CinemaCloudWorks, the online theatrical distribution platform recently launched a new screener service to combat online film piracy. Called SmartScreeners, the cloud-based service aims to kill off the act of piracy by employing high-end security measures in film screeners.
For years, film distributors have employed the use of traditional DVD screeners to film critics for review purposes. It’s also how most critic bodies tend to review films for awards considerations. However, this system came with its own set of problems. For one, there have been various instances where screeners have leaked out to peer-to-peer networks, even before release.
To combat this issue, SmartScreeners will use burned-in unremovable watermarks that will display the viewer’s email address & phone number. And since this service will be entirely digital, it’s also going to help in reducing the number of physical media production (read: DVDs). But why DVDs are used for screeners? Well, it’s simply because of easier storage. Blu-Ray disks, while being technologically superior in quality, also cost more to produce.
With digital media being so widely accessible via streaming, it only makes sense to switch to it. Assisting CinemaCloudWorks, iScreeningRoom will provide the technical support to make this new screener service possible. iScreeningRoom is a secure online screening platform, which many studios use for test screenings of their upcoming releases. The process is not too different from content streaming, like say Netflix does.
Physical DVD screeners, which can run as high as $25 when supplied by a typical fulfillment house, use mostly generic watermarks which are easily obfuscated. Not to mention they take forever to actually arrive in the recipient’s hand. CinemaCloudWorks’ SmartScreeners addresses both of the issues head-on with superior security and instantaneous delivery for only $5 per screener.
– Harmon Kaslow, President of CinemaCloudWorks
When you think about it, it’s not really surprising news. The Television Academy/Emmys recently announced their discontinuation of DVD screeners. The move is “aimed at saving the television industry tens of millions of dollars, while also positively impacting the environment via the elimination of waste.”
Industry professionals are afraid to make a change, and they should be as their livelihoods are on the line. However, continuing to do something because everyone else is doing it, is not a smart strategy. What they don’t realize is that if their film gets pirated, ‘This is how everyone does it’ is not going to cut it in the boardroom. They’re going to lose their jobs. We can help.”
– Kaslow (contd.)
In either case, this new development will help in fending off piracy for the long term. With so much video content available on the web, it’s becoming harder & harder fight for your copyrights.
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