The director of “Terminator: Genisys” feels that the sci-fi movie’s trailers revealed too much, in a rare public airing of common behind-the-scenes tensions over marketing decisions. In an Uproxx Movies story by Mike Ryan, director Alan Taylor laments the trailers contained too many plot spoilers in conveying that “Terminator: Genisys” is an original story, and thus more than … [Read more...] about Director Laments ‘Terminator’ Trailer Tells Too Much
creative
‘Pixels’ Pulls 34.3m Vid Views in 24 Hours
Sony Pictures says the trailer for its animated “Pixels” movie generated 34.3 million online streams in its first 24 hours, which is best ever for the studio. The prior best was 22 million streams for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” “The studio leveraged official channels as well as social pages for Sony, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures international markets, Sony Electronics, … [Read more...] about ‘Pixels’ Pulls 34.3m Vid Views in 24 Hours
Why ‘American Sniper’ Hits Marketing Bullseye
Feb 15 late addition: “NY Post” article link and quote citing success of films and TV programs that show a "frank admiration for the sacrifice, bravery and personal nobility of the men doing the fighting." Feb. 14, 2015- A big part of audience marketing is selecting the right tone, as evidenced by Warner Bros. surprise blockbuster “American Sniper,” which avoided being … [Read more...] about Why ‘American Sniper’ Hits Marketing Bullseye
Sony Hack Reveals Confidential Marketing
Major studios are tight-lipped about their marketing, but leaks from the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment corporate computers provide some insights. For the Tom Hanks drama “Captain Philips,” a PowerPoint slide from Sony Pictures tells staff to stress action to male audiences, emphasize emotional depth to females and steer away from American nationalistic themes, says an … [Read more...] about Sony Hack Reveals Confidential Marketing
Dissecting ‘Birdman’ Publicity Campaign
Fox Searchlight pushed a particularly ambitious and early starting publicity campaign for ”Birdman” knowing the cast of the off-beat drama would not be available later. Cast members would be tied down filming other movies. Michael Keaton stars as a washed-up former movie super-hero trying to revive his career with a stage play. The $18 million film, which is getting good … [Read more...] about Dissecting ‘Birdman’ Publicity Campaign
Penalties Tag ‘Olympus Fallen’ Ads
The Federal Communications Commission proposed $2 million in penalty fines connected with TV commercials for the movie “Olympus Has Fallen” because of use of the distinctive emergency alert system audio tones. FilmDistrict released the R-rated thriller a year ago and the $70 million production grossed $99 million domestically. Says an Adweek story by Katy Bachman: “Blatantly … [Read more...] about Penalties Tag ‘Olympus Fallen’ Ads
‘Noah’ Endures Extensive Research Screenings
Paramount Pictures “made and (audience) tested as many as half-a-dozen of its own” edited versions of the Biblical drama “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe, according to a lengthy article in the Hollywood Reporter. The retelling of the Noah’s Ark story of global flooding, which was produced for $125 million with New Regency Productions, is scheduled to premiere March … [Read more...] about ‘Noah’ Endures Extensive Research Screenings
Horror-film Hits Enchant H’wood
Horror films, which are always part of Hollywood’s ecosystem, are suddenly very hot. The $5 million production of “Insidious: Chapter 2” rolled up about $41 million in domestic box office on its opening weekend of Sept 13-15 for distributor FilmDistrict. “The success of the genre has upended a release calendar that once relegated horror movies to the winter months and … [Read more...] about Horror-film Hits Enchant H’wood
Film School Dreams Versus Job-Market Realities
I’ve always been amused—and somewhat dismayed—that film schools are so production- and history-centric in their curricula. Web pages and brochures use photos of earnest young people peering through camera lenses—often presenting lads who are reminiscent of young Spielbergs! It strikes me as more dream than reality, because production jobs that are pictured are scarce. And … [Read more...] about Film School Dreams Versus Job-Market Realities
Docu Celebrates Film Poster Guru
Movie poster creator Drew Struzan, who is famous for iconic materials ranging from “Back to the Future” to “Star Wars,” gets the star treatment in a new documentary. “Drew: The Man Behind the Poster” is receiving a limited theatrical release this summer via distributor Kino Lorber. The PG-rated movie runs 94 minutes. “While this overly group-huggy docu’s theatrical life … [Read more...] about Docu Celebrates Film Poster Guru