“Paranormal Activity,” the micro-budgeted film that has grossed $97 million to date in domestic box office, perplexed the Hollywood distribution community before emerging as an unlikely blockbuster. “Early on, few distributors were interested at all — even after the film played to breathless praise at L.A.’s Screamfest in late ‘07, and again in early ‘08 at Slamdance,” … [Read more...] about ‘Paranormal Activity’s’ Unlikely Stardom
digital marketing
Movies Spend 7% For Online
eMarketer today published fascinating advertising figures for film distribution in a posting titled Hollywood Online Ad Spending, which deserves a look and my commentary. The look... eMarketer estimates total ad spending by "Hollywood" will be $16 billion this year. The media researcher estimates 7.7% of that will go online. The commentary... In my estimation, the $16 … [Read more...] about Movies Spend 7% For Online
Verizon Sues Film Telemarketer
A small theatrical distributor and its telemarketing agency were sued by Verizon Wireless, which alleges its mobile phone subscribers were deluged with hundreds of thousands unsolicited phone calls. The telemarketing campaign pushed the family film “The Velveteen Rabbit.” The lawsuit names as defendants Family 1 Films, which is distributing "The Velveteen Rabbit," and … [Read more...] about Verizon Sues Film Telemarketer
‘Eagle Eye’ Flies in Mobile Marketing
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
Mystery Billboards Tout ‘Dark Knight’
Warner Bros. Pictures mounts a teaser campaign for the next Batman film “The Dark Knight” that is built around a secondary character but does not mention the “The Dark Knight” itself. The creative is mysterious and one of many online-centric initiatives. Early in the “Dark Knight” marketing campaign, an official website for the film redirected viewers to … [Read more...] about Mystery Billboards Tout ‘Dark Knight’
Official Websites No Longer Epicenter
Marketing movies via the internet across cyberspace is still relatively new, but there are already some significant twists in strategy. The official website is no longer the automatic centerpiece of a new media campaign and—in something of an irony—there is a budding trend to launch more than one website for the same movie. All this is a break from the strategy of … [Read more...] about Official Websites No Longer Epicenter
Cell Phone Marketing Gains Traction
Movie distributors have placed ads and promotions on mobile telephones only sparingly, emphasizing Internet websites patronized by consumers using a PC. But mobile looks to shake off its backwater status as cell phones become more sophisticated with web browsing, voice messages blasts and video. Theatrical marketing campaigns for mobile include voice messages from stars such … [Read more...] about Cell Phone Marketing Gains Traction
MySpace Creates Cinema Trailer Hub
While riding high in 2007, social media website MySpace creates a movie video trailer community with indie distributor Lions Gate as its inaugural promotional partner. The cinema section is dubbed MySpace Trailer Park. A press release quotes MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe saying that the trailer community “speaks to users who want to discover and virally share these videos.” … [Read more...] about MySpace Creates Cinema Trailer Hub