Tollywood’s fight against Piracy
Pirated CDs and DVDs are dime a dozen in the market today. If there is a CD or DVD rental store near you, chances are that the rental store may also be carrying pirated ones. Piracy has been a part of film industry for a long time now. It has spelled doom for many small time producers.
With today’s technology, the pirates have gone hi-tech. Instead of renting or selling pirated CDs or DVDs, movies are being streamed on websites. Some of the websites offer both CAM prints and DVD prints even before the DVD is released. With most of these websites located outside the country, it could be a major challenge for AP police to shut them down. It is no secret how CAM rips are made. A video camera in the movie theater will get the job done. If the person can shell out some money to the theater folks or the person operating the movie projector, he will get to record the movie sitting right next to the movie projector. But how come DVD quality prints are being made available even before the DVD release? This can only mean one thing – theft during editing or distributing. Sadly, few of the film industry folks are backstabbing majority of their own brethren.
Producer Yalamanchi Ravichand has been fasting for the past four days to draw AP state government’s attention to piracy. Little did he know that our chief minister does not take initiatives. But the entire Telugu film industry has responded and called for a bandh tomorrow. Shootings, theater screenings and all film related activities will be cancelled. To bring pressure on AP state government, the industry folks have also decided to take out a rally from film chamber office to chief minister’s office. The rally would culminate with the film industry personnel submitting a memorandum on curbing piracy to chief minister.
Fearing piracy, small time producers have not been making many movies. This would kill the low budget movies. Even in case of big budget movies, producers, distributors and theater owners are financially hit by piracy. If piracy is not curbed, dark days lie ahead for Tollywood.
A few days ago, information and tourism minister, Geeta Reddy, has announced that the state government is thinking about reviving APCOCA. If revived, it is possible that piracy would also be considered as an organized crime. Though laws like these have been drafter earlier, they have not been implemented. It is about time that AP state government comes to the rescue of Telugu film industry.
http://voiceofnimmagadda.blogspot.com/2010/03/tollywoods-fight-against-piracy.html
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The cost of making movies is always high and many crores are at stake. Producer puts all his money to make more money. Basically he is investing his money for better returns. But due to piracy he is losing viewership and money too. Are all the producers losing money? No. I don’t think so. Big producers are getting their investment with returns even before the movie is released by what they call “marketing”. It is always the small time producer who is effected by this piracy. And who is responsible for this?Government?People who watch the pirated movies? I don’t think so. The people who are responsible for creating this situation are big time producers/actors. They offer huge remuneration to actors and technicians. This makes the price of the ticket sky-high. How many can afford this? So people who cant afford this go for pirated versions. I am not supporting the people who watch/encourage the pirated versions of the movies.
This piracy cannot be prevented. Movie is for entertainment and everybody wants some fun in their life.
The best way is to bring in some change in the economics of movies. If a movie is declared a hit, everyone who has a role in it deserves a pat on the back and and if it bombs they will have to share the pain too..
So, my idea is all the big cheques should be stopped.
The technicians/extras should be paid as they should. The high paid people should be paid token amount when signing. After the movie is released and the profits should be shared between the high paid actors/technicians. If there is loss, the burnt should be shared and the high paid will not get anything.
But for all these, The ticket prices in theaters should be brought down. Anyone would love to watch a new movie in a theater where the print is crystal clear with great sound. No one would love to watch a movie in cam print or another which is not master and without great sound.
Will this happen? Not sure. How many big producers supported this movie producer who went on strike.?
Anyway this is my opinion.
You made an excellent point Subbarao Garu.
“Yadha raaja tatha praja”! Every field is corrupted. producing movies with black money and crying on piracy…really! Nobody is losing anything here. ‘Cheap’ entertainment to the public.. less money to mafia producers.. this is good right?
@moderator garu,
Nenu edo premaga mana producers,director..la meeda abhimanm tho vaarini noraara palikithe aaa okka word delete cheyyadamu meeku nyayama your honour! Naa hakkulani kaalaraasthunnaru speaker garu!!! Anduke nenu ikkadinundi walkout chestunna.. 🙂 Jai Telangana…
Telugu film industry has been producing z-grade movies(98%) every year.The main USP of these great movies are Middle aged or Midget stars bashing huge villians, mouthing funny dialougues, and exposing every corner of north indian heroines chicks. Even spending on pirated CD’s of these movies also waste of money. They copy/steal every shot, every sequence from other launguage movies
and these hyprocrites talk about morals.. 🙂 hilarious..