Film piracy

Vertigo · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:34

Just been into Brum to watch a preview screening of Confetti with the gf (not bad if you're into that sort of film), and upon entering was greeted by a guy who said he was from Fox security (tis a Fox film).

He was checking all bags and asking to look at mobiles and was taking any camera phones of any description off people and bagging and tagging them. When we came out there was an enormous queue as people waited to reclaim their stuff. Luckily I'd left my mobile at home and the gf's doesn't have a camera so he let her hang on to it.

Virtually every film you see these days has the anti-piracy warnings before it but this was taking things to a new level, obviously because it was a preview screening they're paranoid about people recording it. Anyone else come across security like this at a film?

Pho · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:37

They're taking phone cameras off people? I can understand if you walked in with a propper camera, but not a mobile.

Haylee Jayne · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:39

wow, thats takin it a bit to the extreme!!! surely the qualitiy of the film would be awful on a mobile phone lol

but then again if its stopping piracy it can only be a good thing!

DanTheMan · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:42

Yeah, I got warned during King Kong because I was messing about filming a scene on my camera phone as we call my mate Kong and we wanted to prove just how alike they were

DiG · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:43

They wouldn't be getting my phone off me!! They might get the battery as a comprimise but the phone? No way, you couldn't record anything of decent quality on them anyway

firstborn · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:45

As an approach to combat piracy it's a bit insane.

But if it prevents muppets from using their phones in a cinema then I'm all for it.

Vertigo · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:46

They were indeed taking any and all mobiles that had cameras on them. I don't think they were worried about still pictures per se, probably just erring on the side of caution rather than trying to work out what video capabilities each phone had.

alexakasloth · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:47

"Hello!? I can't talk right now! I'm in the cinema!"

Psymonkee · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:49

I'd probably kick up a huge fuss and tell them where to go.

Thats just going too far tbh :/

Al Vallario · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:53

Sounds like a pretty lucrative scam to me.

/Runs down to the local cinema to confiscate phones

Bes · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:53

There's no way I'd let them have my phone TBH. That's just going too far...

buckeejit · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:53

to tell you the truth, it must be making a diffence because within the past 6 months compared to last yr...... the number of movies that have been leaked onto the net have been very little.

Al Vallario · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:55

buckeejit said:
to tell you the truth, it must be making a diffence because within the past 6 months compared to last yr...... the number of movies that have been leaked onto the net have been very little.

Talking about piracy is a bit sketchy but the anti-piracy messages you see before films are way off the mark. When films are leaked onto the net they're most certainly not in the form of a grainy video clip filmed on a camera phone...

Alasdair · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:56

Vertigo1 said:
Just been into Brum to watch a preview screening of Confetti with the gf (not bad if you're into that sort of film), and upon entering was greeted by a guy who said he was from Fox security (tis a Fox film).

He was checking all bags and asking to look at mobiles and was taking any camera phones of any description off people and bagging and tagging them. When we came out there was an enormous queue as people waited to reclaim their stuff. Luckily I'd left my mobile at home and the gf's doesn't have a camera so he let her hang on to it.

Virtually every film you see these days has the anti-piracy warnings before it but this was taking things to a new level, obviously because it was a preview screening they're paranoid about people recording it. Anyone else come across security like this at a film?

If anything, something like that makes for awful PR for Fox as I see it as infringing on civil liberties more than anything. When I'm in the cinema on my own, I tend to play the games on my phone before the cinema starts, and like to have my phone on silent in case someone needs to get in touch with me urgently.

I'd love to take a picture of the anti-piracy warning, is this illegal too?

Pho · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:56

buckeejit said:
to tell you the truth, it must be making a diffence because within the past 6 months compared to last yr...... the number of movies that have been leaked onto the net have been very little.

As far as I'm aware most film leaks don't come from the UK (we don't get films for months after their released mostly, anyway). Most releases are just done underground now away from the RIAA I'd imagine.

buckeejit · 26 Apr 2006 at 22:57

Al Vallario said:
Talking about piracy is a bit sketchy but the anti-piracy messages you see before films are way off the mark. When films are leaked onto the net they're most certainly not in the form of a grainy video clip filmed on a camera phone...

I understand that. I was just stating my own judgement.

6thElement · 26 Apr 2006 at 23:00

buckeejit said:
to tell you the truth, it must be making a diffence because within the past 6 months compared to last yr...... the number of movies that have been leaked onto the net have been very little.

I believe the fact the US started locking people up for 5 years if they caught them doing it probably acts as a deterrant

iCraig · 26 Apr 2006 at 23:02

Thats quite retarded, there is little to no risk of a film being recorded onto a phone. The quality and sound would be terrible, and I'm sure you'd have to have a pretty big memory card to store an entire film.

Sequoia · 26 Apr 2006 at 23:02

Bes said:
There's no way I'd let them have my phone TBH.

Me neither. Not a chance.

Cueball · 26 Apr 2006 at 23:09

Most pirating comes from the US anyway.

Film piracy

Wise Guy