By: Suraj Jethwani.
This article is for us, the faithful cinegoers (or Multiplex goers). On how the Bollywood industry has sufferred due to Piracy.
Just about 4 Years back, I used to watch more than 70% of movies in movie halls. I knew that if I try to catch a newly-released movie on VCD (by paying a price >= Rs. 50), I will have to settle for an editted version of the movie with substandard Audio/Video content(A.K.A Camera Print)
Since then, the times have changed a lot:
1. Storage Media (including removable i.e. DVDs, VCDs) has become dirt cheap.
2. Internet access is faster and more reliable.
3. Home theatre systems/ DVD players have become cheaper and advanced (some can even support Pen drives).
4. Internet penetration has increased.
5. People involved with Piracy have become smarter, now they know how to Provide DVD quality movies shortly after it's thetrical release in India.
6. Compression techniques have improved for Video, where it has become possible for Video to be compressed without compromising on quality - This is just like we have seen MP3 kill the business for Audio CDs
7. Most importantly, viewers have become aware of Sites where they can Download and share movies.
Moreover,
Following are the reasons why the movie viewer is discouraged to go to a Movie hall, he has to deal with:
1. Exhorbitant prices (Movie tickets and eatables)
2. Parking problems (specially if you have a 4-wheeler)
3. Ticket booking (u better keep that Credit card ready !)
4. The security hassle : Getting past the Multiplex security is proving to be quite an ordeal. And the security personnel ensure you are not allowed to take eatables inside for obvious reasons.
All the above factors have forced the movie industry to adopt the policy of what I like to call:
Hit and Run, this means that a movie is Hyped a lot (usually by marketting on the small screen) then releasing them with a focus of making enough dough in the first 1-2 weeks. Movies have multiplied their revenue streams as well, this includes screening the movie Overseas, selling music rights etc.
No longer will we find a movie completing 25 weeks in the theatres (even 100 days is turning out to be a challenge for Indian movies).
This has also lead to some good movies going unnoticed because they haven't been marketted (Read: Hyped) propperly.
The movie production houses are forced to create controvercies (for publicity) just to survive in such situation.
The business of Bollywood is bleeding and the fate of the big budget movies along with the K3 (The Khans, the Kapoors and the Kumar) is in serious threat.
1. Exhorbitant prices (Movie tickets and eatables)
2. Parking problems (specially if you have a 4-wheeler)
3. Ticket booking (u better keep that Credit card ready !)
4. The security hassle : Getting past the Multiplex security is proving to be quite an ordeal. And the security personnel ensure you are not allowed to take eatables inside for obvious reasons.
All the above factors have forced the movie industry to adopt the policy of what I like to call:
Hit and Run, this means that a movie is Hyped a lot (usually by marketting on the small screen) then releasing them with a focus of making enough dough in the first 1-2 weeks. Movies have multiplied their revenue streams as well, this includes screening the movie Overseas, selling music rights etc.
No longer will we find a movie completing 25 weeks in the theatres (even 100 days is turning out to be a challenge for Indian movies).
This has also lead to some good movies going unnoticed because they haven't been marketted (Read: Hyped) propperly.
The movie production houses are forced to create controvercies (for publicity) just to survive in such situation.
The business of Bollywood is bleeding and the fate of the big budget movies along with the K3 (The Khans, the Kapoors and the Kumar) is in serious threat.
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