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Topic: Warner taking credit where credit isn't due

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 07-29-2008 08:10 PM

Link to article

quote:
Warner's Launches Anti-Piracy Campaign For Dark Knight

28 July 2008 11:02 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

In advance of the release of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. launched an unprecedented anti-piracy effort to prevent copies of the movie from being uploaded onto file-share websites and being distributed on DVD, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Monday). According to the newspaper, the studio set up a "chain of custody" system so that studio executives could keep track of who had prints of the movie and where they were at any given moment. The film reels were delivered in staggered shipments so that a complete version was not available in theaters until the last moment. Exhibitors in Australia, where the film opened two days in advance of its U.S. premiere, were given special night-vision goggles to help spot anyone in the audience attempting to camcord the movie. The strategy, according to the Times, kept any print of The Dark Night off the internet for 30 hours -- enough time to allow it to break box-office records in its first weekend. In an interview with the Times, Darcy Antonellis, president of Warner's distribution and technical operations, said, "A day or two becomes really, really significant. You've delayed disc manufacturing that then delays distribution,which then delays those discs from ending up on street corners for sale." (Many of those who buy bootlegged films insist that they are among the most devoted movie theater customers.)

Uh huh...ummmmmm, hey suit at Warner Brothers: did you know that your prints were at theaters COMPLETE well over 24 hours BEFORE the first showing?

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-29-2008 08:20 PM

quote:
The strategy, according to the Times, kept any print of The Dark Night off the internet for 30 hours

Wow, 30 whole hours. The must have really hindered the people who want to watch crappy copies on their iPods. I guess they just gave up and went to the theatre opening day out of frustration.

If that's the best they can do they may as well give up. Maybe they should give up anyway.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

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

posted 07-29-2008 08:51 PM

Can I get a job in Hollywood?? Apparently they will hire just about anybody. Louis

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 07-29-2008 10:09 PM

I was wondering how and why this movie broke all box office records. If this movie made it onto the internet sooner or even before the film's release to the general public, I estimate that the total gross would have probably been in the range of $25-30 million, maybe less. And that's for its entire run. Warner Bros sure put the smack down with their smart anti-piracy tactics. Are they using top-level military strategists?

It is amazing how much damage piracy does. In fact, piracy is linked to:
-Terrorism
-AIDS
-Cancer
-Body odor
-Bad hair days
-Anything else that isn't positive

Please world, stop piracy! Please?

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 07-29-2008 10:48 PM

quote:
The strategy, according to the Times, kept any print of The Dark Night off the internet

I don't care if it is the L.A. Times, I don't trust any article that can't spell the name of a movie correctly throughout the article.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-29-2008 11:33 PM

quote:
You've delayed disc manufacturing that then delays distribution,which then delays those discs from ending up on street corners for sale.

OK, that part may be true...but has this guy heard of that little thing called the internet? What's the point of being proud of keeping it off for 30 hours when at that point there can be millions of copies on hard drives around the world...immediately. I would have thought that avenue of distribution would be of more concern than folks selling it on the street corner.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 07-30-2008 12:01 AM

Agreed. What kind of dumbass buys a bootleg copy off of a street corner (or anywhere else, for that matter) when it can be downloaded for free?

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

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

posted 07-30-2008 01:30 AM

I have to admit to being somewhat pissed that they think their antipiracy efforts are what resulted in the much-better-than-usual opening. Of course it had nothing at all to do with the theatres providing a good movie experience and helping them market their film.

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Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler

Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 07-30-2008 02:53 AM

quote: Stupid Article
The strategy, according to the Times, kept any print of The Dark Night off the internet for 30 hours -- enough time to allow it to break box-office records in its first weekend.

They can't really believe that the reason it broke records is because it wasn't pirated before it's release.

If that's why it broke the record, how do they explain the all time biggest second weekend, then? Wouldn't it have plummeted after the bootleg was available?

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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

posted 07-30-2008 04:11 AM

...and our two prints came in on Wed before opening friday, I put them both together and we ran them down that night to chek them out..

..and no locks on the cans ....

could the vidpirates have a heyday with this much time before opening....

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 07-30-2008 05:17 AM

Mine was also delivered more than 24 hours before the midnight opening.

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Paul Gordon
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 580
From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 07-30-2008 07:16 AM

Their all just pissing in the wind... a good movie will make money at the theatre regardless of "Pirates" now those night vision goggles could have gone to good use at the lab I work at...no more stapling in the dark...

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-30-2008 08:57 AM

I was doing service at one theater in Wyoming that was already running theirs free of charge for employees at least 24 hours before they shouda been. This IS one thing digital will take care of and then Bollywood can fire all the suits that dream up these rediclous letters!!

Mark

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 07-30-2008 10:13 AM

Somehow I knew you'd bring up digital cinema. And Bollywood is in India. But sure, fire 'em.

Theaters have every right to screen their prints.

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Bryan M. Montgomery
Film Handler

Posts: 47
From: Chillicothe, Ohio
Registered: Jul 2007

posted 07-30-2008 11:14 AM

Yes, and digital cinema will stop things like...
- Terrorism
- Aids
- Cancer .....
[Big Grin]

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