MAD 3 is an updated version of a training video produced by the MPA that provides guidelines to cinema staff on how to prevent illegal recordings, featuring Australian actor Roy Billing, this year’s recipient of the MPA Asia Pacific Educator Award.
CineAsia, the annual movie industry convention and trade show now in its 16th year is being held in Hong Kong from December 7-9 at the Grand Hyatt.
Over 400 participants received a copy of the DVD and training package at the convention. More will be distributed to all cinemas across the region.
“This latest version of our Make A Difference training package for cinema staff will serve to keep exhibitors abreast of the latest technology being used by these criminal syndicates and assist them in identifying camcorders making these recordings,” said MPA Asia Pacific president and MD Mike Ellis. “However, this effort to address camcorder source piracy will require the joint cooperation and commitment of all stakeholders. We will continue to look to our exhibition partners, local filmmakers, governments and enforcement agencies to raise public awareness, step up on security, enact specific legislation and offer rewards to deter camcords coming out of the region.”
More than 90% of newly released movies that illegally end up on the Internet and in street markets around the world originate from illegal recordings being made in cinemas. These recordings often appear online within hours or days of a movie premiere, triggering an avalanche of illegal downloads that can significantly impact a film’s performance at the box office and throughout its distribution cycle.
This year so far there have been 99 illegal recordings forensically matched to theaters in the Asia-Pacific. This represents a 20% increase over the same period in 2009, when there were 82.
