What does Screener mean?
Screener is an advance copy of a film or television production distributed to industry professionals including awards voters, critics, journalists, and programmers before the production’s public release. Screeners allow recipients to watch content in advance for evaluation or review purposes. The widespread distribution of digital screeners has created significant piracy concerns, and studios have implemented sophisticated watermarking to identify the source of any leaked copies.
Example:The studio distributed digital screeners to Academy members for awards consideration — each screener watermarked with the specific member’s credentials so any unauthorized distribution could be traced to its source.
Example: The film critic received a screener of the children’s film two weeks before its theatrical release, allowing her to write and schedule her review for publication on the day the film opened.
Did you know?
Screener piracy has been a persistent problem for the entertainment industry, with advance copies of award-season films regularly appearing online before their public release. The Academy has responded by moving toward secure streaming platforms for screener distribution rather than physical discs, using forensic watermarking technology that can identify the individual recipient from even a low-quality recording.
