Comparative Analysis

I have decided to try using 4 different streaming websites to compare the process you have to go through to watch a film. I have chosen to watch 'Due Date' a new release on each of the websites to see whether each would have it and how they advertise their new releases. 


WatchMovies.net
http://www.watch-movies.net.in/


- The homepage of this website is clear, it shows it's newest uploaded films. All of which new releases, with the film posters shown. The homepage isn't bombarded with adverts and the adverts it does have are not for films themselves, they are not promoting new films probably because the film may already be on the website, therefore the user who sees the advert would watch it illegally, not in the cinema so there would be no point in advertising it. It is simple to find the film you want, there is a search bar. I did not need to use the search bar to find 'Due Date' because it was one of the main features on the homepage. When clicking it takes you to a page with several links to the film, many options and places to watch it. This particular page has tons of advertising in banners and sidebars, mainly sexually orientated for online dating sites 'Be Naughty' This makes this website instantly untrustworthy, as viewer usually associate sex websites with virus'. I am discouraged to continue but in order to see the film I have to. I clicked the link with the highest rating. The page I have been directed to is extremely colourful with mass advertising, this time the adverts are for video games. This gives me an idea of the demographic, the comedy is aimed a young men so advertising video games here is appropriate. Pop ups appear on this link which users would again associate with virus'. The screen showing the film is very small, but it can be enlarged to full screen. From the first 10 seconds of watching the film I can already see that this has been illegally filmed in the cinema, the camera is at an angle and somebody walks in front of it. The picture is pixelated and the sound is not perfect. After barely 2 minutes it had to stop to buffer. My viewing has already been disrupted. 


Movie-Fever.net
http://www.movie-fever.net/

- The homepage of this website appears like a blog with the hyperlinks in a sidebar. Instantly it appears fairly professional as it is not packed with adverts. There are none. Like Watchmovies.net it shows it's new releases on the homepage, as I head to click on 'Due Date' which is number one of the list a pop-up appears. It tells me that the only way I can continue onto this site is if I fill out a survey, there is no option to exit this pop-up. It offers me cash prizes, vacations and high-tech equipment but in order to do the survey I have to click the prize I would like. As a user I am instantly put off this website, I will not continue as I do not trust pop-ups, especially when they link me to separate pages without my permission. This is a clear indication that these illegal film streaming websites can be extremely untrustworthy. 


Stagevu
http://stagevu.com/

- This website appears to be professional with it's non cluttered homepage. Again their are no adverts or pop-ups as of yet. Unlike the other two it doesn't have it's new releases on the home page, there are no advertisements for films. The search bar makes it easy to navigate around the site. I typed in 'Due Date' and it took me straight to a selection of links to the film. Again I chose the most highly rated one. It told me that there were plugins I needed to download, non recognisable ones that other websites didn't ask for. This website didn't make it clear earlier on that additional plugins would be needed. I will not download them because the website is not trustworthy. 


Bligblag
http://bligblag.net/

- The homepage of this website shows new releases, but as soon as you hover over an advert it opens a new page, in this case to 'No!No! hair removal' where a voice begins speaking to you. After I closed that I continued and typed 'Due Date' into the Search Bar. It lead me to a page which gives you a short synopsis of the film and the option to 'Watch video' 
I clicked 'Watch Video' and it lead me to a page with three online poker pop-ups. I closed them to find the message 'This video has been removed due to infringement' 
It was not removed from the listings, therefore I saw many different advertisements for nothing. 




From my research I have found that 3/4 websites contained problems which led to me not watching the film. The one website that it actually worked on with no major problems showed the film with dreadful quality and was an overall unpleasant experience. 

Questionnaire

I created a survey to find out the demographics of the people who watch or hear about films online. I created my survey using 'Survey Monkey' because it was easy and simple to use. I have provided a link to my survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CVXNRDR

Interview on film Promotion

I have interviewed two separate film students to find out how they hear about new films and how they access these films. I used film student's because I can be sure that they watch film often, therefore they will have a developed opinion. 

Q1. Do you hear about new film releases online?

- Yes, generally I come across new films when sieving through Imdb profiles on directors I am interested in, it tells you about their new films even if they are in production, which means I am excited for a new release months before the film's even been made. I knew about the recent film 'The Social Network' a long time before the trailers were released. 
- I read about new films on Rotten Tomatoes, then I watch the trailers on youtube, this helps me to decide whether I wan't to see the film or not. If I don't read about the film first then quite often I see it advertised all over the place. 

2) Do you hear about films online before they are released?

- Like I said about 'The Social Network' sometimes I do, which makes me listen out for the film when it begins to be advertised. I always feel like I need to see it because I heard about it a long time ago and when the trailer appears I get enthusiastic. I only ever hear about films that have not been released yet through Imdb because it tells you when a film is in production. 

- I hear about a new film before it's released fairly often because the trailers are posted all over the place, especially it's its a big budget film, I've seen certain films take over the majority of Youtubes advertising space, particularly a new film called 'Due date' most of the Youtube video's I watched began with a 30 second teaser trailer advertisement for the film. This heavy advertising puts me off watching the film, especially if it's a comedy because when you've seen it once it's not funny any more, it becomes irritating. 

3) Do you watch films illegally online, if yes then what sites?
- Yes I do, all of the time. It's free of charge so I make the most of it. I love watching films, so to be able to do that without paying for overpriced tickets at the cinema it's pretty perfect. I watch films that have not even been released yet. I use the websites Stagevu, Watchmovies.net and bligblag.net. 
- I don't really, I have done but I don't really enjoy the experience because I like either watching them on the television or in the cinema. There is something unpleasant about watching a film on a laptop. Especially if you're using Megavideo because it only lets you watch 52 minutes of the film, with a 72 minute wait before you can watch the next part. I like watching the film in one go, so this irritates me. 

4) Why do you watch films online, would you say you watch them more online than in the cinema/DVD?
- I watch them online because I want to see a wide range of films, I watch all kinds of films, some that you can't buy in the shops because they are independent or some foreign films. Watching them online makes it easier and if I am really excited for a new film then I can see it in the comfort of my home without being in a packed cinema. I would say I watch films online more than in the cinema or on DVD, simply because I have easier access to them. 
- I understand why people watch films online but I prefer the full experience in brilliant quality, I feel like I can't focus if the sound or picture is distorted. I enjoy going to the cinema for the buzz, I also like being at home watching a good DVD. I don't watch films unless I feel like I can fully appreciate it and give it my full attention, so the easy access watching films online offers doesn't really appeal to me therefore I would definitely say I watch them more in the cinema and on DVD.


5) Last time you went to the cinema was it because you heard/read about the film online?
- No, actually I just heard about it through friends so I went to see it with them. I hadn't seen any trailers for it so I didn't know what to expect. That was the problem, I came to find that I really didn't enjoy it. It felt like a waste of money. In hindsight I should have gone online and watched a trailer to see whether it was my sort of film. 
- It was part of a series of films so I already knew what to expect so I didn't look it up. I had seen advertisements on television but I didn't notice it on the internet. After I saw it I used Imdb to see the actors in it and to see what other films the director had done. 

6) Do you use review websites, if yes then which ones?
I don't read reviews because I like to make my own opinion on films, I don't want to watch it knowing somebody said it wasn't very good. Sometimes I take a look on Rotten Tomatoes after I have watched the film, just to see what other people said about it. 
I use Rotten Tomatoes quite often, it helps me to choose a film to watch. I don't want to go to the cinema and see a bad film when somebody could have told me it wouldn't be good before I waste my money. Rotten Tomatoes tells me about films I might not have thought to see.

7) Do you think online film promotion has made it easier for independent films to be recognized?

- I would say so because it's a place for them to be shown, more people would see it online than in a small cinema it may be lucky enough to get a screening at. A few short films I have made have had many hits on Youtube, the more people you can get to see your film then the more likely it is to become successful. Vimeo has festival awards, showing the best short films, this is just an example of a way to get your film out there. 

- I don't really see online advertisements for Independent films, unless you are looking at a film festival website like Sundance. A lot of people don't like Independent films so even if they see an advert for one online they will not necessarily watch it. I do think online film promotion does make it easer but not drastically.   

8) Do you watch the films you study in class on the internet, either legally or illegally?
- I always watch them legally because I am analysing them, I need to see them in perfect quality. I sometimes watch short clips on Youtube but I wouldn't watch a whole film illegally online. 
- I buy the films on DVD so that I can watch them over and over while I analyse them. I wouldn't think to watch one online because I need to see them properly with no sound problems or dodgy quality. They are not reliable either.