"Chernin would not name the theater chain involved."
Story:
Click right around in here
Bob
The Old Showman
Snipes, Slides, and Posters hoping to deter movie piracy are probably as effective, if not less, than those same materials which attempt to deter cell phone use in auditoriums. Now that, they should start arresting people for.
=TMP=
-Claude
As for some anti-piracy trailer (whose publicity stunt was this anyway, Jack Vallenti's?) being stuck up on the screen before each feature starts, personally it's a rotten idea; I will not put up the studio's copyright infringment warning signs all over my theatre. I respect my patrons and this is not the Gestapo atmosphere I want to engender when people walk into the theatre or settle down to see a movie.
I think the distributor can ask that I take reasonable precautions to prevent his property from being copied while in my possession, but I get to say how I do that -- it's my theatre and I'll take those precautions as I see fit. Putting an usher in the theatre while the show is running is something I do anyway and that usher can easily spot a video pirate aiming a camera at the screen; it's exponentially more effective than any sign, slide, or mood-breaking trailer on the screen.
Does the distributor want to BUY time on my screen or rent 1 sheet space in my lobby or on my time on the preview monitors in the lobby to push whatever message tickles his fancy at the moment? Ahhh.....it's not THAT important to him, is it?! Let him do what is necessary to protect his property at his own expense.
Look, any industry expert and even anyone even peripherally involved with the piracy issue knows that the guy in the theatre videotaping from a screen is making a copy that is simply not any threat to the industry. If it were, the studios would be actively going after that source, but they haven't and aren't.
Every print has anti-piracy codes that cannot be removed from the videocopies and can easily be traced to any theatre that played any particular print. This security system is very effective and has been in place for years. It's never been followed up with respect to the off-the-screen camera copies because the copies are total crap usless except to street corner vendors. No follow-up because this is not an economic threat. Has anyone from either the FBI or the MPAA or any studio representative EVER come to your theatre with code evidence that a copy was made from one of your screens? Surely if these orgs were focusing on such this in-theatre source of copyrighted tapes, SOME theatre managers would certainly be hearing about it.
It is the video transfer from audition copies that are give out to the Academy members that is the biggest "leak" source that winds up as pristine DVD copies all over the world. Funny, you don't hear the MPAA ranting about Academy members being potential copyright infringers, do you? Putting nonsense, threatening trailers on the screen will have about as much impact on real, sophisticated infringement sources as putting those FBI warnings all over film cans and VHS boxes. It's a joke that the MPAA uses to convince the studios to keep paying dues and to keep money flowing to supporting it and keep JV in a job.
Frank
People mainly want to buy bootleg DVDs and tapes of a movie while it is still in theatrical release. Who cares about it after the regular DVD is available?
quote:
How much money do you think I can make if I invent and market a device that will JAM cell phones and pagers?
They've been chasing this even longer in legit theaters. The bottom line is that it's illegal in the US to construct a device to jam radio receivers even in your own building. I believe I read that it is done in some other country, maybe Japan.
Otherwise, I would construct a device that would let their phone ring in the theater, but when they stuck it to their ear & said hello the phone would emit a piercing feedback screech. Let everyone in the auditorium get a good laugh! I like audiences! They come to your house & they like to have a good time!
On long-distance trains in this country, all but one or two carriages have a 'no smoking' rule. Smoking is not allowed, and the law allows the train companies to impose large fines on anyone caught doing so. For that reason, no-one ever smokes in these carriages. Some train companies also have a 'quiet carriage'. It is intended for people who need to work during the journey (which almost always means me), or who just want some peace. These carriages have notices in the windows requesting that people refrain from using mobile 'phones and walkmans, talking in a raised voice or anything else which could make a significant noise.
Like the speed limits on Britain's roads, this request is almost universally ignored. I have often asked people to switch off mobiles in these carriages and have usually received abuse in return. On one occasion I asked the guard if he could persuade some teenage yobbo to behave herself, only to be told that he has no way of legally doing so. He is able to fine someone smoking in the no smoking carriage, but has no legal sanction against someone using a mobile in the no mobiles carriage. This reasoning is exactly the same as with speed limits - someone driving at 40 in a 30 limit knows that (i) they stand a 99% chance of getting away with it, and (ii) even if they don't, the fine they will receive is insignificant compared to the cost of running a car.
The same applies to mobile 'phones and piracy using camcorders in cinemas. Like those stickers in the windows of no mobiles carriages, snipes asking cinemagoers not to pirate films aren't worth the polyester they're printed on unless they're backed up by the knowledge that something very unpleasant will happen to anyone who ignores them. The kind of unpleasantness I have in mind consists, first of all, of a 10kW follow-spot in the booth behind each auditorium. If anyone is seen using either a mobile 'phone or a camcorder, I would stop the film, shine it directly on him or her, then get three Schwarzenegger-like male ushers to forcibly remove him or her from the cinema. If the miscreant was attempting piracy, (s)he would then be handed directly over to the Police. When word gets out that this will happen to you if you break the law, then the problem will soon go elsewhere.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
It really is a major problem and it takes real management skill to assess the situation and find the best way to deal with it. Many times the macho, get-tuff, no nonsense buldozer approach may not be the smartest thing to do -- you might win the battle but loose the war, given the greater potential damage you can cause.
In the case of the guy videotaping the film. You call the police. They don't arrive instantaniously -- if he tries to leave the theatre, do you try to restrain him? Do you put your staff in harms way to protect an MPAA member studio from looseing money on some potential ticket sales (their 90% -- your 10%)?
All I am saying is that it's not as cut and dry as it may seem at first.
It's a program that copies and compresses an entire DVD onto a single CD without loss of quality. The ad banner was flashing, "Copy ANY DVD to a single CD!! Download Now!!" Now they can scream and shout that it's not the intended use of the software, but it sounds like it makes it extremely easy to "Copy any DVD" and put it up for people to "Download Now"...
=TMP=
Also, beware of these banner hawkers that present intriguing come-ons. Especially if to order the product you wind up giving credit card information, or even just being asked to "register" with them. In the registration process they ask you to pick a password. Do you know that 9 out of 10 people use the SAME password for EVERYTHING? Once you register and pick a password, the unscrupulous internet thief can simply go to your ISP, say AOL and with any luck, he can access your entire account because he's got your password. Many times he can then get into your back accounts, other sites that let him order goods and services. It might not work all the time for the thief, but it only has to work once with you to hurt. It is a major problem for unsuspecting consumers.
Frank
=TMP=
Idiots.
Frank
PS -- can you tell I haven't had my cup of coffee yet?
A lot of computers these days with high-end graphics cards have TV-out in both composite and S-video. My friend has his laptop connected to his 35" TV via an S-Video cable, and the results are stunning. He can sit back on his couch and surf the web, and standard text is actually legible and sharp. He also runs his cable through the graphics card, which has a feature much like Tivo where you can pause live TV, and record programs to your hard disk. (The amount you can record is determined by which resolution you select.)
=TMP=
I'm with Frank on this one. Anyone willing to waste hours of their life downloading and watching a movie in such horrible quality is just plain stupid. And I think the guessing on why people watch that crap is on target: they think they are getting something for nothing.
Jeez, I have more respect for someone pulling off the road, pretending to have a flat just to watch a movie playing at a drive-in.
I wholeheartedly agree, though. From the looks of the sizes of some of these files, (sometimes multiple files at 200-300mb each) it would take 4 or more hours even on a typical high speed connection. Four hours of my time is worth much more than just running over to the store and spending $7-10 to purchase a clean, professional VHS copy.
There was an ABC Nightline special about pirating movies and CDs where they interviewed a group of... for lack of a better word, "dorks", who were bragging to the reporter how "...you can name ANY movie and I can get it for you! Just like that!" The kid proceeds to play a lo-res, subtitled mess of a movie that's still out in theaters as the reporter watches, perplexed as to why someone would want this. Essentially, it's prestiege. They don't care about the movie or the quality, but just trade them like 300MB baseball cards so they become "cool" in the hacker community. But even in terms of baseball cards, nobody would trade you anything for a wrinkled or torn one, so I still don't get it. 
=TMP=
Clint
Wireless Jamming Debate Rages On
With the number of cell phone Latest News about cell phone cell phones" users worldwide fast approaching one billion individuals, it was inevitable that the ubiquitous devices would be recognized as an annoyance in some circles, and would even be used for nefarious purposes by evildoers, in the most extreme scenarios.
Consequently, a number of companies have developed a variety of radio-frequency jamming technologies that can block calls and otherwise prevent signals from reaching phones. Such devices are banned in most countries, including the U.S., but some of these companies report doing brisk business with military and law enforcement agencies, as well as with houses of worship, theaters, concert halls and upscale restaurants.
Security and Etiquette
Netline Communications Technologies, an Israel-based firm that claims a leadership position in the jamming market, contends that there are plenty of good reasons for blocking cell phone communications, ethical and legal issues aside.
Loreen Haim, director of marketing and sales for Netline, told Wireless NewsFactor that the company's C-Guard products, which create a "cellular firewall" that blocks communications at varying ranges, are being sold worldwide -- including in the U.S. This is despite the fact that there are no countries where phone jamming is "totally legal," to Haim's knowledge.
"Our main market is security Relevant Products/Services from IBM" organizations, law enforcement and the military," she said. "But we also sell to cinemas, concert halls and restaurants, where ringing phones are considered a serious breach of etiquette." Indeed, annoying rings, beeps and even tunes from popular songs are being heard more frequently in restaurants, movie theaters, operas and classrooms, prompting a public backlash.
Long and Short of It
Haim pointed out that cell phones increasingly are being used to eavesdrop and, worse, detonate bombs from remote locations. In the post-September 11th world, she added, the need for security has become a priority across the globe.
Netline makes a variety of devices that block the signals from cell towers to phones. A high-powered version has a range of 1 kilometer, while a low-powered version, designed for indoor use, can jam signals in an 80-meter radius from the blocking device.
A similar product is marketed by Wireless Technology, a Ventura, California-based company. Its Mobile Blocker jamming device can block wireless phone and pager signals within a 40-meter circle by using an encoded signal from a base transmitter that is emitted at the same frequency as pager and cellular communications.
Company spokesperson Eric Myers told Wireless NewsFactor the jammer is sold primarily overseas, to the same customers as those targeted by Netline.
Legal, Ethical Issues
While there may be good reasons for blocking cell phone communications -- and apparently some private businesses find it easy to circumvent the law -- most governments are reluctant to legalize the technology (FCC) has cited "jamming leakage" as a primary reason for rejecting it.
The point of controversy is that it is impossible to be certain that the installation of a cell phone jammer would not affect cell phones outside the designated blockage area or interfere with the use of other devices. Then there are the issues of safety and individual rights. Cell phones are used by many as a security tool in case of a medical or other emergency. Some contend that no one has the right to infringe on public airwaves.
Haim counters that if restaurant or theater owners can ban smoking or enforce a dress code, they should be able to prevent the use of cell phones within a limited area.
Governments Are Reluctant
Such countries as Japan, Korea and Canada have mulled the legalization of phone jammers, and a Japanese researcher recently unveiled a nonelectric method of passively blocking cell phone signals using wood paneling with tiny magnetic particles that foil electromagnetic signals.
While such ingenious inventions are being rolled out, it is unlikely cell phone jammers will gain widespread acceptance by governments, especially in the U.S. "In the U.S. cell phones are considered safety and security tools, and if, for example, a person has a heart attack and can't make a call from a restaurant or movie theater, that business could be liable to legal action," IDC Latest News about IDC" analyst Keith Waryas told Wireless NewsFactor.
While the use of cell phone jammers can be justified by the military and law enforcement agencies, he pointed out, the fact that it is difficult to isolate the range of blockage will deter approval of the technology. Besides, the telecommunications lobby would exert its considerable influence on lawmakers to thwart any legislation approving jamming technologies, Waryas noted.
Education, Not Legislation
Travis Larson, a spokesperson for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association Latest News about CTIA" (CTIA), an industry trade organization, reinforced that opinion. "The airwaves are a public asset, and the idea that one person can jam a phone frequency band is like a single person deciding he or she can block a lane of traffic on the highway," he told Wireless NewsFactor.
There are doctors who rely on cell phones -- and police, fire and rescue personnel use adjacent airwaves for their communications, Larson noted. "Blocking those emergency calls would be socially irresponsible," he said.
Instead, said Larson, those who want to limit cell phone use should focus on education instead of high-tech innovation or legislation. "It is easy to inform people with a posted sign or to tell them that they have to turn off their phones or put them on the vibrating mode when they enter a restaurant or theater," he said.
Would you know if the IA local in San Luis Obispo still exists? I worked as a "permit man" for them at the Lompoc theatre and drive-in in the early 60's.
Bob
The Old Showman
But passive devices seem like a totally different animal. The problem of a theatre liability for someone not getting help because they couldn't use their cell would still be a serious issue, although I would think posting signs saying that cell phone operation is hampered in the theatre proper (but not in the lobby) might just be enough to save the theatre from liability hell.
I wonder how much more that magnet impregnated wood adds to the overall cost of construction. I would assume you could add that stuff perhaps even more easily to other building materials, like the sound absorbing spray coating they use on ceilings and walls....maybe it could even be added to paint. We are in the process of a multimillion dollar renovation (I'll be lucky if I see it before I retire) -- this might be the time to go to the next architect's meeting waving a bucket of paint with those namo-magnets in it! 
Frank
I do not know if the IA local is still around yet have made 2 phone calls, one to the chamber of commerce and one to the local film society. Neither of them have any information on this. At the risk of aounding stupid, what does IA stand for?
Clint
http://www.iatse.lm.com/
http://www.iatse.lm.com/crafts.html
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Not necessarily. Here's a funny/embarassing story. One of the biggest problem for mag sound systems is stopping all that EMR in the booth from being picked up by the very sensitive magnetic head clusters/mag preamps sitting right next to the change-over solenoid coils. I got the bright idea that if I wrapped the change-over unit and the mag head cluster with lead, that would prevent the 60Hz magnetic field from the change-over coils from radiating into the mag penthouse and the heads. I searched around for lead foil of some kind and finally found a shop that had some but only in huge 200 lb rolls. I was determined to eliminate the hum so I decided this was worth it. I bought the roll -- quite expensive -- and cut the pieces I needed and wrapped the change-over units and the heads. I did a test and found that the shielding didn't seem to do much in attenuated the hum.
I called a sound engineer friend of mine in to take a look-see, maybe I was doing something wrong with the way I wrapped them. He came over with a few other studio techs, we downed a few and then I showed them my handywork. They all looked at the change-overs wrapped three times and the heads also with some foil on the back and sides with this heavy duty lead foil. They seemed to be hesitating in giving their opinions. I am thinking, ok it's not too pretty, but it if the function I am after.
I said, "So what do you think? Why isn't it working?"
My friend then asked, "But why is that foil all around it."
Says I, "Why to block the magnetic radiation from the coils from reaching the mag heads."
He said, "Why would you use that foil stuff?"
I was getting a little annoyed, "To block the magnetic radiation....it's LEAD" I said again.
They all looked at each other. Then one of the others chuckled, "Lead doesn't block magnetic fields."
Pause. "Of course it does.....doesn't it? I mean, I always thought magnetic fields couldn't go through lead."
One of them began laughing. "Frankie, you're thinking of Superman...Superman's Xray vision can't go through lead."
It was the joke of the week. MuMetal does blocks mag radiation; I got some made specifically for the heads a little later.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
My idea would be to do it in the auditoriums. Send out a signal to ring the phones in a given auditorium (only during the feature, so that phones may still be used at intermission, etc.) and when the user answers it, have a recording play: "We here at blah blah Cinemas please ask that you turn off this cell phone and/or mobile paging device for the courtesy of other customers. If you must use this device, please proceed to the lobby." Have this happen every 5 minutes or so.
Then again, that would suck for the courteous people who put theirs on "vibrate" mode
=TMP=