Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: warner bros. piracy hysteria

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Posted by Howard Johnson (Member # 62) on 06-23-2003, 04:08 AM:

Is anybody else getting fed up with the dire warnings on front of Matrix ? We have a FACT warning then a sneak on your neighbours camcorder warning then the UK censor certificate (all silent) . Since the film was on internet before UK release from Warners own computer whats all the fuss about? We also had special seals on the cans, lock the projection room, have staff always watching the audience for camcorders and not forgetting a demand that cinemas search patrons entering! FOR HEAVENS SAKE!!! I think that all film-techers are responsible people who try to put a good show on and look after the prints while they are in our possession. I was looking for an appropiate cd track to play while I am running the above silent titles, after a quick look at home I found "Don't Treat Me Like A Child" by Helen Shapiro from 1961 so I will play it tonight. Can anybody think of any other tracks which might be better?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-23-2003, 04:22 AM:

Everyone is a criminal and WB knows this. Fortunately these safeguards that WB is using will stop all piracy 100% and they will be able to make at least a billion more dollars. Piracy is the worst crime on the planet, far worse than rape, murder, mass genocide, whatever. Remember, the movie industry only made a 4 billion dollar profit last year, and that is not acceptable. If it weren't for piracy, they'd probably at least made $100 to $200 more than that. The fact is that EVERYONE who watches a pirated movie would have PAID to see the movie anyway. Pretty soon there will be no more movies made thanks to the internet, and we'll all die.

(If you haven't figured it out, everything above was not meant to be taken seriously... except for the 4 billion profit part... that is fact!)

Posted by Howard Johnson (Member # 62) on 06-23-2003, 04:41 AM:

Well said, Joe, a lot of this piracy would not exist if the film companies did not charge rip-off prices for DVDs and audio cds . Most of the films have recouped their cost and are into profit when released on DVD so its all pure profit !

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-23-2003, 12:10 PM:

Howard, if you only consider a blockbuster movie like a "Harry Potter" then you are correct, but the MAJORITY of movies released lose money, and need the DVD sales to make a profit. One blockbuster can float a lot of less successful movies.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 06-23-2003, 01:37 PM:

Are the stupid notices about piracy and telling people to report anyone taping the show from the screen already attached to the print when it arrives, or does it come loose, to be spliced on? I watched "The In-Laws" on June 17, 2003 at Regal Hollywood 18 here in Huntsville, Al and one of those things was in front of the movie. I can't remember if it was immediately before the movie, before an attached trailer, or before the Regal policy trailer. In any case, the way it was put in was very shitty. There was a very nasty sounding (and looking) splice before and after the thing. No effort was made to cleanly splice the thing in, and it was obviously hastily put in as an afterthought. I'm tempted to put a news item on my WWW site to urge audience members to boo when the thing comes up if they see it in front of any movie.

I saw "Matrix Reloaded" later that week at another theatre and the piracy thing was not present. This was a at a theatre that goes the extra mile to do the projection professionally.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 06-23-2003, 01:39 PM:

Can someone make me a bootleg copy of that snipe? [Big Grin]

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-23-2003, 01:41 PM:

Wow. Warner brothers may have taken all kinds of precautions in redards to preventing piracy of the theatrical release, but I wonder how long before the IMAX version hits the internet! [Roll Eyes]

Maybe WB should be checking those auditoriums, too. Because once the IMAX version gets out, there will be nothing left to release on DVD. [Frown]

=TMP=

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-23-2003, 02:20 PM:

Jesse -- Since you asked....

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-23-2003, 03:02 PM:

I have yet to see one of those snipes come in with a print. I'm not sure it would get played anyway. Insulting a paying audience right before the feature begins is ridiculous. If I was forced to play it, I would probably make it the first thing on the screen so people can forget about it by the time the previews are over.

Besides, the real problem is the studios and their screener tapes.

Posted by Jeff Stuckey (Member # 1718) on 06-23-2003, 04:51 PM:

There was a workprint of HULK up on the internet on 6/6 and a workprint of HOW TO DEAL posted today. Now I know you don't tape workprints off the screen.

I saw Matrix IMAX last week, and didn't see the disclaimer. Funny...

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-23-2003, 05:18 PM:

I wonder if Warner Bros. actually paid for the Adobe Myriad font they used in their anti-piracy slide.

Posted by Daniel Fuentz (Member # 1684) on 06-23-2003, 06:22 PM:

I hadn't seen one of these snipes on Matrix or any of the other WB films I've seen recently until I went to a sneak of "Alex & Emma" (or whatever it was called). After it was over, I couldn't help thinking, "If they really think someone's going to pirate THAT..."

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-23-2003, 06:45 PM:

I don't think there will be anyone "filming" off of the screen. That would be a lot of trouble to bring in a film camera, lots of film stock, and keep reloading the camera every 10 minutes.

Maybe they should focus on people who videotape off of the screen instead. [Confused]

Posted by Aldo Baez (Member # 790) on 06-24-2003, 12:23 AM:

I have gotten these twice, ONLY with sneaks.. of what a girl wants and one other recent WB sneak that I can't remember. I think warner thinks that sneaks are where the pirates go so they tell us to put it on the sneaks I take it out right after though. I doubt they would do it for a wide release print like matrix.

[ 06-24-2003, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: Aldo Baez ]

Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 06-24-2003, 05:45 AM:

At least, if any crook down there in the audience didn't, know, Warner Bros. now made obvious, that this sort of crime is possible...

p.

Posted by John Lasher (Member # 968) on 06-24-2003, 02:08 PM:

::clears throat::

wasn't the italian job paramount?

Posted by Aldo Baez (Member # 790) on 06-24-2003, 05:27 PM:

Yes it was.. I can't remember what the other sneak was that we ran and got the short psa to run only for the sneak.. I was just trying to say we only get them for warner sneaks..