Stranger Things Season 4, Part 1

“Mom, where do filters come from?”

Filtering, New Releases

1:00 am MT, Season 4 of Stranger Things is released on Netflix. 

1:01 am MT, VidAngel’s team starts working.

 

Stranger Things Season 4 dropped on Netflix at 1 am this morning. And that means we’ve been up ever since with one goal in mind—making a show as popular as Stranger Things available for you to enjoy with precise filters as quickly as possible. No exceptions. 

 

Our tagging team watches each episode and identifies anything that could potentially be filtered. This is a painstakingly detailed, frame-by-frame process. And we do this twice to ensure precision. Good ol’ rinse and repeat. After tags have been prepped for each episode, it is ready for VidAngel.

 

After nearly 3 years, 1,058 days to be exact, the wait for a new season of Stranger Things is over. Stranger Things Season 4, Part 1 is officially LIVE on VidAngel.

 

Hollywood Launches a New Film Policy: Clothes

Filtering, Press

BREAKING NEWS – Hollywood is banning all nudity from films. Distraught and confused, one actor stated, “Being clothed isn’t what I signed up for.” Another source says they’re worried about the agenda Hollywood is trying to push on their children. 

In the midst of utter chaos and uncertainty, Hollywood came out with a troubling statement, “These are dark times for us all. To our directors, writers, and producers, we know that not objectifying our actors is unthinkable. For many, your biggest nightmare is now your reality. People will have to enjoy your movies for their storyline and your actors’ performances.”

Producers are deeply concerned this new policy will foster better morals and respect in the workplace. Many have already threatened to strike in protest. Only one thing can be certain, Hollywood as we know it is over. 

 

Just kidding. Hollywood is still the same, and that’s why VidAngel is here. Because romance in film is possible with clothes on, conversations can be had without curse words, and action movies can be enjoyed without someone’s head getting cut off.

Happy April Fools.

 

Why We Don’t Do Disney

FAQ, Filtering, Technology

Hello VidAngel Family,

 

At VidAngel we provide filters for a lot of movies and TV shows. This year we’re offering about 1000 new movies and episodes every quarter. That’s an average of 10 new titles every day. But at some point our customers will search for a movie or TV show they cannot find. Sometimes it may be a show that’s off the beaten path. Maybe a hidden gem we didn’t know about. When that’s the case, please tell us. We’re usually willing to bend over backwards to take care of our customers, (unless they want filters for
250 episodes of M*A*S*H, which they remember fondly from 1978).

There are some movies and TV shows we don’t filter because of their studio affiliation. As many of our long-time customers know, VidAngel fought an extended and costly battle with Hollywood in a fight to keep filtering alive. The instigators of the litigation were Disney and Warner Brothers.

For four years VidAngel fought for the rights of you, our members, to control how you experience media in your home. So when Disney chose to settle, it was cause for celebration. Our business was intact. Our customers stuck with us (thank you!). And you can still watch filtered TV and movies in your home.

However, part of that agreement was that we would not filter content from the plaintiff studios or their affiliates—which means the Disney universe (Hulu, HBO, Fox, Newline, Touchstone, Lucasfilm, Searchlight, Marvel) and Warner Brothers. We’re hoping that Disney and its partners have a change of heart.

We will keep trying as well. We consider it our mission. In the meantime, can I suggest you try one of our other 2500 movies or 10,000 TV episodes? Try searching by category on our home page. You should find plenty that you and your family will enjoy.

 

Thank you,


Bill Aho
CEO, VidAngel

Introducing VidAngel Entertainment

FAQ, Filtering, Technology

Hello VidAngel Family,

I am pleased to tell all VidAngel customers that a new company, VidAngel Entertainment, is now running the VidAngel filtering business.  We purchased the assets from the former VidAngel Inc., which has been rebranded as Angel Studios and is now focused exclusively on a quest to redefine the studio business with an innovative model and a commitment to positive content.

This change officially took place on March 1st and the experience for most of our customers has been seamless. We had a couple of small hiccups, but when problems arise, we jump to fix them, day or night.

Our commitment to filtering is stronger than ever.  And while our company is new, our team is not.  We brought with us all the employees that have been working on VidAngel filtering—because they love the product and care deeply about our customers.  I have also been involved in filtering in the past.  I was formerly the CEO of ClearPlay and spent years fighting Hollywood and, eventually, getting Congress to pass The Family Movie Act.

Many people are aware of the lawsuit that VidAngel also fought with the studios the past four years, which resulted in the company filing for bankruptcy.  What some people don’t know is that the lawsuit has been successfully settled, the bankruptcy closed and behind us and the VidAngel filtering business is alive and well and growing rapidly.  Already through the first three months of this year, we’ve released filters for nearly 1000 movies and television shows.

We are also pleased to have Season 2 of The Chosen available to VidAngel subscribers.  This critically acclaimed series has been wildly successful and some families have found that they enjoy it even more with some mild filtering, which is available on our site.

We are making a few changes.  We’re increasing investment in the product technology, which has been neglected while the company was in litigation.  And we’ve added to our Customer Support team, to make sure that when you have questions, we’re ready with answers.  And finally, the VidAngel filtering business is growing again, which is fun and exciting for all of us.

We love to hear from our customers, with personal testimonials, or suggestions for how we can do even better.  Sometimes people will ask how they can help support our cause.  The best way is to tell your friends.  Over 50% of our new members heard about VidAngel from a friend or family member.  We are humbled to have so many word-of-mouth endorsements and promise to do everything in our power to delight each customer.  There’s nothing that makes us happier than when a customer says that VidAngel has blessed their families.

 

Thank you all,

Bill Aho

CEO, VidAngel Entertainment, Inc.

 

FAQ: Would VidAngel Paint Over Nude Paintings?

FAQ

Nope.

This is a metaphor we hear a lot. And the answer is no. It is illegal to forcibly change art that does not belong to you. It would also be illegal for VidAngel to created an edited version of a movie and then sell it to you. We don’t do that.

Now, just like how your Great Aunt Ethel is free to buy a miniature statue of David and knit him a tiny pair of 1940s style trousers, you are also free to skip scenes and mute words in movies you watch at home.

With VidAngel you buy the movie, then filter content you own in the privacy of your home. You aren’t even making an edited version; you’re using VidAngel like a remote control. (A really cool, hi-tech remote that you won’t lose in the crusty crevices of your couch.)

FAQ: Does VidAngel Ruin Art?

FAQ

Yes and no.

Directors have visions for how their movies should be. But when you take the movie home, that vision starts to change. You can fast forward sex scenes. You can miss a whole scene while making popcorn. You can squeal and cover your child’s ears when you know a bad word is about to drop. This isn’t what the director envisioned. But the director doesn’t get to decide what you watch in your home; you do.

Some people may think VidAngel ruins art, especially for certain movies. If they feel that way about every movie, then VidAngel is probably not for them.

But not everyone feels that way. Many people wouldn’t watch certain movies because of the mature content. With VidAngel, their artistic experience is elevated because they are seeing movies they would not have watched otherwise.

Why did VidAngel Publish Fifty Shades of Gray, Wolf of Wall Street and Game of Thrones?

Parents, tagging

UPDATE [9/29/2015]: We’ve just released a new feature that allows you to hide any movie on the VidAngel website. We will soon be extending this feature out to apps. This gives you and me more control over our VidAngel experience.

ORIGINAL: This is a question we’re commonly asked and that we were forced to ask ourselves before we decided to build VidAngel. In the beginning, as we grappled with this issue, we decided not to make VidAngel a moral authority for other people, but to create a community that empowers a broad range of people, cultures, moralities to be able to make better media decisions.

Personally, based on what I’ve heard, these movies seem like pornography with a story line. And the research about pornography and its impact on society is very well documented at Fight the New Drug. I don’t know if these have any story line left after being filtered, but the community seems to think so.

Even though VidAngel can cut out graphic sex, violence and profanity, that does not make a movie worth watching.

Check the tags of these movies and you’ll be able to quickly see if it matches your own personal standards. They absolutely don’t match mine. As a founder of VidAngel, I do not recommend these movies to families, even with a filter.

In fact, personally, I choose not to watch much of the content on VidAngel due to the nature of the movies. I’m kind of simple, but I really like movies that uplift me.

Here’s a reminder about VidAngel’s principles:

VidAngel Stands Against:

Justification To Watch More Bad Content:
If the content of the movie as a whole is against your standards, don’t use VidAngel to justify watching it.

Forced Censorship:
What you watch should be your choice in your home. Your neighbor will likely have different standards than you, and that is okay as long as you and your family don’t have to watch what everyone else watches.

No “Taking One For The Team”:
As a member of the VidAngel community, you agree to only participate in tagging movies/videos you would already watch without filtering. There are always other people who have different standards willing to filter the harder content. The ends don’t justify the means.

VidAngel Stands For:

More Choice:
VidAngel gives families a larger library of good content to choose from without compromising your family standards.

Watching More Good Content:
There are lots of films that have great messages, but often the filmmakers might have a different set of standards than you do. That’s okay. VidAngel allows you to enjoy the parts of their content you agree with, not worrying about breaking your own family rules.

To Summarize:
Members of the VidAngel community decided they wanted to tag these movies. They had already chosen to watch the movies in theaters or on HBO before they choose to tag them.

If a movie is released that no one in our community is willing to watch before tagging, then that movie will never be published on VidAngel. There’s no taking one for the team, period.

But I personally will never let my own family near this content and lots of other content. A lot of people would say I’m over the top. And for many, I am. But because I want the right to choose to watch both what and how I want, I also want to afford that right to others. Others will choose for themselves.

VidAngel is about empowering families and individuals to be able to make better content decisions, even if that means choosing not to watch movies with a filter.

Of course, we’re open to improving our policies based on community feedback.

Best regards,
– Neal Harmon, VidAngel Founder