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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 2, 2008 14:59:57 GMT -5
Indiana Jones Soundtrack Intentionally Muted In Theaterswww.cinemablend.com/new/Indiana-Jones-Soundtrack-Intentionally-Muted-In-Theaters-9028.htmlThe Hollywood machine’s war against piracy has now officially reached lunatic levels. Their latest effort to combat piracy may, if true, be their most foolish yet. What’s their latest tactic? Degrade the quality of their product.
They did it on prints of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and if you saw it in a theater, as just about everyone did, then you may have noticed a few spots where the sound mysteriously drops out during the picture. Most of you who did notice those odd silences in the soundtrack probably assumed there was something wrong with your theaters equipment, silently cursed the half-assed projectionist who was undoubtedly slacking off on his work, and then promptly forgot about them before you walked out of the theater. But those silences may not have been accidents.
Late last week, the website Boing Boing posted an email from a reader, who reported spotting a sign in the window of the box office at his local theater, which in short, warned moviegoers that Paramount Pictures had intentionally silenced parts of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack. Their reason? They’re using the mute button as a method to stop movie pirates.
As far as I’ve been able to dig up crawling around the internet, these are called Audio Cap Codes, and it’s basically like Paramount creating it’s own bar coding system. Basically, each theater has its print of Indiana Jones 4 set for the sound to drop out at different places during the show, depending on the print. If someone makes a pirated copy from that print, then that pirated copy will have the sound drop out in the same spots, and thus Paramount knows in which theater the pirate copy was made.
My gut reaction is to assume this is nothing but a rumor. After all, how could any major Hollywood studio be so stupid? But maybe this really is happening. A little further research led me to the forums on a site called Film-Tech. There, the place is in an uproar over this, theater projectionists are gathering together there and getting seriously pissed off. As they should be. Worse, this may just be the tip of the iceberg. Apparently this is something they’ve been doing in Europe for several months. Now it’s coming to America.
Will this actually help fight piracy? I seriously doubt it. It will however, seriously piss off consumers. Forget about losing money from pirates, what about losing money from intentionally degrading your customer’s theater going experience? Quality viewing is really the only thing movie theaters have going for them. People show up at cinemas to see movies in the best way possible. Now, Paramount has chosen to throw that out the window. Instead you’ll pay ridiculous prices to see movies in the best format possible for stopping piracy.
Frankly, I find this absolutely shocking. Note to Hollywood: Next time you start whining about falling ticket sales, remember this. It’s this attitude towards your customers that’s driving people away from the theater. You’re doing it to yourselves, you’re killing your consumers. Stop it. Believe it or not, there really are more important things than combating piracy. Ken
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Post by alexp3000 on Jun 2, 2008 15:39:32 GMT -5
WTH!!!!  .... i don't think this is true because i saw a lot of times and i did NOT here it just drop out like that. and i always pay attention to the music and sound because i am into that kind of stuff.  |
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Post by IndyBlues on Jun 2, 2008 16:49:50 GMT -5
You have no idea how seriously pissed off I am right now about this. I read this over at the Raider.net, and was about to cut and paste the info here. I noticed at least two of these "drop-out" points in the film when I saw it at the midnight show, AND the following day when I took my son to see it.
I figured it was a mistake, or a bad splice. Now I know, and I am really angry about this.
I'm talking "class action lawsuit" angry. I pay damn good money, to go see a sequal to a film that I've waited 19 years to see come back to the big screen, stay up til 3 in the morning during the work week,....and THIS is how I am repaid.
I am really steamed about this, and feel cheated by Paramount for such bullcrap behavioir. How the hell is THIS going to stop piracy?? The video quality of most of these pirated films is so bad, that if you are willing to watch it, then a few sound drop outs isn't going to bother you,...ESPECIALLY if you're going to save $50 going to the movies.
Seriously thinking about finding a way to get my money back.
'Blues
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Post by Desert Dweller on Jun 2, 2008 17:26:54 GMT -5
Diabolical!!
Normally I wouldn't care about something like this, as I'm not an audio/video, surround sound, dolby whatever, type of guy.
I do however care about this because the "movie theater viewing experience" has gotten so ludicrously expensive, between the crappy eats and $10-and-up movie tickets. It was bad enough having to deal with annoying movie-goers, but to add this on top of it is too much. This is really piss poor on the part of the studios.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2008 18:00:01 GMT -5
This reminds me of something years ago. When Back to the Future came out on VHS it had such a heavy duty copy guard embedded in it that it came through in the form of a moving rainbow pattern via regular viewing.
CHEERS,
G-MANN
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2008 19:00:17 GMT -5
Actually I did not notice the dropouts at the theater. Perhaps I just couldn't hear them due to all my snoring. ;D
Cheers,
John
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Post by GCR on Jun 2, 2008 22:26:02 GMT -5
Actually I did not notice the dropouts at the theater. Perhaps I just couldn't hear them due to all my snoring. ;D Cheers, John ;D ;D ;D Good one...  I'm with Mike on this one...it royally pisses me off. Yet another reason to want my money back after seeing KOTCS.  |
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Post by Kaplan on Jun 2, 2008 23:01:49 GMT -5
I noticed the sound drop too when I saw the film. What a bunch of  . The only reason I go to the movies is for the overall sound and huge picture experience. If this crap starts to become the norm, I'm staying home and keeping my eye on DVD release dates. My TV and sound system at home never rip me off. |
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nickhorror
Treasure Seeker
"Sometimes sh*t happens, and who ya gonna call!?"
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Post by nickhorror on Jun 2, 2008 23:06:56 GMT -5
I saw the movie at a larger theater in my home town and didn't notice anything...although I missed a lot of the first twenty minutes...I didn't notice anything. When I saw it again here in Missouri, I still didn't notice anything. But I agree that this is a bullsh move by Paramount and company. I call shenanigans on major Hollywood studios for this kind of crap. I just hope my bosses aren't reading this post  |
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 3, 2008 6:51:43 GMT -5
If the theater is using their own audio processing (compresson to maximize/normalize volume levels) nobody would have noticed the drops. What this also means is that the theater would be ruining the sound quality for everything else in the movie.
By bringing the quite levels up to better match the average volume or worse (everything is just a little less loud than the explosions, gunshots, other high impact noises), all of the subtle effects are lost, music gets muddied in with the background sounds and dialogue, and all the hard work of mixing things perfectly has been thrown out the window.
So, if you didn't notice any intentional anti-piracy dropouts during KOTCS, it could very well be the theater's doing.
Ken
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Post by Havana on Jun 3, 2008 7:34:31 GMT -5
I saw it in a privately owned (not part of a chain) THX theater and noticed nothing wrong. I listen to the sound very closely. It sounded great thankfully.
So what's next, are they going to put thugs out in front of theaters for patrons to fight to get in? I only go a couple of times a year for special films anyway since it's gotten so expensive. I can take my wife to the theater for $18.50 or we can rent a movie from a machine at our grocery store for .99 cents and watch it on widescreen 5.1 at home (and with no jackass in front of me on a cell phone).
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Post by bendingoak on Jun 5, 2008 3:43:53 GMT -5
I did notice something in the first few moments of the movie. I just thought the movie house just had a bad print.
The Hollywood machine’s war against piracy has now officially reached lunatic levels.
I agree.
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Post by inuvuwow on Jun 5, 2008 9:19:21 GMT -5
If each theatre has a different sound drop off, which it would appear that they do, then all Paramount has to do is find out where the drop point is and which theatre got that print and then they can investigate from there. It has nothing to do with deterring bootleggers because of quality, it just makes the Theatre owners responsible for policing their establishments better.
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 5, 2008 9:41:11 GMT -5
If each theatre has a different sound drop off, which it would appear that they do, then all Paramount has to do is find out where the drop point is and which theatre got that print and then they can investigate from there. It has nothing to do with deterring bootleggers because of quality, it just makes the Theatre owners responsible for policing their establishments better. You lost me on that one... Ken |
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Post by Kt. Templar on Jun 5, 2008 11:32:18 GMT -5
I personally think this whole thing is a big urban myth.
But as I understand it, each print has a specific place (or places) where the sound drops out sort of like a fingerprint. And the particular theatre can be identified from the audio fingerprint.
But I don't buy it, it would be very expensive to make different prints for each theatre, and would annoy the viewers, it doesn't add up.
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Post by Havana on Jun 5, 2008 11:50:14 GMT -5
I have to agree with KT. There were over 4,000 copies of this film distributed in the US alone. The only sound drops I noticed were the usual ones from the reel changes that you get with every film.
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henry
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Post by henry on Jun 9, 2008 9:13:02 GMT -5
I have to agree with KT. There were over 4,000 copies of this film distributed in the US alone. The only sound drops I noticed were the usual ones from the reel changes that you get with every film. I am not sure how much truth there is to this issue. I have 2 copies of the movie on dvd both filmed off the screen, after hours as evidence by quality. One was filmed in Russia, and is in near perfect quality, except there is a 12 second sound drop during the jungle fight sequence. Then my other copy, not as good was filmed in France, and that has no sound drop at all. So if the rumor is true, then they are certainly not consistent with the distribution of the prints. |
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 9, 2008 11:29:16 GMT -5
I have to agree with KT. There were over 4,000 copies of this film distributed in the US alone. The only sound drops I noticed were the usual ones from the reel changes that you get with every film. I am not sure how much truth there is to this issue. I have 2 copies of the movie on dvd both filmed off the screen, after hours as evidence by quality. One was filmed in Russia, and is in near perfect quality, except there is a 12 second sound drop during the jungle fight sequence. Then my other copy, not as good was filmed in France, and that has no sound drop at all. So if the rumor is true, then they are certainly not consistent with the distribution of the prints. So I guess the thieves continue regardless... Ken |
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nickhorror
Treasure Seeker
"Sometimes sh*t happens, and who ya gonna call!?"
Posts: 335
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Post by nickhorror on Jun 9, 2008 12:25:16 GMT -5
But wouldn't it have been more logical to place some kind of "watermark" image in a specific place on the film as opposed to screwing with the movie-going experience? There are pleanty of places they could hide images that no one would notice.
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henry
Trail Guide
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Post by henry on Jun 9, 2008 14:41:06 GMT -5
I am not sure how much truth there is to this issue. I have 2 copies of the movie on dvd both filmed off the screen, after hours as evidence by quality. One was filmed in Russia, and is in near perfect quality, except there is a 12 second sound drop during the jungle fight sequence. Then my other copy, not as good was filmed in France, and that has no sound drop at all. So if the rumor is true, then they are certainly not consistent with the distribution of the prints. So I guess the thieves continue regardless... Ken Yes they do, but if there was no demand, then there would be no market. If film makers would lessen the cost of productions, studios would stop paying stupid money for actors, then theaters could lower their costs for purchases of the prints, thus reducing thier ticket cost, and consession stand costs. IE no need for bootlegs. |
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 9, 2008 16:59:45 GMT -5
So I guess the thieves continue regardless... Ken Yes they do, but if there was no demand, then there would be no market. If film makers would lessen the cost of productions, studios would stop paying stupid money for actors, then theaters could lower their costs for purchases of the prints, thus reducing thier ticket cost, and consession stand costs. IE no need for bootlegs. There is no justification for piracy, whether it's of music or movies. The fact that you bought the pirated copies makes you just as guilty as the idiot thieves that vdieo recorded the movies in the theater. You can't wipe away wrong by saying it just costs too much. I can't afford alot things I want/need, but I'm not about to start stealing. You supposedly have great backet loads of money to throw away on screen used movie collectibles, and you can't watch the movie in the theater or wait for the DVD to come out? Sorry man... that just doesn't fly with me. Ken |
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henry
Trail Guide
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Post by henry on Jun 10, 2008 6:40:31 GMT -5
Yes they do, but if there was no demand, then there would be no market. If film makers would lessen the cost of productions, studios would stop paying stupid money for actors, then theaters could lower their costs for purchases of the prints, thus reducing thier ticket cost, and consession stand costs. IE no need for bootlegs. There is no justification for piracy, whether it's of music or movies. The fact that you bought the pirated copies makes you just as guilty as the idiot thieves that vdieo recorded the movies in the theater. You can't wipe away wrong by saying it just costs too much. I can't afford alot things I want/need, but I'm not about to start stealing. You supposedly have great backet loads of money to throw away on screen used movie collectibles, and you can't watch the movie in the theater or wait for the DVD to come out? Sorry man... that just doesn't fly with me. Ken 1. The copies I have, I recieved for FREE. Thats right FREE. They are all over the internet if you know where to look. The people that are sharing files, are NOT getting paid for them. 2. I saw the movie 3 times in the theater with my wife which means I have invested my share to the pockets of all the above listed. 3. These copies will have no bearing on my purchase of the DVD when it comes out. So there is more money to the movie machine. 4. Whats with the personal attack? Yes I have done well for myself, and yes I own several movie props, so what. That has no bearing on the discussion. I am not ashamed of it. Not sure what the problem is, but I doubt that you have a solid position to stand on when it comes to piracy. What you've never recieved a burned movie, or cd? Never recorded songs off the radio, which stopped you from buying a LP, cassette, or CD? Please...... |
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 10, 2008 6:47:40 GMT -5
There is no justification for piracy, whether it's of music or movies. The fact that you bought the pirated copies makes you just as guilty as the idiot thieves that vdieo recorded the movies in the theater. You can't wipe away wrong by saying it just costs too much. I can't afford alot things I want/need, but I'm not about to start stealing. You supposedly have great backet loads of money to throw away on screen used movie collectibles, and you can't watch the movie in the theater or wait for the DVD to come out? Sorry man... that just doesn't fly with me. Ken First off I never said anything about paying for a copy, nor that I could or could not afford a ticket...LOL! The copy was FREE, its on the internet FREE. I paid 3 times to see the movie, so I DID contribute to the pockets of all the above. The bootlegg has no bearing on the DVD release, because, guess what, I will be buying that too. The person who put the film on the net is not getting paid for it either. So there you have it. Yep.... and it says alot about you. Ken |
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henry
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Post by henry on Jun 10, 2008 6:49:37 GMT -5
First off I never said anything about paying for a copy, nor that I could or could not afford a ticket...LOL! The copy was FREE, its on the internet FREE. I paid 3 times to see the movie, so I DID contribute to the pockets of all the above. The bootlegg has no bearing on the DVD release, because, guess what, I will be buying that too. The person who put the film on the net is not getting paid for it either. So there you have it. Yep.... and it says alot about you. Ken Oh I get it............your from COW. That explains the attitude. Still not warranted, and I am not going to argue with you. Have a good day. |
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Post by Ragingblues on Jun 10, 2008 6:56:52 GMT -5
Yep.... and it says alot about you. Ken Oh I get it............your from COW. That explains the attitude. Still not warranted, and I am not going to argue with you. Have a good day. First off, I don't even have an account at that place, as I'm too busy living my life and running this one to care about such things. Since you seem so sure about how things work regarding piracy, maybe the folks at Paramount would like your contact information. You are right about one thing though...... you're not going to argue with me, not here anyway. Enjoy your pirated movies and keep pretending you have lots of money to spend on screen used props. Ken |
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