Has the Maturing of Generation-X prompted the rise of 'New Dude Cinema'?

In his latest column on Black Table, Tim Grierson has coined a new phrase to describe the emerging crop of frat-buddy comedies of the past year - "New Dude Cinema":

The New Dude company of actors, dubbed the "frat pack," includes Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and the stars of Wedding Crashers. Unlike the dude comedies of a generation ago, these new films' heroes aren't fighting the system -- they're fighting maturity. You see this phenomenon everywhere. Whether it's Esquire or Adult Swim or Xbox, the modern man is battling to stay in a perpetual adolescence where you never have to grow up, but you get to have tons of cool gadgets and expensive material possessions anyway. Remember how you always told yourself that those fraternity blockheads would be in big trouble once they entered the real world? Well, guess what happened? There's a whole industry devoted to them now.

So what's fueling this emerging trend? Perhaps it's the salt-n-peppering of the Gen Xers, as reported last month in the Dallas Morning News:

As they embark upon middle age, the oldest Xers are coming into their own for the first time, generational experts say. They're getting married, starting families and embracing traditional values that set them apart from the "Me Generation' of baby boomers.

"At 40, you are beginning to see a blossoming of a generation,' says Ann Fishman, president of Generational-Targeted Marketing Corp. in New Orleans. "Many of them are just beginning to find their place.'

There are roughly 50 million Xers in the United States all born between 1965 and 1976.

So has Hollywood stumbled onto a goldmine of an audience -- one that seeks to perpetuate their carefree youth through the antics of their on-screen peers? Looks like a sizable market with a tremendous amount of spending power.

[Via Black Table - Believe the Hype]

A Look at the Marketing Behind 'Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price'

The LA Times' Calendar section had an interesting feature on documentarian Robert Greenwald, the filmmaker behind last year's smash indie DVD releases Outfoxed and Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War. So how did Greenwald find an audience for his docs? According to Ralph Tribbey of the DVD Release Report, DVDs have created a market where niche films, especially those covering hot-button topics, can readily find an audience:

"DVDs are where the money is," he said. "If just 3% or 4% of 75 million DVD households are into a social message, selling a couple of hundred thousand units isn't unreasonable. It's always hard for independent filmmakers. But home video, the Internet and [news-hungry] 24/7 cable news channels help.

Another point to take away from the article is just how early you can begin marketing issue-based, participatory films:

The Web, Greenwald found, is a powerful tool for fundraising and information gathering. So far, he's raised $750,000 -- of which $50,000 came from donors. (Anyone giving $30 or more gets a free DVD.) The director also used the Internet to sign up 600 field producers, novices as well as professionals, and elicit footage, photos and tips about Wal-Mart. The title of the movie was the winner of an online popularity contest.

"This is my universal studio," said the 61-year-old filmmaker, pointing to a computer in his Culver City office... "Through our website we've reached hundreds of thousands of people without a multimillion-dollar marketing push."

The combination of issue-fueled publicity and savvy online marketing is the one-two punch in overcoming a lack a traditional advertising-based release push. Fostering a passionate community is also important -- One look at the film's website illustrates just how integral this notion has become in all stages of an indie film's production, distribution and marketing:

1. The main feature on the homepage is a call to action to get involved in the filmmaking process:
2. Individuals have the opportunity to post opinions, stories and photos relating to their personal experiences with Wal-Mart.
3. The site offers a timely blog with an RSS feed.
4. They provide numerous opportunities to join in and participate with partnering activist groups.
5. They have a funny, participatory sub-site featuring the film's mascot, the "Evil Smiley." Incidentally, co-opting and modifying this universally recognized image has provided this film with arguably one of the best logos since Ghostbusters.

Based on an early look at blog trend tracking sites like Blogpulse, Icerocket and Technorati, the chatter in the blogosphere is just starting to pick up. But once the amplifying effect of thousands of linking blogs takes hold, expect this film to generate massive grassroots level buzz as the November 13th release date approaches.

[Via calendarlive.com]

VSDA Panel: DVD Marketing Goes Local

Movie Marketers are conducting more local DVD promotions with regional retailers, according to an article in Video Business:

A 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment exec said during the VSDA session that the studio is working with retailers in the Northeast to drive sales of a Boston version of upcoming DVD Fever Pitch, which includes more bonus Red Sox material than the standard version.

And Sony Pictures Home Entertainment marketing VP Marc Rashba said the studio is involving stores in some national DVD promos, such as the recent push for TV Land DVD titles. TV Land and Sony ran commercials about Sony TV product available at retail, with Sony providing retailers with special display cases to promote the product more prominently in stores.

The article also mentions how smaller mom and pop rentailers are getting shut out of the mix, particularly when it comes to screeners and advertising support. This speaks somewhat to the irony of the VSDA show itself, which has morphed from a huge trade show floor catering to independents to what it is now: a straight sales session in the suites for the retailers. All you have to do is look at the hot dog machines and tanning beds on the trade show floor to realize the shift away from rental is underway.

[Via Video Business Online]

Fox Teams up with the USO for 'Patton' DVD Relaunch

According to a company press release, 20th Century Fox will donate a portion of their total sales from 'Patton' and 25 other upcoming war classics DVDs to the USO:

The DVDs will arrive in stores nationwide on July 26 with fifty cents of each DVD's purchase price donated to the USO, with the donation totaling up to $150,000. Each DVD will also carry a "Support Our Troops" sticker on package. In addition, copies of each movie will be distributed to the USO's 121 centers worldwide.

This initiative is a good example of social cause marketing that makes sense for both parties involved -- not only are they doing a great thing by aiding the USO, but Fox is also reaching a demographic that are huge consumers of military-themed DVDs. Prior to 2000, the USO was an aging institution, and usage of their centers had fallen off considerably. With the current tempo of military operations, however, thousands of soldiers will be exposed to these products. Looks like a win-win situation for both parties here.


[Via Businesswire]

Netflix to Launch Advertising Program

According to a press release from online DVD renter Netflix, the company will begin selling advertising to those interested in reaching the company's three million subscribers:

Netflix said it will offer advertisers a range of options, from placements in emails to its members to presence on its trademark red mailers and positioning on its Web site.

This could be an great opportunity for movie marketers, especially if their advertising platform allows for precise segmentation of specific demographics. Imagine, for example, targeting all people who have rented 'Winged Migration' with ads for 'March of the Penguins.' Their media kit should have some interesting insights about the habits of online renters...



Via Yahoo! Finance

Anchor Bay Joins Growing List of UMD Distributors

According to Home Media Retailing, Anchor Bay Entertainment will become the latest indie retailer to release titles for the UMD format:

Anchor Bay, known chiefly for its large library of horror films, will begin its rollout Aug. 23 with six titles on the Universal Media Disc (UMD) format: Halloween, Evil Dead, Time Bandits, Blood the Last Vampire, Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll. Each title will be priced at $19.98.

Ray Gagnon, SVP of sales for Anchor Bay, says all six films appeal primarily to PSP’s target young-male demographic. He said Anchor Bay was prompted to take the plunge because there’s so much support among big retailers.

Based on their release slate, Anchor Bay's approach looks like it will initially focus on proven back catalog titles, as opposed to new releases.

Every major distributor besides Warner is now on board, with over 100 titles available by the holiday shopping season. PSPs will likely be a hot commodity this christmas, which may be what prompts the smaller retailers currently on the sidelines into the game (especially in the Anime arena).

[Via Home Media Retailing]

Fox to Bow DVD premiere of 'Family Guy' Movie with Massive Marketing Push

According to Video Business, Fox announced this week that they will launch a DVD premiere for their 'Family Guy' franchise titled 'Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story!' on September 27th, and will back it with a massive marketing campaign:

In addition to synergy cross-promotions across most Fox broadcast and media outlets and licensing units, the studio's multi-million dollar marketing campaign on the title will include national print and television advertising and a major grassroots college campaign targeting co-eds at bars, clubs, fraternity parties and via special screening events.

If you're wondering why Fox is pushing the title so aggressively, it because the 'Family Guy' franchise has been enormously lucrative -- Having sold-through over 1.35 million units, the franchise is second only 'The Chapelle Show' in units sold, but because of the set's higher SRP is more profitable.

If anyone knows who Fox's college marketing partner will be, please send us an email.


[Via Video Business Online]

British Online Renter Video Island to Boost Marketing Spend

After securing £15 million in venture capital, upstart British online DVD rental company Video Island announced a £6 million increase in marketing spending:

Saul Klein, chief executive of Video Island, said that the majority of the £6m marketing push would be spent within the context of its partnerships, which include companies such as Boots, Currys and Times Newspapers.

The company, which also owns ScreenSelect, said it would look at testing other forms of above-the-line advertising, including television. It has already run some radio, outdoor and print advertising, created in house, but Klein said the focus would remain on performance-based advertising and partner marketing.

Video Island is the biggest online rental service in Europe, with a selection of over 33,000 titles. The company recently partnered with ITV and MSN UK to offer co-branded rental services.


[Via Digital Bulletin]

The Backlash Against So-called "Special Edition" DVDs Continues

We discussed consumer weariness over "double-dipping" last week, and it looks like the repackaging jig will soon be up. Tom Maurstad of the Dallas Morning News notes how the 'Jaws' 30th Anniversary Edition is really just the same old pig with new lipstick:

And then there's the anniversary package that takes a great movie and turns it into an exercise in mediocre repackaging. Which brings us to the 30th anniversary edition of Jaws. It comes with a handsome commemorative photo journal and a second-disc of special features. The only trouble is that it was just five short years ago that the 25th anniversary edition of Jaws was released, with nearly all the material included in this "new" package.

As a marketing gambit, it's a success. It got the lead-review treatment in USA Today and Entertainment Weekly and video clips on all the cable-news channels' entertainment segments. But as a consumer product, it's just a flashy but pointless package. If you don't own Jaws, then this is the cutting-edge edition for you. But there's nothing here worth buying that wasn't there five years ago.

Maurstad also lambastes the laughably-titled 'Father of the Bride: 15th Anniversary Edition' as a pointless exercise. Guess its time for Hollywood movie marketers to relearn how to create customer value:

1. Discover and quantify the customer's needs.

2. Make a commitment to impact your customers.

3. Create meaningful and understandable customer value.

4. Assess how you did.

5. Improve your value package.

One only has to look at the music industry to see what happens when you ignore customers who are clamoring for value in the name of short-term profitability -- they create their own value, with or without you.

[Via kvue.com (registration required)]

Poll: Audiences Prefer Watching Movies at Home

According to an AP-AOL Poll, 73 percent of adults said that they prefer watching movies at home on DVD and VOD over going to the theater. One portion of the poll doesn't bode well for this summer's theatrical prospects:

Just 22 percent said they would rather see films in a theater, according to the poll conducted by Ipsos for The Associated Press and AOL News. One-fourth said they had not been to a movie theater in the past year.

However, rather than take the same "sky is falling" approach to this year's lackluster box office as we've seen in other media outlets, the AP explores the notion that perhaps the poor attendence so far this year is merely product-driven:

"I think this slump is product-driven," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. "That to me is a much less chilling problem than some sort of cultural shift in people's moviegoing habits. A cultural shift takes longer than 16 weekends of down box office."

Box office revenues have been down every weekend since late February. "Batman Begins," which opened Wednesday, could snap the streak this weekend. But if business is off again, Hollywood would match a 1985 downturn of 17 weekends, the longest recorded slump since analysts began keeping detailed box-office figures.

The 1985 slide came with similar dire predictions that movies on videocassette would devastate the theater business, Dergarabedian said. Box-office grosses were stagnant into the late 1980s, then rebounded strongly.

In the 1950s, some analysts foresaw the demise of movie theaters as people stayed home to watch television. While business plummeted from 4 billion or more admissions a year in Hollywood's glory days, movies remained a prime entertainment choice.

One interesting thing from the poll they mentioned was that DVD users, downloaders and gamers are more frequent moviegoers than the rest of the population. This young, male and tech-savvy audience is the veritable sweet spot of movie marketing, and coming up with initiatives that feed this symbiosis will become even more important than it already is now.

[AP Wire via Kansas.com]

Breaking News: Warner Brothers Preempts Chinese DVD Pirates

According to the Los Angeles Times, Warner Brothers released 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' on DVD in China the same day it appeared in North American theaters:

...several industry executives said they believed it was the first time a major U.S. studio had taken a movie scheduled for a wide-scale theatrical run and released it simultaneously on DVD in another country.
"It's a necessary move," said movie industry analyst Tom Adams of Adams Media Research. "It's obviously not as good as having control of the Chinese market, but it's about the next best thing that you can do."

The move comes during a recent debate over DVD release windows here in the United States. Another recent experiment in the Chinese market, which is widely known as a bootleggers paradise, included Sony's svelte 45-day release window for 'Kung Fu Hustle', which resulted in an impressive 2 million copies sold.


[Via the Los Angeles Times]

Wolfe Video to Integrate Ads into DVD Releases

According to Video Business, specialty DVD Distributor Wolfe Video has added advertisements for online contests on two of their upcoming releases:

With upcoming titles Brother to Brother (June 14) and Producing Adults (July 19), Wolfe has placed Web site addresses on each menu screen promoting contest giveaways. Consumers can plus those addresses into a computer to go online and fill out entry forms to win a Wolfe gift certificate on Brother to Brother or a Dell Computers Pocket DJ MP3 player on Producing Adults.

This test contest is being administered by DVD Spotlight, a California-based tech company. If there is demand, Wolfe would eventually like to make the links "live" for viewing on a computer.

Wolfe hopes to attract advertisers interested in reaching Wolfe's largely affluent gay and lesbian consumer base. If the test is successful, the company hopes to sell up to six ad slots per disc.

While these links are a form of "passive" advertising, is cluttering up the DVD menus with "free iPod" ads a smart move? If their customer base is upscale, perhaps they should be focusing on developing a "luxury" line of DVDs like Criterion. Because in reality, the reach you'll likely get from these on-disc ads will be limited. Consider this: a niche, gay-themed DVD release will probably ship a maximum of 15-20K units to wholesale. Sell-through will probably equal 30-40% over the first year, equaling 4-6K units in the hands of consumers. If even 50% of those people actually write down the URL, sit through and ad, and then enter the contest, that would only be 2-3K ads viewed over the course of a year. Now granted, with the aggregate of several releases you may have something, but you could probably do better just by buying PPC ads on Google. Perhaps it would work on mass market releases geared towards the 18-35 set - what do you think?


[Via Video Business]

DVD Marketing Tactics: Using the 'Unrated' Moniker

We all know that sex sells, and in the world of DVD marketing, focusing on a title's more salacious elements has become extremely profitable. One of the most effective ways of doing this has been the marketing of 'unrated' editions of theatrical releases. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article on the subject, these unrated versions are like heroin to the male 18-35 set:

With the exception of the word `free,' `unrated' is one of the most enticing words in retail," said Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures Worldwide Home Entertainment, which released the unrated Team America, an anti-terrorism satire from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. "It suggests something clandestine or taboo."



According to data compiled by Santa Ana, Calif.-based Home Media Research, unrated versions of DVDs account for 80 percent to 90 percent of a title's sales when both versions come out simultaneously. Others say the figure is closer to 65 percent -- still a windfall.

In the past, the studios were including scenes that had to be cut for MPAA ratings. Now, they deliberately shoot scenes for the unrated versions:

"We sit down with the filmmaker in the script phase, figuring out if we can shoot additional scenes that won't make the cut. One of those shot for the unrated version of American Wedding -- the third in the American Pie franchise -- "was so great they actually put it in the movie."

The trick, studio executives said, is to differentiate unrated DVDs enough from the original to boost sales but not so much that it alienates the fan base.

Note to indie marketers: The studios have co-opted your "unrated" cred! Use the massive DVD marketing budgets building awareness for "unrated" editions to your advantage -- if you've got a title with racy scenes, you should be including an "unrated version" cap on all of your DVDs and sellsheets!


[Via Southflorida.com]

James Dean Festival a Marketing Flop for Warner Brothers

Originally anticipating up to 100,000 visitors per day, the James Dean Festival should have been a coup for the Warner Brothers marketing team. The reality is a much bleaker picture: preliminary attendance figures show only 6,000 showing up over three days. This poor attendance, combined with losses stemming from damages incurred during severe weather, have cost Warner Brothers a good sum for what was probably the most expensive DVD release party on record:

Warner Bros. Studios lost an estimated $75,000 on the festival, said Brian Jamieson, the studio's vice president of worldwide marketing and international projects.

He said Rocco Productions, which the studio hired to promote and produce the three-day festival, lost at least $1 million - and possibly as much as $1.3 million - on the festival.

Warner Bros. paid to bring in a 100-foot-wide movie screen and high-tech digital projection equipment to show Dean's three motion pictures, Jamieson said.

That $75,000 figure is probably way off. It's hard to tell from the article, but our guess is that Warner Bros. may have some sort of contractual obligation to share in Rocco Production's losses, making this one costly promotional event if that's the case.


[Via the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]

Are DVD Consumers Getting Weary of "Double Dipping?"

Have you ever bought a DVD, only to have a new "deluxe edition" crammed with extras appear only months later? According to an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, this practice, known in the industry as "double dipping," has become a mainstay of the DVD biz.

Now granted, replacing some of the more spartan discs from the early days of DVD is one thing, but lately, the studios have been pushing the envelope, as the article points out:

But increasingly, for new movies, the period is just a few months -- and with no advance word that a re-release is planned when the first version comes out. It's not just today's three releases from Fox, whose representatives declined to comment when asked. For example, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment put out the "Underworld" DVD on Jan. 6, 2004, not announcing until after its release that a two-disc special edition was coming just a few months later, on May 25. Warner Home Video did the same with the Halle Barry thriller "Gothika," out on March 23, 2004, and again on Oct. 12.

Talk about disappointing your customers -- eventually, they're going to figure out the game. In the meantime, here's what some of the studios are doing to minimize the inevitable backlash:

But there are right ways for the DVD companies to do such quick-turnaround re-releases while keeping consumers in mind.

When New Line Home Entertainment announced the DVDs of "The Lord of the Rings" movies, it noted at the same time that special extended editions would be coming later in their respective release years. Before Sony released the first DVDs of "Hellboy" and "The Grudge," the makers of each film had already been widely quoted online and in articles that souped-up versions would be coming soon afterward.

Philosophically, we agree with giving the customer what they want when they want it. That's why approaches like New Line's (or 2929 Entertainment's recent day and date release of 'Enron', for that matter) will supplant practices that aren't customer-centric.



[Via the Star-Tribune]

Universal Bows 'Meet the Fockers' DVD With New Broadband Ad Format

According to Digital Bulletin, Universal is supporting the U.K. launch of the 'Meet the Fockers' DVD with a new broadband ad format:

It is a new format that capitalises on broadband connection by delivering full-screen, high-quality video streaming, run from any fixed-position ad.
Film distributor Universal is using the format to stream the television ad through the Lycos homepage and within an ad placement on the FHM homepage. It could also be used to stream movie trailers or other content.
Overlays will also stream the TV spot on sites including The Sun Online, Virgin.net and NTL World.

As broadband penetration continues to gain a greater foothold both here and abroad, video ads will become the norm rather than the exception on high-profile releases. However, I think that these ads will also be an important tool for smaller films where audiences would be much less likely to be exposed to a trailer.

20th Century Fox Jumps on the UMD Bandwagon

Per Retail Merchandiser, 20th Century Fox has announced a slate of five UMD titles to bow this Summer:

Targeting the platform's core demo of men ages 18-34, the first five titles to be released by the studio include 'I, Robot,' 'Napoleon Dynamite,' 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,' 'Super Troopers,' and 'Predator.' The initial wave of titles will hit retail shelves in July, with a catalog of releases immediately scheduled for subsequent waves.

No prebook, street date, or SRP were announced, but they will more than likely be in-line with other studio's offerings. This Announcement comes on the heels of Universal's announcement yesterday. How long before we see the independents join the game? That's dependent on how rich the licensing scheme with Sony is -- right now, it might not pay to release titles that won't move 50-75K units. However, I think that an independent could really clean up by releasing martial arts and extreme sports content (skateboarding, snowboarding, motorcycle racing).


[Via Retail Merchandiser]

Universal to Release Six UMD Titles for the PlayStation Portable

According to a press release issued today, Universal announced that they plan to release six titles in the new UMD format for the PlayStation Portable: "Assault on Precinct 13," "The Rundown," "Van Helsing," "Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut," "The Chronicles of Riddick: Unrated Director's Cut" and "The Fast and the Furious." The titles have a street date of July 26, 2005 and a SRP of $19.98 (except for "Assault on Precinct 13," which will bow with an SRP of $29.98). Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, shed some light into their decision to enter the market:

"The PSP offers consumers an exciting opportunity to expand their entertainment experience beyond the living room," said Mr. Kornblau. "In selecting the first wave of films to be released on UMD, we have chosen films targeting young male consumers who, not surprisingly, are the early adopters of the multimedia device," Mr. Kornblau added.

Universal joins Sony (the company behind the UMD format), Disney and Lions Gate as early providers of the format. As more sales data becomes available (many retailers have miscategorized UMD titles as games) we should have a better idea of the sales potential. Not including Universals titles, there are now over 50 UMD titles available for sale or pre-purchase on Amazon right now.

[Via PR Newswire]

Dreamwork's 'Madagascar' trailered on a Paramount DVD

According to Video Business, the upcoming Dreamworks film 'Madagascar' has been trailered on Paramount's DVD release of 'Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events'. Although header trailers of new releases have been on DVDs for some time, this is the first instance of a competing studio's trailer on a DVD.

The unusual move is due to pre-existing promotional agreements between Dreamworks and Paramount:

This unusual case of a studio promoting another's fare came about because Lemony Snicket is a Paramount and Dreamworks co-production and thus the two are splitting domestic and international DVD revenue. The CG-animated Madagascar, however, is not a co-production.
DreamWorks and Universal Studios Home Entertainment discs often include cross-promotion of each other's movies, but that's attributable to the fact that Universal is DreamWorks' distribution partner. Paramount entered the mix back in November 2004, when DreamWorks' Shrek 2 DVDs featured a trailer for Lemony Snicket.

There just happens to be another great article in VB today discussing the inevitability of third-party studio commercials on DVDs. Today, a partner trailer, tomorrow, a Pepsi ad? Is this the opening salvo towards greater ad exploitation of the DVD platform?


[Via Video Business Online]

Fox Execs Make Store Checks to Hone DVD Marketing Efforts

The Los Angeles Times has a great article about how Marketing execs at Fox make frequent store checks to better gauge their merchandising and marketing efforts. The article sheds an interesting light on marketing DVDs in a big box environment:

"Men usually buy two or three, while women walk away with one," observes Mike Dunn, president of the division. "Eye level is not always the optimal position — low is good for kids," adds Simon Swart, who heads up sales.

"The worse the weather, the better for business — unless, of course, it's a blizzard," Senior Vice President Steve Feldstein says.

Here's another bit of wisdom:

In the store, packaging and labeling missteps became obvious. Type positioned too far down could be obstructed by store shelving, Fox executives found. "Long boxes," developed to discourage shoplifting, solved that problem. But after the monotone black was found to be a consumer turnoff, they now get a four-color treatment.

For all of the DVD Marketers out there that can't afford endcap promos, custom displays or even face-out fees, remember to pay attention to your spine -- that's how most smaller retailers get displayed, and its easily overlooked.

Chicago Tribune | Coming soon to a store near you: Fox executives

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

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

Warner to Introduce Value-Priced TV on DVD Titles

As the studios continue to exploit their "A-list," margin-fattening TV on DVD titles, Warner has decided to release a slew of lower profile titles at a discounted price point. Up until now, complete TV on DVD seasons typically retailed between $40 and $60 dollars. Warner is bowing the first seasons of Full House, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Murphy Brown and The Jamie Foxx Show at $29.95. Some buyers are skeptical of Warner's motives:

"The lower price on the first seasons should hook consumers into purchasing more of the other seasons," Video Buyers Group president Ted Engen said.

Newbury Comics buyer Larry Mansdorf quipped, "It could be the drug dealer mentality, where you put out the first one real cheap and that will hook you in [for the rest of the series]."

I fear for the person who equates Full House, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, or Murphy Brown with crack.

DVD Exclusive Online

Emerging Trend: The DVD-based Game Sector

I've seen an ad for the game "Sceneit?" somewhere before , but this is the first article I've seen about Screenlife, a Seattle-based company that has pioneered the DVD-based gaming industry. Basically, their biggest title, Sceneit? is a trivia game that utilizes movie clips on specially-formatted DVDs.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer notes the quick emergence of the DVD-based gaming category:

When Screenlife launched its first DVD-style game in 2002, chief operating officer Dan Black said the market was worth about $1.5 million. Now, DVD-based games are expected to top $200 million this year, with Black estimating that SceneIt? will capture half of the market. To keep up with demand, the company's staff has tripled in the past year and plans to more than double in the next 12 months.

With 90 million DVD players in the US, this is a great opportunity to develop a "new use" paradigm, and it looks like an opportunity ripe for the pickin' by all of the rights holders out there. Now granted, when compared to the aggregate DVD market right now, $200 million dollars doesn't seem like much. But think about the recent meteoric rise of the TV-on-DVD niche. That sector has gone from a negligible figure in 2001 to probably in the neighborhood of 15-20% of DVD revenue today.

With a little marketing creativity, DVD-based games can become as popular as Trivial Pursuit was in the 1980s.

Popularity of DVD games spells success for Screenlife

Flexplay gets Acquired, Announces the First "Trimultaneous" Release

Flexplay, the self-destructing DVD manufacturer, has been acquired by the Convex Group according to a recent press release. Even more interesting than that? Convex is playing with some new distribution models:

The first original motion picture to be nationally released on the Flexplay platform is NOEL, a star-studded holiday drama that premiered recently at the Toronto Film Festival. Directed by Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, Bullets Over Broadway) and written by David Hubbard (Delivering Milo), the film stars Oscar( winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking, Thelma & Louise), Penelope Cruz (Head in the Clouds, Vanilla Sky) and Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious, Pleasantville).

The Convex Group's distribution of NOEL marks the first "trimultaneous" release of a feature film, designed to offer consumers multiple viewing choices while also generating awareness about Flexplay. This innovative distribution strategy extends through the 2004 holiday season, including a limited nationwide theatrical release beginning November 12; a special one-night-only airing on Turner Network Television (TNT) on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT); and simultaneous online availability of the NOEL on Flexplay DVD exclusively through Amazon.com.

Flexplay has had mixed results with test marketing this year, but Convex looks like they're willing to get more aggressive. I'm a bit skeptical of the Flexplay model though -- there's a ton of competition from VOD, online renters, cheap store rentals and the used disc market. Combine those roadblocks with the daunting task of educating consumers and it's easy to see what I mean.

I do anticipate some interesting promotional uses in Flexplay's future. How about a contest disc with hidden clues? Or maybe a partner can "seed" the public with sneak peak discs of an upcoming release to ferment buzz (as opposed to renting theaters). I'm still wondering why they aren't getting their discs used as award screeners by the studios though...

MCN Press Release: Another Distribution Variation

Emmys Integral to HBO's DVD Marketing Efforts

We all know about the "Oscar" bounce for theatrical titles, but here's some interesting info about how the Emmys help HBO's marketing from Yesterday's Broadcasting & Cable Magazine:

But it's only in the DVD business that HBO execs expect to see any direct correlation between the Emmys and business. While an Oscar may boost the box office for a movie still playing in theaters, HBO executives say Emmy awards have no evident effect on their subscriber sales.

"We do sell ourselves on the quality of our programming," Strauss says, "so anything that burnishes the brand and shines it up you like to have."

The article describes the massive amount of Emmys won by HBO, and then goes on to describe their impact on the DVD market:

The DVD market offers HBO its biggest payoff. HBO Video President Henry McGee loved the exposure of the miniseries' sweeping all four acting categories it was eligible for, sending co-stars Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Mary Louise Parker and Jeffery Wright up to the stage. "Emmys can be very helpful in focusing on a program," says McGee, "particularly for HBO, when we're in approximately 30 million homes, just a fraction of TV homes."

The Sopranos and Sex and the City have moved so many DVDs that the network nearly recouped the entire production costs of early seasons from DVD sales alone. (The bar was raised when actors got raises in the later seasons.)

That was unimaginable when HBO approved and budgeted the series. Including DVDs, syndication and theatrical movies, more than 20% of HBO's revenues is from sources other than subscription TV.

The network has high hopes for Angels DVDs, but HBO won't likely match the success of The Sopranos. "Angels is a $60 million project. You would never expect to recoup that in ancillary markets," McGee says. But, he adds, HBO does hope to attract new viewers as the acclaim for Angels spreads.

HBO is in an enviable position -- they've got the Midas touch right now. Sure, maybe Carnivale wasn't as hot as it could've been and maybe Arliss has been limping along for the last five years, but when you square that with the hits -- that's pretty enviable.

Name one theatrical studio that has the cachet of HBO right now...

Broadcasting & Cable - Angels, Emmys and DVD

'Goodfellas' Cast Breaks Bread to Promote DVD Release

Missed this one earlier in the week -- nice, PR-friendly and cost-effective promo for the 15th anniversary DVD of 'Goodfellas':

The theme was "breaking bread, not legs" when some of the cast and filmmakers of GoodFellas reunited for dinner this week. Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino and real-life mob informant Henry Hill -- whose experiences inspired the story -- showed up to eat baked ziti, swap stories, sing some Italian opera and recall director Martin Scorsese's acclaimed mob movie.

This just goes to show you - a little creativity in DVD marketing can go a long way - over 76 article placements this week...Concord Monitor Online

Bollywood titles fill On Demand Niche

Seasonal and topical themed collections aren't anything new to VOD, but New York-based 212 Media and Schramm Sports & Entertainment have upped the ante with 'Bollywood on Demand.' Their special collection features Bollywood movies, series and other special events on the Comcast and Time Warner Systems. A quick survey of the MMB's own Time Warner box shows a nice selection currently available.

As VOD offerings increase, packaging offerings as niche collections will boost repeat purchases and drive program loyalty. If you look at the DVD business as an example, you'll notice that the companies with the greatest brand loyalty specialize in "enhanced collections. The fans of companies like The Criterion Collection will buy an unknown title purely on the strength of the brand. While they may not bring in huge sales figures like a Columbia/Tri-Star, their editorial expertise and emphasis on quality has helped Criterion build a sizable measure of trust with their consumer base. I guarantee you that when DVD growth drops from 44% this year to around 8% in 2008, Criterion will still show steady, stable growth with intense brand loyalty.

So what can VOD marketers learn from DVD niche marketing? If anything, the shift to a la carte offerings means that the studio brand will become increasingly important -- better to be the master of your genre (i.e. Dimension) than a broad-based player. We may see a mini 'balkanization' at the studios as branding grows in importance. Why? It's simple -- if you have to pick from thousands of unknown titles, genre signifiers will be truly important. And to all of you indie moguls-in-waiting, I say to you: pick an underserved niche, and ensure you lock up PPV and internet rights!

As an aside, I would also expect third-party information providers (like Muze or Rotten Tomatoes) to grow in importance as they will eventually become integrated into VOD menu systems. Look for a major deal in that space in the coming months...

'Bollywood on Demand' on US cable - Indiantelevision.com's Breaking News

Today's Must Read: Studios Spent $887 Million Marketing DVDs Last Year

The Hollywood Reporter has a must-read article on the ever-increasing marketing costs associated with DVD releases. Here's a little taste:

Industry analyst Tom Adams of Adams Media Research is not surprised by the overall spending numbers. According to his company's figures, studios are earning about 60% more upon initial release from video sales of theatrical feature films than they did during the VHS-only era. Among movies that earned more than $100 million at the domestic box office, the average home video yield last year was $152 million, a 71% increase on the comparable $89 million average in 1997, the year DVD launched.

Here's a nice breakdown of spending by sector:

There is one thing on which most studios agree: Allocating marketing dollars to the small screen makes sense. Nearly 80% of video marketing expenditures last year were for television commercials, with broadcast and cable in the lead at $385 million and $222.8 million, respectively. DreamWorks Home Entertainment spent the highest percentage of its marketing budget on network TV (58.3%), followed closely by BVHE (53.2%). Fox led percentagewise spending on cable television (37.8%), followed by New Line (31.4%).

Even though this article is about the "big fish," Indie DVD marketers should read it to see where the big money's not being spent -- in particular, niche, small circulation magazines/fanzines with favorable CPM costs, online contextual advertising and Blogs. The online sector is especially important for those unable to spend more than a few grand in advertising and need an effective way to manage ROI.

Home entertainment marketing

Columbia TriStar Reignites Colorization Debate with New 'Three Stooges' DVD

Here's a hot story making its rounds on the wires: Columbia TriStar's home-video unit will be releasing a 'Three Stooges' DVD including colorized and black-and-white film versions:

"The best thing about this DVD release is it gives the consumer the ultimate choice," said Suzanne White, vice president of marketing for Columbia TriStar home entertainment. "They can watch the very best, the finest restored image of the black-and-white version, or watch the new colorized version and switch instantaneously between the two."

According to the article, this new release isn't like the Turner colorization fiasco of the mid 80s -- today's colorization technology is vastly improved, and the studio actually did some research this time out. This isn't the first colorization effort this year (The History Channel's 'Time Machine: World War I in Color' Series has been airing since the spring) but it does represent the first colorized DVD release.

Is this a savvy DVD marketing move? First off, the massive amount of publicity will definitely benefit the stagnating stooges, who rarely break out of their rabid fan base.

Second, it gives the studios one more "bite at the apple" -- an excuse to re-release all of their B&W B-list titles. After all, we're not talking about colorizing 'Citizen Kane' or 'The 400 Blows' -- It's a couple of goofy, dated slapstick movies.

I personally would love to see an overtly artistic colorization attempt on a 1950s atomic scare or hygiene film, but hey -- that's just me.

Boston.com / A&E / Movies / Stooges digitally painted on DVD

DVD Successor 'Blu-Ray' Outlines Format Specs

Looks like the format squabbles around DVD successor "Blu-Ray" are settling down enough to agree on some specs. With only a few more wayward companies and their competing strategies to bring into the fold, it seems 'Blue-Ray' will become the new standard. Or we might have the "Beta vs VHS battle" redux. It's hard to predict, as usual.

As movie marketers, most of us here at the MMB should be excited about next generation media. But we're also weary consumers, and having just replaced our extensive collection of 8 tracks for these new-fangled "cassette tapes," we have just two words for the tech heads at Samsung, Sony et al: Slow down! Talk with your colleagues on the consumer side of the PC business and ask them how much real demand there is right now for 5 GHZ processors, 1 Terabyte hard drives and 2 gigs of ram. Have the software manufacturers looked to exploit these capabilities yet? If you read the minimum required specs on most software packages, the answer is obviously no.

The same thing goes for Hollywood. Do you really think Hollywood is ready to shell out billions of dollars for repurposing all their old content to HD when the DVD goldmine hasn't been tapped out yet? Can most of these works even be repurposed for HDTV? Are they willing to invest their hard-won profits on new production equipment without any real demand yet?

We're not trying to stand in the way of progress -- we love any technology that improves the entertainment experience -- but as the old saying goes, "timing is everything."

Related Links:
Blu-Ray Standards Homepage
Digit Magazine Online

Fox Offers Bulk 'Passion' DVDs to Churches

According to the USA Today, Fox has been successfully pre-selling 'Passion of the Christ' DVDs in bulk to churches. The article describes their unorthodox marketing tactics:

In an unprecedented move for a Hollywood studio, Fox sent fliers to hundreds of thousands of churches inviting them to buy special packs of 50 DVDs. Fox won't release numbers about the program; spokesman Steven Feldstein says, "This film brought people to the theater that normally don't go to movies and will also bring people into the DVD purchasing pool who weren't there before."

Fox is even doing a bit of "co-branding":

Groups placing large orders can buy customized slipcases (99 cents each) with two lines of printing, such as the church's name. "Fox felt that they could rally the churches to use it as a ministry tool," says Laura Neutzling of Nashville-based Word Distribution, which has orders for several thousand slipcases.

While this type of grassroots marketing may be "unprecedented" for a major studio, reaching core demographic groups with mailings and bulk orders has always been the bread and butter of indie movie marketers and home video distributors.

Yahoo! News - Churches buying 'Passion' DVD in bulk

Survey: Wal-mart Rings 37% of All DVD Sales in the U.S.

Variety reports that the retail giant is a foundation for recent robust DVD sales figures. According to a recent cosumer survey,

Wal-Mart, the "everyday-low-prices" retail juggernaut, today rings up a hefty 37% of all new DVD purchases in the U.S., according to a new survey of video consumers, and easily writes the biggest check to Hollywood every year.

The article notes that Hollywood should be cautious, because each disc sold is a "loss leader":

For now, Wal-Mart and its peers seem OK losing a few bucks on every disc sold. But that may not be the case forever, and invariably Wal-Mart will insist on a wholesale price cut that could eat into those juicy DVD margins at precisely the time overall disc sales start to slow.

Yahoo! News - Wal-Mart crowned DVD king

MovieBankUSA Begins U.S. Rollout of Self-service DVD Rental Outlets

According to Crain's NY Business, MovieBankUSA has signed a lease for their second North American location. The parent company, MovieBank, has been successful with their self-service DVD and video game rental outlets in Europe, and they plan on rolling out the concept in the U.S nationwide. MovieBankUSA's first location is scheduled to open in Manhattan (SoHo) at the beginning of August, with ten more New York City locations to follow. With a Similar design to the large ATM centers, MovieBankUSA locations will offer 24 hour access and multiple rental units. Registered members will be able to reserve copies at home using the internet, and the rental machines will hold the selected titles for three hours. If a title is out of stock, the member will be notified when the title they want has been returned. The machines are designed to hold 500+ titles, with the majority being new releases. Rental prices will be as low as .99 cents per rental for members.

With the anticipated rise of downloadable movies and VOD in the next several years, it seems strange for a new company to make such a substantial investment in "meatspace." But if they do prove popular here in the states, what will the implications be for DVD marketers? Given the limited breadth of selection, it could seem to be a boon mostly for the studios, unless MovieBankUSA customizes title selections based on the tastes of each store's demographics. While not impossible, customized offerings by location is a difficult thing for retailers to execute -- for example, The Gap had some problems last year tailoring their offerings to regional tastes despite their skills in analyzing sales data. The real victim, if this is successful, will end up being the already-battered Blockbuster and other mega rental chains specializing in wide releases.

I will post some pictures of the new location in SoHo when it opens.

Related Links:
Automated Distribution Technologies
The Self-service Revolution
Crain's New York Business

Is the Theatrical Release Just a $100 Million Dollar Commercial for the DVD?

Here's a must read piece from the New York Times on the explosive success of DVD sales. I've excerpted a few choice tidbits for your delight.

Here's an important one:

"In the last five years maybe 6 pictures out of 1,000 recouped their cost in the theatrical marketplace," said Nick Counter, president of the studio alliance. "Today the hits have to make up for all the losses."

Not too sure about those numbers. Here's a good place to look and check.

Here's another good one -- remember, that's more than likely a gross margin (still quite good though):

The profit margin for studios is significantly higher on the disk format. A study by Jessica Reif-Cohen, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, found that studios make an average of 66 percent profit margin on the DVD, compared with just 45 percent profit on the videocassette. She concluded, "We believe the perception of low returns on feature film production is no longer valid."

Finally, my personal favorite, and one that affirms that sickening feeling you got when you bought the '20th Anniversary Special Limited Box Edition of 'Porky's'":

But that does not mean the studios do not wring every cent from each movie. Miramax is planning to release a half-dozen different DVD editions related to "Kill Bill." "This is the beauty of having two volumes," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer at Miramax. " 'Vol. 1' goes out, 'Vol. 2' goes out, then 'Vol. 1 Special Edition,' 'Vol. 2 Special Edition,' the two-pack, then the Tarantino collection as a boxed set out for Christmas. It's called multiple bites at the apple. And you multiply this internationally."

...reminds me of the stunts that DC and Marvel comics used to pull in the late 80s to early 90s. Basically, they would release four different versions of the same comic book, each with a different colored cover, and all of them hermetically sealed in a plastic bag. This forced the astute comic book collector to buy five copies at a minimum (the extra copy was for reading...) This DVD phenom is the same concept, (and sometimes the same product with all the superheores on screen these days) with just a much larger consumer base.

Duluth News Tribune | 06/24/2004 | Studios rush to cash in on DVD boom

Custom VOD 'School of Rock' Promo

'Mag Rack,' Rainbow Media's Video On Demand Service, will be offering custom feature content in conjunction with the 'School of Rock' pay-per-view release.

Here's a bit from their press release:

As part of this unique multi-platform campaign, Mag Rack will feature on"Guitar Xpress" on-demand guitar instruction for "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream, plus the film's original theme song "School of Rock." Mag Rack will feature bonus footage from the movie and an original, behind-the-scenes tour of the Gibson Guitar factory in Nashville, which manufactured the signature, cherry red SG model featured in the movie.

This is another example of just how competitive the ancillary market has become -- especially with the advent of shrinking release windows. VOD services are having to come up with value-added content to compete with the DVD release, which will inevitably cause increasing marketing budgets.

Haven't really heard much about Mag Rack before this. What will the effect be? Personally, the whole promo looks a bit too niche-oriented and carries heavy marketing costs due to custom programming, prize giveaways and promotions.

Related Link:
Mag Rack Launches Programming and Multi-Platform Marketing for On-Demand Release of 'School of Rock'