Ushers armed with night vision goggles

satchmo

During a showing of The Day After Tomorrow in Cork's Gate Cinema last night, I was surprised to notice an official-looking security guard type coming in twice or three times during the movie, and surveying the audience with a night-vision scope - presumably looking for people with video cameras.

Apparently WB have issued these for use in guarding the upcoming release of Harry Potter, and obviously the Gate is putting them to good use for protecting other movies too. Or is it just that the Gate is taking pirating more seriously than other cinemas?

Has anyone else noticed this in any other cinemas/movies? How long has this been going on?!

ixoy

I thought this was about ushers armed with night-vision goggles and rifles, out to shoot disruptive people in the cinema

deRanged

I was in the gate on friday night, and noticed a few visits by ushers. I didn't look closely at them though; I was down towards the front. I did think they were paying much more attention than usual. Naturally they didn't do anything about the couple chatting through the film. I must keep an eye out when I go see Harry Potter this week.

User45701

Its odd i have a UGC unlimited card so i see allot of cinima but i have never seen anyone before in the cinima with a camra.

I think it is the staff after hours allot of the time

Rew

Its all ab bit ridiculas amyway as most "cams" are done by cinema employee's or by friends of cinema employee's. An awfull lot of them are done fomr the projection box or are taken from an output from a projector.

They also tend to happen in the US not here as they got most of the movies first....

echomadman

Apparently WB have issued these for use in guarding the upcoming release of Harry Potter

too late tbh
I saw the knackers in the market selling it over the weekend.

Draco

you know, I was sure night vision googles were illegal here.

It's bound to be linked those infact ads you see before every film now.

D-Generate

I remember seeing them in the Gate during the opening night of The Matrix Revolutions way back when it was released. On the opening night of most films in their they seem to go in and have a look around a couple of times during the showing.

Rew

Originally posted by Draco
you know, I was sure night vision googles were illegal here.

I think goggles might be but hand held scopes are ok. Iv used generation 1 stuff and good luck seeing any one with a camera its hard enuh to figure out its a person half the time the gen 3 stuff ont he other hand kicks ass. Alot of digital video cmaeras come witha NV feature now thats pretty decent.

herobear

ive heard of projectionists using night vision equipment before but never ushers, there've been a coupla of cases where people have beeen caught using recording equipment by night vision equipment recently......i know that.
but tbh im surprised these are only really a recent thing.

bus77

Is it really illegal for you to film it?
I always though It was a grey area when it came to stuff like that.

DMT

Originally posted by Draco
you know, I was sure night vision googles were illegal here.

Rubbish. Cite the legislation if its true.

Thorbar

No need to jump down his throat DMT, I've heard that binocular night vision was banned but you could get a single scope, one of my mates was looking into buying one in Ireland.

flogen

Rubbish. Cite the legislation if its true.

jesus, relax. He was just saying he was sure, not that it was bona fide fact that no-one could ever dis-prove and anyone who disagreed with him was a moronic spung beetle.

As has been said, the piracy issue isnt as big here, most stuff is US imports, and other stuff is probably done by staff.

Ive never seen anyone with a camera in the cinema, although I dont really look all that hard.

Flogen

Rew

DMT u really need to chill out.

I was in the Waterford Cineplex today buying tickets for the 8.30 show of The Day After Tomorrow and one of the staff was going from the box office to toward the screens with a brand new NV scope....

Ill be keeping an eye out when we head back in awhile...

weemcd

Originally posted by Draco
you know, I was sure night vision googles were illegal here.

ha ha night vision GOOGLES thats years of googling for you lol

Rew

The staff were definatly still wandering around with the NV unit but I didnt see anyone actively using it...

MrGump

I work in a cinema and was using it today, they are for harry potter. its pretty cool in small screens, but they arent gud in the large screens such as number 1.

Now the question: if no. 1 is the largest screen what cinema does mrgump work in??? cant be ugc. so...

BlitzKrieg

yeah was at harry potter today and there was a warning before the film saying night version security cameras are in servive to protect the following film: Harry Potter yadadadada...




personnally i p*ss myself everytime they say piracy funds terrorism because me and all my mates put up our hands as a joke (due to mp3s and similar items). but got in trouble once by an older woman who went out and reported us to the usher who kept a close eye on us for the rest of the night and even when we were leaving he was following us (looking for camera?)

I saw them with them during The Day After Tomorrow on Friday. I must ask my friend who works in the cinema to rob me a pair.:D

damnyanks

Eh doubt the ushers care about the piracy.

You're a student doing the minimum wage job. Manager comes along... "here use these night vision goggles / scopes / whatever to find some piarates ARGH SHIVER ME TIMBERS"

Would be something fun indeed

MrGump

Thats not true, we love you all, especially when u ask for butter we dont have, or seats that are already taken. No we love you for our 7.50 an hour.

jill_valentine

I'm pretty sure if I were an usher, and I was told...

"Jill, go and seek out film pirates with their cameras. Haven't you seen the ad where the pirate is ACTUALLY THE DEVIL? Go and stop them, for cinema and country!"

I'd hear...

"Jill, go and play with this Night Vision Scope. Pretend you're in Splinter Cell or something."

Emmo

Hmmm is it the Savoy by any chance?

Number 5 used to be the gig one in UGC. Not any more.

Emmo

MrGump

Originally posted by jill_valentine
I'm pretty sure if I were an usher, and I was told...

"Jill, go and seek out film pirates with their cameras. Haven't you seen the ad where the pirate is ACTUALLY THE DEVIL? Go and stop them, for cinema and country!"

I'd hear...

"Jill, go and play with this Night Vision Scope. Pretend you're in Splinter Cell or something."

I will pretend im in Splinter Cell! C4 anyone?

BlitzKrieg

well every mp3 you own payed for the sept 11 attack...or so the warnings say....

Furp

Well MrGump I assume you work at Ster Century in Liffey Valley, where screen one "The Big Fella" is huge..

I also assumed that most pirating of films usually took place by staff after hours or being filmed from the projection box.

Rew

He said in another thread he works in Santry....