Video Piracy

From the collection of

The North East Film Archive, based at Teesside University, save and celebrate the screen heritage of the North East of England. At the heart of their collection are films made by, and for, local people, reflecting and representing the communities, places and distinctive identity of the region. Together with their sister archive in Yorkshire they form the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive, a unique pan-regional resource with over 75,000 moving image artefacts, part of York St John University. They unlock the collections for artists, academics, curators, programmers, researchers, and producers to reveal compelling stories from the vaults. www.yfanefa.com

Video Piracy

North East Film Archive
Gateshead
1991
Sound

One of cinema's greatest threats in 1980s and 1990s was the rise of VHS - and an explosion in video piracy

This short film about video piracy in the North East interviews 'Benny', a young man who copies and sells VHS tapes and a young woman who buys pirated tapes of films before they're released in cinemas. We then hear from a video rental shop worker about how much money the industry is losing and how children are at risk of to seeing inappropriate films such as those which are overly violent or pornographic. Over the credits, director Steve Tyler shows how easy it is to copy videos using consumer electronics equipment.

A film about video piracy in the North East speaking with 'Benny' who copies and sells VHS tapes and a young woman who buys pirated tapes. Interview with owner of video rental shop about how much money the industry is losing and how children are getting to see inappropriate films such as those which are overly violent or pornographic. The final part of the film shows how easy it is to copy videos.

Silver Screens: A Century of Cinemagoing

From the picture palaces of the past to modern multiplexes...

The cinema has always been so much more than just a place to watch films. At the heights of its powers, the silver screen stood for spectacle, sophistication, electricity and elegance as well as entertainment, and the very venues themselves were star attractions. These architectural marvels stood proud in cities and towns up and down the country, enthralling audiences in their thousands in the days when "going to the pictures" was a national pastime.

For over a century, cinema has endured, and cinemas have changed with the times. The rise of television, video and home cinemas may have splintered the cultural dominance of the movies while bringing films to smaller and more convenient screens, but the thrill of the communal experience remains - as do many of the monumental structures themselves, whether they have been converted into bingo halls, renovated into plush modern picture houses, or left to loom over the high street.

This collection celebrates the cinema as both a cultural icon and a haven for generations of starry-eyed dreamers, and documents the changing face of filmgoing from the bygone bioscopes and the lavish picture palaces of yesteryear to the sticky-floored multiplexes of today. So dim the lights, grab your popcorn, and lose yourself in the magic of the silver screen.