It's interesting, unlike films or music, illegal downloads actually benefit sitcoms - helping to quickly spread the word of new comedy and driving DVD sales. Family Guy or The Mighty Boosh are good examples.
Pirate Comedy
Boo!
I thought we were going to talk about comedy with pirates.
It's always better to have a bigger pie, than a big slice of a small pie.
Some make a fortune from special edition DVDs, that others freebies direct them to.
Surely it depends on the size fo the pie and the slice in question? and on what the pie is made of.
Do you actually have statistics for this, Simon?
Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 19 2008, 5:28 PM BSTIt's interesting, unlike films or music, illegal downloads actually benefit sitcoms - helping to quickly spread the word of new comedy and driving DVD sales. Family Guy or The Mighty Boosh are good examples.
Disagree. All media are helped and hindered by downloads to a pretty equal extent. There's just not a comedy equivalent of the RIAA or MPAA.
The reason most TV companies don t like illegal downloads is purely financial.
Perhaps early on (before a DVD of the first series is out), pirating may help get a buzz out and cause people to watch the show during its run. Maybe. Maybe not.
**SlagA is particularly decisive tonight.**
No stats, just got told this by someone who works in the industry. The marketing tool that dare not speak it's name. It's why we have iplayer and that channel 4 download service. If people can easily watch an episode, then if they like it they'll go out an buy the DVD. Probably.
Quote: Aaron @ July 19 2008, 9:54 PM BSTDisagree. All media are helped and hindered by downloads to a pretty equal extent. There's just not a comedy equivalent of the RIAA or MPAA.
Not really - if you download a film or a song/album, why buy the DVD or CD? But if you download an episode of a sitcom, it's much less hastle to buy the DVD of the series if you like it. Depends how lazy people are nowadays.
People are more obsessive about a sitcom series than they are to a film (in general - obviously some films are cults!)
See thing is 1,000,000 people down load film, 1 in 10 buy a special edition for some one
's brithday,
thats a 100,000 sales, where as no download maybe only 20,000
it's called free-conomics, the idea being to make a profit on 2% by massively increasing interest.
I saw Sicko for free on download, and at the cinema.
Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 19 2008, 11:03 PM BSTNot really - if you download a film or a song/album, why buy the DVD or CD?
Some people like holding something physical in their hands. I download or record pretty much any comedy (sitcom, sketch, documentary) that's on or that I can find, but I fully intend to buy them if/when they're available, because I like owning DVDs.
Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 19 2008, 11:03 PM BSTBut if you download an episode of a sitcom, it's much less hastle to buy the DVD of the series if you like it. Depends how lazy people are nowadays.
Not quite sure I follow? Why is it less hassle to buy a TV series than a CD or film DVD?
Quote: Simon Stratton @ July 19 2008, 11:03 PM BSTPeople are more obsessive about a sitcom series than they are to a film (in general - obviously some films are cults!)
Mm, true, true. I think, ultimately, the film and music industries need to realise that sales aren't dropping because of piracy, but because they're making pure, unadulterated SHITE. TV tends to be far more varied and far more subjective IME, and of course there's the relationship building as we watch the characters week-in, week-out. Buuut yeah. I get the point, but I still think it's talked up far more than is really warranted.
End of the day, for many people, if they were going to buy a DVD (film or TV), or a CD, then they still will, regardless of having downloaded, recorded, or bought a hooky copy from eBay or whatever.
People buy DVDs to look good on their shelves, as a way olf expressing their good taste, wealth and sophistication.
The legendary 40/60 (e.g. a 40 year old guy who'll spend £60 everytime he visits Zavvi).
It's easy to pander to the smaller segment of buyers who want to spend lots, than the bigger on who wants to spend none.
Look at some where like Borders, with it's coffee shop, working toilets, lavish displays, and loads of helpful staff.
They don't care that a lot of people mooch ( I regularly read magazines back to back, and on occaison over priced hard backs).
Becuase they know the smallish number of customers who spend loads, keep their profits up.
n.b. I think Borders ace is ace. Screw you indepedent book sellers with your full price Harry Potters, and your sarcy comments about obscure scifi books. And no I don't care that your selling some crappy books by a crappy local author.
Actually one good indy is the London Fantasy Centre, who have "How much for just the Planet?" and whole Scifi collection bundled at reasonable prices.
It's run by a very hairy hippy, which seems just right.
My God, Borders is awful. Horrendously overpriced for DVDs, and a pitiful selection for TV comedy (at least in the Oxford Street branch). Borders stores in the US are far superior, stocking a wider range of stuff, particularly in university towns.
And don't even get me started on Starbucks.
I don't really buy DVDs, I buy books and magazines.
They do that well.
Quote: sootyj @ July 20 2008, 8:28 AM BSTPeople buy DVDs to look good on their shelves, as a way olf expressing their good taste, wealth and sophistication.
I really disagree with this. It depends on the DVD, but most people buy them to watch a show again, perhaps from their youth, and in as good quality as exists. They don't give two shits about how it looks on their shelves.
I was saying that's why they buy some DVDs as oposed to down loading and bruning them.