TheHill: I’ve had the great privilege of working in the film and television business for nearly four decades. I count myself among the fortunate few who have been able to oversee the production of movies and TV shows beloved by millions. To this day, despite the success I’ve enjoyed, I take nothing for granted.
So why would someone like myself care so deeply about combating piracy?
5 comments:
The question of piracy and it's effect on media is one that has permeated our culture for the better part of a decade, but not once has it hit as close to home as it did when it came to Hannibal. Hannibal, a series that details the early days of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, at first glance appeared to be a simple thriller series, but the cinematography, acting, and artistry displayed transcend the campy material and instead becomes a vivid character study of two men who couldn't live without each other. After the first season, there were concerns over ratings, but against all odds, NBC renewed it for a 2nd season. The 2nd season doubled down on the art, to the detriment of the "tangible plot", which pushed the more casual viewers away. Fans were once again left biting their nails, but, again, Hannibal was renewed for a 3rd, and, ultimately, final season. The statistic that 1/3rd of the audience came from pirates is unsurprising. De Laurentis doesn't specifically peg the cancellation on pirates, but it is clear that the rampant stealing of the show didn't help the chances at all.
I liked that De Laurentiis brought up how piracy affects everyone involved with a production and not just the producers or big name stars. It feels like all too often people put that aside and defend their piracy of a show or movie by painting themselves as some sort of Robin Hood. Normally arguing that all they are doing is taking a small amount of money from a hugely wealthy person who can afford to loose a little (producers or celebrity stars) and at the same time making what ever it is they’re pirating more available to the public. The same kind of argument comes up in defense of bootlegs of Broadway shows, and it has the same holes in it. As De Laurentiis points out while piracy/bootlegging does affect the producers and stars it also affects everyone else involved in the production and unlike the well known names most of them can’t afford it.
I really had never thought about the full effects of pirating a show until this article, which really makes me sad by itself just because of what a seemingly desperate plea it is. and to be real, I don't often pirate television. I have access to many perfectly good streaming sources which I assume work in the same way, compensation wise as a cable network. I know that some of the other most pirated shows are like HBO shows like Game of Thrones and True Detective, which undoubtably affects them less, as a network funded by subscription rather than being a public television station like ABC. So, I mean I will take this to heart and I hope others will too. there really is a lot more to a show than its star and the crew and designers all deserve to profit off of viewers that do it by the book. if you really love a show, you would somehow pay for it.
It's such a shame that Hannibal got cancelled because it really was an awesome show. Like Jacob said, it's a retelling of the early experiences between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, but through a more artistic lens. Personally I don't really understand why it was pirated so much, because I watched all of the episodes on NBC's website where it was free to stream. Maybe there were regional restrictions on where it could actually be watched, but it seems like this would be a viable option for most people. Watching on the network's website allows you to view it on your computer, but still gives some ad revenue to support the show. I don't think that the people who pirated Hannibal had the intention of not supporting the show, as they probably just wanted to find the most convenient way to watch it. It's really sad that ultimately those intentions don't matter, because it all comes down to money in the end. Without revenue coming in a show becomes unsustainable, no matter how beloved it is.
It positively kills me that Hannibal was cancelled. I remember when news first broke that the show would not be coming back for a fourth season, there was rampant speculation as to why. One article headline said something to the effect of "Hannibal: The Critically Acclaimed Show That No One is Watching". While I am glad that it turned out people *were* watching Hannibal, I think that this shines a light on a critical problem for the TV and movie industry. This is one of the largest, and most prominent examples of a show essentially being crippled or killed off by the immensity of its pirated downloads by non-legitimate viewers. I have heard rumors of the show being resurrected on a different network, or through a different medium. I hope that, should those rumors manifest into reality, and the story of Hannibal continues, that its audience - whether watching illegally or through a valid platform - remembers the cost of piracy.
Post a Comment