Christophe Nolan’s sci-fi episode “Tenet” charted a new course for blockbusters during the pandemic by opening up in foreign territories before it hits the US.
Many of the factors that make “Tenet” the milestone film in the road to recovery of the cinema industry are at the same time elements that expose it to piracy. That runs the risk that a thriller that thrives on keeping its twists under wraps will reveal its secrets before domestic audiences have a chance to watch it.
“In some ways, ‘Tenet’ is a perfect storm for piracy, in that it has raised expectations, both about the film itself and the cinema experience,” said one anti-piracy activist. Variation on condition of anonymity. “It also has limited availability and suffers from a depleted issue.”
The odd global release pattern of the film – launched in some international areas on 26 August. Before he arrives on September 3rd and China on September 4th and China on September 4th – is a result of the epic adventure that has been planned multiple times. When it opens in the US, it’s not clear if moviegoers in big markets like New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco, where cinemas remain closed, will even be able to see it on the big screen. That could stimulate more demand for pirated specimens.
While other major tent pools, such as superhero adventure “Aquaman,” generated massive ticket sales despite a rampant rollout around the world, it is rare for a movie to open in the US without playing in markets in Los Angeles or New York City. It is also possible that people will feel unsafe going to a theater during the public health crisis, making them potentially more willing to watch an illegal version of a movie they would otherwise be willing to watch on the big screen. In some foreign markets, “Tenet” will clash with local events as well as other movie releases that might otherwise have occurred.
“We see that piracy can occur everywhere. It even happens in the three hours between releases from the East and West coasts of the US, “the veteran said against piracy.
While professional pirates prefer to get unfavorable shots from a post-production facility as a projection bid, camcording in cinemas can be a significant danger in the first days of a movie release.
There is thought to be a short-lived black market for handheld-recorded footage, and even partial recording is useful, as pirate editors will try to cut a version as complete as possible. And an English-language soundtrack is seen as particularly valuable in the case of a Hollywood movie.
COVID-19 social distance could potentially make it harder for a person with a camera not to be tracked down, especially in the middle of the auditorium, where the visual and audio experiences are optimal.
“The employment of security personnel to maintain physical distance will also facilitate anti-piracy surveillance during ‘Tenet’ screens,” said one Spanish exhibitor of the film, which opened on August 26 in Spain.
The same exhibitor said he had no knowledge of Warner Bros. which issued anti-piracy guidance to exhibitors in Spain. But he was aware that, with Latin American cinemas mostly under lockdown, there would be an increased demand for Spanish-language pirate versions.
The Spanish exhibitor said the terms and conditions received so far from Warner Bros. largely focused on commercial concerns. They included a requirement that Nolan’s film should play a minimum of eight weeks and occupy the largest screens of each complex to compensate for limited auditorium occupancy. Warner Bros. also increases their required percentage gross of office compared to ‘Joker’ of last year, ‘said the exhibitor.
Other exhibitors in Malaysia, Korea and Thailand said they had not heard of any of the piracy-specific terms and conditions of Warner Bros. since Wednesday. Insiders at Warner Bros., as well as performers at rival studios, note that precautionary measures are in place for any theatrical release.
When illegal copies appear online, there are organizations that are actively working to spot and remove them from the internet. Private studio executives say that pirated content is sometimes unforgivable, but feel that there is less risk, because “Tenet” in China debuts quite soon after launching in other parts of the world.
“Thai filmmakers are excited for ‘Tenet’ coming on screen. We are very pleased with the performance of (recent Korean hit) ‘Peninsula’ and look forward to ‘The Unhinged,’ ‘said Suvannee Chinchiewchan, GM of Thailand’s SF Cinemas chain.
“Exhibitors in Thailand have not been informed by Warner about specific requirements for ‘Tenet.’ They could ask us to implement measures such as implementation or controls for projection bids, as has been done in the past, ”she said.
Warner Bros. has still exhibited to exhibitors in the UK based with specific anti-piracy guidance for “Tenet”, but has begun investing heavily in marketing and promotion of the film prior to its August 26 release. Tickets went on sale on the afternoon of August 11, with locations such as the Odeon BFI Imax, closed for months, opening in time to screen the film.
Warner Bros. has not specifically mentioned [piracy], but we are aware of that and are taking extra steps because Chris Nolan trusts us with ‘Tenet.’ We will do everything we can to help him, “said one senior international exhibitor, adding that the steps taken so far” are all we can possibly do. “
A senior studio executor, who asked to remain anonymous, notes that Warner Bros. perhaps not yet focused on piracy, they are “sure they have the full power of their security and police teams around the world over what piracy links arise.”
“Every studio has very strong and extensive piracy / technical teams all on hot alert because every movie is released,” the exec added.
The UK’s Film Content Protection Agency (FCPA) was set up in 2016 under the Film Distributors’ Association, and works closely with studios and exhibitors to protect new releases. Piracy in cinemas is not widespread in the United Kingdom and is generally concentrated in small geographical clusters around the country. Recent years, however, have seen an uptick in cases in London, which accused a previously clean record.
Simon Brown, director of the FCPA, has been in contact with Warner Bros. and exhibitors, and will distribute a risk assessment for “Tenet” at the end of the week. It is expected that the film will receive a “vulnerable release warning”, known as a VRA, which means that additional precautionary measures and guidance will be circulated among cinemas. The FCPA will then monitor the situation and decide whether to launch covert operations.
Technology used in cinemas encompasses everything from infrared CCTV in auditoriums at chains such as Vue, to portable night vision devices used by staff. For smaller independent outfits, such as the Genesis Cinema in London, there are entrances, regular continuous screen checks and continuous screen checks from manned projection rooms.
There is, ultimately, a heavy reliance on filmmakers, who encourage the FCPA to report incidents with awards. “We rely so much on the vigilance and awareness of film staff,” Brown says, noting that 188 incidents in 2019 were identified and disrupted by staff.
However, the fear this year is how many filmmakers will return to their jobs after the lockdown period. “We are not sure how many new staff there will be, in which case we need to make them aware of the basics of anti-piracy. That’s a problem for us, because a lot of staff was lost during that period, “Brown said.
However, an unforeseen piracy challenge this summer will undoubtedly be the unusual rise of drive-in cinemas in the UK Drive-ins are not the cultural touchstone they are in the US. but a shutdown of cinemas for four months has seen more than 40 new open cinemas set up shop across the country. At least one drive-in operator, the Drive In chain, has begun selling “Tenet” tickets for Aug. 31-Sept. 13 run.
“It’s a big challenge,” Brown says. “We will really rely on staff members, because getting someone into a car is almost impossible.” The FCPA is now in the process of developing specifically best practices for drive-ins, which can be particularly vulnerable to audiopiracy.
Laura Elmes, a producer at Drive In London, assures that the locations are taking necessary precautionary measures, with CCTV “all over the site.”
“We also have 20 people patrolling the site. We’re pretty well covered, to be honest, because it’s not a dark cinema either, it’s pretty easy to see when someone’s trying to get away with filming things, ‘says Elmes.
And what if they record someone filming? ‘We’ll get them to erase everything they have, and then we’ll keep an eye on them – depending on what they do, they may be asked to leave. Of course, piracy is our top priority because it is so important. We stopped her to come back. It is definitely top of the list. ”
Naman Ramachandran, John Hopewell and Rebecca Rubin also contributed to this report.
