analog

This is a stem from the post about razors and advertising in general. It is found here.

I posted this here because it relates to us all, which is why it's not in entertainment or anywhere else. It relates to the quote displayed below.

First, the Cliffs notes- but I really hope you read the whole thing, because these are summaries, and don't explain the reasoning behind them.

1. Stealing is stealing, whether it's from a store or the net.
2. Less revenue means fewer films get made- everyone who works on them gets fucked.
3. Less revenue also means movies get made elsewhere (outside the country) where it's cheaper, which means we get no tax revenues from it's production and, again, everyone who works on the movies are fucked out of work. (by the way, this goes for most every country, not just here in the U.S.)

Now the meat.

I don’t like the commercial either, but only because it sends the wrong message- that if you steal (download) movies, you’re still hurting the “common working man or woman”. The reason I think it’s the wrong message is because people can still justify the piracy because they don’t understand HOW it hurts everyone. Putting a make-up artist or set builder up on the screen is all well and good, but they need to explain better WHY your piracy is so harmful.

The entire movie industry relies on many, many different things to survive. No, I’m not suggesting they’re “just getting by” or anything, but the closer towards profit-loss you push them, the more they have to take away to balance out. It has product and store tie-ins, it has merchandising, and it has the home video market. If you take a Finding Nemo video from a store, you are stealing, yes? How is that any different than plucking it from the internet? Basically the internet is that same store, but without the fancy cameras and security people to knock your stupid ass out when you take something. You’re still getting something without paying for it.

Now, here’s to WHY it’s so harmful. Movie sales are affected by theft, which cuts down on the studios’ profits. If the studios make less money, they SPEND less money- which means many different things:

1. They make fewer films. Films that might otherwise have been the next Godfather or [insert you personal favorite movie of all time here] never get made because the studio can’t afford to spend the money on them. Fewer films means scriptwriters get less scripts picked up, which is their livelihood. It means that all the skilled (and unskilled) laborers, artists, executives, producers, hair and make-up people, light people, sound people, talent scouts (and their agencies), actors and actresses, day players (people in films with small parts, or “extras”), and on and on and ON have fewer films to get work on, which is their direct livelihood. Also, whenever a film is made, a SHITLOAD of taxes are paid on pretty much EVERYTHING in production. Less tax dollars to the government have to be made up from somewhere, and guess who that means? You.

2. They go elsewhere. Right now, because of rising costs, many studios are sending the films to be made in other locations (countries) where the costs are not so high. Example: many American films are shot in Canada, where they can pay the people less, pay a LOT less taxes (a LOT) and less money to the towns in which they film. Here in America, when a film is shot, money is paid to the town in which a film is shot if they have to use any locations in the town, like a street, etc. That’s money directly into the economy of that town, and into the economy of the country via tax dollars. Also, when it’s made in America, they send their people to the location, which means all those carpenters, light people, etc. go along, and have work, and get paid, and can feed their families, etc. When the work is farmed out to other places, they hire local help at a much lower cost, and take as few people from the states as possible. And because they’re making less money, and losing money, they pay THOSE people as little as they can get away with by law.

“But analog, you probably download music, right? So aren’t you casting stones in your glass house?”

The music industry stuff I download gets downloaded because I have no respect for the music industry, and I almost WANT it to collapse. It’s a farce. All the real music would still survive just fine if the music industry went under. It’s corrupt to the point of disgusting, and everyone who works for or under them knows it. You want real music? It’s in your local bar, where there are bands- it’s all over the place. We’re being made to pay WAY more than that shit is worth.

And yes, the movie industry would be just fine without the music industry. Movies have been made for a lot longer than the music industry has been around, and would be more than ok without it again.

Also, just to add- I’d say a good 95% of everything I download is DJ stuff, which they WANT you to download. Techno, trance, dance, etc. They make their money playing in arenas, stadiums, and large clubs, not on their CD’s. If you download their music, and like it, you’ll go see them play, so you can get the full experience of their music. The other 5% is music industry stuff I accidentally pick up on radio (on the rare occasion I listen to radio) and happen to think is good.

So, there it is. Quite stealing, people. It hurts everyone.