Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Warner Bros. to Rent Movies Digitally on Facebook, Starting With 'Dark Knight'Warner

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Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 03-08-2011, 02:48 AM:

Warner Bros. to Rent Movies Digitally on Facebook, Starting With 'Dark Knight'

Source: hollywoodreporter.com

quote:
Warner Bros. is turning to Facebook, where it hopes to find an electronic audience interested in digitally renting The Dark Knight.

Warners said Monday that it is the first Hollywood studio to offer movies directly on Facebook. Friends of Christopher Nolan's Knight, the second of his two Batman movies, can rent the film by going to its official Facebook page and clicking a "rent" icon to apply Facebook Credits. The cost per rental is 30 Facebook Credits, or $3.

Viewers will have 48 hours from the purchase to watch the movie, which can be viewed full screen and also paused and resumed within that period. While watching the movie, consumers will also have full Facebook functionality, including the ability to post comments, interact with friends and update their status.

"Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people," said Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world's largest social network."

While the Knight offering is described as a test, Warners also said that additional titles for both rental and purchase will be rolled out over the coming months.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-08-2011, 04:55 AM:

quote:
Facebook Credits

Will somebody please come over to my house and blow my face off with a shotgun?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-08-2011, 09:58 AM:

I have a shotgun, but I'm not doing that with it!

Facebook has enough bandwidth issues with what all Zynga is doing to it. Now they want to add movie downloads to the bit burden? I'm not keen on downloading movies from anywhere, but if I wanted to do that I would just get a Netflix account and stream them to my Playstation 3.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-08-2011, 10:13 AM:

quote:
While watching the movie, consumers will also have full Facebook functionality, including the ability to post comments, interact with friends and update their status.

Lame.

quote:
"Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world's largest social network."

What's the word for "beyond lame"?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-08-2011, 11:08 AM:

Whatever happened to just watching the damned movie?

I see little point in multi-tasking during a movie unless I have already seen the movie and am chatting about it play by play with others who have seen it. But even that sounds like a pain in the ass. It's easier to just talk about it on Facebook, or better yet talk about the movie in a forum like Film-Tech!

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 03-12-2011, 02:03 AM:

I have watched a movie virtually with someone before: we cued it up to the same spot and then chatted over IM. It was a lot more exciting than watching the movie by myself that particular night.

I think the social aspect of this is interesting, but why would I pay to get a film on Facebook when I've most likely got it on Blu-ray/DVD already or can get it on netflix and just chat with someone?

This is more doomed than divx.

AJG

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 03-12-2011, 06:03 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
What's the word for "beyond lame"?

That would be Facebook.

As if it is not bad enough to have to throw the dice and take your chances when you go to the movies if you are going to get some chatting blabbermouths sitting next to you, talking throughout the film; this will only up the odds against you because now "social networking" while watching a movie will become the norm -- Facebook will teach those virtual social gadflies that this is the proper way one watches movies -- yammering non-stop all through it.

We are doomed. I am with Joe; just take me out and shoot me.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 03-12-2011, 02:43 PM:

I see this much like watching movies on airplanes. Many people spend a lot of time on Facebook, so it makes sense to market to that segment of the population that's looking for something to do at the same time they're indulging in that bastion of high literacy and posting dozens of messages about how cute that puppy video is, and playing farmville until the wee hours of the morning.

A stat I heard yesterday is that one in eight minutes spent on the Internet is spent in Facebook. If that's an average across all Internet users, that means that a lot of people are spending hours a day on Facebook (because there are still plenty that aren't using Facebook at all).

I'm not quite sure how a movie like The Dark Knight falls into the category of disposable consumption like what is happening with Facebook rentals. I would see something like Hall Pass, Just Go With It, and other brainless comedies being more suitable to this kind of vehicle.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-12-2011, 03:08 PM:

quote: Scott Jentsch
Many people spend a lot of time on Facebook, so it makes sense to market to that segment of the population that's looking for something to do at the same time

WTF? Many people spend a lot of time at work, too. Does it make sense to market movies to people who are working so that they have something to do? How about people who drive cars? When people are on Facebook, they are reading or writing something or viewing photos. If they are not doing any of those activities, then technically they are not on Facebook, it is just on the screen. So you are ALWAYS doing something when you are on Facebook.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-12-2011, 11:25 PM:

Yeah -- I usually have a Facebook window open wherever I am, but that doesn't mean I'm actually Facebooking. Since right now I'm at home and I have Facebook in another window, and I left Facebook on at work today, and I'm pretty sure it was on the theatre computer when I left to, the marketing people might say I'm spending 72 hours a day on Facebook.

However I would say the amount of time I've spent today actually looking at Facebook or actually using it is something along the lines of 20 minutes or so.

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 03-29-2011, 02:24 PM:

Well looks like they are doing it with INCEPTION now. For 40 Facebook credits you get to watch the movie for 48 hours.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-29-2011, 04:04 PM:

I don't think the folks at Warner Bros. realize many people who use Facebook can have more than one screen/device running at the same time. Notebook computers, iPad style tablets and smart phones allow people to use Facebook in the living room -the room most likely to have a big screen TV set.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-29-2011, 07:57 PM:

In the last year or so, I have found myself watching *certain* movies/TV shows via Netflix streaming while I'm doing other stuff online. Otherwise, I might never get around to watching them.

Not every movie is worthy of my full, undivided attention. Similarly, not every movie is worth going to the movies to see.

Yeah - that's right - I said that out loud.

Now - what I'm *not* a fan of is the limited "watch it within 48 hours" thing. I got burned by that one once with iTunes and never rented online again. (To Apple's credit, they refunded the money and essentially let me off with a warning.)

I much prefer Netflix streaming. My cable provider (Comcast) has a decent app that lets me watch on-demand content on the iPad if I don't want to watch it on an actual TV.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 03-29-2011, 09:11 PM:

You paid THEM and then THEY warn YOU?! So to their credit, they kiss you while they are effin you. How nice of them. Do they make you pay for the short-stay room too?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-30-2011, 01:29 AM:

quote: Manny Knowles
not every movie is worth going to the movies to see.

Yeah - that's right - I said that out loud.

!!!!!

OK Manny this time you have simply gone too far. You've stepped over the line, buddy. Saying things like that could cost us OUR JOBS! Take it from me that it is very difficult to find a job that pays as handsomely as a movie theater employee. People need to know that movies should ONLY be seen properly projected in a well-maintained cinema which, of course, each member here works for. You are ruining the experience by suggesting that movies can be watched at home. Now people won't be able to realize the full potential of the director's fantastic vision. How dare you Manny. HOW DARE YOU!

But of course you know I agree.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-30-2011, 07:27 AM:

Joe - I need a beating today!