News
Cinema data available to mobile consumers
By Robert Marich
Feb. 24, 2009 – Into the 1990s, Hollywood film distributors used to discourage the consumer press from reporting box office data, such as top-grossing movies for the weekend, figuring it would deter moviegoers from seeing movies with disappointing performance. Such weekend box office news stories are plastered across media today, but that wasn’t always the case.
Pushing even more cinema info into consumers’ hands, Rentrak Corp. is now offering detailed and what is apparently nearly-professional-grade box office figures to Apple’s iPod and iPhone wireless handheld devices. How times have changed!
The service is called FilmScope and FilmScope Worldwide. Consumers are required to pay one-time fees of $4.99 and $9.99 respectively for access to the data. Spokespersons for FilmScope say there are no later monthly subscription fees (such a deal!).
It looks like the service is monetized by originating cinema ticket purchases – which will generate fees in what is new media commerce – from movie fans who pick through film data.
From the press release below, the FilmScope service includes descriptions of current releases, local playdate info for current releases (what better medium than wireless for mobile folks on the go who want film playdate information?), upcoming films, actor credits in films, and miscellaneous film facts, in addition to standard box office figures.
Rentrak is a data collection outfit best known for providing DVD rental information to industry and recently branched out into box office, where it competes with BoxOfficeMojo.com, Exhibitor Relations, Media by the Numbers and Nielsen EDI.
PRESS RELEASE
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rentrak Corporation (Nasdaq: RENT - News) today announced the release of FilmScope(SM) and FilmScope Worldwide(SM), the first consumer applications from Rentrak’s Theatrical Group for use on Apple’s popular iPhone and iPod touch. FilmScope will provide film enthusiasts with top line U.S. domestic box office results and expanded film information, and FilmScope Worldwide will offer an international perspective with box office intelligence on multiple international territories, all of which was previously only available to Rentrak subscribers.
Fans can easily search for films through the "Smart Type" feature, which allows FilmScope users the ability to quickly look for movies by actor, director or title. The calendar tool provides a schedule of upcoming film releases, while the "Top Films" section allows movie lovers to view the top films of all time based on genre, rating or release year.
Additional features include:
-- Actor/Director Lookup
-- Box Office Breakdown
-- Film Search
-- Film Synopsis
-- Filmography
-- Multiple Territories*
-- Tell A Friend
*Available on FilmScope Worldwide
An indispensible tool for movie fans, FilmScope also allows users to read reviews and purchase movie tickets via their iPhone or iPod touch.
“Film fans have never been able to access this level of detailed information so quickly all by using FilmScope,” said Ron Giambra, executive vice president of theatrical, Rentrak. “FilmScope allows iPhone and iPod touch consumers a fun and comprehensive way to find out everything they ever wanted to know about new and previously released movies and the actors, directors and studios behind them.”
FilmScope is now available for download on the App Store for a one-time fee of $4.99 for U.S. domestic box office information and $9.99 for FilmScope Worldwide. FilmScope works with iPhone 3G, the original iPhone, and iPod touch. For more information about FilmScope or FilmScope Worldwide, please visit http://www.filmscope.com.
About Rentrak Corporation
Rentrak Corporation, based in Portland, Oregon, is an information management company serving clients in the media, entertainment, retail, and advertising industries. The company's Entertainment Essentials(TM) suite of services is redefining media measurement in the digital broadband era. Entertainment Essentials provides customers with near-real-time, actionable insight into performance of content distributed over a wide variety of modern media technologies. Available by license or subscription, each Entertainment Essentials application allows executives to analyze detailed industry-wide and title-specific data to make decisions that enhance the bottom line and provide competitive advantage. For further information, please visit Rentrak's corporate Web site at http://www.rentrak.com.
Apple, the Apple logo, iPod, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc.