Pirated SA movie hit box office performance: director

This constitutes a massive loss to our South African box office
we have definitely lost a portion of the viewers in those areas to piracy

While there are certainly discussions to be had around piracy, I find it interesting that without a shadow of a doubt piracy is the cause of people "not flocking in their thousands" to the cinema.

How do you know that you lost sales as a result of piracy. How do you know that someone who paid R10 for a copy would have paid R100+ to go to the Cinema and buy popcorn etc etc.

Maybe they anticipated that more people would flock to the cinema's and now that they're not, piracy is the only logical reason why that's the case. It's an easy out if you ask me, easy to "blame" something.
 
and yet MPAA sees record growth every year, despite piracy? Methinks you made ****e movie
 
You have to be on your toes to avoid all the BS being bulldozed by Gabriel and Kuun here...

First, aren't SAFACT the bunch using copyright images on their website... Without paying?
Second, Gabriel says the "piracy" had turned the movie into a cult classic... Not viewers loving it or the box office performance or years of rental and sales income... Nope, piracy did it... Really? A movie no one's seen... Really? Shouldn't he be grateful to the pirates then? Really?
Third, Helen Kuun... Helen used to be with Ster Kinekor and she's seen local movies come and go. I've worked publicity for a couple of local movies and Helen was always the one warning local movie makers that unless your name was Schuster or your movie won an Oscar, you should NOT expect millions from the SA box office... Ever. Four Corners is exempt from that history and the reality of the local movie scene? Really Helen? Really?
 
While there are certainly discussions to be had around piracy, I find it interesting that without a shadow of a doubt piracy is the cause of people "not flocking in their thousands" to the cinema.

How do you know that you lost sales as a result of piracy. How do you know that someone who paid R10 for a copy would have paid R100+ to go to the Cinema and buy popcorn etc etc.

Maybe they anticipated that more people would flock to the cinema's and now that they're not, piracy is the only logical reason why that's the case. It's an easy out if you ask me, easy to "blame" something.

+1 - When are they going to realise that the people who pirate are not the ones that go sit in the cinemas if they cant get a pirated version?
 
Man, its not like the movie is all that wonderful. Although I have seen it, I certainly wouldn't pay to see this shit!
 
I think it's a mistake to presume that a pirated copy is a lost sale.

Clearly, some sales might have been lost, but I would imagine these minimal losses would be more than offset by exposure that otherwise wouldn't have happened.
 
Actually if your movie had not made the headlines because of it being pirated, I would not know it even existed.

Was he expecting it to knock the big Hollywood blockbusters off the number one spot?
 
never heard of the movie and will not even waste my uncapped bandwidth on it, so no way will I have gone to see it in the theatres ... they def talking BS
 
Movie piracy in SA – a director’s view

Piracy has hit the box office performance of a recently released locally made film, according to the director

Most people who buy R10 copies have never been to a cinema and they'll never be! Our directors/film makers need to take responsibility regarding quality of movies they give us. Tsotsi was pirated a lot but it also had a record number of people watching at cinemas. Big hit movies are pirated a lot yet still bring in record breaking revenue figures.
 
Man, its not like the movie is all that wonderful. Although I have seen it, I certainly wouldn't pay to see this shit!

never heard of the movie and will not even waste my uncapped bandwidth on it, so no way will I have gone to see it in the theatres ... they def talking BS

others may like it. Your cases are anecdotal, one or two observations does not a theory make.

I do think that the exposure will increase sales. Heck, the mere fact that they're making a big deal of it being pirated makes me think this is all marketing for the premiere. Keep it in the public eye sprinkled with "since it's being pirated it must be good!" for good measure.
 
There are far more serious factors affecting the SA Box Office, other than piracy which is a very minor threat in my opinion.

1) High Ticket prices
2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats
4) Noisy cinemas / noisy kids / cellphones / etc.
5) crowded cinemas / long queues / ticketing problems
6) delayed releases
7) Projection / Sound problems / poor visual quality

etc....
 
There are far more serious factors affecting the SA Box Office, other than piracy which is a very minor threat in my opinion.

1) High Ticket prices
2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats
4) Noisy cinemas / noisy kids / cellphones / etc.
5) crowded cinemas / long queues / ticketing problems
6) delayed releases
7) Projection / Sound problems / poor visual quality

etc....

Exactly! I don't understand why anyone goes to the cinema these days when you can have a much better (and cheaper) experience at home.
 
Too many bootleggers all over in Johannesburg! How did he manage to get a copy


There are far more serious factors affecting the SA Box Office, other than piracy which is a very minor threat in my opinion.

1) High Ticket prices
2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats
4) Noisy cinemas / noisy kids / cellphones / etc.
5) crowded cinemas / long queues / ticketing problems
6) delayed releases
7) Projection / Sound problems / poor visual quality

etc....

Agreed totally! with 4 & 7 - don't visit the cinemas during the weekend then :) Make time for the week or take Nu Metro up on their R25 combo on Wednesdays / also check vouchercloud.co.za for deals R25

Fortunately I never pay to watch movies at the cinemas the only cost is the petrol to get there..I would rather watch a film on blu-ray with better picture
 
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2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats

Those are the key for me. You know there is an issue when you stick to the seat when trying to stand up. :sick:
 
There are far more serious factors affecting the SA Box Office, other than piracy which is a very minor threat in my opinion.

1) High Ticket prices
2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats
4) Noisy cinemas / noisy kids / cellphones / etc.
5) crowded cinemas / long queues / ticketing problems
6) delayed releases
7) Projection / Sound problems / poor visual quality

etc....

Went to watch two movies lately and aside from some of those issues the movies were totally cr@p :mad:

I didn't expect much from 300 anyways but Noah was an unexpected rotten egg.
 
There are far more serious factors affecting the SA Box Office, other than piracy which is a very minor threat in my opinion.

1) High Ticket prices
2) High Refreshment prices
3) Dirty sticky cinemas / uncomfortable seats, broken seats
4) Noisy cinemas / noisy kids / cellphones / etc.
5) crowded cinemas / long queues / ticketing problems
6) delayed releases
7) Projection / Sound problems / poor visual quality

etc....
+1

The High Prices made me stop going long ago. Family of 4 , with refreshments easily R300+,even with special pricing... And then the movie sucks clown ass, whoop R300 down the tubes.
 
+1 - When are they going to realise that the people who pirate are not the ones that go sit in the cinemas if they cant get a pirated version?

Lots of people on these forums say they'd rather pirate a movie than watch it in cenimas. So while not 100% correlation, there's definitely something there.

At least some sales are lost.
 
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