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{{Short description|Rough version of a motion picture or television program}} {{merge from|One-light|date=May 2025}} {{Lead missing|date=April 2025}} [[File:Workprintstill.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Frame captured from a digital editing workprint. The [[timecode]] on the left begins with a userbit designating the lab roll and the code on the right is a [[Keykode]].]] A '''workprint''' is a rough version of a [[motion picture]] or television program, used by the [[film editor]]s during the editing process. Such copies generally contain original recorded sound that will later be re-dubbed, [[stock footage]] as placeholders for missing shots or [[special effects]], and [[animation]] tests for in-production animated shots or sequences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://projectspace.adc.rmit.edu.au/2006/comm2320/digifilm/Forms%20of%20Piracy.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301104217/http://projectspace.adc.rmit.edu.au/2006/comm2320/digifilm/Forms%20of%20Piracy.htm|archive-date=2012-03-01|title=What are the different types of Piracy?|author=Christopher George}}</ref><ref name="VCDQuality">{{cite web|url=http://www.vcdq.com/index.php?page=faq#7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529101730/http://www.vcdq.com/index.php?page=faq |archive-date=May 29, 2010 |title=VCDQuality: Terms}} Lists recent video releases in the [[warez scene]].</ref><ref name=Craig2005> {{cite book |last1=Craig |first1=Paul |last2=Ron |first2=Mark |editor1-first=Mark |editor1-last=Burnett |others=Publisher: Andrew Williams, Page Layout and Art: Patricia Lupien, Acquisitions Editor: Jaime Quigley, Copy Editor: Judy Eby, Technical Editor: Mark Burnett, Indexer: Nara Wood, Cover Designer: Michael Kavish |title=Software Piracy Exposed β Secrets from the Dark Side Revealed |date=April 2005 |publisher=Syngress Publishing |location=United States of America |isbn=1-932266-98-4 |doi=10.1016/B978-193226698-6/50033-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/softwarepiracyex0000crai/page/164 164β165] |chapter=Chapter 8: The Piracy Scene |quote=Workprints are unfinished, pre-production materials that often lack scenes and additional sounds. They are of higher quality than [[Cam (bootleg)|CAM]] movies, and usually contain a ticker somewhere in the picture. (PIRACY FACT... A [[Time code|ticker]] is a small clock that shows the current frame that is running. It is usually used for reference purposes by directors and animators.) Workprints are usually leaked from production houses. Most recently, a [[Star War β The third gathers β Backstroke of the West|StarWars Episode 3 workprint]] was released hours before the first official screening. The workprint was of relatively high quality because it originated from a DVD; however, it had two tickers at the top of every frame. (See Figure 8.1.) Workprints are rare, and only a highly anticipated film's workprints are released by pirates. The majority of watchers are only interested in watching the final product. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/softwarepiracyex0000crai/page/164 }}</ref><ref name="cnnleakxmen" /> For most of the first century of filmmaking, workprints were done using second-generation [[Film stock|print]]s from the [[original camera negative]]s. After the editor and director approved of the final edit of the workprint, the same edits were made to the negative. With the conversion to [[digital editing]], workprints are now generally created on a [[non-linear editing system]] using [[telecine]]d footage from the original film or video sources (in contrast to a pirate "[[telecine (copying)|telecine]]", which is made with a much [[Generation loss|higher-generation]] film print). Occasionally, early digital workprints of films have been [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]]ged and made available on the [[Internet]].<ref name="cnnleakxmen">{{cite news|title='X-Men Origins: Wolverine' leaked to Web |first=Alan |last=Duke |work=[[CNN]] |date=2009-04-03 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/02/xmen.piracy/index.html |access-date=2010-02-21 |quote="It was without many effects, had missing and unedited scenes and temporary sound and music," the studio said. [...] He said the movie is a rough cut, using placeholder images in many sections and special effects that look like "video games 12 years ago."}}</ref><ref name="bbcleakxmen">{{cite news|title=New Wolverine film leaked online|work=[[BBC News Online]]|date=2009-04-01|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7977265.stm|access-date=2009-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://scenerules.org/t.html?id=vcd.nfo|title=VCD Guidelines |quote=Workprint: This category represents movies that were taken usually from VHS tape. If the source is as good as first generation VHS demo tape with GOOD encoding, it should be labeled Screener. All other home-made VCDs must be labeled Workprint. If you know your copy is not complete, use this label. (missing scenes, missing audio tracks, additional scenes, alternate ending etc.)}} [[Standard (warez)|VCD standards]] set by the [[warez scene]].</ref> They sometimes appear months in advance of an official release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/good-pirate-reviews-more-important-than-piracy-itself-game-devs-say-140103/ |title=Good 'Pirate' Reviews More Important Than Piracy Itself, Game Devs Say |author=Andy |date=2014-01-03 |website=[[TorrentFreak]]}}</ref> There are also [[director's cut]] versions of films that are only available on bootleg, such as the workprint version of [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]]' ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]''.<ref>{{cite web| first= Alex| last= Williams| title = The Thief And The Cobbler| url= http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.12/articles/williams1.12.html| publisher = Animation World Magazine|date=March 1997| access-date = 2009-05-09}}</ref> Although movie studios generally do not make full-length workprints readily available to the public, there are exceptions. Examples include the "Work-In-Progress" version of ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (albeit it is unfinished footage intertwined with the DVD release on top with the finalized sound mix), and the Denver/Dallas pre-release version of ''[[Blade Runner]]''. Deleted scenes or bonus footage included on DVD releases are sometimes left in workprint format as well, e.g. the ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'' DVD extras.<ref>{{cite video |date=2005-11-15 |title=Practice, Practice, Malpractice β Scrubs outtakes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1j2AgN_fc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/OU1j2AgN_fc| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|medium=DVD |publisher=Buena Vista Home Entertainment}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A workprint as source for a leaked television show is rather unusual, but it happened with the third season's first episode of ''[[Homeland (TV series)|Homeland]]'' a month before it aired.<ref name="homeland">{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/homeland-season-3-workprint-leaks-a-month-in-advance-130902/ |author=Ernesto |date=2013-09-02 |website=[[TorrentFreak]] |title=Homeland Season 3 Workprint Leaks a Month in Advance}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-23941929 |title=Homeland series 3 opener leaked online |date=2013-09-03 |website=BBC}}</ref> ==Notable examples== *''[[Rocky V]]'' β A low quality workprint of the film encoded through DivX Video was released on the internet in 2002.<ref>{{Citation|last=Thompson|title=ROCKY V WORKPRINT 1990|date=2022-11-27|url=https://archive.org/details/you-cut-20221127-130420336|access-date=2025-04-07}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=April 2025}} * ''[[Hulk (film)#Release|Hulk]]'' β Appeared on the internet two weeks before the film opening.<ref name="cnnleakhulkstarwars">{{cite news|title=In digital age, can movie piracy be stopped? |first=Lisa |last=Respers |work=[[CNN]] |date=2009-05-02 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/01/wolverine.movie.piracy/ |access-date=2010-02-21 |quote=In 2003, a version of Universal's "The Hulk" appeared on the Internet two weeks before the film opened. A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to the theft. And in 2005, a pirated print of "Star Wars: Episode III β Revenge of the Sith" was uploaded to the Web within hours of the movie's release.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The.Hulk.WORKPRINT-SMF |work=Vcdquality.com |date=2003-06-06 |url=http://www.vcdq.com/release/4489/The.Hulk.WORKPRINT-SMF | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717191158/https://www.vcdq.com/release/4489/The.Hulk.WORKPRINT-SMF | archive-date = 2011-07-17 | url-status = usurped <!-- smf-hulk.nfo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803191159/http://www.vcdquality.com/index.php?page=nfo&id=13937--> |access-date=2010-02-21 |quote=Had to crop and throw some black bars over the indicative parts. All I can say is you wouldn't like SMF when they're angry! Enjoy a 2-week pre. and die slow all you puny banners! HULK SMASH!!!}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2005/01/topsite/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=2005-01-01 |author=Jeff Howe |title=The Shadow Internet}}</ref> * ''[[Star Wars: Episode III β Revenge of the Sith#Leaked workprint|Star Wars: Episode III β Revenge of the Sith]]'' β Appeared on the web within hours of the release.<ref name="Craig2005" /><ref name="cnnleakhulkstarwars" /> * ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine#Leaked workprint|X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' β Available on the internet before the premiere.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unfinished X-Men Movie a Hit On BitTorrent|url=https://torrentfreak.com/unfinished-x-men-movie-a-hit-on-bittorrent-090401/|access-date=2025-04-06|website=torrentfreak.com}}</ref> * ''[[Apocalypse now#Extended bootleg version|Apocalypse Now]]'' β A 289-minute-long workprint circulates amongst collectors on the internet.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Movie Curiosities Lurking on BitTorrent Networks|url=https://torrentfreak.com/movie-curiosities-are-lurking-on-bittorrent-networks-140809/|access-date=2025-04-06|website=torrentfreak.com}}</ref> * ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'' β A 270-minute-long workprint exists on the internet (three times the final film's length).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Movie Curiosities Lurking on BitTorrent Networks|url=https://torrentfreak.com/movie-curiosities-are-lurking-on-bittorrent-networks-140809/|access-date=2025-04-06|website=torrentfreak.com}}</ref> * ''[[Vampires Suck]]'' β Appeared on the internet around a month prior to the film's theatrical release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/fox-vampires-suck-workprint-100817/ |title=Fox Drives a Stake Through 'Vampires Suck' Workprint |date=2010-08-17 |author=Ernesto |work=[[TorrentFreak]] |access-date=2010-08-31}}</ref> * ''[[Tin Man Is Down|Homeland]]'' β "Tin Man Is Down", the first episode of the [[Homeland (season 3)|third season]] leaked a month before airing. It being an unfinished version is rather unusual for a TV show.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/homeland-season-3-workprint-leaks-a-month-in-advance-130902/ |title=Homeland Season 3 Workprint Leaks a Month in Advance |author=Ernesto |date=2013-09-02 |website=[[TorrentFreak]]}}</ref> * ''[[Doctor Who]]'' β Workprints of the first five episodes of [[Doctor Who (series 8)|series 8]] were leaked online months in advance of their premieres. These versions were in black and white, were watermarked, and lacked the computer-generated effects seen in the final releases. Producer [[Steven Moffat]] publicly condemned the leaks, and urged fans to avoid watching the leaked episodes until they properly aired on TV.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doctor Who "Into the Dalek" Workprint Fully Leaks Online|url=https://torrentfreak.com/doctor-who-enter-the-dalek-workprint-fully-leaks-online-140812/|access-date=2025-04-06|website=torrentfreak.com}}</ref> * ''[[American Pie (film)|American Pie]]'' - a workprint containing more raunchy content leaked before the film's official release,<ref>{{Citation|last=Universal Pictures|title=American Pie (1999) "EViLiSO" Workprint|date=1999|url=https://archive.org/details/apworkprint|access-date=2025-04-07}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=April 2025}} giving way to an unrated edition for home release; this would become commonplace among films similar to ''American Pie'', including its sequels.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} * [[A Minecraft Movie|''A Minecraft Movie'']] - a workprint containing unfinished, unrendered CGI leaked shortly before the film's official release.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unfinished Copy of 'A Minecraft Movie' Leaks on Pirate Sites|url=https://torrentfreak.com/unfinished-copy-of-a-minecraft-movie-leaks-on-pirate-sites-250404/|access-date=2025-04-06|website=torrentfreak.com}}</ref> * [[Overwatch 2]] β a workprint of βKirikoβ animated short containing unfinished, unrendered CGI leaked a month before the official premiere.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-08 |title=10-minute Overwatch 2 short workprint leaks, introduces New Hero 'Kiriko' |url=https://www.resetera.com/threads/10-minute-overwatch-2-short-workprint-leaks-introduces-new-hero-kiriko.629728/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=ResetEra |language=en-US}}</ref> * ''[[The Swan Princess|The Swan Princess]]'' - Storyboard 90-minutes-long{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} *''[[The King and I (1999 film)]]'' - Storyboard 89-minutes-long{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} *''[[The Prince of Egypt|The Prince of Egypt]]'' - Storyboard 99-minutes-long{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} *''[[The Day the Clown Cried]]'' - An unfinished and unreleased film; in 2025 it was revealed that {{interlanguage link|Hans Crispin|sv}} had stolen and made a copy of a workprint ({{langx|sv|arbetskopia}}) of the Swedish segment of this film while working at [[Europafilm]] in 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.svt.se/kultur/hans-crispin-stal-jerry-lewis-film-som-varit-forsvunnen-i-45-ar|website=[[SVT Nyheter]]|date=2025-05-28|accessdate=2025-05-28|title=Hans Crispin stal Jerry Lewis-film som varit βfΓΆrsvunnenβ i 45 Γ₯r|author=Hannes Fossbo|lang=sv}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==Further reading== * {{cite web |url=http://torrentfreak.com/movie-curiosities-are-lurking-on-bittorrent-networks-140809/ |title=Movie Curiosities Lurking on BitTorrent Networks |author=Andy |website=[[TorrentFreak]] |date=2014-08-10}} {{Forms of pirated film releases}} [[Category:Film and video technology]] [[Category:Warez]] [[Category:Video]] [[Category:Copyright infringement]] [[Category:Film editing]]
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