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Topic: Film releases to DVD during the release engagement

Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-30-2005 01:29 PM

quote: Frank Dubrois
Just because you can make a pizza at home, doesnt mean you wont go out to a resataurant and sit down amd order one does it?

Well, I can't make a pizza as good as the ones I can go out and buy. I CAN however put on a better presentation in my living room than what most theaters around here do though- not as good as what they're capable of putting on, but with the people they have running things my living room beats it. No focus or framing problems, cue tape showing up onscreen ruining the ending, or print damage, and sound at just the right volume.

If simultaneous releases will make theater chains finally wake up and put more priority on presentation quality (and stop building small screens!) then I'm all for it.

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Joseph L. Kleiman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 380
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 08-30-2005 01:56 PM

1. I second Jesse's statement about theaters in this area.

2. NATO Prez John Fithian in the New York Times (taken from 2929's website, no less):

quote:
John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, agrees that the business is changing - several chains are investing in digital projectors - but said he did not think that 2929 would ever alter the calculus of when a film and DVD were released.

Their plan, he said, "does not establish any serious precedent for the rest of the industry because the pictures are small artistic projects with minimal commercial potential."

But when a big studio takes the same approach, we get a NATO press release.

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Jon Morgan
Film Handler

Posts: 60
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 08-30-2005 02:00 PM

One of the big Indian distributors, Eros, does this more or less. The DVDs come out about a week after the theatrical release, which leads to Eros charging incredibly high rates for their films since the prints are basically worthless after one week's use. It's a terrible business plan, both stupid and short-sighted.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 08-30-2005 04:10 PM

quote: Jesse Skeen
cue tape showing up onscreen ruining the ending

Isn't that a bit melodramatic? Do you feel your evening ruined because you see a piece of cue tape at the beginning of the credits?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-30-2005 04:27 PM

quote: Mike Spaeth
Isn't that a bit melodramatic? Do you feel your evening ruined because you see a piece of cue tape at the beginning of the credits?

He didn't say it would ruin his evening, just that it would take away from the ending of the movie, which it absolutely does. It's a distraction and theaters should not be supporting any automations that have visible cues. Even the generic "3 cue" readers could be wired such that it wasn't a distraction. For example the center cue (the obnoxious one) could be used at the beginning of the feature to dim the lights, then the picture edge cue to bring the lights up for the credits and finally the soundtrack edge cue to perform the shutdown (in case it blips the sound).

Oh wait silly me, that would actually require the installation tech to give a flip about the theater's presentation! Nevermind.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 08-30-2005 04:55 PM

I saw an article yesterday regarding a study done on falling attendance... The study found (big surprise here) that the #1 reason for the drop was product quality. The full article can be found
here

The two most telling parts of this study are:

"In one of its findings, the study said that when a movie's DVD release closely follows its theatrical debut, consumers often consider it the sign of a bad movie."

and

"Many Internet chatters also expressed dismay about what they see as Hollywood's incessant focus on piracy and said they'd gladly wait longer for DVD releases if the trade-off were better theatrical releases."

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 08-30-2005 05:16 PM

quote: Jesse Skeen
If simultaneous releases will make theater chains finally wake up and put more priority on presentation quality (and stop building small screens!) then I'm all for it.

If simultaneous theatrical and DVD releases happen box office business will drop off so badly the theater chains won't have the income to improve the few multiplexes they can afford to keep in operation.

The exhibition industry can survive odd-ball experiments, like those from 2929. That's a lot of low budget art-house oriented product most people will only encouter by accident once it plays on the Sundance Channel or IFC.

Here's what will hurt: if major movie studios choose all at once to release all of their product to DVD at the same time it debuts theatrically. Exhibitors will be powerless to boycott any particular release. They'll be stuck playing movies people can buy at Wal-Mart, or even worse, rent at Blockbuster. And just about all those movie theaters will go out of business regardless of whether their presentation quality was great or terrible.

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Chase Hanson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 172
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 08-30-2005 06:18 PM

It just doesn't make much sense from a practical application standpoint.

The movie studios shouldnt be making financial decisions based on cost variables that are generally incalcuable. And they certainly shouldnt being decisions in a cost vs. nominal cost enviornment.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 08-30-2005 06:50 PM

This has been tried before...The Dolly Parton movie "9 to 5" was moved to tape after less than 10 days in Washington D.C. first run theatres. Theatres pulled ALL prints from their screens in one day. As far as I can tell that film never played another D.C. theatre even as a second run. A rare example of the kind of solidarity that is possible when real trouble occurs. Louis

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-30-2005 07:08 PM

Yous don't get it. The studio's plans are to use theatres as the "teaser" for the public to run out and buy the DVD...that's where the BIG $$$ are.

It's just like going to Disneyland. You buy a souvenir just so you can re-live a great time...same with a great movie. Get that DVD while it's hhot!

Theatres, especially with the widespread use of TV (i.e. digital cinema), will become advertisement venues for the DVD sales. One will be able to buy the DVD at the concession counter along with the popcorn.

AND! You can quote me on that! HA! [Razz]

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 08-30-2005 07:52 PM

Buy the DVD of the movie you just saw?

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 08-30-2005 09:45 PM

quote: Phil Hill
Theatres, especially with the widespread use of TV (i.e. digital cinema), will become advertisement venues for the DVD sales. One will be able to buy the DVD at the concession counter along with the popcorn.

The only way that would work at all is if the movie studios owned all the movie theaters. They would be able to write off the loss they would be taking in that venue. Movie theater companies would not. But we have that Paramount Consent Decrees thing getting in the way.

And this also bears repeating. Why should a family pay around $50 to see a movie in a theater -and then drop another $20-$30 (you know they'll charge full MSRP) at the counter for the DVD when they can just go to Wal-Mart and spend only $15 to $20 instead of upwards of $70?

Honestly, if the theatrical release is going to be a "commercial for the DVD release" then I should get to watch that "commercial" for FREE. If I can't then I guess I should just go to Wal-Mart for the DVD -or just go to Blockbuster to rent the thing. And that's even assuming I'll be interested in the show at all.

Frankly I think the whole dynamic of movies is getting harmed by this nonsense. It's already bad enough that the theatrical release is often not the "definitive release" for a lot of films. Just check the LOTR trilogy for a very obvious example. There's enough of that stuff going on that makes a lot of folks just stay away from the movie theater and wait for the DVD when the "real release" will happen.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 08-31-2005 02:28 AM

I like Phil's response on the "teaser" concept. The "teaser" trailers have this effect on the masses in the past and present, so why not do it with the features?

Have shorter release periods to the theatres, then out on DVD. Course, this'll put some pressure on the studios to get more product out to replenish the reservoir of future film releases - to meet the "supply and demand" of the public.

Also, if there is this pressue to "replenish the stock", so to say, I hope that the studios will make movies that can be more appealing to all ages than make movies with the young adult in mind. For children and families would love to see a bunch of films released for them - to see on the big screen and at home as a family.
Why this might work is that the moviegoing public STILL want to get out of the house and to be entertained with a dinner and a movie-even if they know it'll be out on DVD later down the road, and possibility around the corner much sooner.

The public STILL wants to hear the dynamic sound, see the huge screen presenations and mingle with the rest of the excited crowd. So, why not kill two birds with one stone - get the thrill of seeing it when it first comes out, then a few weeks later, rexperience all of this excitement at home in front of your HiDef plasma screens (or digital projection equipment), effective digital sound and your own homemade snaks to munch on?

(but..."Ka-boom!" for the sub-run and discount houses with this concept. For their business will falter some, but not completely due to some of the public that doesn't have such privilages of home entertainment, and they have tight pocketbooks with home budgets to maintain..)

-Monte

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Matt Fields
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 545
From: Ohio, United States
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 08-31-2005 07:45 AM

quote: Chase Hanson
It just doesn't make much sense from a practical application standpoint.

The movie studios shouldnt be making financial decisions based on cost variables that are generally incalcuable. And they certainly shouldnt being decisions in a cost vs. nominal cost enviornment.

Who ever said costs couldn't be calculated? [Confused]

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-31-2005 12:48 PM

Also, nobody ever takes into account that MOST people don't have big, fancy home theatre setups in their houses.

I would wager that at least 90% of DVD-viewing is done in conditions that are far worse than a movie theatre -- excess lighting in the room, noisy background from kids, household noises, HVAC, poor (inadequate) sound, maladjusted picture, or a viewing position off to the side that makes the picture lose half its brightness.

I would further wager that at least 90% of people watching a DVD at home get interrupted in some fashion -- by a phone call, a screaming kid, or just "something coming up."

The movie theatre is still the best place to see a movie without distractions...if the management is on its toes and provides the right environment. That means making the audience behave itself, but it can be done.

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