that there is a detrimental effect on international box office figures. The researchers attribute this impact to the wide release gaps
Damn right. It makes sense that if you release a film in Europe 6 months after the USA that there will be more piracy in Europe. Why should we have to wait? There is a simple solution: Release films at the same time/day. This is an example of piracy making things better for the consumer, and this sort of market-correcting piracy should be encouraged.
There's actually logistical reasons why that's potentially difficult, (having actors show up at premiers for example).
I think considering that "overseas piracy" is the big stated concern for Hollywood (less people downloading cam-rips, more people selling DVD's on corners), their strategy of actually launching the movie outside the U.S. first made sense.
I suspect we'll see more of that for tent-pole type films.
I doubt there's a single soul outside the film industry who gives the slightest damn about whether the actors are at the first showing of a film in their country/continent/whatever.
Maybe the actors visit a few of the largest markets. But they aren't going to go on a year-long press-junket for the premieres everywhere, regardless of how much of a delay there is. They are working on the next film. [edit: I wonder if this might be why so many movie-release events in Tokyo feature B-grade local celebrities as the spokesperson for the film. None of the actors could be bothered to fly over].
Why not just have ONE worldwide premiere, and journalists from various countries can cover that single meaningful event?
Japan is a huge market for international film releases, so some of the actors do show up once in a while, but not often and certainly not for most movies.
There are popular television shows that cover all the current Hollywood releases of the week, including those without any scheduled local release date. Lack of media attention is not the problem.
Inertia, fear of change, and localism (who cares about the rest of the world?) is the problem, but it is slowly but surely getting better.
Makes sense. However the film studio and the public have different interests, film studio want delayed releases, public want same releases. Now the public have the option of piracy. It's up to the film studios to run the numbers and decide if the boost from a delayed sale is worth the loss from piracy.
The world has changed. Film studios (or candle markers) do no have a right to continue to make money the same way. They can adapt or die.
Or people who manufactor VHS tapes, or shops that develop photographs, or people who repair record players, or people who sell records, or people who make horse draw carriage parts, etc. etc.
It's a hangover from the 'old days' where those lower down the release date list got 'hand me down' film reels.
Reels are one of the last major costs for film distributors, and even in the face of piracy they would rather cut costs there, than put there risk onto their own shoulders and produce more reels. They are scared of being stuck with a flop movie, and many theatres in the UK and elsewhere outside of the USofA won't commit to buying reels without seeing USA box-office turnout first. The delay is here, and until we have digital projecting, I'm not sure how it will be solved
What year is this? I was sure the world had long since moved on to entirely digital projection. I for one can't remember the last time I saw the "end-of-reel" spots on a movie in the cinema.
Yes reel projectors are still used - even at some multiplexes.
The reason there are no end of reel dots is that the changeover is now electronic and is coded into the sound track but most places now have full film reels and single projectors anyway to reduce the staffing requirements so there is no changeover.
until we have digital projecting, I'm not sure how it will be solved
Digital projectors exist. Physical reels are unnecessary. The general public does not care that it's expensive for you, we want to watch films now. Cinemas of the world: Adapt or die.
Damn right. It makes sense that if you release a film in Europe 6 months after the USA that there will be more piracy in Europe. Why should we have to wait? There is a simple solution: Release films at the same time/day. This is an example of piracy making things better for the consumer, and this sort of market-correcting piracy should be encouraged.