If you already know what MoviePass is and just came here to find out if it’s worth it, the short answer is no. As of this writing, I cannot recommend MoviePass. While it’s a great concept that shows a lot of potential and, despite some quirks, was implemented pretty well, poor decisions by management seem to indicate a fundamental lack of understanding of their customer base and consumer culture in general, as well as confusion as to what their long term business goals are. If you want to know what qualifies me to make said conclusions, read this. If you want more details as to how I arrived at these conclusions, keep reading.
A hidden MoviePass Countdown Clock limitation
MoviePass recently introduced their “Countdown Clock” to limit movie viewing to one movie per 24 hour period beginning from the start time of the last movie you watched. What they didn’t tell you was this part:
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MoviePass Countdown Clock Issues at YouTube.
This was clearly an inconvenience from the moment I read about it in the announcement. However, I decided to give it a chance and see if MoviePass‘ continuing claim of being able to see a movie a day holds up. Obviously it can’t, because movie theaters aren’t open 24 hours a day, but I figured I would try it and see how long it would take before I missed a day. Even if I could pull it off, I’ve already had to reorganize my life around movie going in this effort (currently on day 11 & counting), which isn’t really the point of a relaxing hobby. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Also be sure to check out the other articles in my series on MoviePass:
- My MoviePass Profile (11/4/2013)
- A hidden MoviePass Countdown Clock limitation (11/12/2013)
- Why MoviePass Is Bringing Subscription Moviegoing To Theaters (11/21/2013)
- What is MoviePass? (11/25/2013)
- My MoviePass experience (11/25/2013)
- How does MoviePass work (and what happens when it doesn’t)? (11/25/2013)
- What can I see with MoviePass? (11/25/2013)
- A day is 24 hours, but 24 hours is not a day (11/25/2013)
- Why I can’t recommend MoviePass (and why I won’t be renewing my subscription anytime soon) (11/25/2013)
- Beat the Clock & Buy Advance Tickets with MoviePass (11/28/2013)
My MoviePass Profile
Since I’ll be posting a few articles on the MoviePass service, here’s some demographic info to put my observations in context. If you’re considering signing up for MoviePass, hopefully this information will help you make an informed decision. If you’re already a MoviePass member, feel free to share your details for comparison in the comments. I have no relationship or involvement with MoviePass in any way other than as a paying user of their service.
You gotta be ready to go
Remember what I wrote the other day about being ready to go to work at the drop of a hat? Today I got a rush call to work as a perp on the third season premiere of Blue Bloods. In case you don’t know, a rush call is when they give you real short notice for a gig; there can be many reasons for a rush call, ranging from a schedule change on the production to someone not showing up when they’re supposed to. In any case, I had a half an hour to show up. I was able to make it, so I did. If you’re unable to go to work on short notice because you’re not available, fine; but if you’re free and unprepared, that’s on you.
If you want to work in entertainment
In the last couple of years, I’ve been embracing this whole social networking, internet shit, and making contacts on various social networks. A lot of young people have been following me, and if they have something interesting or cool, I’ll follow them back. A lot of them have videos showing off their various skills: singing, playing music or sports, skateboarding, freestyle BMXing, doing gymnastics, dancing or any other number of things that kids do. I try to pass along an encouraging comment from time to time; to keep developing their talents, be mindful and safe, and so forth. I get the sense that many of them hope to pursue careers in entertainment, and it’s with that in mind that I write this. It’s not meant to be an end all, be all guide to the entertainment industry; it’s just my thoughts based on my experience. I’ll get to the advice, but to put it in context, let me tell you about Will.
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