A tech-industry tycoon thought that he saw a void in the children’s animation movie business and stepped up with his own $40 million production of animated fantasy “Delgo.” This sounds like the start of a fairy tale story, but this one has an unhappy ending. “Delgo”--which was reportedly supported by a $20 million theatrical marketing campaign--is one of the all-time bombs … [Read more...] about ‘Delgo’ Flop Highlights Risks For Outsiders
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Oliver Stone Film Nabs P&A Funding
Oliver Stone’s “W.” movie about President George W. Bush cobbled together $30 million in financing from overseas sources because investors in the U.S. found the project uncommercial. A “Wall Street Journal” article notes that an Australian company – Omnilab Media – invested another $25 million to pay for marketing costs-referred to as prints-and-advertising (or … [Read more...] about Oliver Stone Film Nabs P&A Funding
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
Films Flop Despite Super Bowl Pop
QUESTION: What movies in the past three years had a box office gross that was so anemic that their later domestic cinema ticket sales was not even three times the cost of an average Super Bowl commercial? ANSWER: Read on…. With the kickoff to Super Bowl just two days away, it’s appropriate to review the curious relationship between Hollywood film distributors and the big … [Read more...] about Films Flop Despite Super Bowl Pop
‘Magorium’ Gimmicky Scented Advertisement
“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” employs a marketing stunt placing a scratch-and-sniff fragrance embedded the ink of “Los Angeles Times” advertisement for the movie. “Magorium” is a G-rated family film scheduled for domestic premiere Nov. 5 from 20th Century Fox Pictures and producer Fox Walden Media. In overall movie marketing, newspaper advertising is in decline because … [Read more...] about ‘Magorium’ Gimmicky Scented Advertisement
Indie Snags Prints & Ads Funding
Prints and advertising funds provide marketing expenses for films financed with other money. Indie film company Regent Releasing says that its $50 million P&A fund hired Proud Mary Entertainment to find and contract marketing deals for its financing vehicle. Says a Regent press release, “The fund was established through Merrill Lynch to provide strategic print and … [Read more...] about Indie Snags Prints & Ads Funding
Cinema Marketing Cost Up, Not Down in ’06
A common refrain from news reports about 2006 cinema industry stats is that the U.S. average marketing spend per major studio film dipped 4.4%, according to data from the major studio trade group the MPAA. The figures cover the United States. While the math is correct, I disagree with the conclusion. More films were released in 2016, or precisely 11% more. So even if … [Read more...] about Cinema Marketing Cost Up, Not Down in ’06
Theatrical Marketing Costs Rise in 2005
With box office suffering a slide, Hollywood is warming to the idea of reducing marketing expenses in theatrical release to bolster profits. But analysts should be careful about trimming their forecasts of future studio spending on prints and advertising. Hollywood's tough talk about cost control looks to be an exercise in wishful thinking. First let's assume the axe would … [Read more...] about Theatrical Marketing Costs Rise in 2005