Piracy and Promotion: The Double-Edged Power of Crowds

Film distribution in the Internet era is characterised by a deep-seated contradiction. Distributors want their films to go viral, to generate buzz, to be discussed on blogs, to be tweeted about, and to compete passionately for the attention of their potential audience. At the same time, however, distributors must exercise control over this viral activity. They invite the public to share some - but not all - of the text. Marketing materials (trailers, stills, plot points, gossip) will ideally circulate widely, but the full experience must be retained exclusively for those who pay for the movie ticket, DVD or video-on-demand service. The goal is to stimulate consumer desire for a film without fully satisfying it, leaving a productive excess - a surplus emotional investment - that leads to paid consumption.