Today's Must Read: The Business of Movie Trailers
Here's a must read article from the Los Angeles Times on the business (and politics) of getting movie trailers in front of theater-goers. It gives a good summary of how the system works. Here's the meat of the matter:
Movie marketers will tell you that the only place where their ads are guaranteed to reach proven moviegoers is not on television or in newspapers, but inside a darkened theater — preferably one where the weekend's hottest movie is reaching the most pairs of eyes. Woe to the trailer that runs first, when many people are buying their popcorn and Milk Duds. The coveted spot is right before the feature, when the theater is full.
One thing the article fails to mention, however, is the immense importance that online trailers have gained in the past two years. Getting exclusive movie trailers and clips on AOL and Yahoo has become an important part of movie marketing, especially since those places gain greater influence in consumer's buying decisions. After all, how many businesses ply their consumers with competing ads right at the point of purchase?
Movies: Trailers: How a small time slot adds up to big industry headache
Showtime goes Online to Promote 'Fat Actress' and 'The L Word'
Showtime announced two new online partnerships today. In the first deal, Showtime is teaming up with iVillage, a women's portal geared at the 18-54 bracket, to promote the series 'The L Word'. Promo centers around an iPod-a-day giveaway (didn't the losing team on the apprentice just try that?)
The second promo is the "Big Fat Job Sweepstakes" with job portal Monster.com. The contest will promote the new Kirstie Alley series 'Fat Actress', and one grand prize winner will get a walk-on-role plus $10,000 in cash.
According to Len Fogge, Showtime Networks Executive Vice President of Marketing & Creative,
"It's a crowded marketplace and it's become increasingly important for us to extend our reach via non-traditional outlets, and online relationships have become a critical component of our marketing strategy. By linking up with such sites as iVillage.com and Monster, we are able to generate huge buzz for our series while targeting them to the people we believe will be most interested in watching them."
Perhaps we're just a bit biased, but is the web still considered "non-traditional" in 2005? At any rate, iVillage has a monthly audience of around 5.9 million per month, and Monster reels in a whopping 15.6 million -- good numbers of highly targeted consumers. And while the iPod giveaway is pretty small potatoes, the interface and scratch game are quite well executed.
SHOWTIME Strikes Deals With Popular Online Sites to Promote Network's Signature Series
'Uncle Nino': The Little Indie Movie that Could
In case you've missed the slowly-building buzz, here's a short-but-sweet article from the Sun-Sentinel about 'Uncle Nino'. The simple, family-oriented indie film about family ran for over 55 weeks in a Grand Rapids, Michigan theater, grossing over $165,000. Here's a bit from the article:
"People show up every day for Uncle Nino," says Ron Van Timmeren, executive vice president of marketing and film for Celebration! Cinema. The regional, family-owned movie chain has 10 locations, including a multiplex in northeastern Grand Rapids where the film opened on Dec. 5, 2003 and played through last December.
The film stars Joe Mantegna and Anne Archer as parents who are disconnected from their two children and from each other. All that begins to change when the family receives a visit from an eccentric, long-lost relative from Italy, Uncle Nino, played by veteran character actor Pierrino Mascarino.
According to the article, one of the actors has spent tons of face time in Grand Rapids, and has even been named an "honorary Grand Rapidian" by the mayor.
With buzz building behind the backstory, Newmarket, sensing another 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' has dove in to roll out the title nationally.
So what lessons can a move marketer glean from this if planning their own limited release?
1) Your playdate locations should have some relevance. 'Uncle Nino' was filmed in Grand Rapids. Another example is 'Assisted Living', which is screening heavily in Kentucky where it was shot.
2) Furthering number one, screen in communities whose demographics fit your subject matter. Based on the article, Grand Rapids was a good fit for this picture due to the conservative christian base. A good, free resource you can use is fedstats.gov.
3) Make appearances. The actor that played Uncle Nino his in the audience and surprised theatre-goers. As the director, you should figure out a way to make it to every city in your "barn-storming" tour. Sandy Dubowski, the director of doc 'Trembling Before G-D', practically lived on the road to support his film, but he nurtured it to nearly a million in grosses. Whether you do Q&As or throw parties, so something that people will generate buzz and bring more people back.
4) Do your legwork. Sending out clumps of postcards to regional organizations won't work. If you're marketing to the typical indie audience, contact a local indie record shop or popular nightclub - they will usually have a handle on a good promo point person. You have to run your campaign like a tour.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
From one-theater start, gentle indie film rides rising buzz across nation: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Sony Will Release Four Movies for the PlayStation Portable
According to CIO Today, Sony has announced that they will release four movies in the UMD format. The titles will street on April 19th following the PlayStation Portable's release in late March.
According to the article, Sony will use UMD-formatted movies to expand the adoption of the PlayStation Portable beyond young males. However, the initial slate doesn't look like it will deviate from their device's core user base:
The movies the company has chosen, however, may not do much to expand that demographic out of the gate. The four titles -- "XXX," "Hellboy," "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" -- have a fairly limited appeal. They do add to the device's reputation as a viable video viewer, though.
Sony already has announced that it intends to include a copy of "Spider-Man 2" in the first one million PSP units to be sold in the U.S. There is no word on whether or not the movie will be available for separate purchase.
So which titles should Sony release? I would personally like to see more sophisticated fare like 'Closer' or 'Monster' -- what would you movie marketers out there like to see?
CIO Today - Worldwide Technology - Sony To Release PSP-Compatible Movies
Racy 'Harold and Kumar' DVD Poster Stirs Free Speech Debate
 According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, racy posters advertising the 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle' DVD have riled up some of the faculty and student body at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville.
The poster, which advertises DVDs of the movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," depicts the torso of a woman, whose face isn't shown, with a DVD - one for the regular version of the movie and one for the unrated version - covering each naked breast. The poster reads, "Either way, you score."
The poster was placed in campus common areas by 360 Youth, a New York-based ad company catering to the college market. Several other unnamed universities have already pulled the ads, but SIU Edwardsville has not made a final determination yet. The ads have spurred a free speech debate on the campus, and the school's paper has rallied behind the ads. However, the school has said they will pull the ads if a majority of the students and faculty call for it.
Whatever the final outcome may be, one thing is certain: the ads, though tacky, have definitely been effective. While suggestive, the ads are not really any worse than a swimsuit issue, and they definitely capture the attention of their target market. In fact, compared to the relatively tame, off-target key art for the theatrical release, the DVD ads have been well thought out. This is just one more example of studios rethinking the DVD campaign on its own terms, especially when the theatrical campaign underperformed.
Racy ads stir free speech debate at SIUE
Movie Marketing Panel Predicts Low Oscar Ratings
Based on the poor box office performance of nominated films, a panel of marketing experts predicts poor ratings for this year's Academy Awards. According to MediaPost:
In his presentation before media and marketing professionals at the first Screenvision Imelda Staunton Insider's Ball, Fred Nelson, vice president for editorial development at Entertainment Magazine, showed a list of movies in the Oscar Best Actress Category and the nominal box office alongside: Annette Bening ("Being Julia"), Catalina Sandino Moreno ("Maria Full of Grace"), ("Vera Drake"), Hilary Swank ("Million Dollar Baby"), and Kate Winslet ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind").
The box office of all the movies barely totaled $75 million--a box office stinker for even one major motion picture, Nelson noted.
The "nomination effect" this year has been minimal, and if these predictions turn out to be true, there will likely be little post-Oscar bounce either.
Marketing Panel Predicts Low Ratings for Oscars
'National Lampoon's Blackball' Trims Theatrical to DVD Window to Four Days
Posted on Wednesday February 9, 2005 Filed under TheatricalNational Lampoon will release their new Vince Vaughn comedy pic 'Blackball' on DVD just four days after its theatrical premiere, according to Reuters.
With a majority of a film's revenue now coming from the DVD release, it only makes sense for film marketers to capitalize on the theatrical marketing push. While this is the shortest window so far, several holiday-themed pics rushed to market over the holiday season:
In October, 2004, DreamWorks sent out "Surviving Christmas" to major hype. When it flopped at box offices the major studio rushed the videos and DVDs into stores by December.
Atlanta's The Convex Group put a Christmas movie, "Noel" in theaters last November and on the same day issued a disposable DVD -- different from National Lampoon's long-lasting DVD -- to retailers such as Amazon.com.
Dawn Whaley, executive vice president of The Convex Group, said she believed the publicity around the theatrical release did help spur sales of the DVD.
As many DVD marketers know, generating enthusiasm for a title the second time around can be expensive and time consuming. This is especially true for B-titles and poor theatrical performers. It makes sense from a ROI standpoint to more closely integrate the marketing for select low-to-mid level performers.
Film Article | Reuters.com
'Fantastic Four' Shifts from July 4th Release Date
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 20th Century Fox marketing team is dismantling their 4th of July release campaign for 'Fantastic Four':
The studio said Monday it would now open the movie Friday, July 8, a week later than scheduled, ending a looming face-off with director Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," starring Tom Cruise, which is set to open Wednesday, June 29.
"We are not running from 'War of the Worlds,"' Fox president of distribution Bruce Snyder said. "This (new) date just works better for us."
Fox had been touting the film's release date on collateral and trailers as recently as mid January, and had announced the 4th of July date last fall. However, with 'War of the Worlds' fighting for the same demographic, Fox has opted out of the head-on battle and will instead vie for the box office crown against the Will Ferrell vehicle 'Bewitched'.
The Studio's New Release Super Bowl Ads
In case you missed them this past Sunday, here are links to all of the Studio's New Release Super Bowl ads that aired. Thanks to Movie City News for providing the links!
Batman Begins
War of the Worlds
Be Cool
Constantine
Sahara
The Pacifier
The Longest Yard
Hitch
Robots
xXx: State of the Union
Aside from the rolling eyes and snickers whenever I bring up 'The Pacifier', and the generally positive comments regarding 'Batman', I haven't heard that much buzz surrounding these ads. Any comments, movie marketers?
Verizon's V CAST an Opportunity for Movie Marketers
This week, Verizon Wireless launched V CAST, the nation's first consumer multimedia wireless service. V CAST will deliver high-resolution video, 3D games and music right to mobile phones for a $15.00 monthly access charge:
VCAST customers get unlimited access to a wide array of more than 300 daily updated videos from leading content providers. Verizon Wireless VCAST customers also receive unlimited browsing of Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Web 2.0 news and information service. Music and video games are available for an extra fee.
For movie marketers, this could be an excellent venue for releasing a 5-7 minute clip from your upcoming film:
V CAST Showcase (Verizon Wireless) includes a variety of movie previews, DVD previews and short content from network television daytime and prime time programs. V CAST Showcase also features Mobile Shows.
So if your movie or DVD's audience is tech-savvy Gen Y urbanites with disposable income living in one of V CAST's markets, you might just have a marketing initiative here.
Now Playing On a Cell Phone Near You: Video Clips, Music Videos and 3D Games
Universal to Release an NC-17 version of 'Seed of Chucky'
According to Fangoria, Universal will release an NC-17 cut of 'Seed of Chucky' on DVD in addition to their upcoming R-rated version. Although X and NC-17 ratings have been slapped on theatrical releases as a marketing tactic for years, this is the first time a studio has attempted it with a DVD release. Don Mancini, the film's writer/director, commented:
Using the controversial NC-17 tag is a bold and largely untried move, and Mancini acknowledges, "This is all pretty new to me, this whole arena, because this is the first movie I’ve worked on where they’ve done this sort of thing. But it’s certainly not a case of the studio not having confidence in the movie—quite the contrary, they’re very enthusiastic about this version of the film. They just felt that as a marketing hook, going with the NC-17 would be a lot more fun."
This may be an inadvertent side effect of movie marketers getting fast and loose with the term "unrated." An NC-17 rating is a seal of approval for those seeking titillating content.
Fangoria - Seed of Chucky to be Releases in an NC-17 Version
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