This post is inspired by the astonishing number of people filming scenes from Wicked in theaters and asking to see our film for free. If you want change, you MUST support the artists doing the work.
I have been calling this (since around 2009 / 2010) "The Great Devaluation" of film.
Like what happened to music in the 1990s, it was certain to happen to film as well, once the internet advanced enough to handle streaming movie files.
So now, the general public sees film as a consumable, a commodity. Certainly not as art. (Well, the "art" has largely been long gone since the "accidental" advent of the Blockbuster back in the late '70s.)
And because of this, and the internet -- where so much is "free" there (such as information), we are certainly "conditioned" (as you point out) to think things should be free.
When I was selling my 3-Day Distribution Program for filmmakers back in the teens, I would actually have some filmmakers complain that either: a) I charged too much (even though it was less than the cost of a single class at AFI, UCLA or USC Film School); or b) They'll just find the information I sell online for free. (Which was a laugh, because that was not possible.) And these were filmmakers...!
And now as a Distributor, when we are doing social media marketing on a new movie release, we invariable get some commenting with "Where can I see this for free?" or "Can I watch this with my Amazon subscription?"
It is aggravating. Sadly, however, reversing the "flow of the river" seems insurmountable.
I have been calling this (since around 2009 / 2010) "The Great Devaluation" of film.
Like what happened to music in the 1990s, it was certain to happen to film as well, once the internet advanced enough to handle streaming movie files.
So now, the general public sees film as a consumable, a commodity. Certainly not as art. (Well, the "art" has largely been long gone since the "accidental" advent of the Blockbuster back in the late '70s.)
And because of this, and the internet -- where so much is "free" there (such as information), we are certainly "conditioned" (as you point out) to think things should be free.
When I was selling my 3-Day Distribution Program for filmmakers back in the teens, I would actually have some filmmakers complain that either: a) I charged too much (even though it was less than the cost of a single class at AFI, UCLA or USC Film School); or b) They'll just find the information I sell online for free. (Which was a laugh, because that was not possible.) And these were filmmakers...!
And now as a Distributor, when we are doing social media marketing on a new movie release, we invariable get some commenting with "Where can I see this for free?" or "Can I watch this with my Amazon subscription?"
It is aggravating. Sadly, however, reversing the "flow of the river" seems insurmountable.
I think you will like this post here. Read it from the POV of a filmmaker: https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/intermission?selection=b3d3b28c-8cf8-4a17-ba5b-28de41daeddb