On the surface, this appears to be fairly innocuous, and the actions of Odeon petty and selfish. What should be made clear, however, is what this is actually about. It’s the first tentative steps on the road to simultaneous format release. The belief is that, at some point in the future, movies will be released in theatres, on home video format, and online on the very same day. There are several reasons for doing this.
Studios favourite current justification appears to be to combat piracy. It’s thought that the availability of home formats immediately upon release will greatly diminish demand for pirated copies of movies. Whilst there is logic behind this, the truth is there will always be people willing to watch a lesser quality copy of a film at a lower price, and no shortage of criminals prepared to supply these copies. The availability of high definition copies of these films will in fact increase the quality of pirated versions, and make the whole exercise that much easier.
The idea of simultaneous release is very beneficial to us as a consumer of course. We have a choice of formats, we can watch the movies everyone is talking about without having to travel to theatres, and we don’t have to wait to own our favourite films. In this scenario, then, the biggest losers are the cinema chains. Many people will point out that seeing a movie on the big screen is the best way to experience any movie, particularly 3D movies as in the case of Alice, and so attendances won’t actually drop that much.
I don’t fully agree with this. Yes, going out to watch a film is a popular social past time, and with the growing popularity of 3D and Imax there will be compelling reasons to choose to watch in theatres over living rooms. But we are living in a society that is becoming increasingly geared towards convenience. We went from TV dinners, to takeaway, to microwave meals. Where we once walked around shopping centres to buy the things we wanted, we started catalogue shopping. This made way for Internet shopping of clothes, furniture, weekly groceries and, yes, movies. I used to walk to Blockbuster to rent DVD’s. Then i joined Lovefilm, and only had to walk to the postbox. Now i switch on my PS3, and just click the controller. It’s in our nature to take the easy option.
Not necessarily even out of laziness either. In a time of environmental crisis, war and spreading super-virus, our time is precious to us now more than ever. Weighing up the hassle of travelling to the cinema, the time it takes, and the need to adhere to their timetable with the convenience of simply clicking a mouse and watching a movie at a time convenient to you, and the ability to pause and finish watching at a later date, i think the latter will win out for far more people than you’d think. There’s little in this world within our control, which is why we take all that we can. Also precious to us is our money. £15 for two people to watch a film once in a cinema, or £15 for unlimited numbers to watch it as many times as they want on DVD. It’s a matter of simple economics.
Odeon’s decision is also based on economic realities. Yes, the situation I’ve described here is some way off, and bringing forward the DVD release by six weeks will have considerably less financial impact. But it will HAVE an impact. Figures will go down by some small percentage, particularly considering Jon’s discovery that the DVD release is already being promoted.
Theatrical attendances are up, and on the surface cinemas should be doing well. They are however subject to the same financial uncertainty as the rest of us in the current economic environment. This situation, combined with the ongoing financial wrangling over the upgrading of current projectors to digital, gives cinema chains good reason to take steps to protect their bottom line. Every company, however big, has a right to protect their livelihood, which is why i stand behind Odeon’s decision.
It’s also the reason why i won’t condemn Disney – they’re simply doing the same. Negotiation is a part of doing business, disagreements inevitable, and this is in effect Odeon’s industrial action. The audience is the big loser, and ironically the big winners are Vue and Cineworld. Without the competition of Odeon, and with the publicity caused by the situation, all showings of Alice in Wonderland are almost guaranteed sell-outs.
Remember, it’s a 3D movie based on a well known property, with a bankable star and a director who still has name value the world over. It has the potential for huge box office, and Odeon stands to lose out financially in its bid to help secure its continuing livelihood. I say good luck to them.
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I totally agree. Though we may argue over cinema admission prices & snack prices to blue in our faces but the matter of the fact is we are all movie fans and will go to the cinema who ever it is. We want to see the best movies in our cinemas within the cinemas timeband not when studios want it on dvd. The more pressure studios put on people to buy there dvd before you get a chance to see it on the big screen the less likely I would buy on dvd. Basically let people judge a movie on the big screen and if they like it they will buy the dvd version.
Some very interesting points you made there and I fully agree too. Well said, Barry.
Andy
I disagree. Whilst you make some valid points, this is a knee-jerk reaction. Releasing a film a month earlier on DVD than usual is not necessarily the start of a slippery slope to simultaneous release dates on all formats. Most films – and I would imagine this one will be the same – don't last anywhere near twelve weeks at the cinema and the wait for the DVD is not what prompts people to go and see it in the cinema either.
I feel it's a valid defence from Disney as well – the move being an attempt to combat piracy. A number of people who download movies illegally do so in the interim between cinema and DVD (and indeed go on to buy the proper version on its release). Of course it won't stop all pirates – though it must be remembered many of the ones it will have no effect on wouldn't be going to see it in the cinema in any event.
Also – if simultaneous release dates would be that damaging to cinema chains it would be equally as damaging to the film's box office. Whilst films can go on to great business on DVD it's the box office takings that truly matter. This is mainly why I think Odeon are spitting the dummy in this instance. This is shortening the window and not even cutting into the film's fun at the cinema. Of course there are films that 'have legs' and can go on for over 12 weeks in the cinema but this isn't one of them.
Until this became news most people wouldn't have had a clue about the Alice in Wonderland DVD coming out in 12 weeks anyhoo. So Odeon could have squeezed 12 wks of box office out of it – most films don't stick around for that long anyways. The people who would have felt cheated is those that then saw it on DVD and grumbled that they had paid out for a cinema outing. This would have the effect of slowly making people become weary of going to the cinema. So Odeon COULD have profitted from this but in standing up now they are hopefully fighting for future releases. Heck, I enjoyed the days when some films never came out on video/DVD – making a cinema release all the more special. JB.
I can't agree and don't support Odeon's move.
Odeon's major concern is that they'll be losing money. Now they'll be losing more money in the short term as a result of their decision.
In the long term, Odeon's concern is still that they'll be losing money. If they're wrong, then they'll have caused short term loss of money for themselves over something that turns out to be a non issue. If they're right, then they'll also be causing themselves to lose money by allowing their competitors to gain money in the short term, competitors who have decided to test the impact and the outcomes rather than assume them (the smart move).
Which leaves the eventuality that Odeon really do have something to worry about in which case the core issue is the long term impact on cinema chains of, as you say in your article, movies being released simultaneously in multiple formats.
Even if this is an unavoidable way things are going to go, refusing to show a film isn't going to change that. If it goes this way, it goes this way because those who invest films will make more money from films by doing it. But think that through. How can they make more money by releasing simultaneously in multiple formats? The only reasonable answer is to say that it will reduce piracy, but clearly with DVD and Cinema sales up, that's not as big an issue as some make it out to be. No, there'll never be a simultaneous release as it will cost rather than make money. Disney are merely trying to shorten the end of the theatrical release chain so they can lengthen the home release revenue stream by reducing the length of the piracy one.
Refusing to screen a movie based on an idea that will never happen (or that if it does happen is thus unavoidable because in the end its always about the way to make the most money) is only going to hurt you and no one else. That is why I don't support Odeon's move, it is only hurting themselves, will change nothing, and ultimately is about a concern that is highly likely a non-event. It seems all of the other chains recognize this too.
Bit late on this as its already been resolved. But as an employee of Odeon I fully understand their point of view. Its niave to think that other distributors wont follow suit. In addition to this it makes business sense for distributors to eventually go for simultanious release and then where will my job be then? For the sake of my livelyhood I'm pleased that even if its not entirely successful that Odeon are prepared to fight.