Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks breaks new ground with an elaborate, interactive cell phone campaign for mystery thriller “Eagle Eye,” a PG 13-rated movie. This is an early use of smart cell phones as a multi-media platform, coming months after Apple introduced its revolutionary iPhone. The Paramount/DreamWorks campaign “aims to build additional buzz about, and boost overall … [Read more...] about ‘Eagle Eye’ Flies in Mobile Marketing
Actress Sued for Withholding Publicity
It’s not often that a film company sues an actor over not drumming up enough publicity for a film, but Paris Hilton isn’t just any actress. The Hollywood celebrity-circuit regular and sometime movie star is being sued by small producer – Worldwide Entertainment Group – which alleges she didn’t fulfill promotional obligations for “National Lampoon’s Pledge This!” This film … [Read more...] about Actress Sued for Withholding Publicity
Confessions of a Trailer Wizard
Benedict Coulter, who is head of creative marketing agency Trailer Park, booms film marketing messages in crafting movie trailers. While being obvious on some elements, Coulter will simultaneously present some mysteries to entice audiences with some not-fully-explained wrinkles. Trailer Park is largest of Hollywood’s 30 ad agency boutiques making two-minute previews … [Read more...] about Confessions of a Trailer Wizard
‘Dark Knight’ Baffles Film Ratings
Warner Bros. latest Batman adaptation, “The Dark Knight,” is a genre bender that baffles audience classification, and may impact film ratings going forward. Further, its comic-book-to-silver-screen arc makes it ideal for a new print graphic novel to promote the film and special clips screening in Imax theaters. But its console video game adaption was abandoned and won’t be … [Read more...] about ‘Dark Knight’ Baffles Film Ratings
Documentaries in Collapse
It’s always amazing to see industry insiders forgeting that it’s moviegoer behavior that runs the business. The documentary sector is suffering a meltdown because insiders like highly-partisan content like anti-Iraq war critique “Fahrenheit 9/11,” ignoring industry wisdom that it’s an outlier from this rule of thumb. Political films with an angry bent have a long history of … [Read more...] about Documentaries in Collapse
Watchdog Raps Kids Ads For PG-13 Films
An advertising watchdog organization has asked the major studio trade group MPAA to check if ads for Paramount’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” and Warner Bros. “Get Smart” were placed in broadcast TV programs with inappropriately young audiences. The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) made those referrals. CARU monitors marketing of all … [Read more...] about Watchdog Raps Kids Ads For PG-13 Films
Hollywood Hugs Comic Book Events
San Diego’s big comic book aficionados’ convention is now firmly on Hollywood’s calendar, reinforced when a well-received presentation two years ago of no-star history epic “300” ignited a blockbuster cinema run, according to a “New York Times” article. So the annual event organized by Comic-Con International goes from of-interest to a vital marketing vehicle. The comic-book … [Read more...] about Hollywood Hugs Comic Book Events
Majors Exit Indie-Film Distribution
Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures are closing or retrenching four of their indie-style specialty distribution arms, after the majors rushed into low-budget, high-brow films in the 1990s. At that time, the majors emulated Walt Disney’s indie-diversification after acquiring Miramax Film. In recent actions, Paramount Vantage is being downsized. Across town, Warner … [Read more...] about Majors Exit Indie-Film Distribution
‘Sex & City’ Ignites Pop Culture, Promos
The silver-screen version of HBO TV series “Sex and the City” shapes up as a theatrical phenomenon with strong pre-release buzz. The stylish, young-adult contemporary drama has a foundation of an HBO TV series, which is more tame than the theatrical release May 30 domestically from Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is rated R-restricted. * Luxury brands are a natural fit; … [Read more...] about ‘Sex & City’ Ignites Pop Culture, Promos
Smithsonian Museum Paid by Fox for Movie Role
20th Century Fox reported paid a $550,000 licensing fee to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for use of its name in “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.” The 2009 family-adventure film, which starts production shortly, already lays claim to a U.S. theatrical release a year from now on May 22, 2009 and its predecessor was a sleeper hit grossing $251 … [Read more...] about Smithsonian Museum Paid by Fox for Movie Role