Hollywood’s major movie studios are remaking their executive structures to adapt to the steaming age, which means reducing theatrical marketing infrastructure. This week, Sony Pictures combined theatrical, home video (includes DVD) and TV executive structures, and reduced headcount. “Moving forward, we will be combining our theatrical, home entertainment and television … [Read more...] about Majors Retool Execs for Streaming Age
news
‘Harry Potter’ Mobile Game Casting ‘Spells’
Warner Bros. Interactive licensed a Harry Potter casual game to Zynga, giving the literary and movie property digital merchandise to keep consumers engaged in the wizards and magic world. The basic game is titled “Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells.” Says a press release, “Featuring the soundtrack and voice-over recordings from the original ‘Harry Potter’ films, fans follow … [Read more...] about ‘Harry Potter’ Mobile Game Casting ‘Spells’
Drive-in Theaters Come to Cinema Rescue
Drive-in theaters were something of a regional and seasonal backwater until the pandemic made watching entertainment from inside a car cool again. Instances where drive-in initiatives attract throngs of consumers gives hope that cinema will snap back once the coronavirus disappears. Music concerts and esports video game competitions have even embraced the outdoor drive-in … [Read more...] about Drive-in Theaters Come to Cinema Rescue
Cinemas Reopen Cautiously Amid Virus Worries
Cinemas around the world are nervously piecing together comeback plans -- opening with social distancing, shoring up their corporate coffers with cash and restructuring operations to withstand lean times. It's a slow process made worse with deadline pressures but in the long run it should succeed. Cinema infrastructure is top-notch and audiences locked down by the … [Read more...] about Cinemas Reopen Cautiously Amid Virus Worries
Coronavirus: We’ve Seen This Movie Before
The torrent of predictions of the quick demise of movie cinema strikes me as tunnel-vision bordering on dishonesty -- and provably by simply looking at past history and ingrained human behavior patterns. Hey, if movie theaters are dead, then so are legitimate theater (Broadway), music concerts, theme parks, cruise ships and audience attendance at sports events. But the … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: We’ve Seen This Movie Before
Five Movie Ads Pop in Super Bowl Broadcast
Domestic theatrical movie releases accounted for five of the 62 expensive TV commercials in the Fox Broadcasting telecast of the Super Bowl football game yesterday. That's in line with the four-to-eight slots in the past. Movies were joined by some relatively-new media cousins: TV services such as the Disney+ streaming service, which accounted or another four paid … [Read more...] about Five Movie Ads Pop in Super Bowl Broadcast
Swag Bags Overflowing in Awards Season
Swag bags full of loot for celebrities popped up across the Hollywood awards landscape. The Hollywood Reporter published a photo gallery presenting everything “from Pope slippers to 'The Irishman' wine.” At the Golden Globe Awards, 600 official gift bags for males and a like number for females -- whose contents are called “swag” in the vernacular. Contents include … [Read more...] about Swag Bags Overflowing in Awards Season
Cyberspace Hosts ‘Advertiser Unfriendly’ Spots
YouTube is selling advertising around its video streaming content that is raunchy, edgy and controversial—and the top prospect are R-rated movie marketers. Putting forward edgy content runs counter to a broad trend in online media like YouTube of stretching to provide image-conscious advertisers non-controversial content environments. “YouTube wants to help creators who … [Read more...] about Cyberspace Hosts ‘Advertiser Unfriendly’ Spots
Live-streamed Talent Q&As Boost Films
Film distributors are goosing up box office with live question-and-answers with talent before screenings, which get amplified with live video streams, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "Jojo Rabbit," "The Lighthouse," "Parasite" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" are among films with such Q&A and panel discussion initiatives with the theatrical release … [Read more...] about Live-streamed Talent Q&As Boost Films
‘Joker’ Trailer Presses Violence Buttons
Movie marketers aim to create marketing messages that elicit an emotional response from consumers, and “Joker” takes this notion to an extreme. A new trailer projecting film violence created a real-world uproar of worries that the Warner Bros. comic book adaptation of “Joker” will trigger unbalanced people to acts of mayhem. A New York Post story (see below) quotes … [Read more...] about ‘Joker’ Trailer Presses Violence Buttons