Ads before the film? (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

That's just it. We're still paying a higher price, even with the ads!!! Meanwhile, the "theater experience" is no longer the exclusive domain of the studios. My path is clear. F*%k'em...

Gunny

 

[TravisR]

Shouldn't be too hard to find people fitting that description on the internet.

On a more serious note, how exactly would you try to convince theater chains to drop a huge stream of their revenue by getting rid of commercials? I don't ask to be a jerk but it's really what the issue boils down to. You would need a massive number of people that are boycotting solely due to commercials so the loss that they're taking from the boycott outweighs the revenue generated from commercials. No one likes commercials but I don't think you'll see too many people that will boycott theaters over them either.

 

[John Dirk]

Hi Travis;

I must respectfully disagree with your summation above. I think the actual issue is that we recognize the attitudes and behaviors that led us to this present situation and stop repeating them. The situation is [of course] not unique to movie studios. We see the same thing in politics, the general consumer markets, as well as the financial markets to name a few. It's a repeating scenario in which we [the consumer/citizen] gradually allow those who are supposed to serve us to become our rulers instead. In other words, I may love movies and DVD's, but I can survive without them if I have to. Sony and Paramount [etc] on the other hand, cannot survive without me [collectively speaking].

In a sense, however, I must concede that you are absolutely correct. A basic law of physics states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. The studios now have momentum because we have given it to them. There was a time [when the first commercials aired] when we could have made it clear that we would not tolerate them. We failed to do this, thus setting the aforementioned object in motion. Stopping it [while not impossible] is somewhat unrealistic at this point, but this fact should only underscore the folly of our complacence.

We are the consuming public. No product is worth anything unless we agree to buy it. Going forward, we need to make it crystal clear to the studio execs. "They exist because we say they do." We can always say otherwise if they refuse to serve honerably.

As always, just my opinion

Gunny

 

[Steve Y]

I don't like advertisements before movies with "television-scale" production budgets. I don't care how large the screen is; they feel "cheap", and they "cheapen" my movie-going experience. The audio is lower fidelity (harsher), the actors are obviously television commercial actors, the products are generally for military recruitment, automobiles, and (yes) television shows, the stuff you see on prime time network television.

I go to the movies so I can be in movie land, not so I can see clever (or entertaining) TV commercials. I'm not blind to the economics at work here, but it doesn't mean I have to sit back and enjoy them.

Even TV commercials which cost millions of dollars have a simple visual language and a lack of panache which make me think, "I might see this on TV and press mute." Honestly, I'd rather see an advertisement for the concession stand with a dancing hip-hop hot dog than some Generation-Z slacker hyping up the Toyota Prius.

Having to watch trailers for bad, cheap movies are still a MOVIE experience. I'd rather not be force-fed an appetizer of spaghettios before my filet mignon.

As Benie mentioned above, thank goodness for venus like the Stanford Theater, which still keeps MOVIES firmly planted in MOVIE land. "Mixing media" removes the sparkle from what used to be a magic event. So Mr. Tisseur, you're certainly not alone in your annoyance.

Thanks for listening.

 

[mtlfilmguy]

When i read posts like John's,it just inspires me more as a writer to better myself.

Thanks John.

To the issue at hand,

Of course, i dont pretend to have the perfect answer to this,all im saying is the more i make deals of any kind with all sorts of people in my life whether it be work -related ,friends or family,a lot of the time i find the deal has been altered along the way,and is no longer the deal we " shook hands on ".

and thats really starting to make me mad to no end.

Mind you,i am generally a very zen-like guy,most of the time i find no place for yelling ,cursing or just thinking everyone's a a-hole.Life does not work that way.

But in order to that world view and maintain that kind of philosophy through and through,you also need to NOT let people step on you left and right.

So now,i'm focusing on this one.Why you ask ?

Because i cry at Casablanca and laugh at Major league.
Because i get mad at Hans Gruber and feel freaking proud every time i watch Truman sail out to sea against all odds.
Because i love the experience of movies and love them untainted by crap commercialism.Leave that for the mags and television.I'm beginning to think that soon well be watching films with Eharmony pop-ups scattered through the love scenes.


It seems that in the research ive been doing the website commercialalert.com has an article that states that New-york now at least has a law stating actual movie start times.That would tell me that it can be done,that is has been done and that theater managers are willing to listen and do what is right for satisfying their customers.

but it still doesnt solve the problem of getting good seats so in a sense youre still punished.

And of course,if we are to commit to some sort of solution,we would have to work on it each of us in our own city,you know if we each convince 5 guys locally then the sum of our combined individual efforts will be 500 guys and then and only then do you have the true possibility of fixing the leaking roof.


Ben

P.S. and not to hijack my own thread,but now this whole convergence thing is geting so out of hand that hey folks now on that silver swissknife that used to be a phone,you can watch Fifth element on a VERY MICROSCOPIC 3-INCH SCREEN!!!!!

 

[DaveF]

John, I wholly agree with where you're coming from. I'd love it if movies had nothing but interesting, original entertainment before the actual movie time. And since I consider trailers part of the movie-experience, I prefer those to not start until movie show-time so I don't miss them.

I'll be pedantic though, and insist that this is not a matter of right or wrong. It's a matter of artistic sensibility and a business decision. But it's not a moral issue.

But since business and artistic interests align to have ads in theaters to generate additional revenue, I've a choice whether to suffer them. I find them not so bad. Like I said, I prefer the commerical pre-movie videos more interesting than the gray silence or tired trivia slides from years past. So, I'm copasetic for now.

And it would be great to watch a commercial-free movie on your 150" screen, be it in the woods or metropolis

 

[mtlfilmguy]

and the first thing i'd like to get is as many comments as there are views.

I know some of those are us reading the stuff other people are writing but 846 views against 46 comments is a pretty high ratio.

C'mon you long-time readers be a first time writer!

there's no fence sitting on this matter,you can't just be ok with this..
you either LIKE paying for the ads or you HATE paying for the ads

It's the old im not saying trick.

" hey George did you go out with Rebecca yesterday "

" I aint sayin."

You think George did ?

by not admitting,hes admitting.


Do I have to bring Howard Beale in here ?

Ben

 

[John Dirk]

I see your point, and it's probably me who's guilty of being pedantic. Unfortunately, its one of my defining characteristics. I do feel it is morally wrong to exploit a customer base to the extent that movie studios have, but in the end, you are correct. It's a business decision. Sadly, it's one we [the consumer] failed to exert sufficient influence over when it was being hammered out. Had we done this [as we did with DIVX] we would not be having this discussion. Vigilance is an exasperating undertaking. But there will always be a price to pay when it is neglected.

Gunny

 

[David Brown Eyes]

Commercials used to make me nuts. I am used to them now and they are no longer annoying but just another part of existance.

I am such a sheep.

BAAAAAAA!

:frowning:

 

[Shawn DuHast]

Went to Empire Cinema in High Wycombe yesturday (because all the screens are digital there) and they started showing the trailers at the films advertised start time, THEN the ads then 16 mins later than billed the actual film started......and although the trailers seemed resonaably relevent to Bourne Ult at the time I can't remember a single film today they trailered.

 

[mtlfilmguy]

all right,

so i have gathered what i think are the essential websites( so far,4 or 5) that oppose this vile and exponentially growing virus-like practice called the 2wenty,now known as Regal first look(and its spawn).

This weekend,i will send emails to those and ask for any updates on this situation.

Hopefully,i should have quick replies and let you have all the details at the beginning of the week.

On top of that,a few ideas,projects and plans going though my mind as well...

A nice weekend to all you forumites.

Ben

 

[BarryM]

If these dang studios feel the need to blast us with unwanted commercials, then the least they could do is to drop the cost of the DVD by 30%.

 

[TravisR]

It's the theater chains that sell the ad time and not the studios.

 

[Reagan]

See if you like this story...

In the summer of 89, I saw Lethal Weapon 2 three or four times. There were at least three ads (which looked like they were sourced from NTSC) before the movie started. One of them was for 'Hero' cologne. During the movie, you could hear the last few words of the same ad coming from a TV in Riggs's trailer. During the shootout of Riggs's trailer, there is a brief shot inserted of maybe 2 or 3 frames showing a small bottle of 'Hero' cologne exploding from a bulllet hit.

What's the point of this post, I don't know, but it was the strangest movie ad/product placement tie-in I've ever seen.

-Reagan

 

[Brian Sharp]

Well, just over 20 mins of ads before "Bourne Ultimatum" at Manchester last week; made even worse by being told that Odeon are "fanatical about Film" half a dozen times before the feature started. Pity they weren't fanatical about the focus.
I know advertising pays well but, is there not a case for charging advertisers more and showing less; could be a win situation for all. I might even remember an upcoming movie or even one of the advertised products.

 

[Viper]

I saw Bourne Ultimatim at Cinemark Tinseltown USA (Boardman, OH). There were at least 25 minutes of ads AFTER the scheduled start time of the movie. If that theater ever does that shit again, I'll be demanding a refund. ads/trailers are one thing, but 25 minutes is insane. The other theater I go to, which for whatever reason didn't have Bourne Ultimatim, only shows 2 or 3 previews before starting the movie. Beats the shit out of getting home a half hour late because people don't know when to quit advertising.

 

[Michael Reuben]

No debts necessary, but for faster results, try contacting us directly, either by PM or by using the "report this post" function (the red triangle at the lower left of any non-mod post).

M.

 

[Scooter]

I used to Boo REALLY loud when the ads came on..and few times others joined me. This is one BIG reason I don't go to theaters. Even when my son, Morgan worked at Clearview and I could go for free, I wouldn't.

My HT give a consistant performance, I get to choose who I sit next to, can take a "Bio Break" when needed and pause the flick...and NO DAMN ADS!!!

Well...except for some Disney titles.

 

[Viper]

Yeah, instead of ads on DVDs we get those damn fed warning screens in multiple languages. It was bad enough when you had to wait for the english one to go the hell away, now we have to watch the friggin spanish ones too! I feel like making backups of half my DVDs just so I can kill those lame screens that are unskippable otherwise.

 

[Ray Chuang]

I think if we want ads before the film they should at least do ads specifically designed for theatrical use. That means true wide-screen ads shot on film or high-definition video (1080i or 720p) format that last between 90 seconds to 120 seconds, which could actually result in really creative ads people want to see for a change.