its entirety on YouTube, and featured on the YouTube home page. As I write this, FEM is closing in on 400,000 views.

This raises some interesting questions. Sure, Sony is not going to release their next Spiderman for free on the internet. But when 95% of films lose money at the box office, shouldn’t the goal of any filmmaker really be to have more people find out about their movie? And if the movie is one that connects with an audience, odds are good that more people seeing it for free means more people who will a) want to buy a download or DVD, and b) tell other people about it.

So for an independent film, what’s “better” — a two-week run in NY and LA that puts the producers $150k in the hole, or 400,000 direct “engagements” in less than a week? We don’t know the answer yet, but either way this is clearly a bit of history here.

I am personally thrilled that Susan and Arin have invited b-side to be their partner in making history. While anyone can watch FEM for free on YouTube, b-side is currently the only place to buy DVDs and downloads of FEM.

For those of you that might not know the FEM story, Arin Crumley and Susan Buice have redefined DIY indie distribution through a combination of their brilliant video podcasts with online community building on MySpace, YouTube, and their own website at www.foureyedmonsters.com. The podcasts, which have served essentially as an internet reality show chronicling their efforts to get the film seen, have had over a million downloads in the past 18 months.

Given how far Susan and Arin have come completely on their own, it’s even more exciting that they turned to b-side to help distribute FEM online. Which brings us to the point of why b-side exists in the first place: to help filmmakers earn money for their work.

By their own estimates, Arin and Susan are $150k in debt from making FEM. They have found a generous sponsor for their YouTube run in Spout.com, who is paying them $1 for every person who signs up with Spout.

The other key way to help them pay off their credit cards is to buy FEM on b-side. I am thrilled we can support them, and am asking you to do the same.

If you watch FEM on YouTube, or watch the preview and podcasts on b-side, and you like what you see, please support these filmmakers by buying a DRM-free download or DVD. As with all b-side films, they earn a generous cut of every single sale.

Due to the overwhelming success of this first week, Susan and Arin have decided to extend their YouTube run for two months. And we’ll be here right alongside them. Check it out, tell a friend, and be a little part of history.