Summary of Facts Regarding the Glitch Company Lawsuit by Former and Current Industry Managers
I personally enjoyed this film, so it is truly regrettable to see this situation unfold.
First of all, I have absolutely no connection to the current distributor, and naturally, I am unaware of their internal circumstances.
Therefore, setting that aside, I would like to summarize only the facts regarding the statements currently being made—based on the production company’s official statement and general principles.
[Concerns Regarding Film Leaks]
In South Korea, when applying for a film rating (review), the importer/distributor must submit the “final theatrical cut” of the film to the Korean Film Rating and Classification Committee.
(I have heard that the final version of the film has not yet been completed. I will address this point below.)
This final screening version is identical to the standard used in theaters. It is in the “DCP” format. (While MOV containers are also accepted, this is irrelevant to the current situation.)
The DCP format is a global industry standard that supports basic encryption.
This is a measure to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the film or from viewing and leaking it without permission.
Encrypted data like this can only be used after the encryption is decrypted remotely, and nowadays, restrictions are often placed so that the film can only be screened on theater servers for a limited period.
This specification is designed to allow rights holders to control the film and structurally prevent problems at their source.
The Korean Film Rating and Classification Committee (KORRAT) accepts this format and conducts its review process. During this process, unless someone involved maliciously films the movie with a camera while it is playing (which is highly unlikely), it is structurally very difficult for a leak to occur.
Because this entire process—from review and distribution to screening—has been verified multiple times and is reliable, film studios worldwide, including Disney and UPI, are able to hold their global premieres in South Korea.
This is likely why Marvel’s *Avengers: Endgame*—perhaps the most spoiler- and leak-sensitive film in cinematic history—was able to have its world premiere simultaneously on screens in South Korea: because this system is trustworthy and completely secure.
Conclusion: There is no chance of the film being leaked.
[Concerns About Mail Delivery]
The statement that “distributors send films to the rating board via mail” applies to South Korea, and it is true.
While there are exceptions, the Korean Film Rating and Classification Committee (KORRAT) typically receives film materials for review either by mail or in person.
However, you can rest assured that this process will not lead to any security breaches.
This is not simply a matter of saying, “Trust us because the delivery process is secure,” but rather, as mentioned earlier, because the data is “encrypted and stored on a storage medium before being sent.”
Even if someone were to intercept a shipment containing an HDD or flash drive during this process, without the authority to decrypt the data, it would be nothing more than a useless piece of data.
That is why offline delivery can be considered secure.
Conclusion: There is no risk of a security breach with postal delivery.
[Censorship Concerns]
There’s no need to discuss this part
South Korea is a country with very lenient film rating standards; for instance, LGBTQ+ and queer films—which are frequently banned in regions like the Middle East—are proudly screened in large multiplexes rather than independent theaters, without any censorship or cuts.
There are even frequent instances where films that receive a restricted rating or are denied a rating in other countries are released in South Korea with a standard “No Minors Allowed” (equivalent to the U.S. R rating).
Receiving a restricted rating in South Korea is an extremely rare occurrence, and such cases typically involve films that have already faced release issues not only in South Korea but also in other major countries.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the general public sentiment, and I certainly do not believe that South Korea is a society that directly condemns such films.
Conclusion: Cases of censorship or refusal of classification have been virtually nonexistent in mainstream commercial films.
[Schedule Issues]
The Film Rating Board generally conducts its review based on the “final theatrical cut.”
The final theatrical cut refers to the version in which all post-production work, such as CG effects and color grading, has been completed.
In other words, they require the submission of the finished version that will actually be shown on the big screen.
And I suspect this is precisely the issue at hand.
However, the Board has implemented a “pre-reservation for rating classification” system to address such situations.
If a film is not yet complete but the schedule is tight, the Board allows for an initial submission, provided that the final version for review is submitted as close as possible to the deadline for screening.
Even if this period is kept as short as possible, it still takes at least three business days.
However, since various variables can arise—including requests for revisions and the process of preparing theater systems—it is standard practice to complete the rating classification at least two months before the release date.
Given that the scheduled release date was June 5, even allowing for some flexibility, the film would have needed to be completed by at least the end of May. While this might have been challenging, theoretically, there would have been no problem.
However, since the contract was terminated in early May, it raises the question: was the schedule issue the direct cause?
Conclusion: Even if the film wasn’t finished yet, there were still plenty of ways to proceed.
Looking at the situation this way, it’s hard to understand what exactly the production company was worried about or what the problem was that led them to take such an extreme step as unilaterally terminating the contract.
Source link: https://m.dcinside.com/board/amazingdigitalcircus/15941