This is back when it was common (like 90s to 2000s) before smartphones were commonplace, they would sit in the back row equipped with a camcorder plus tripod or they are the ones recording the movie live inside theater. It’s known as CAM (the resolution is shit along with crap sound quality), you would also spot silhouettes of movie goers obstructing the screen at times (heading to the bathroom or walking back and fourth).
You can also hear people talking throughout since the pirated footage is recorded inside theaters, if you watched CAM footage: have you spotted your own silhouette not realizing you’re inside whilst a pirate was recording? At the time, that footage would’ve been burned onto DVD being sold at the street before official home media release. Have you also purchased a pirated copy from someone in which isn’t the official release at the time?
Seen them in person? Nope.
My mother worked at a theater when ei was a child, and she would come home every so often complaining about someone causing a scene when they get caught.
No shade to anyone who does it or did it, but when you get caught and told to leave, just do it and come back later, and be more discreet.
The theater actually put signs up all over telling people all kinds of crimes (some of which sounded made up) they’re theoretically committing and how much prison time and fines they could face. It never stopped the lol