After three weeks of Skyfall’s reign as top revenue-generating film at the UK box office, the baton has finally been passed to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, with returns exceeding £15.8 million. The London premiere was a star-studded extravaganza and set off major ripples of excitement among the blockbuster's loyal fan base, popularly known as Twihards. Despite the movie's cinematic success, online piracy continues to generate countless illegal downloads, posing a real risk to the secure distribution of content. Large-scale piracy crackdowns, like recent ones in the US and Canada, have tended to focus on illegally copied DVDs, leaving a wide berth for those engaged in illegal digital streaming and other forms of online distribution. Alex Hamilton, director of film at Entertainment One, comments in an interview, “It has just been absolutely
amazing to have increased the opening [earnings] each time on the Twilight movies.” Certainly the young cast, with their dedication to the franchise and professionalism in promoting the series, can be credited as one of the key reasons behind the Saga's success. However, despite Twilight's inherent big screen appeal, namely its eye-popping special effects, enhanced digital audio and dramatic visual scenery, demand for online consumption has only grown stronger since the first installment. A fact which does not ignore the legions of young fans still willing to queue at their local cinema for a chance to see RPatz and KStew in a dramatic embrace.
Ready for some staggering facts? According to Mediatique, in 2009 nearly
7.5 million households in the UK were involved in piracy, a whopping 28% of the population! New York Times columnist and technology writer David Pogue blames the trend in part on changes in
consumer behaviour. With limited (legal) options for streaming current blockbusters, old classics and avant-guarde foreign features, audiences are often left with little choice but to opt for less legal ways to view and store their favorite films. Pogue suggests that the only solution to curb the situation is to make these movies available to rent legally on a wide-scale basis.
Notably, the BFI is not alone in this struggle. Hollywood also has strong incentive to improve the means of production and (legal) distribution. With the last installment of Twilight behind us, US moviemakers are anxious to fill the content void created. Apart from an upcoming sequel to
teen movie sensation, ‘The Hunger Games,’ in the next few years, studios may struggle to bring enough high-powered, youth-oriented features to the big screen.
Given how difficult it is to recreate Twilight's wildly successful formula, with its heady mix of emotionally-charged youth-oriented story lines paired with a talented (and winsome) young cast, filmmakers are certainly looking for ways to achieve greater profits from fewer outings. Piracy undermines that effort considerably. However, increasing overall monetisation by expanding online distribution channels might just be the way forward.
Think of it. Simultaneous premieres on your laptop, on your HDTV and at the cinema. All for the right price and all legal.
Are moviemakers ready for that?
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