Metacafe Slaps 'Middle of Nowhere' with Adult Rating, Director Ticked


Middle Of Nowhere - video powered by Metacafe

I've been experimenting lately with several video sharing sites to see who offers the best features and options. One thing that really intrigued me about Metacafe, is their Producers Rewards program. This program allows filmmakers to make money on their uploads, based on number of viewings. Some producers have made up to $25,000 using this site, so why not try it?

A little over a week ago I uploaded my short film, Middle of Nowhere, to the Metacafe servers under the Producer Rewards program. It was quickly made live, and it had some views. I didn't expect a ton of eyeballs (and probably no money) mostly due to the five minute running time. This was just an experiment, after all.

Today, I can't find my movie. After logging on, I see that my film has been dropped from Producer Rewards, and now has an 18+ tag, placing it with other 'adult material'. Now, no one can watch my movie on Metacafe without going through this confirmation:

The video you are about to watch is intended for mature audiences. Its content may be offensive. You must be over 18 to continue. Please note that this action will disable the Family Filter allowing mature content to be listed in your search results.

Are you kidding me? Did they really watch the film? Middle of Nowhere has no nudity, no sex, no bad language, and only implied violence. It may be intense but its content may be offensive? Give me a break!

I shot off an email detailing everything, and am awaiting a response before I make a final judgement on the whole deal. I'll keep you informed.

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