Broadway and the

[THDavis]

With the advancement of recording technology, it's not hard to understand how modern-day bootlegs might show up rather frequently. But how were illegal recordings from the 80's and 90's captured via camcorder? With how bulky they were, it's hard to understand how people recording video (illegally, I might add) were able to do so without an usher noticing and confiscating the equipment. Were they not as concerned back in the day without the internet proving to be such a springboard for illegal activity? Or were the people filming just that talented as to not get caught with a fifteen+ pound camera?

Yes, I know this is taboo, but I'm not intending to promote the illegal activity of bootlegging, just looking to get more information on the history of Broadway which has been illegally preserved.

[tazber]

I have always wondered this as well!

I figured people just recorded them from the Lincoln Center Archives. But I have seen a lot of shows on video from the time period you're mentioning.

[SNAFU]

LARGE shoulderbags with holes cut in them.

[EricMontreal22]

"I figured people just recorded them from the Lincoln Center Archives. But I have seen a lot of shows on video from the time period you're mentioning"

And keep in mind that the archives actually use "home made" bootlegs for some shows that they didn't record in time--ie the original Merrily We Roll Along.

[Playbilly]

I asked a friend who has several bootlegs the same question. Usually made by someone connected with the theater or show.

[GavestonPS]

A friend-of-a-friend makes TV commercials for Broadway shows. He is allowed by contract to make a bootleg of a live performance so that he and the producers can decide what excerpts they want to film with multiple cameras for the commercial.

Sometimes his bootlegs make it to my friend and, every once in awhile, they get passed on to me. (Nothing you fanatics don't already have, so don't get excited.)

I'm assuming the practice was in effect in the 70s and 80s, so maybe some of the bootlegs in existence were actually legal when they were filmed, just illegal when they were passed on privately.

[Jordan Catalano]

No, they weren't legal then. They were filmed with a camcorder in the theater by people who were in no way associated with the show they were taping.

[GavestonPS]

How can you say that so unequivocally, Jordan?

We know that TV commercials have been an important factor in Broadway marketing since at least PIPPIN in the early 70s. So why would you assume similar arrangements weren't in effect?

For the record, the bootlegs my friend-of-a-friend produces are just as raw as the amateur bootlegs we see today: filmed from upstairs, around the heads of patrons in closer rows.

I hope I was clear I'm not talking about the actual commercial footage they shoot. These are reference bootlegs to help those in marketing decide what should go in the commercial. They aren't polished, but they often include the entire show.

[CapnHook]

Gaveston -- that seems very strange and unlikely. Are you sure they are sitting with a handheld camera in the audience?

Normally when a show is recorded for private industry reference, they position a camera stationed in the back of the house or from one of the boxes.

[GavestonPS]

CapnHook, fair question and I'm not there, so I can only go by what I've been told. But I have known this friend-of-a-friend for many years and he's never given me reason to disbelieve him.

I've also seen the fixed-camera-from-the-back-of-the-house videos of which you speak. But one of the advantages of the handheld versions is that the photographer can experiment with zooms, pans, close-ups, etc.