At the Home-In

Around the time Christopher Nolan’s restart of the Batman franchise, Batman Begins was coming into theaters, I discussed with some friends the notion of opening weekends, DVD’s, film piracy and what the future of movie-going could be like.

I suggested then, the idea of having movies be released on DVD or on demand cable. Soderbergh did something very similar with Bubble in 2006.

Some background: I used to be an opening-night junkie.

I’m not anymore and as I grew weary of getting tickets and standing in line for an hour before the movie started so we could get good seats, I grew to like the idea of having a movie accessible on opening night right in your own home.

How this could happen: as mentioned, DVD’s released the day of in stores or on demand cable.

How this could make the studios happy: charge a lot more for either or both.

With TV moving towards charging for what was essentially free (sure you had to be glued to a TV at the right time) to premier services (TiVo et al.), how can the movie industry pick up some of that modus operandi?

When discussed, it came down to price point. What amount would make the studios happy and the audience happy? As it stands, one can pay an exorbitant amount to go watch a first rate movie in a multiplex — around $10 for the movie, at least another $5 or so if you want some treats to go along with it and then money, time and effort for transportation — whether it’s via car and parking fees or public transport.

With on demand cable: I’d pay $20 easily to watch a movie on opening night at home. Get another person and you’re equal to what you’d pay for just a ticket at the theater, more and you start bringing that price down. And that’s probably what scares the studios — that you could get 10 people in a room with a pimpin’ home theater system and enjoy a movie that they lost $80 on. I mention $20 because this is the price of a DVD is these days to own, more or less, for good.

However, the studios probably wouldn’t be happy with that. So how about doubling it? $40. Now, if you get 4 people to watch it, you’ve got your cost covered and the beauty of being amongst friends and in the comfort of your home. More people, you’re bringing that price down. If $40 is too much, then you’ll consider actually going out to the theater to watch it if you want to badly enough but for some people, even if it’s just two people, they might opt against all the extra effort and cost to watch it from home.

It might be a super premium service but a viable one.

With the DVD: A lot of the same rules apply but you now own it. I’ve heard from ex-Blockbuster employees that they buy the tapes (when it was all still VHS) for $100 a pop and they made their money back from the rentals from the life span of that tape.

Now, I’m not suggesting that studios should charge that much! By far no. But perhaps a very basic, film-only version for $20-40 might be worth releasing for the fictitious crowd above. And if they include all sorts of special things in the official DVD release, then those completists will buy the film again.

George Lucas has proven that time and time again.

Could this work? What would you pay? Would you pay?