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Since my last post covered the music world, I think it only fitting to turn my skewed perspective onto the movie industry. The differences between them are pretty big. They of course, are not as heavy handed as their maniacal audio brethren, but they also are not watching their cash cow crash and burn like the music industry. Rest in peace CD. No, the movie industry and its MPAA are dare I say it, a little wiser. Do they have pirates? Absolutely! Do they have competition? For sure! When TV and cable programming is good these days, it’s very good! And games? They’re always fighting movies for the consumer’s attention and there are only so many hours in the day.
So why are they in such a better position than music? Well, I believe the movie experience still has some appeal! Big screen plasma’s not withstanding. Sure, home theater is growing without doubt, but it’s still mostly in the “we need to take out an equity loan,” expense range when competing with the local multiplex. So, why aren’t they big a-holes like the RIAA?
Okay, no more suspense, the biggest reason I see is they have some breathing room and can take the long view. The quality of their product hasn’t declined like the pabulum that the music industry thinks it can still foster on the public. Movie blockbusters are still being made and the box office is still adding up to pretty huge numbers! Okay, they have to thank Stan Lee and a few other content legends A LOT more than they used to, but I digress. Also, the good ‘old DVD – unlike the CD – still gets the job done and works for a lot of consumers, me included. That’s why I think the recent Blu-ray victory will end up a minor media footnote (like many Sony formats.) But more importantly, the ability to take the long view without the stress of fleeing a sinking ship is creating interesting possibilities.
One recent theater addition holding a great deal of promise is the latest evolution of 3D technology. And trust me, this is not your grandpa’s red, blue, green 3D. This a whole different animal and after personally seeing Beowulf with the new technology, it’s nothing short of amazing! Yes, it’s that good. What it bodes for the future of movies is a masterstroke in two ways! Not only will it add value to “must sees” in the theaters with a much more immersive experience, it will also create a major obstacle to in theater cam piracy as the tech is rolled out into broader distribution to the tune of 12 to 20 major releases done in 3D every year by 2010. Aside from the reduction in early release piracy, this could keep the box office and the theater experience viable for quite some time.
Let’s also not forget the filmmakers that continue to make the compelling big screen “must sees” that are always so highly anticipated! I doubt theaters will expel its last gasp and die until were so advanced we get to the point where we can project movies into our brain. The most important point however, is the breathing room this gives the industry. I allows them to keep their reliable revenue streams, while it develops ways to meet consumers needs in the future. And obviously a big part of that future will entail innovative and new content delivery methods in the new media landscape.
Ultimately, even though I doubt they believe it themselves, movies will be seen in the future as the pioneers of the no physical media paradigm shift in rich media entertainment and will as a result, be that much further ahead of the entertainment competition. We as humans have only so many hours in the day to devote to entertainment in an ever-expanding world of content and as the MP3 has demonstrated, our desire for a familiar form will continue and content providers that can deliver the most flexible and compelling entertainment experience as the digital lifestyle evolves, will still be standing when the next technology crossroad is reached.
The industry association that launched a billion blog vents seems to never evolve or adapt its approach and processes to push its agenda even when the legal systems says ‘Look numbnuts – the court systems isn’t going to do your work for you.’ Recent court rulings have re-examined the burden of proof and supported defendants with motions against intent to distribute and other cut corners in the RIAA cookie cutter suits. Perhaps its becoming as obvious to the courts, as it is to alienated consumers everywhere that the whole point behind the work of this misguided org is to prop up the obsolete current business model of the recording industry. To do that, it requires they serve as a new revenue stream that the industry can get behind. Unfortunately for them, their MO, namely, trying to extort money from college kids, grandma’s and loyal past customers doesnt sit well the the public at large. I know, I use broad blanket statements in that assessment … bad me (hand slap.) But my intent isn’t to lament the current treatment of the music consumer. No, I want to salute the brains behind the RIAA corporate idiocy and yell bravo! Keep it up!
I can hear the eyebrows raise and some may think I have lost it, but I think the RIAA buffoonery serves a two great purposes. It pisses off the consumer and drives innovation.
Think about it, all but the copyright fundamentalists and the highly insulated executive branch of the music industry already know it’s over. But no one in power cares, just like no one cared about ripping consumers off when the system worked. So, of course the industry mucky mucks are going to ride it out to the bitter, crash and burn grinding end. Instead of developing ways to give a newly evolved customer what it wants, they have decided to wring every drop of blood out of them that they can through the RIAA evangelists. With that kind of arrogance coupled to an insulting business model they still have the audacity to wonder why a majority of the music loyalty is taking the same stance I already have; ‘Im done and Im getting off here thank you very much.’
Think about it, when you are a long time music fan and start to estimate the cost of supporting a music listening passion over time and calculate how much you have already been fleeced for, anger comes quickly! For you youngsters out there, I am not even talking about the current music scene. I am solely referring to a long time back catalog collection. When one realizes the blood sucking industry has milked us middle aged music consumers 2, 3 and sometimes 4 separate times for the same piece of music, served on a new and better media, its easy to see how world of music sharing got started. The twist of the knife in our back came when they continued to charge us a premium for what we already bought the rights to, and figured replacing your personal catalog with the latest and greatest format, for an arm and leg was more than fair. What they didn’t figure on was the long-term resentment that would build. What they also didn’t count on was a young consumer that quickly jumped to the dark side of music sharing before they could be ripped off. Plain and simple, the industry is not giving them what they want. As a recent LA times article highlighted, about half of all teens didn’t buy a single CD in 2007, but by comparison digital sales were so strong that itunes was pushed past Best Buy as the new second biggest music sales outlet in the US. Also, ironically the increase in digital sales was primarily driven by the reliable 36 to 50 demographic. So it looks like the consumer is done with the CD and the industry’s attempts to control how they enjoy media.
With that in mind, I would like to thank a few key players beyond the RIAA that contributed to the state of the media revolution. Of course foremost is Microsoft. Digitization to the masses is the foundation on which are based. Sony, ironically for blazing the trails of both success and failure while contributing to the media revolution. Its hard to believe they created the awesome walkman and later format catastrophes that were such textbook cases, they stood as a beacon for innovators not to follow. Palm, yes Palm, for demonstrating that third party partnering and a small application footprint were the way to approach designing a digital music platform. The list could go on obviously and of course the ultimate hat tip goes to the MP3 codec developers that understood a small sized lossy format system would offer the perfect balance of audio quality and storage portability.
Bravo to all contributors past and present! And RIAA, your mission should you choose to accept it is to continue your reprehensible ways until you;
· kill off and cull all the fat in the industry
· drive away even your staunchest corporate fans
· force the major labels to distance and divorce from supporting your crazy self
Finally, fading into an impotent entity that is viewed as a cautionary historical tale that
reaffirms the new media evolution and the balanced triumvirate of artist, industry, consumer in a world of supply, demand and consumption.
