(Guest post by James Mowery)
For many people, the recent advancements in computer technology have been life changing.
After all, it’s difficult to argue against the merits of having an entirely library of books, movies and music all at the tip of your fingertips on one device. That is, unless you are a filmmaker, musician or author.
Artists the world over have expressed their concern as of late about online delivery of their products, and for a variety of reasons. In particular, filmmakers are beginning to come down on online delivery, deeming it unsuitable for their work.
Filmmakers aren’t embracing online delivery for a variety of reasons.
For one, online delivery of films drastically increases the chance of movies being pirated, or stolen and freely disseminated throughout the Internet. While this practice is illegal, it runs rampant among internet users and shows no signs of slowing down. As a result, artists are losing out on the royalties they need in order to continue doing their work. Filmmakers, in particular, have seen the effects this problem has had on the industry first hand.
Perhaps the main reason why filmmakers are not exactly excited about online delivery is the fact that they feel as if their films aren’t being represented correctly through the medium. Films are meant to be viewed on a large screen with surround sound speakers, and most people who acquire movies through online delivery are watching them on their computer screens, listening to the sound through tiny speakers.
Filmmakers argue that this is not how their movies are meant to be experienced, and that opinions are thus skewed in different directions regarding the quality of the film.
Nevertheless, online delivery has truly taken off. Much to the dismay of filmmakers worldwide, many people consider it to be the wave of the future.
- James Mowery is a computer geek who writes about technology and related topics. To read more blog posts by him, go to Led TV.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Pirating aside, I would argue that a majority of people that purchase DVDs are also not watching the movies the way the filmmaker intended. I thought that was why they were shown in the theater first.
There’s also a simple math issue. When a movie plays in a theater, every viewer purchases one ticket (usually). 5 viewers = 5 tickets.
On-line, or with DVD rentals, a single rental can equal 1 viewer watching alone, or a family of 5 viewers watching together, or a party of 12+ viewers. Unless the rentals cost $15-$20.00, that won’t provide a reliable return for a production investment of over a million dollars. If it wants to survive, the film industry has to run like a business, not a charity.
It’s the new cinema thriller: HOLLYWOOD FACES REALITY!!!
The internet isn’t going away….. Movie makers will have to adjust/cope ~~ or go away…..
It’s the Hollywood version of “The First Church of What’s Happenin’ Now!”
Note to filmmakers:
I want to watch films the way I want to watch them. I don’t want you or the theater controlling the sound, where I sit, when I can go to the can, what I can eat or drink, whether or not I am dressed or undressed.
I don’t want my shoes sticking to the floor in something I can only hope is no worse than a spilled soft drink. I don’t want to sit in a seat that might have previously held some Hollywood ‘fame whore’ without underwear who might be carrying the gift that keeps on giving. I don’t want to hear cellphones ringing and the subsequent conversation. I don’t want to hear babies crying or toddlers fussing. I don’t want to miss some of the movie because my bladder insists on attention.
Now, IF the credits include PIXAR I might drag myself to the theater.
I can easily connect my hard drive to a TV and watch with great speakers. I have found movies I never heard of before, such as “In a Day,” and “Finding Bliss,” that I never would have heard of before and I really love them. I can see Todd Solondz’s (sp?) films. I am in a curious and tolerant mood when I’m at home. I still go to movies just as often, or even more often because I’m “into” them more.
The times, they are a-changin’.
I went to see “Inception” (what “Avatar” SHOULD have been, story-wise) at the cinema and was *dismayed* by the sticker shock.
I concur with WWTW’s recurring theme that, most recently with 3-D films being increased with 3-D ticket prices, the cinema-going experience long has become too pricey an enterprise to get a pleasurable ROI.
Add to this the ever-improving online content delivery systems – I LOOOOVE the Wii-enabled Netflix streaming – and the incentive for us non-teen-aged/Collegian demographic members to screen films at the cinema diminishes even more so.
Want me to go to the movies more and not watch them at home? Eliminate these reasons why I convince myself not to go.
1. Shut people up. I hate being at movies where people talk. Use ushers or whatever you need to accomplish this.
2. Lower concession prices. I realize huge profits come from this, but at the end of the day, I don’t like spending $20-$30.00 on snacks for my kids and I. Cut the price of a large tub of popcorn in half, you still would make a huge profit margin, and I would be more likely to pay for your concession products.
3. You do realize dont you, that as ticket prices have risen, movie quality has fallen?
4. Eliminate ads before the movies start. I can save 20 minutes of my day by watching the movies at home where there are no ads.
I also think that the studios and theater chains need to work on creating a new business model. It’s the same basic business model that was used almost 100 years ago.