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Topic: Iron Man prints have locks (here we go again)

Michael Wilkinson
The Entertainment King of Colusa and Beyond

Posts: 89
From: Colusa, CA USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 05-08-2008 02:56 AM

My initial steamed response to the locked cans was mostly from the perspective of someone who is sad to see industry trends coming to what they are.

Look at what happened to many of the biggest music store chains!
In a matter of a few years the music store has all but gone away....due to both illegal and legal downloads.

I get it; the need to protect the motion picture exhibition and video industries from piracy too. I don't know how this will be accomplished.

But all I do know is that on any given day I can pick a nearby town (this one included), and not have to look to far before someone is selling bootleg DVDs of what I'm playing.

What theatre manager/owner hasn't received a "discmakers" catalog? Gee I wonder if I should buy that fancy package that can make 2000 jacketed copies per hour? Who do you think that they are marketing too?

So we are in a sad state here...I just don't think that things like cheesy padlocks or timecode locks (on digital prints) are going to solve the problem. I was steamed for two reasons: 1) I wanted to screen the print for problems prior to the Thursday "Special Advance Screening" and 2) Because I wanted to see it-both for my own selfish benefit and to be able to inform customers about the film. Take away reason 2 and look at the B-S that Brad had to deal with. For someone who has pride in a presentation and cares about the industry I couldn't think of a bigger nightmare.

Hypothetical reality if pirating goes unchecked: Legal movie downloads will be forced day and date with theatrical releases---and we know that would mean video stores will be a thing of the past much like many music stores are now. Theatres will still have a niche for those who still want a night out but over all there will be a huge downsizing in theatrical exhibition. Film studios and TV providers will also lose out here affecting the quality of film production and, possibly TV distribution.

I sure don't want to see any of that happen but I do think that some of the above is a potential reality if pirating remains unchecked.

About the locked cans: "don't cut off your nose to spite your face." Isn't the purpose of cap codes (besides looking like crap) to aid in determining the original source of the in-theatre pirate?

Rather than locks I would be willing have some new terms and conditions added to my studio contract on protocol for pre-screenings and piracy prevention.

If the cans or digital sources must be locked how about the theatre getting the codes upon the prints safe arrival or at least 24 hours before the first show?

Or-how bout a safety seal that the operator could break open and be required to confirm that the print had not been tampered with? (Isn't that what the green things are supposed to be for on the Technicolor prints?)

At least that way if there was a problem with a print something could be done about it in time for the first show to the public.

...And I do feel that theatre operators are getting a little too much share of the blame here.

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 05-08-2008 05:48 AM

quote: Rene Ferron
As an example, that the movie 88 Minutes. A popular torrent site released a DVD quality on 27/02/2008 and the official release date for 88 Minutes was 18/04/2008. So how can this be ? there is no CAM version of it, just a strait DVD quality.

88 Minutes I believe was released internationally in 2007. It may have been out on DVD internationally before the US theatrical release (I'm not sure).

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