Cam (bootleg)
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This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2009) |
Cam and camming (deriving from the word camera) refer to a specific method of motion picture copying, usually infringing upon its copyright. Unlike the more common DVD rip or screener recording methods which involve the duplication of officially distributed media, "cam" versions are original clandestine recordings made in movie theaters.
Typically, the person filming the movie will smuggle a compact digital camcorder into the theater by hiding it in their clothing or in a bag such as a purse or backpack. For this reason and people bringing outside food in, some establishments now ban customers from carrying bags or other containers into theaters. The filmer then records the movie using the camcorder as unobtrusively as possible. They may try to pick a seat as far back in the theater as possible to avoid the attention of other patrons (and to ensure proper framing of the screen) or may choose sparsely attended showtimes. The filmer may also know employees of the cinema who deliberately overlook infringement activity. Sometimes cam versions are made by projectionists themselves, either for home use or to distribute (with or without profit). These versions can be recognized easily as the audio sounds original, as opposed to "muddy" or noisy. This is owed to the fact that program audio is not recorded by the built-in microphone of the camera, but rather by a direct electronic link into the stereo monitor output of the audio rack. In parts of the world where the video standard is PAL, such as in England, where the standard frame rate is 25 per second, a problem with frame rate conversion can be avoided as the projectionist can speed the projector up from film's traditional 24 frames per second to PAL's 25 FPS and then use a standard PAL video camera to record the film picture.
Starting in 2001, many major motion pictures started to arrive at the theaters with unique patterns of tiny dots embedded throughout the film, known as Coded Anti-Piracy technology. If the cammer is unable to catch and blur all of these sequences, the studio will be able to determine at which theater the cam was recorded. As an additional form of deterrent, for highly popular films such as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace or Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, ushers might utilize night vision goggles to discreetly catch a bootlegger in the act of recording.
With exception of the type of cam mentioned above as made by a projectionist with access to connections in the audio rack, a cam uses audio recorded via the camera's microphone. Because of the nature of the audiovisual recording method, the audience can often be heard laughing, or silhouettes can be seen as people head for the restroom or concession stand.
The overall quality of cam bootlegs is highly dependent upon the quality of camera used, the skill of the operator in framing the screen, minimizing camera movement, and the method of encoding used before distribution (which is most commonly XviD). Cams are generally considered to be the lowest fidelity method for duplicating video and film content, somewhat behind Telesync and markedly worse than DVD rips or screeners. For newly released films, however, cams are often the only illegal copies available. One can often find these DVDs available from street vendors for prices equivalent to US$1-$2 (PPP) in the developing world.
[edit] See also
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[edit] External links
- The Prince of Darknet - feature story in Legal Affairs regarding movie copyright infringement, May/June 2005
- Information for cinema employees on how to fight CAM piracy
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