James Cameron's Thoughts On Containing Piracy

"Because even if piracy was totally legal and download rates were much faster, you’re still watching it on a small platform"

He hasn't seen my 34" monitor.

Yeah, a 40" 4k from 3ft away is way better than most of the theaters around me, most theaters by my house don't even have good sound systems.
 
It's hard to beat a good 65" UHD TV and surround sound system in the comfort of your own home. When you weigh in all the little inconveniences of going to a movie theater you and I can see where the change needs to come from. Unfortunately the ones capable of making the changes won't be having any of it.
 
The funny thing is this is exactly what the Artists wanted a pay per play system. They just never thought of the actual real world repercussions of having that type of system. I am sure they all thought their music was the greatest thing ever and people would play it over and over till they released their next album, but they now realize that doesn't happen anywhere but in their dreams. Before they'd get paid for about 10 songs worth at a much higher royalty and they complained cause people could rip the discs to their own players and they wouldn't get a penny. So people came up with this pay per play system and now they have come to realize they get paid less per song and people don't listen to their music nearly as much as they thought. Whoops. I guess this is one of those be careful of what you wish for scenarios.


Yeah, I can count on one hand the albums I've actually listened through more than once or twice.
 
Won't stop piracy, but it'd get me into the theater more often.

Right now, the theater is for Star Wars, Star Trek and a couple other really good movies. It's a decent expense with the whole family experience. Not something I could do twice a week like I used to when I was young and single.

I think piracy is going to stay. It's free, and it's easy to get. With high speed internet, you can download a decent HD rip in 10 minutes or less. Quicker than Redbox, even. Pirates gonna pirate. Can't stop them.

Give incentives to those legitimate buyers. I buy BR on sale. I love a good deal. Throw in a digital copy (Vudu, Ultraviolet, etc), and I can share with my family. I'm all for it. I can't stand the previews, the FBI warnings, etc. at the beginning, though.... Fuck those things.


you'll never get rid of piracy unless they make downloading anything 100% illegal.. the thing is they do need to slow it down by providing better sources to watch it legally.. right now they're doing a god awful job at. movie tickets are to damn expensive and 9 times out of 10 every movie i see theres some annoying ass baby crying in the theater even though it's a rated R movie and they're not suppose to be allowed to be there. they have bullshit rules that force netflix and amazon to wait far to long to provide the movies to customers over streaming, their own personal sources through their own website or stream apps are complete garbage compared to netflix and amazon and they are to expensive for what you get.

i mean hell look at how much music piracy had dropped since easy access music streaming became mainstream and yet the music industry continues to fuck it up and has driven people back to pirating music by charging these streaming companies more and more money to play the music forcing more ad's and higher rates to get rid of the ad's.

ultimately the problem is the industry it's self and the fact that they waited way to long to take advantage of the internet age. so instead of trying to catch up they keep forcing it further and further behind leaving only one source and that's piracy.
 
"and it’s not that social experience."

As a rule of thumb, i don't want to be social with most people, particularly at theatres.
 
It's simply about convenience and cost. It's also not about piracy to me but about theater vs home.

1. Underwear on couch as someone mentioned: Advantage home
2. Cheaper and/or better varity food: Home
3. Rewatch/ownership: Home
4. Stop/start movie while getting refreshments/bathroom: Home
5. Watch anywhere: Home. This is a big one for me. I've definitely started buying more digital movies on Amazon because I can watch anywhere/anytime.
6. Convenience: Home Don't have to leave the house to buy or rent
7. Experience: Meh, theater I suppose but I'm perfectly happy in my dark room, couch, 65" tv and decent sound set up.

I would even argue movies are potentially being minimized by on demand series, etc via Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now.

I've only got so much time
and between the shows I watch on video services, there is really no reason to go to theater that I see?
 
Simultaneous theater and home release would go a long way. I'm simply not going to go to a theater to see a movie. How much that would hurt theaters I'm not sure. Many won't go a theater so they're not losing their business anyway. Those who enjoy the theater experience will always go so it won't impact that segment either. The question surrounds those who go, but would rather not, simply because they can't wait for home release.
 
Okay, so are they going to make tickets less than $12+, a large popcorn less than $9 and a large drink less than $7? Because otherwise Cameron is full of shit.

You are going to the wrong theatre if ticket prices are that high.

I don't go that often, but there are two different thatres I go to.

1. The "Dollar" theatre - used to be a dollar when they first took over it, but it is now around $3. They show stuff that has been out for a while. Concessions are still a total rip off.. but I don't buy any snacks or drinks so I really don't care.

2. The other theatre near me that isn't a total rip off. Tickets are about $7 and they show the new releases. Concessions are of course priced stupidly high, but again, I don't buy anything there, so it doesn't affect me. This theatre recently did a complete renovation, complete with reclining super-cushy chairs.

As for the concession prices.. just sneak your snacks and drinks in. Easy enough and you don't end up paying 10x the price it should be.

No way I am going to pay for a movie ticket and then spend $15+ in addition per person for some popcorn/snacks and a drink.
 
Increasing the movie experience I do believe is a valid argument. I only go to the theater with reserved seating and electronic recliners now. I don't want to deal with finding a seat for our group and I want to be comfortable while I'm there for 2 hours. If the theater doesn't have reserved seating I don't go. If it's a big movie I will only go see it in a theater that has Atmos or Aura 3D because my personal theater at home has better sound than most movie theaters....until I upgrade to Atmos that is.
 
I enjoyed watching Avatar
iagreewiththepresident.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: Croak
like this
You are going to the wrong theatre if ticket prices are that high.

I don't go that often, but there are two different thatres I go to.

1. The "Dollar" theatre - used to be a dollar when they first took over it, but it is now around $3. They show stuff that has been out for a while. Concessions are still a total rip off.. but I don't buy any snacks or drinks so I really don't care.

2. The other theatre near me that isn't a total rip off. Tickets are about $7 and they show the new releases. Concessions are of course priced stupidly high, but again, I don't buy anything there, so it doesn't affect me. This theatre recently did a complete renovation, complete with reclining super-cushy chairs.

As for the concession prices.. just sneak your snacks and drinks in. Easy enough and you don't end up paying 10x the price it should be.

No way I am going to pay for a movie ticket and then spend $15+ in addition per person for some popcorn/snacks and a drink.

Lol. Those prices seem very cheap to me.

At my local theater:

theater-price.jpg



Standard price for a prime-time showing of a new release is $16.99. If you buy any of the overpriced concessions, it's at least a $40 per person experience, if not more.
 
Want to make theater attendance go up? Bring back Ushers -- you know those guys that were in the theater to handle shit before and possibly during the movie. Make their main job to kick out the assholes on their cell phone or the ones with crying babies who refuse to leave.

If I paid 20+ dollars to see a movie make sure I can actually see it without being distracted.

Bring back the Usher and give him enough power so that people know not to fuck around in movie theaters anymore, then I'd happily consider going a lot more.
 
There are definitely pirates who will pirate regardless of anything. Some of them are so proud of it in fact, they like to declare it to the world as if it was some badge of honor. It's weird to me. But there are others, who Steam catered to, and CDPR catered to, as well as other less notable ones.

Likewise, there are artists, who care more about their product than the money. And are more reasonable in their distribution, etc.

You can never make everyone happy.
 
James Cameron says that providing a better theater experience is one of the keys to containing piracy.
Uh no it won't, in fact you could argue providing a better theater experience is the reason why piracy is so rampant. How much extra does it cost for 3d? Imax? Xtreme Digital (or whatever fucking bullshit marketing scheme they have next). Theater owners aren't paying for those "better" experience providers, they're passing the cost onto consumers and then they're even continuing that cost, I'm pretty sure every 3d projector in the nation paid itself off after a week of Avatar being out, how long ago was that? I'd love to see a breakdown of how much money theaters make from these upcharges.
 
Lol. Those prices seem very cheap to me.

At my local theater:

View attachment 5951


Standard price for a prime-time showing of a new release is $16.99. If you buy any of the overpriced concessions, it's at least a $40 per person experience, if not more.
The movie studios take the majority of the ticket sales thus the ridiculous prices on concessions and the not so great viewing experience--unless you like shitty seats, sticky floors, people kicking and talking on their phone, babies crying, etc.
 
James Cameron recently bashed The Force Awakens for lacking 'visual imagination'. He made Avatar which I'm certain he believes is oozing with visual imagination but completely lacks in everything else. This guy is very narrow sighted.

Newsflash Cameron.....if movies were simply BETTER people would see them.

I've gone to the movies more times this year than I have ever been and that's all thanks to the Alamo Drafthouse and their awesome craft beer selection. Maybe he is onto something but maybe he's just being James Cameron, ya know...reminding people that he exists and also reminding people that his movies are worth a damn. Not since T2 they are...
 
Bring back the Usher and give him enough power so that people know not to fuck around in movie theaters anymore, then I'd happily consider going a lot more.
+1 I was at a ~$50 per seat Cirque de Solei production and some asshole in front and to the right of me had his blinding cell phone out for minutes at a time. The usher talked to him and he turned it off for some 10 minutes. The second time, he was escorted out.
 
James Cameron recently bashed The Force Awakens for lacking 'visual imagination'. He made Avatar which I'm certain he believes is oozing with visual imagination but completely lacks in everything else. This guy is very narrow sighted.

Newsflash Cameron.....if movies were simply BETTER people would see them.

I've gone to the movies more times this year than I have ever been and that's all thanks to the Alamo Drafthouse and their awesome craft beer selection. Maybe he is onto something but maybe he's just being James Cameron, ya know...reminding people that he exists and also reminding people that his movies are worth a damn. Not since T2 they are...
At least he isn't George Lucas :D
 
I've spent A LOT of money just so that I don't have to go to a movie theater. People these days are just plain-old rude when attending public events. At home, I can pick up my remote, press a single button, and either stream through Roku 4, access my media server stocked with over 600 movies, or watch live TV. I sit 9' away from a 75" 4K TV which gives me an almost perfect THX experience and enjoy movies in either Dolby Atmos ( DSU ) or DTS:X ( Neural X ) coming from 11 speakers powered by two amps that can output 3400 watts, not including the 3600 watts worth of THUMP!!

Only thing that would make it better is a Trinnov Altitude 32 processor but those are a cool $37,000. I'd also like to be able to have access to the same DCP the theaters get.


Pics or shens
 
I still refuse to make any disney purchases after that bullshit they pulled over the star wars toys. but you can bet your ass i will see star wars if you know what I mean.
 
My ass gets sore sitting through a movie so more comfortable seats would be nice.
 
The free part is a motivator for some, for sure, but I bet if you get rid of the above frustrations, you'll go a long way towards mitigating the majority of piracy. Most people who pirate WOULD ACTUALLY PREFER PAYING FOR THE CONTENT because they feel that the people who make it deserve to get paid for their work, they just aren't willing to put up with the BS, headaches and delays in order to do so.


i still do this to this day, When i find "freeware" that I like i donate to them. i see it as something they deserve for their work.

i also agree with everything else you said.
 
Yea I dunno, the theater problem is a big one with many issues.

Yes, costs and concession stand items are super expensive but the biggest reason why I don't go to theatres much anymore is stupid people. People bringing kids to an adult movie and disrupting the show for everyone, people still looking at their phones, drunktards sleeping and snoring in the row behind you, kicking your seat every 2 seconds. That and people who laugh at serious moments and ruin the atmosphere of the movie.

The only way you can fix the theatre experience is if you can invent a machine that gives people a full psychological analysis and put people in similar categories in separate theatre rooms. So for now, I either go if it's a must-see, during the oddest of times to minimize other people in the theatre and/or wait until the movie has played to the point where no one really comes to see it anymore. It's the best chance I have for a successful movie experience.

Otherwise, I'll stay at home.
 
It all comes back to the general state of the economy really, at least in my opinion.

I used to pirate tons back in the day as a broke college student. Now that I make good money I don't even think twice to go to the movies to watch stuff that I've never seen the trailer for or even pick up a blu-ray for a movie I haven't seen before. If you have the money, or if the prices weren't ridiculous, it's so much more convenient to go legit than to pirate. At least for me it is.

Then again I'm so lazy I hire movers when I don't renew my apartment lease, lol.
 
I took my uncle to go see Star Trek Beyond last weekend. I only go to maybe 1 or 2 movies a year so I treated him. He wanted to go to AMC Northpark (Dallas) and sit in the swanky "Dolby" Ubermaxx theater with the reserved seating, leather recliner chairs, Dolby Atmos, subwoofer shaky chairs, etc etc etc. $18.50 EACH for 2pm on a Saturday. I spent $40 to see a movie. I could buy the blu-ray TWICE and have money left over for a Big Mac meal for $40. STUPID STUPID STUPID

And it's the same usual BS at the theater. Watch commercials on a giant screen. 30 minutes of movie trailers with the volume turned up to 150db. And those reclining chairs? Yeah they're not bad EXCEPT when you're on an aisle seat and people get up to go the shitter during the movie. Constantly moving the recliner up and down, and it's slow....

Never again.
 
+1 I was at a ~$50 per seat Cirque de Solei production and some asshole in front and to the right of me had his blinding cell phone out for minutes at a time. The usher talked to him and he turned it off for some 10 minutes. The second time, he was escorted out.
$50 seat? Wow you got the cheap seats then... I was in the nose bleeds where they were selling seats behind a fucking pole of a circus tent for $80 a pop, and this was 15 years ago! Seriously though I'm sure different shows have different price tags, and 15 years ago there weren't 20 different Cirque shows roaming the country
 
$50 seat? Wow you got the cheap seats then... I was in the nose bleeds where they were selling seats behind a fucking pole of a circus tent for $80 a pop, and this was 15 years ago! Seriously though I'm sure different shows have different price tags, and 15 years ago there weren't 20 different Cirque shows roaming the country

Yeah, I've wanted to go see Cirque de Soleil when they've come to town, but never wanted to drop the $200-$300 per seat for tickets...
 
I think he means social as in going to the movies on a date is more stimulating than going to your living room on a date. I certainly hope he doesn't mean active and loud conversations through the experience!
Don't know what you're doing on your dates but I don't want that kind of stimulation anywhere but my living room. I'm kind of a prude :ROFLMAO:
 
Yeah, I've wanted to go see Cirque de Soleil when they've come to town, but never wanted to drop the $200-$300 per seat for tickets...

Nah, 200 bucks a ticket for Cirque de Soleil is not expensive. You are just thinking of it wrong. If you think of is as the same price as 4 crappy theater experiences, then you will realize you are getting one hell of a deal. :D

Also, not all Cirque de Soleils are equal. Some of the more expensive ones at Vegas are pretty damn amazing.
 
as long as the costs weren't prohibitively high I would pay to watch new releases in my home with my friends and fam and my own reasonably priced popcorn for a higher price. The movie could expire in 24 hours or even 8 as long as I could watch it without having to go to a theatre. I think more people would go to movies that way. At the same time it'd probably be easier to pirate and get high def copies of new blockbusters.

What's prohibitive? For a $35k investment + $500 for 24 hours access you can get new films in your home the same day they are released in the theatres...
 
Last edited:
It'd be nice if we could pay money to stream a movie to our house. Maybe $50 or $60? IDK the price.
For me, it's not the cost of going to the movies. I've been annoyed by the people watching the movie (talking, cell phone, pop corn crunchers, candy bar wrinklers trying to be quiet but making more noise than possible, etc), driving to the cinema (not a super hassle, but closest to me is maybe 25 minutes), etc.
When I take the fam, I'm going to spend at least $50 on tickets and concessions. I have kids - ever been in the middle of a movie and your kid has to pee? Yeah. It sucks - do you let your kids go on themselves so you can catch that scene, or do you sacrifice part of the movie? Tough choice sometimes :) At home, I could hit pause or rewind.
I will admit the local cinemas have stepped up their game. They have nice screens and have been upgrading their furniture. Still, give me options. I'm married with children! (Queue up the theme song)
 
It'd be nice if we could pay money to stream a movie to our house. Maybe $50 or $60? IDK the price.
For me, it's not the cost of going to the movies. I've been annoyed by the people watching the movie (talking, cell phone, pop corn crunchers, candy bar wrinklers trying to be quiet but making more noise than possible, etc), driving to the cinema (not a super hassle, but closest to me is maybe 25 minutes), etc.
When I take the fam, I'm going to spend at least $50 on tickets and concessions. I have kids - ever been in the middle of a movie and your kid has to pee? Yeah. It sucks - do you let your kids go on themselves so you can catch that scene, or do you sacrifice part of the movie? Tough choice sometimes :) At home, I could hit pause or rewind.
I will admit the local cinemas have stepped up their game. They have nice screens and have been upgrading their furniture. Still, give me options. I'm married with children! (Queue up the theme song)
It will never happen for this price, period. $50-$60 doesn't cover anywhere near what the theatres/hollywood would lose by you & your 10 friends not going to a physical theatre. I don't think they'd ever set something up for less than $150'ish or so. On top of that, they have to charge to cover piracy risk.
 
Movie theaters wouldn't be so bad if they didn't charge so much for the snacks. I always feel a little guilty sneaking food in. The dollar store next to the theater is nearly out of candy every time I go. If the prices were reasonable I would actually pay their prices. The cost of going out to the movies is the reason people aren't going.
 
You mean he's never seen one so small.

Screen size is irrelevant.

If the screen is smaller, you just sit closer to get the same effect.

My primary desktop monitor is a 48" Samsung 4k TV at a distance of 2-2.5 ft.

No movie theater experience in the world is going to beat that, except maybe a proper IMAX.
 
Back
Top