AMC Offers Money-back guarantee on 'Cinderella Man' Ticket Purchase

According to Reuters, AMC, the #2 movie chain in America, is offering a money-back guarantee for those who purchase tickets to see 'Cinderella Man':

Advertisements offering on-the-spot refunds to AMC patrons unhappy with the film began running on June 24 in newspapers and on the exhibitor's Web site (www.amctheaters.com), AMC spokeswoman Pam Blase said on Tuesday.
The ads, welcomed by the film's distributor, Universal Pictures, say in part: "AMC believes Cinderella Man is one of the finest motion pictures of the year!"
Blase said AMC provides occasional rebates to dissatisfied moviegoers on a case-by-case basis. But the "Cinderella Man" offer marks the exhibitor's first money-back guarantee since "Mystic Pizza," Julia Robert's breakout 1988 film.

The move comes amidst the widespread belief that releasing 'Cinderella Man' as a counter-programming measure was a failed move, and there has been speculation the Universal may try a limited re-release in the fall. This guarantee is an interesting effort to drum up business, particularly because the demographic most receptive to these types of offers is also the same one most likely to be interested in seeing this film. And much like rebates, the redemption levels are, barring aberrations, usually pretty low. AMC isn't releasing any numbers, and so far has just said that the refunds requested have been "minuscule."


[Via Reuters]

'Revenge of the Sith' Drives Jump in Online Ticket Sales

According to a comScore Media Metrix press release, the release of 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' was a huge boon for websites selling movie tickets:

Star Wars fanatics turned to the Web in droves to secure quickly selling tickets. Nearly all of the top ticket merchants saw increases compared to last May. Category leader Moviefone, which was partnered with StarWars.com, drew 15.3 million visitors, an increase of 29 percent compared to a year ago. With 12.5 million visitors, Yahoo! Movies jumped 26 percent compared to last year, while Fandango.com and MovieTickets.com were up 65 and 75 percent, respectively.

With more pressure on movie marketers to measure ROI, expect to see a greater emphasis on measurable actions like online ticket sales. We also wouldn't be surprised if a "premium seating" or "assigned seating" trend emerges to further drive pre-sales.


[Via Yahoo! Business]

Sundance Group Makes Foray into Exhibition Business

According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, The Sundance Group, parent company of the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Channel, has announced their intentions of creating a chain of specialty cinemas.

The circuit, which has been in the works for numerous years, will be headed by Paul Richardson and Bert Manzari, the pair who started Landmark back in the '70s. Programming looks like it will be similar to the Landmark/Laemmle paradigm:

The theaters will show in independent, documentary, and foreign language film, as well as quality studio films and original programming, which will include shorts, filmmaker interviews and forums.

This move will greatly enhance the Sundance Group's vertical marketing abilities, and will help to secure valuable publicity for their home entertainment releases. It now looks like 2929 Entertainment isn't the only integrated company in town...


[Via the Los Angeles Business Journal]

Flashback -- Hear the Original 'Star Wars' Radio Spots from 1977

If you want to see just how far ad creatives have come in the last 30-odd years, listen to these original 'Star Wars' radio ads from 1977. Quaint by today's production standards, the constant "Don't be afraid - it's only a movie" seems like it was culled from the the horror genre playbook. It's amazing that these ads are still kicking around -- get 'em before they're gone.


[Via A Small Victory]

Studios Clamoring For Trailer Slots in Front of 'Star Wars: Episode III'

According to the Los Angeles Times, the highly-anticipated 'Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith' is bowing in 3,700 theaters, and movie marketing executives are jockeying for coveted trailer slots. Further exacerbating the demand is Lucas' demand that no more than five trailers bow before his feature. Given how lackluster the box office has been so far this year, many films are banking on this added push to help get butts in seats:

Others in the mix, according to another studio: New Line's 'Wedding Crashers,' DreamWorks' 'The Island,' Universal's 'Cinderella Man' and Warner Bros.' 'Batman Begins.' And some studios are also sending trailers for other films directly to exhibitors in hopes of screening with 'Revenge of the Sith.' Sony, for example, is distributing a new "teaser" trailer for 'The Da Vinci Code,' even though the movie doesn't come out for a year

The article mentions that the only film guaranteed placement is 'The Fantastic Four.' Of all of these films, the films that probably need the marketing boost most are New Line's 'Wedding Crashers,' and Universal's 'Cinderella Man.'


[Via the Los Angeles Times]

'The Interpreter' Draws Older Female Audiences to the Box Office

According to the USA Today, the Nicole Kidman thriller 'The Interpreter' drew a significant amount of its audience base from older viewers. Based on internal research by Universal, approx. 60% of the audience was 35 and older, and 58% was female. So what's the story behind $22 million take this weekend?

"We didn't bother marketing the film on MTV," says Nikki Rocco, Universal's distribution chief. "We knew that adults were going to be drawn to this more than the kids."

The industry's summer of explosions and special effects unofficially begins next weekend, with XXX: State of the Union and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Rocco says that, after months of romantic comedies and horror movies, audiences were ready for espionage.

"It was time for a serious movie," she says.

Combine the hunger for adult pics with a talented, A-list cast, and you've got the recipe for a spring success. Universal seemed to be focused more on getting Kidman in the press and advertising in appropriate, targeted places like women's mags and outdoor advertising.


[Via USA Today]

Warner Bros. to promo 'Batman Begins' during 'Smallville' Finale

According to Brand Republic, Warner Brothers will promote the upcoming release of 'Batman Begins' during the season finale of the hit series Smallville.

The finale, which will air on May 18th, will be showing an exclusive clip at some point during the show:

The eight minutes of footage will air within the 90-minute season finale of 'Smallville'. The two [Batman and Superman] have always been linked in comic book fiction and bringing the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight together is designed to further explore the relationship on the screen of two most popular superheroes in the history of American pop culture.

We've seen the broadcast of exclusive clips become an integral part of the movie marketing process over the past year, but none have been so topically on the mark as this one.

Batman begins is due out in theaters on June 17th.


[Via Brand Republic]

Marketing Preview: Superman Returns

Super Hero Hype is giving a brief overview of the advance marketing strategy behind the upcoming Superman Returns movie. Even though its coming from "anonymous sources," it looks in line with what we would expect from Warner Brothers:

The marketing will begin over a year in advance-starting with the teaser trailer that is now scheduled to air with Batman Begins, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Word is Sony Pictures Imageworks is about to start work on about 10 special fx shots that will be featured in the trailer. The official website is also scheduled to be activated around this time, as well, a teaser poster. Then in November, the second trailer will be released with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Rumor is W.B. wants to have the same trailer with King Kong as well. W.B. is also currently shopping for movie tie ins and product placement, and it comes as no surprise that the companies are lining up.

That's nearly 12 months of constant PR and marketing activities leading up to the theatrical, and almost 18 for the DVD release.

Superman Hype! - The latest Superman news and rumors

Bollywood Star Urges Shift to Hollywood-Style Marketing

While speaking at a conference in New York, veteran Bollywood film star Amitabh Bachchan urged Bollywood production companies to refine and redouble their marketing efforts to make them more in-line with western standards:

"Bollywood is a movement known to Americans only through satire. That needs to change. The Americans have a very good marketing system in place... which can, and should be emulated. (Bollywood producers) should get together as one united force. We need to market it [Bollywood] much better, and a lot of discipline is required for that. Hopefully with everybody's concerted efforts. I'm sure the good word will go around and there will be great interest in our cinema."

The Indian film industry's output is the largest in the world in terms of number of films produced and in number of tickets sold. Given that production values have been steadily increasing as the audiences demand quality comparable to Hollywood, it seems only natural that Indian movie marketing budgets will follow. Perhaps we'll soon see the first big "crossover" hit?

Bollywood Star Urges Shift to Hollywood-Style Marketing

'National Lampoon's Blackball' Trims Theatrical to DVD Window to Four Days

National 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

'Outfoxed' to Commence Theatrical Run August 6th

According to a press release issued by Cinema Libre Studio, 'Outfoxed' will commence it's theatrical run this Friday in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. A larger national roll-out is planned for the following week, though it will still be in limited release.

From a marketing standpoint, this very presence of the film in theaters is unusual because the DVD has been available for over two weeks on Amazon, and there has already been more than 3,700 free screenings nationwide at house parties. Given the political backdrop surrounding the films release, and it's sponsorship by moveon.org, expect special events and heavy marketing by interest groups to drive ticket demand.

Related Links:

OUTFOXED: Screenings

Press Kit for 'Outfoxed'

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to Expand Nationally

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, an extremely popular Austin, TX-based alternative cinema chain, announced the sale of their franchising operations to their current CEO. Plans call for expanding the business to more than 200 locations throughout the United States.

For those of you unfamiliar with the company, the Alamo is a beer joint/restaurant/movie theater that features an eclectic programming mix of new releases, shock and cult cinema, live film-based events and more. This makes for a movie going experience quite unlike anything you've probable experienced before, which has resulted in an almost "rabid" fan base. Here's a few examples of the kind of programming they do:

Mr. Sinus Theater - a live comedy show in the vein of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"

Foleyvision/Smellovision -- Live Sound Effects/smell effects accompany movies

Open Screen Night -- like an open mic night at a comedy club, only with video.

Movie-oke -- Karaoke to movies.

Celebrity Guests -- Big and small -- everyone from Lloyd Kaufman to Quentin Tarantino.

You should also look at the trailers section to get a feel for thee vibe in their theaters.

If you're guessing I'm a booster -- I definitely am -- I went to an Alamo during a trip to SXSW a while back, and I, like so many others, fell in love with the concept.

So what implications will this have for movie marketers? The biggest is the 600+ new screens available nationwide with audiences craving alternative and indie entertainment. If the Alamo does indeed do a national roll-out, it will become the place for indie filmmakers to get their projects seen. Landmark used to be the place to go for filmmakers looking to four-wall their projects and get a theatrical release, but after reading this article in the NY Times, that may be an uncertain future.

Alamo Drafthouse's franchising arm sold to president, CEO - 2004-07-21 - Austin Business Journal

Report: Internet Drives Interest in Summer Blockbusters

Very interesting press release from Claria, an online behavioral marketing company (You might know them from their "Gator" ewallet product). The company analyzed their 43 millon-strong user base to see what impact online marketing had on three big-budget summer releases...

Here's the meat of the release:

More Moviegoers Skip Theater Lines with Online Ticket Purchases

-- Of the respondents who go to the movies, 24% said that they have
bought movie tickets online.
-- Of the respondents who bought movie tickets online, 71% made a
purchase 1-3 times in the past 6 months.
-- Fandango was the most popular site for movie tickets with 44%
of people saying they have used it to purchase tickets.
Movietickets.com and Moviefone.com followed with 36% and 21%,
respectively.

Online Advertising Increases Movie Buzz

-- 43% of survey respondents had seen a Spiderman 2 ad online,
followed by Harry Potter at 41% and Shrek 2 at 27%.

Film-Related Sites Also Find Success Online

-- Yahoo! Movies was the most popular general movie site among users for
information relating the three summer blockbuster movies. The Shrek 2
Yahoo! movie site captured 30% of total traffic to the top
general movie sites related to the three movie sequels, followed by the

Yahoo! Harry Potter movie site with 29% and finally the
Spiderman 2 Yahoo! movie site capturing 12% of total traffic.
-- 39% of total traffic to the three official movie sites came on
Fridays and Saturdays.
-- Survey respondents cited "watching trailers" as the most popular reason

for visiting official movie sites with 66% of respondents going
online to see the trailer for Harry Potter, 53% for Shrek 2, and
48% for Spiderman 2.

Movie Enthusiasts Are Likely to Purchase Video/DVD

-- Harry Potter movie enthusiasts are most likely to purchase the movie
when it comes out with 48% of respondents saying they will
definitely or probably buy the DVD or video. This number is followed by

41% who cited that they will definitely or probably purchase
Spiderman 2 when it's released and 39% for Shrek 2.
-- Of those who had seen the first or earlier releases of these summer
blockbuster sequels, more than half purchased the movies when they were

released on video or DVD:

* 58% of the respondents who saw Shrek 1 in the theater also
bought it.
* 63% of those who saw one or more earlier Harry Potter
movies, also bought one or more Harry Potter films.
* 56% of those who saw Spiderman 1 in the theater also bought
it.

Other Results Indicate:

-- 39% of total survey respondents go to the movies once or more
every 3-4 weeks.
-- Most respondents plan on seeing the movies within 1-3 weeks of the
movie's release:

* Shrek 2 -- 88% will go within the first three weeks of the
movie's release.
* Spiderman 2 -- 74% will go within the first week and 92%
will go within the first three weeks.
* Harry Potter -- 60% will go within the first few days, 91%
within the first three weeks.

Napoleon Dynamite's Marketing? Sweet!

I have yet to see Napoleon Dynamite, but I am impressed with the creativity of the guys and gals at Fox Searchlight's marketing department. If you've been Reading the Movie Marketing Blog this year, you've seen lots of innovations in the marketplace. Well, Fox has followed some of their own best practices and added a few new and interesting marketing tactics to boot:

1. New scenes -- with this Friday's expansion, Fox has added a 5 minute epilogue to entice fans to come back for a second showing. Straight out of the DVD playbook, this technique worked well for Fox with last year’s '28 Days Later'. The difference? The scenes were shot just 4 weeks ago...

2. Fan Club Competition -- Fox has heavily promoted the "Napoleon Dynamite Fan Club," and now has 20,000 people competing in a contest to select the club's president. The competition winner gets a free screening and other perks, and helps the movie by virally spreading the word among the target demographic.

3. Napoleon Dynamite Mixers -- Special pre-film events held in "tastemaker" cities to turn out the fan club base.

4. Audience Participation Script -- Ever heard of the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'?

5. Iron-On transfers -- Over 40 different designs that can be printed out and made into t-shirts. Branding, anyone? And no cost to the marketer?

All of this effort would be moot if the film was a dog, but the reviews have been pretty good. I did read somewhere (don't remember where) that the film is "like watching a Wes Anderson cover band" or something to that effect, but In my opinion, Fox Searchlight has done an incredible job of making the film into a unique viewer experience.

Related Links:

Official Site
Fan Club
Rotten Tomatoes Review Page

Anti-ad Backlash Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

The Captive Motion Picture Audience of America wants to get rid of those pesky pre-show ads that have been popping up in the theaters lately. I can't say that I blame them, either -- one more Britneyesque soda commercial and I'll lose it. However, I think the CMPAA is kind of late to the game -- these ads have been entrenched for well over a year now, and at a 30-40 percent growth rate per year, that revenue stream will be hard to pry out of their clutches. Expect no help from the Distributors, most of which are subsidiaries of the parent companies making all of the ad buys in the first place. No advertiser in their right mind wants to give up the big-spending, consumer-goods-envying demographic otherwise known as "movie-goer." And a captive audience at that.

Stop pre-movie commercials! - The Captive Motion Picture Audience of America - CMPAA

Festivals Entering the Distribution Realm

Slamdance announced their entry into the distribution game earlier today. According to their release:

Leveraging the brand-name recognition accrued by ten-year-old Slamdance Film Festival, Slamdance President and co-founder Peter Baxter has joined forces with veteran film and television producer and talent-manager Robert Schwartz, and Cleveland-based businessman George Ketvertis to launch the Slamdance Media Group. The company, which will comprise distribution and talent-management units, has pacted a home-entertainment output deal with Ventura Entertainment, a division of independent giant Ventura Distribution, to sell product under a new, branded Slamdance label. The theatrical distribution unit, to be known as Slamdance On the Road, has inked with ArcLight Cinemas for exclusive exhibition of the new company's titles in the Los Angeles market.

With brand recognition running high among top U.S. festivals such as Sundance, South by Southwest and the Tribeca Film Festival, it's really no surprise to see them morphing into specialty distributors. After all, Sundance has had a successful home video venture and premium cable channel for years.

Large, successful festivals bring important ingredients to the mix that give them a leg up in the distribution game:

1. They have established relationships with corporate sponsors to use as a springboard for promotional partners in new ventures.

2. They have a direct channel to secure a "first look" at new product.

3. They have large, highly targeted member/attendee bases ripe for ancillary product marketing.

4. They get loads of free press.

The festival business has grown from a cottage industry into a big business, with major studios often cherry-picking festival talent for studio exec positions. Festivals have also become an important part of studio release strategy in terms of marketing (getting advance word out about upcoming releases) and market research (using festival audiences to determine needed tweaks before a national release.)

Slamdance was one of the original Sundance piggy-backers, and have grown into a powerful force on the circuit in ther own right.

Expect more of the big boys to follow down this path in the near-term.

Related Link:
MCN Press Release: Slamdance Announces New Ventures

Online Voting Opens for the 33rd Annual Key Art Awards

Online voting is now available for the 33rd annual Key Art Awards. According to their site, the Key Art Awards are:

...the only international competition honoring the professionals who create movie advertising, including theatrical trailers, posters, TV commercials, Internet ads and more. It's the work of these individuals that often determines a film's box office success and chances for Oscar consideration. The Key Art Awards ceremony has become a cornerstone event in the movie marketing community, annually attracting a "who's who"of motion picture executives and creative professionals from every corner of the industry.

The term "key art" is industry jargon for the main pieces of collateral supporting a movie's release -- posters, stills, etc.

I've heard of the awards before, but I never knew about the online voting. This looks like the second year that they're doing it.

Here's a summary of who I voted for:

Best Poster, Comedy: 'Lost in Translation'
Best Poster, Drama: 'American Splendor'
Best Poster, Action/Adventure: 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Best Trailer, Comedy: 'Lost in Translation'
Best Trailer, Drama: 'Mystic River'
Best Trailer, Action/Adventure: 'Kill Bill Volume I'

I thought the 'Lost in Translation' campaign was brilliant, but perhaps it just struck a chord with my demo...

Best Website: Identity

Related Link:
The Hollywood Reporter.com: Key Art

Indie film attracts an upscale market

It's no big secret -- "art-house" film has always drawn an upscale crowd. I haven't seen any study in particular, but my guess would be that the typical indie film-goer is college educated with a sizable disposable income, similar to museum or theater-goers. Both Gen-Art and Sundance have crafted an impressive luxury-driven sponsor base over the years, and the joint effort by Lexus and The New Yorker magazine drives the notion home without much subtlety:

Lexus, the No. 1-selling luxury automotive manufacturer and The New Yorker magazine team up in a partnership to bring five cinematic events to five major cities across the U.S. Beginning in March 2004, invited guests in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Boston will enjoy an exclusive evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and an advance screening of a film feature -- courtesy of Lexus and The New Yorker.

"Lexus is excited to be partnering with a brand like The New Yorker," says Mike Wells, vice president of marketing for Lexus. "This event allows us to offer New Yorker subscribers an entertaining evening in a relaxed environment."

In March and April 2004, 200-270 guests in the five major U.S. metropolises will enjoy an exclusive opportunity to see up-and-coming cinematic features while experiencing the latest luxury Lexus has to offer, highlighting the 2004 LS 430. With a cocktail reception before each screening, the ambiance will be set for guests to mingle with other guests as well as interact with the luxury of the Lexus brand.

I'm not familiar with all of the announced titles, but I bet a bit of legwork would show that comparable titles did fairly well in upscale metropolitan areas.

Related Links:
Lexus Partners with The New Yorker Magazine (PR Newswire)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Focus Features)
Eulogy (Lion's Gate)
Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (Film Movement)
Bright Young Things (THINKfilm)

Universal and Warner Brothers hope to whet appetites with extended previews

Following Fox Searchlight's success with their extended preview for 28 Days Later last year, both Universal and Warner Brothers will be premiering lengthy previews of their own next week.

Universal will screen an uncut 10 minutes from the upcoming Dawn of the Dead as a special event on the USA Network (which is a division of Vivendi-Universal, mind you), which will air "sometime between 10 and 10:30 pm" on March 15th.

In me-too fashion, Warner Brothers will release the first 9 minutes of Taking Lives, although it will only be available online. The preview will premiere on the Taking Lives website on March 19th.

If these test cases work out well, we'll probably see additional budgeting for the creation of "prefaces" to films to be used as "special events," much like we see additional funds budgeted for DVD extras. So far, it looks like this marketing effort works best with horror and thriller titles, which by nature have provocative, spine-tingling sequences perfect for a few minutes of attention-getting advertising. Plus, horror titles are more resistant to bad reviews.

Related Link:

WB to Preview First 9 Minutes of Taking Lives Online

Studios Unload a Plethora of Lackluster Films

I checked out the Weekend Warrior's predictions and comments regarding this weekend's releases, and I have to agree with his assertion this is the season where the "studios turn the weekend into a crap-filled dumping yard." With all the attention on the Oscars, it's a perfect time for the studios to quietly shed some dead weight while nobody's watching. I'm surprised that Miramax didn't dump Prozac Nation, which has been in the can gathering dust for what seems like eons.

I've just recently been turned on to the WW, so I don't know how well his numbers jive, but he truly has the best free analysis and comparables out there, and I've found more than a few good marketing insights.

Related Links:
The Weekend Warrior: Preview and Projections for the Weekend of February 20th, 2004

Digital Cinema Transition Going Much Slower Than Expected

With Texas Instrument's DLP systems, digital cinema looks like it's ready for prime time. However, the dispute over who's going to pick up the technology tab is having a damper on adoption rates:

Some people thought about 2,000 of the new high-tech projectors would be in theaters by the end of 2002. Instead, 155 theaters worldwide, about one-tenth of 1% of all theaters, have them. And none of the top U.S. theater chains plan to add more digital projectors until they can work out better business terms with Hollywood studios.

With exhibitor's margins already razor thin on big studio films, I doubt that they're willing to fork over even a few cents per ticket to any of these tech companies. And I don't see Hollywood budging anytime soon, either.

Related Links:
Lights, Camera, Where's the Digital Action? (Investor's Business Daily)

Catchy title or piggyback Marketing?

Fox Searchlight's upcoming horror romp 'Club Dread' is under fire from the folks at Club Med, who are seeking an injunction to block release of the film and the destruction of all prints & advertising materials. According to the Miami-Herald:

The resort folks say they think people will be confused by the similarity and don't want their name to be "tarnished" by the film's "disparaging association" with blood, death and murder.

Fox is promoting its low-brow take on a booze-soaked party island that "takes a turn for the weird when dead bodies start turning up faster than you could drink a rum punch."

Club Med is in a tricky legal position because trademark holders are required to defend their names or risk losing their trademark rights. But courts set a high standard when satire is in play.

Related links:
Club Med
'Club Dread' Official Movie Site
Miami Herald.com: Club Med suing over 'Club Dread' movie title

MGM may revive Orion as Genre Label

Looks like the success of genre titles may prompt new specialty labels. With UA now an "independent/specialty" arm, it doesn't make sense for them to release teen and horror flicks under that banner anymore. For the longest time, studio brands (with the exception of Disney) have been mostly inconsequential in the marketing of films to consumers. Look for this to change in the coming year. Now if only Fox Searchlight would think about a genre label...


Yahoo! News - MGM Ponders Reviving Orion Label