What you guys are maybe seeing is a coverup. So they had some piracy recently, it would make sense to go film every group of people. Later when you catch a copy and use those dots and find out which theatre and which spool was copied, you can go to your tape and find the guy doing it, angle of the screen, etc.
Of course filming you without consent by commercial entities is I;m guessing illegal or at best a grey area (room for a lawsuit or two) so they are hastily saying there was no recording going on - no laws against watching people without permission.

Thats my guess.

A: Bright light.

Problem solved.

I am a security guard in Ottawa, and I can say a little about this. We have been doing something similar here for years now. But it isn't a camera, in't only a night vision monicle. Though it could be easily mistaken for a camera. Also it's only during those promo screenings that you get to see when the radio stations give out free tickets. This sounds like it could be a little different though. I found the whole process rather stupid considering they did not do the same durring the regular showings. I guess this is their response to that. I think a lot of people will be unhapy about this.

CC cameras make sense too because you could do the same thing.

One more crappy movie I don't have to see.
Ummm, they want to start filming us now? Okay, well then - I would like a refund for my movie ticket and to leave.

Sorry to break it to you, but most modern AMC's already have IR scanners that activate during the movie that sweep for video lens in the audience.

You must not have ever been to a sneak/advance screening before...the night vision monitoring is standard procedure.

Now all we need to do is get the Time Warner guy in our pockets. He's already got a camera, turn around and pirate us some movies!!

OTOH I heard the movie sucked and only took in 6 million nationwide over the week-end so I guess the studio got what they deserved.

I understand that some movie theaters also employ green-eye-nightvision-goggled security/ushers patrolling the aisles of the theater to catch bootleggers as well. I would think that would detract from the over-all movie experience.... being spied upon by green-eyed goons in the dark.

Ah well... just adds one more annoyance to the "wonderful" experience of going to the theater. :(

The CS guy didn't care because he's probably a minimum wage kid who hears complaints all day.

I'm with the people who will just watch movies at home.

I stopped going to the theater years ago ... about the time of Jurassic Park 2 ... because it was more cost efficient to actually buy the movie or rent it.

Knowing that they now treat you like a suspected pirate until you can prove that you're not, just does nothing to motivate me to head back to the local multiplex.

I'm satisfied with my widescreen TV, surround sound system, comfortable couch, and popcorn and soda that don't require a personal loan from the bank. And you just haven't lived until you've watched a movie eating a nice steak right off the grill. Nothing like a little "Saw III" and a juicy porterhouse.

Warner Bros. was preventing what?

really.

it's just not worth it to go see things in the theatre any more. if they want to make the experience (which is the only reason to see a movie in the theatre) unpleasant, then vote with your wallet, save your $10, and download the movie

For the love of all that is holy, what kinda crap is this????

Do they think the fuggin' theater is some ship on the high seas? Did the pirates board the ship and make the theater patrons walk the plank?

The language and tactics have reached such a ridiculous level that my 60-year-old church-going Mom rolls her eyes and calls them MAFIA a bunch of clowns and thugs. ( MAFIA = Music And Film Industry Associations, aka "MPAA" and "RIAA", for anyone confused by that.)

MAFIA - when you've lost the community of law-abiding retirees, you're so screwed. You're coming across like the spoiled kid on the playground who huddles around all his toys, protecting them, while all the other kids have fun & laugh at the little loser.

MPAA, you suck.

/I wish this was not a real possibility.

It makes far more sense for it to be a night vision device to let the guy look for people with cameras so they could be caught right then and there. It's possible it's also recording to use as evidence if they want to prosecute but if so they'll wipe it and start over next time, there would be no reason to keep a bunch of old tapes that don't show anything.

Regarding the IR LEDs, the cameras usually only turn those on if you're selecting "night mode". I've yet to find a camera where these can't be disabled. While LEDs tend to be directional, they'd light up like a beacon in a theater with any sort of video camera, let alone nightvision

Jim(Canuck) -- GREAT idea! Make sure you think that he's "scouting out locations for a possible terrorist attack" and you'll really get them going.

so now going to the theaters means paying up the wazoo for tickets, food, and beverages...AND getting treated like a criminal?

all the more reason to say fuck the MPAA and their slowly sinking business model. i'll rent movies and watch them at home. most of the movies coming out in theaters these days are crap anyway.

Sit back and wait for the fun to start. Worst case, the cops disrupt the showing so badly you get your money back.

Seriously though, escalate the camera war. Let's get pics of these guys on the internet, ASAP.

Here's a novel idea...don't watch screenings or movies when they are first released! it's less packed anyway!

Here's a novel idea..don't watch movie screenings or when it first comes out..it's less packed anyway!

Dear Time Warner, can you tell me where you will have the guy with a night vision camera? I want to participate!

Dear Time Warner,

Thanks for giving me yet another reason not to visit my local movie theater. As if the poor selection of films and the high prices were not enough, but amazingly, you found yet another way to antagonize your customers! You must be taking notes from the RIAA.

I haven't visited a movie theater in over two years. The added bonus of being filmed by creepy men won't entice me back.

Sincerely,

Hoo Foot

Also, the theatre owner is somewhat helpless, if he says no to a time warner demand, they can say we won't let you show this movie (i.e. for big chains, bluff, for small theaters, it would be the truth).

Lets call a spade a spade here, if a particular movie is not playing at that theater, consumers who want to watch it, won't go there.

I fully expect at some point, to see movie theaters one day go the bar/department store/every place model, where you have hidden cameras, and a security guard (who may or may not be in uniform).

Also to answer the question, what if he did see someone recording the movie, the simple answer is call the police, it is not like the bootlegger is going to leave, they are going to want to film the whole movie, the cops come, and security guy gives the cops the evidence.

You sure they weren't just looking for photographic evidence that people actually paid to see "The Invasion"?

Adding another distraction (and one with a creepy big brother feel to it, no less) is not the way to entice me to the theater more often. It's a really good way to get me to download a pirated copy and watch it in the comfort of my own home however.

Maybe those junk p2p copies come from some shmoe in the audience but the ones that are being sold on the streets generally dont.

My GF worked in a theatre long ago and the kids were always letting people into the projection rooms.

...And New York is requiring you get a permit to shoot film.

This is odd and creepy. I didn't notice anyone filming me when I saw it this weekend.

...Liked the movie. It was entertaining and they resolved much of the silliness of the prior versions.

@Buran:

How about you leave the mis-stating of the law to the MPAA, especially when 1-6 years of federal prison time is on the line? While this doesn't address this post's point about skeezy old men recording the viewers, unauthorized recording of a movie in a movie theater is a federal felony, regardless of how little you record and any arguments about fair use. State law is often similar. Both usually have provisions allowing movie theaters to tackle, kidnap, and lock you up while waiting for cops, too. Harsh and wrongheaded, sure, but its teh best law money can buy.
[www4.law.cornell.edu]

Third the night-vision scope. And a guy that doesn't get out enough.

If this ever happens while I am in a theater (not very often these days anyway) I will be walking out and demanding a refund immediately. I will not pay to have someone spying on me and I sincerely hope the general population will agree so it becomes financially unfeasible for them to continue this and other practices like it. When did people stop standing up for what they believe in?

If it was a nightvision set up, it would still weird me out but it's not the same as actually being filmed (which is what the minimum-wage counter jockey said it was). If you're being actually taped, I imagine you'd have to be informed of it on your ticket or before entering (same way they have to inform you that you're not allowed to bring in food or beverages)--so the customer has the choice of whether or not to sign up for it.

For what it's worth, I live in NYC and I've been to plenty of screenings and early releases and I've never seen this happen before. I get my bags checked and that's it. For what it's also worth, I'm still boycotting the movies until they put out something worth seeing and quit charging exorbitant prices on crappy food.

How bout they post someone inside the theater to stop that crap, I'd go back in a second.

The music and movie industry sure do look at their problems ass backwards.

@umonster: LOL I was thinking that myself.

@Karl: Hmm I wonder what they would do if I brought my nigh vision gear in and sat and looked at them with it for a few minutes every so often...

Who would want to pirate The Invasion?

Even if they wanted it as proof, doesn't it still make sense to just film the person when you see them recording instead of filming everyone all the time?

It's possible the security guy was just using a night vision system. They've been using those for a few years now at pre-release screenings.

Still very creepy since they should have signs at the entrance so you can choose to see a different showing if you don't feel being treated like a criminal is a fun Friday out.

Suing them sounds expensive and I don't know what lawyer would want to take such a suit with questionable financial damages. You could of course be wealthy and willing to spend the cash on principle.

I would recommend dealing with your local town government. It should be fairly easy to pass a local ordnance or law against it.

I guess I won't be seeing that movie until it comes out on Net Flicks.

I wonder what would have happened if someone had gotten up and stood in front of the camera?

I wonder what they would have done if someone had gotten up and stood in front of the camera?

I'll take my Scanner Darkly "scramble suit" now, please...

Would you not be intimidated if I pointed my pro-caliber zoom lens and SLR at you and started clicking away? Especially if you weren't told ahead of time and weren't asked first and the resulting photos would clearly show your face and you didn't know what I would do with the pictures?

cool that he saw it at the amc-nee-loews 14 in georgetown since much of the filming was done across the street.

for better or worse, more and more of our lives are winding up on someone's tape somewhere. i don't really buy the "as long as you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to worry about" line, but what else are you going to do? become a shut-in?

A movie theatre is sort of a public space, but you wouldn't expect somebody to be filming you at a restaurant, either (excluding security cameras at the register -- I'm talking about some guy with a camcorder filming you while you eat). This is intrusive and weird.

The customer service guy was probably copping an attitude because he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do about the WB guys being there, and that even if his bosses could do something, they probably wouldn't.

Don't get out of the house much do you?

I doubt he was actually video taping the crowd, in all likleyhood he was using a night vision camera to ensure that the movie was not being pirated. Being a theatre manager I have been present for hundreds of screenings and not once have I witnessed a screening audience being taped. The guard sweeping the crowd every few minuted with the camera is standard practice. Finally AMC or any other exhibitor does not have anything to do with the screenings as they only rent out the space for the screening and anything that happens inside security checks etc. is the responsibilty of the renter.

I have never, ever seen a disclosure on a ticket that I might be filmed -- only warned that I can't have a camera in a theater. If I can't, why can someone else? Furthermore, due to the nature of a theater I feel I am safe from being recorded by anyone.

I would have walked out and demanded a refund and not even waited til the end of the movie.

What's disturbing is that AMC is the only theater that provides captioned shows in my area that I am aware of and I have been using their (unfairly limited - wheelchair users get accomodated any time, but I don't) captioned shows to see movies while they're still in theaters.

If this ever happens to me I will seriously consider going back to waiting for the captioned DVD.