Pirates of the…Movie Industry

Published February 17, 2005 in MOVIE HISTORY

By Bubba Craner | Images from respective holders.

Blade: Trinity -- Wait to rent on DVD.

A major question that the MPA is concerned with right now is what to do with movie piracy and how to go about minimizing it. Pirating movies is becoming extremely popular, however, in the wake of the music piracy debacle, the MPA doesn't want to give themselves a black eye and slash the relationship they have with their audience. This problem is a very serious one that they must treat with the utmost respect, but also urgency.

A Look at the Film Industry

So how big is this problem? Well, in a related article by Canmag's own, Ryan Parsons, he discusses the success, or lack there of, that Hollywood had last year. Ryan informs us that ticket sales were a major factor for their decline in success last year. But let us take a look at history for a moment-through the course of the last twenty-year's, Hollywood has put out some highly successful and important films. People like Spielberg and Lucas have found great success in this period, right? And we can all think of more than a dozen actors, actresses and movies that will stand the test of time. But why is it that 1939 was the most successful year Hollywood has ever had, before and after.

How is that possible, you ask? Well, really it is an easy answer-- people went to the movies. People went to the movies for an escape. Women went to the movies to get out of the house for a couple of hours. It was something to do.

In 1939 you also had the affects of accountability. Actors were accountable for performances. Writers were accountable for writing good scripts. And movie theaters were held accountable for playing there affiliated studios' movies; well actually back then, theaters were owned and operated by a particular movie studio.

The Incredible's -- Hung on in the theatres to become a blockbuster hit.

It was the executives at MGM and Warner Brothers who called the shots, and held accountable all of their puppets-actors, actresses, writers, directors and producers. People like actors and directors were owned through contracts back them (unlike today, where essentially it is the audiences who holds Hollywood accountable-accountable because Hollywood looks to the audiences to dictate their success).

But you ask yourself, what does this have to do with movie piracy? Well it has everything to do with piracy. Movies aren't what they used to be, but they are definitely a part of our culture that we refuse to let go of. But at the same time, the industry is flooded with over paid, actors, directors and producers, who continue to churn out flop after flop with the hopes that some new special effects artist, who demands a high salary himself, will put a new spin on the film and turn it into a success. Oh but wait, that is not all, now the film industry is really putting the pressure on its audiences, not only are they incorporating the latest in special effects, but also bombarding us with 'celebrity actors'. "Oh no, I am overwhelmed and entranced to go to the theater and pay my $10 to see this new movie." That is what they want us to think.

But the reality of it is, that we are smarter than that. We choose to pirate movies instead of paying top dollar for the usual Hollywood crap, right?. Or is this what the MPA thinks, or at least wants us to think that that is what they think? Because the real reality of it is, that most of us are not involved in movie piracy, there are just other factors to it.

Take a look into the home theater world. Plasma TVs, Dolby Digital Surround Sound and couches with drink holders built into them. People are choosing to participate in the Hollywood adventure within the comfort of their own homes. And why not, movies don't take a year to release onto DVD or video anymore. Most films are out on DVD in six months. Well this is actually integral to the whole scenario. Movies release onto the silver screen, and in weeks they are out and in the process of being made to DVD for release. We don't have to wait as long for home use anymore. Which goes full circle to why ticket sales have declined in recent years. If the movie draws your attention only slightly, then why spend the $10 it costs to go see it in the theater when you could just wait six months and watch it at your home, on your HD big screen with the latest surround sound hooked up to it. Besides, you are already backed up on your list of new releases to watch, right?

Van Helsing -- Fun monster movies make great DVD sales. *purchase from Amazon.

In fact, while ticket prices have slumped, DVD's have seen some major spikes in sales. "Overall home video revenue rose to nearly $24.5 billion, up 9% from 2003." Says USA Today. "An estimated 1.2 billion DVDs were sold last year."

People are exercising their right to options. People are opting to rent or buy DVD's.

So again, I ask, how big is this problem? Well, in fact it is a big problem. It is big problem when movies are costing hundreds of millions of dollars to make, but taking up to five or six years to get that back through DVD sales. I know that I expect to get paid for what I do at my job in a timely matter. I don't want to get paid in small increments for four or five years for what I do tomorrow. I am sure that this is how a lot of people think in Hollywood, and rightfully so, but do they need to be paid so damn much?

Hollywood feels as if movie piracy is taking away from their salaries, and I personally won't argue with that. But they should also keep in mind that most of us are not participating in piracy, we are just opting to watch movies in the comfort of our own home, and it is showing with large DVD sales.

And in regards to the salary factor, we can all agree that movie stars just make way too much for what they do. But you say its all relative--movies star have been making a whole lot more than the average person since almost as early as Hollywood's infancy. Well this is true, but let me remind you that movie stars made many more films per year sixty years ago then the do now.

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

We all remember the hype around Jude Law when we came to find out that he was in six movies, which were all releasing around the same time last year. But it wasn't since 1999 that he starred in more than two films in one year. Humphrey Bogart starred in seven movies in 1937, and in 1938, and six movies in 1939-that's twenty movies in three years, and averaged three films a year for the next ten years after that. Those were the days as they say, right? Yes, those were the days when actors were worthy of making more than the average man.

So again, is movie piracy a problem? Well, yes it is and if the MPA wants to minimize it, they had better take a look in the mirror, because using a few bad apples (like the music industry did-(no pun intended) Apple Inc. proved to the world that music down-loader's will happily pay for digital music) as a means to introduce scare tactics isn't going to work. Refining their industry and how it operates may be the more beneficial approach. Or better yet, maybe they should just put their pride ($$$) aside and evolve with the industry, because technology is dictating the evolution of the film industry right now, not them.

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Compiled By (Sources)

Bubba Craner
Sources: Images from respective holders.
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