Slashdot Mirror
Despite Piracy Claims, North American Box Office Hits Record $11.4 Billion In 2016 (variety.com)
Slashdot reader rudy_wayne writes: Despite constant claims of losing billions of dollars to "piracy", the North American box office closed out 2016 with $11.4 billion in ticket sales. That marks a new record for the industry, bypassing the previous record of $11.1 billion that was established in 2015.
Disney had four of the top five highest-grossing films, including "Finding Dory," the year's top film with $486.3 million. "When holdovers are taken into account, Disney had six of the year's ten highest-grossing releases, a group that includes Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted in 2015," reports Variety. Other top films include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($408.2 million), Captain America: Civil War ($408.1 million), The Secret Life of Pets ($368.4 million), and The Jungle Book ($364 million).
Disney "controlled more than a quarter of the domestic market share despite releasing fewer films than any of the major studios," according to the article, which notes that the record was achieved despite the absence of big releases in several major movie franchises partly through higher ticket prices (and possibly also inflation).
Disney had four of the top five highest-grossing films, including "Finding Dory," the year's top film with $486.3 million. "When holdovers are taken into account, Disney had six of the year's ten highest-grossing releases, a group that includes Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted in 2015," reports Variety. Other top films include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($408.2 million), Captain America: Civil War ($408.1 million), The Secret Life of Pets ($368.4 million), and The Jungle Book ($364 million).
Disney "controlled more than a quarter of the domestic market share despite releasing fewer films than any of the major studios," according to the article, which notes that the record was achieved despite the absence of big releases in several major movie franchises partly through higher ticket prices (and possibly also inflation).
Step 1: Target your children. ...
Step 2: Release
Step 3: Profit.
what these numbers don't seem to keep into account it the increase in ticketprices... Also the production costs of the movies are again higher than in 2015. So comparing the years purely on boxoffice income is useless..
Why do the worst movies make the most money?
Because parents will pay any amount of money to shut the kids up for 90 minutes.
No sig today...
Interesting what lengths they go to, when superglue would solve that problem in a lasting way.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I've heard Disney managers being called a lot of names, but those are new.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
It almost looks like what should be happening here is a kind of natural selection process where Hollywood shifts their money spent making theatrical films where the theater plays a major role.
1) Animated films oriented towards kids. When our son was younger, we went to a lot of animated film because it was a reasonable family activity that got everyone out of the house.
2) Visual-heavy blockbusters which do well in the various IMAX/3D formats or for which all but the most elaborate home theater isn't competitive with a large-scale cinema screen.
They should make fewer traditional films oriented towards "theatrical" distribution because there's little reason to see these in a theater unless the theater experience (going out, meeting friends, a date, etc) itself is nearly more important than whatever it is you see.
This money should be spent instead on making "mini-series" or other multi-episode films or streaming series, since it seems like the economics of a six episode serial is about the same as a 2 hour theatrical film.
What part exactly? The sound that's too loud when something explodes or too soft when someone's talking? The sticky floors? The people talking on the phone? The overpriced popcorn?
Wow dude, except for the overpriced popcorn I have to ask where did you find such a crappy theater. I go to movie theaters with some regularity since there are some movies that really are best seen on the biggest possible screen. Sometimes you want to see dinosaurs life sized instead of just 70 inches tall. It's also a nice way to go on a date with your significant other - cuddle close and no talking necessary for 2-3 hours. The sound is generally excellent, I can't remember the last time someone talked loud enough for me to be bothered by it and I certainly haven't seen anyone answer their phone in ages. Hell they even do a pretty good job cleaning the floors these days. I'm not saying none of those things happen but it's been my experience that the movie theaters are actually working pretty hard to make it a nice experience. I've seen them kick trouble makers out. Occasionally you run into some selfish assclown who tries to ruin it for everyone else but mostly people are pretty respectful and just trying to have a good time just like you and me.
As for the popcorn, do you understand the business model of a movie theater? Let me break it down. When you go to see Rogue One, the theater gets to keep something like 20% of the ticket price - the rest goes to the studio. They get to keep a bit more the longer the movie runs but they never get to keep most of it. That means when 30 people show up to a showing they might make $60 if tickets are $10 each. That isn't enough money to keep the doors open. That means they have to have other sources of income. You can think of movie theaters something like a concession stand that uses movies to get you to show up and buy something. (kind of like petrol stations in that respect - they don't make much if any profit on the fuel itself) So yeah, they jack up the price of the popcorn. But you know what? You don't have to buy it. But most do anyway because they enjoy it. Just because it isn't as cheap as possible doesn't mean it isn't good value for money. If people really thought the popcorn was overpriced then they wouldn't buy it and the theater would have to lower prices. Believe it or not you can see a movie without eating popcorn.
With today's technology, why does anyone still go to a theater to see a movie?
Maybe because some live in smaller condos where big-ass projection screens and high volume is not an option?
I have a high-end 65" TV and a decent sound setup, but it cannot compare to the big screen experience. So I still go to the cinema for movies I really want to enjoy.
I guess it also helps that live in a country where, for the vast majority of cases, people are not idiots when going to the movies. Oh and the seats are numbered so you know you'll get a good seat if you order early enough.
Just because the entertainment industry is making record breaking money doesn't mean that they are also not losing alot to piracy. The "despite" term in the Slashdot headline is inaccurate and clearly shows a leech slant.
Them selling the brand out is. Back in the day IMAX meant something. Then the corporation realized people would drive hours to see their favourite movie in IMAX so they started selling IMAXLite.
Originally IMAX was a 70mm format it was only used on documentaries. It played on a 23x30m screen. Some action film makers wanted to play on these screens so they upscaled their 35mm print.
Then The Dark Night was shot on 70mm AND raked in a ton of cash, so the IMAX Corp decided to sell out their brand and allow 8.5x18m screens to be labeled as IMAX.
https://johncanfield.me/blog/b...
Just because the entertainment industry is making record breaking money doesn't mean that they are also not losing alot to piracy.
Actually it means EXACTLY that. Piracy is not necessarily a bad thing for the industry and the relationship between piracy and profits is complicated. The simplistic notion that every pirated copy equals a lost sale of equivalent value is demonstrably nonsense. Most pirated content would not have resulting in additional sales. It's been demonstrated that piracy in many cases actually INCREASES sales.
Movie theaters aren't (or shouldn't be) selling a mere viewing of a movie. I can get that without involving them. They have to be selling something I cannot get elsewhere. A huge screen and an awesome sound system that I cannot replicate at home. Smarter theaters like Alamo Draft House sell pretty decent dining as well. Some theaters offer super comfy seats and other amenities. One near me has a bowling alley and bar. Many have video arcades. THAT is what I am paying for and it is not possible to pirate that experience. If all people wanted was to watch the movie on whatever crappy screen I could find then movie theaters would have been out of business a long time ago. Sure piracy might lose a few marginal customers but if their business model was so poor that piracy could make a real dent then they deserve to lose money.
Movie theaters aren't in the business of selling movie viewings. They are in the business of renting large projection and sound systems and providing entertainment. The movie is just the loss leader to get you in the door. It's like Las Vegas. Nobody really needs to go there just to gamble. I have three casinos in my home town. I go there for an experience that I cannot get at those local casinos and that those local casinos cannot really replicate.
Always remember this rule of thumb:
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data', and there is no such thing as 'anecdata'.
-=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
It's a term that has a well understood meaning. You don't get to choose what terms people use, sorry. Piracy means making copies of digital goods without paying for the right to make that copy. It's pretty simple really.
Think of making copies of copyrighted digital goods as a service. You have to pay for that service. If you don't pay for a service, you are cheating tho service provider. Piracy is cheating the provider of the "creating movies/music/software" service by not paying for the use of that service.
It's typically engaged in by cheap asses with low moral standards.