Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

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Everybody Wang Chung
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Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

DCP has been promoting Witnesses on a couple of streaming services lately over at Sic et Non.

My question is why would anyone pay money to see Witnesses when it's been on youtube continuously since January? What a strange marketing strategy. Maybe I'm missing something? Purdie Distribution must have some kind of strategy?

Here is just one channel that has been showing Witnesses on youtube non-stop since January of 2022. It's interesting that about 28,000 people have watched it for free. It looks like DCP lost close to $300,000 in revenue if this amount of people had purchased tickets or paid to see it streamed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfaJR5F0FhI
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by IHAQ »

Given that it is available for free viewing, why is the executive co producer, who’s stated aim is for as many people as possible to see the film, not simply directing everyone to its place on You Tube where there is no financial barrier to watching it?
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by drumdude »

Chloroform in celluloid.
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Everybody Wang Chung
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

IHAQ wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 4:07 am
Given that it is available for free viewing, why is the executive co producer, who’s stated aim is for as many people as possible to see the film, not simply directing everyone to its place on You Tube where there is no financial barrier to watching it?
It looks like nobody knows what they are doing in terms of marketing.

Oh well. Regardless, nobody should pay a dime to watch this movie. Just check it out on YouTube for free, just like thousands have done.
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."

Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Everybody Wang Chung
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

To make matters more confusing, if you don't want to watch Witnesses for free on YouTube, you can rent the Witnesses on YouTube for $4.99:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77YO6PcdFqE
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."

Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by Dr Moore »

I watched a few minutes. Can't help but notice that DCP-esque sarcasm throughout.

Like when Martin informs Joseph that he referenced the story with each member of the Smith family, and Joseph replies, "Yes we rehearsed very carefully."

Meh.
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by drumdude »

Dr Moore wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 7:23 pm
I watched a few minutes. Can't help but notice that DCP-esque sarcasm throughout.

Like when Martin informs Joseph that he referenced the story with each member of the Smith family, and Joseph replies, "Yes we rehearsed very carefully."

Meh.
You hit the nail on the head with one of the major problems with this film.
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by IHAQ »

drumdude wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:32 pm
Dr Moore wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 7:23 pm
I watched a few minutes. Can't help but notice that DCP-esque sarcasm throughout.

Like when Martin informs Joseph that he referenced the story with each member of the Smith family, and Joseph replies, "Yes we rehearsed very carefully."

Meh.
You hit the nail on the head with one of the major problems with this film.
What's that?
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by drumdude »

IHAQ wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:40 pm
drumdude wrote:
Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:32 pm


You hit the nail on the head with one of the major problems with this film.
What's that?
DCP’s voice is inappropriate in the film. He’s putting his own apologetic arguments into the mouths of the characters.
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Re: Why Would Anyone Pay To See The Film Witnesses When It Has Been Free Since January?

Post by Kishkumen »

I still hope to buy a copy. You never know when something will no longer be available in a decent format. There are CDs I used to own but sold, thinking that I could always repurchase them. Now they are difficult to get and quite expensive. If you have more than a casual interest in Witnesses and the related documentary, you should buy them in hardcopy and hold onto them.
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”~Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow
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