Rick L

Very good post, you had many good points, I do want to expound on one if it's okay... There's so many movies out today, it almost feels like the industry is saturated and like you said, you need something to punch out through the noise. I think if you were about to embark on making a movie now and want monetary success, not only art success, you might have to go off the beaten path. For example, a latin influenced movie, or a mix of cultures or a weird sci-fi comedy. I don't think every movie has been told although it does seems like it. I think we have to look we'll out of the box and take a chance because people really want something different like Napoleon Dynamite. Best regards, Rick

Going back to one of the earlier topics in this thread (although having nothing to do with the original question) I found people who buy pirated movies were never going to buy the actual movies. But someone approached them on the subway to buy it for a buck and the transaction was made. Or they'll either borrow it or rent it from netflix and grab it, or download it. I don't think they could actually be called sales, if any very very slim because you're dealing with bottom feeders here. I do think piracy hurts movies in the following regard though...when it gets leaked out before it's released or during and publicity jumps all over that. Then when it hits the public's ears that a copy is already downloadable, it cheapens the movie and everybody's work, and people may not rush to go out and see it. It lost it's value. So in this regard, piracy does hurt alot and it's sad to anyone who'e a part of the movie industry. There's many more variations than this. What surprises me and doesn't surprise me is that producers don't go after these people. Maybe they're making so much money already it would only be a headache. As far as the little guy, they might have to look at the piracy as free advertising. Or advertising they're paying for with sales they would have never had. Now a days, you don't have to go to the guy in New York who has all the dvd's spread out right there on the sidewalk, you can just mosey on down to youtube and watch a whole movie free because some avid fan wants to share that movie with the world. So if you made a movie and it was snatched up to be sold in the underworld of piracy, you could A) at least know your work was worth stealing and people who maybe were not part of the piracy (kids, friends) are enjoying your work. or you could B ) If you don't care if anyone is enjoying your work (released on dvd) and your so focused on pirates stealing your stuff and you blame them still because you weren't able to recoup all or even partial of your money...then know if piracy didn't exist, there's probably a good chance you still wouldn't have recouped your money anyway. C) I'll let you fill in the blank if need be.

Hi Chris, I feel the software program is really irrelevant, the story is what matters. I write my scripts in Word because it gives me alot of flexibility with editing. Script programs are kind of a pain sometimes to move around and could slow you down. Then after I write the script, edit it a few thousand times, then I just import it into a script program for the formatting and a clean look. I would recommend read the actual script of braveheart, I saw it on the net a while back. Rick

That's messed up, a worthy gripe. So it looks like the general consensus is movie theaters will continue to breed providing there's enough teenagers willing to throw their money to the wind and grandparents that give their grandchildren everything they cry about. And as long as the income is enough to turn the projector on and have fresh kernels on hand, then the show will continue. And although many movies are just repackaged, because of the influx of new generations, to them it's new. It is very clear though the movie going experience needs to be re-invented. But maybe it's not the theaters per say, but the movies themselves. Thanks for all your input, feel free to add more.

Insightful, thank you Keith.

Thanks for the encouragement Saul, and for proving there's always an ally in a valiant fight. The fight to see farther.

I started this thread to glean off any knowledge anyone wants to impart and hopefully hear other people's perspective on things. I do understand that during the depression, the entertainment industry kept climbing, and also that theaters do bounce back. But I think with the advent of the web and now as it's so increasingly fast, theaters could be history like music stores and video rental stores. I think it could only go so far until people on both sides start to divert their money elsewhere. This is all discussion, not trying to get anyone mad here. Let's say the web came out in oh...1965 when drive ins where the in thing. could you see the big movie screen continue as theater houses or would have the web stopped movie theaters as we know it today from being created? Personally, I think the small screen is the future until "Movie Theaters" re-invents itself, assuming that does happen. I just think when movies can't even last in a theater a month, there's a much deeper problem that no one wants to look at. Maybe it's the movies themselves.

No, I don't have hard data for this, as I posed all of this as a question. You're saying the theaters are full, they're full now, but what about later, I'm looking at the forecast, not now. And as Saul mentioned, his friend is doing everything he can do to just stay in business. Yes, the studios probably will find a way to always make money, but as far as the theaters themselves, even the big cineplex ones, they're running on a very old system. Yes, Transformers made alot of money, that's one movie out of the hundreds that pass through the theater every year. And as far as teenagers, they don't have to sit in the theater, they can go sit in a parking lot, especially true if they don't have money. And as many people know, the theaters make most of their money off their concessions anyway, but if there's no people to buy popcorn, how will they stay in business? They only make a small percentage on each ticket. I think what's happening with film people is (possibly) they're so emotionally attached to movies in the traditional sense that if you tell them things can shift strongly in one direction, they take it personally because they're not flexible. I love movies more than anyone, that's why I want to make sure I'm going in the right direction, not looking to how things are now, but later. Just food for thought...

Four questions (and I don't mean to sound like a doom and gloom voice, I'm not, just want to plan the best I can for the future). Thank you ahead of time for all your valuable input. 1. Do you think movie theaters are surviving on momentum because people are really not going to the movies that much anymore. They know if they wait a month, they can get the dvd (or pay per view) and watch it in the peace and quiet of their home with no one behind them kicking the chair and/or some idiot near them on a cell phone. 2. Is it possible in the near future for movie theaters to just be a thing of the past, like drive ins? Let's face it, except for one or two good movies a year, no one is flocking to the movie theaters. Maybe except daters and matinee spenders. 3. Let's say if movie theaters are gone, will the small screen be the ideal medium. Small screen meaning tv, lap top, pda? And what will happen to our precious 2.35 aspect ratio, will everything be 16 x 9? (I'm sure people can still film in whatever ratio they want, but probably alot will be on 16 x 9). 4. How does the web play out in all this? Me personally, I think theaters know they are in trouble so they are trying this new 3D thing hoping that will get people into the theaters, but really, I think, the stories is what get people into the seats. And the stories by and large seem repackaged replicas of older ones. Once in a while, you get surprised. I do think the web will be the delivery of choice for most movies. It may not be called straight to video anymore, but straight to the web, and then you have a selection of different formats to view it on whatever electronic gizmo you have at the time. I know alot of people from all of walks of life and nobody goes to the movies anymore. They say, either there's nothing good, or they're too broke. So sad for such a beautiful medium as movies. I also think because of the advent of digital movie cameras, content will hit the web so much faster where people won't even need to go to the movies anymore for entertainment because they'll be so fat on content already. I do believe that movie houses don't have to die. But now a days, what studios put on the big screen, you pretty much can watch that on your small kitchen tv. There's no cinematic feel, or larger than life feel. And the thought of movie theaters disappearing is startling, but I remember drive ins, and they're gone. Is the home the new movie theater? Thanks for reading and for your thoughts, Rick Thanks Rick