Louis C.K. and the DIY DVD Experiment

The answer to stabilizing content and price is letting artists retain greater control of their work.

Louis C.K. likes to do things himself. He likes having control over his work and being able to share the process and proceeds however he likes. It seems to be successful. In December, he made more than a million dollars--in 12 days--from a DRM-free and modestly priced video he created and posted to his website.

Louis C.K. is a comedian. His TV show on FX, Louie, is a comparatively low-budget, largely biographical affair. FX paid about $200,000 for the pilot and $250,000 per episode ($300,000 per episode for season two). He had to produce the show out of that money, leaving far less than most TV stars make (and far less than other networks might have offered). But there was one alluring catch: full editorial control...