There are countless services out there that reward users for watching ads, downloading apps, or playing sponsored games. Some of them are a bit on the shady side, but many of them work as you'd expect - you earn a few bucks here and there in exchange for your time and attention.
One of MoviePass' original co-founders and its former CEO, Stacy Spikes, has come up with a similar idea now. However, instead of giving users assorted bits of cash and gift cards for their time, Spikes wants to give them free movie tickets.
The concept behind the service, which is called PreShow, is straightforward: by watching under a half hour of promoted content, you can earn tickets to see whatever 2D film you'd like. Of course, there is a catch here.
Whereas other services that give you free stuff in exchange for watching ads rely on the honor system (nothing is stopping you from leaving to get a cup of coffee, for example), PreShow will utilize facial recognition tech to ensure you're keeping your eyes glued to the screen.
If you stop watching for too long, the ad will pause, preventing you from gaming the system too much.
If PreShow sounds like something you'd like to take advantage of, feel free to stop by its Kickstarter page to learn more about the idea. Right now, Spikes is hoping to raise $10,000 for PreShow, which isn't too unreasonable in the long run. Of that goal, he has already earned $1,606 as of writing.
If PreShow is successfully funded, a "private" testing version of the service will launch in November 2019. Accessing this private beta (of sorts) requires a minimum $15 pledge.