After decades as a Hollywood press agent, Dan Harary finds publicity an unpredictable art and he also observes a changing nature of “celebrity.” In his memoir book “Flirting With Fame,” Harary recounts doing publicity for a behind-the-scenes special effects craft worker Bob Short connected to a strange horror/comedy film with uncertain prospects. Surprisingly, Short generate … [Read more...] about A Hollywood Life ‘Flirting With Fame’
talent
Analyzing DC FanDome Marketing Event
A immersive online event that Warner Bros. tailors for consumers revealed the newest trailer for “The Batman” and brought news that a third “Wonder Women” live-action movies is in the works. Those are are among tidbits surfacing at the DC FanDome online event Saturday. The “DC” refers to Warner corporate sibling DC Comics. Here’s a marketer’s review of DC FanDome that … [Read more...] about Analyzing DC FanDome Marketing Event
AMC Unspools Surprise $25m Ad Campaign
AMC Theatres launches a $25 million-plus marketing campaign with Nicole Kidman as star presenter this week to encourage a return to moviegoing amid the pandemic. The key copyline is “AMC Theatres. We Make Movies Better" in what is an advocacy and brand-building exercise. The campaign is a surprise because cinemas don’t normally bankroll pricey advertising, instead relying on … [Read more...] about AMC Unspools Surprise $25m Ad Campaign
Cinema Stirs Amid Oscars Debacle
Pundits may praise watching movies on streaming, but the Hollywood establishment gave a full-throated endorsement to pandemic-battered cinema in Sunday’s poorly received Oscars telecast. ABC Television’s audience plunged 56%, which is a crisis for the Academy Awards organizer that depends on Oscar TV-rights income. But the event will remain a moneymaker because TV … [Read more...] about Cinema Stirs Amid Oscars Debacle
Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace
As the nation’s political and social discourse gets coarse, it’s no surprise that movie marketers — who aim to engage fans — increasingly battle unwanted spurts of toxic fan syndrome. “So-called toxic fans take up an oversized place in the media's and the public's imaginations,” writes Aaron Couch in an analysis article in the Hollywood Reporter. In 2019, fanboys … [Read more...] about Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace
Scandal! Marketing Downplays Disgraced Actor
Bad publicity over a suddenly disgraced actor has Hollywood’s publicity machine in high gear scrambling to minimize Armie Hammer in the latest marketing messaging for his two upcoming film releases. Hammer was exposed for communicating cannibalistic and sex-abuse desires toward women a month ago, creating a controversy imperiling audience reception for movies "Crisis" and … [Read more...] about Scandal! Marketing Downplays Disgraced Actor
Colleges Plant Media Studies in Hollywood
More than a dozen out-of-state colleges and universities set up study-in-Los Angeles programs to plug their students directly into the Hollywood eco-system, says an article in the Los Angeles Business Journal. “These satellite campuses are expanding in size and in the scope of their studies,” says the weekly newspaper's article by Robert Marich, author of the book "Marketing … [Read more...] about Colleges Plant Media Studies in Hollywood
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
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
‘Aquaman’ Makes Splash with Character-specific Posters
Here’s an attention-getting assortment of character-specific movie posters for “Aquaman,” which Warner Bros. Pictures yarn Dec. 21. The sci-fi fantasy drama is rated PG-13. “With the release of James Wan’s Aquaman a little over a month way, Warner Bros. has decided that it’s time for audiences to start familiarizing themselves with the main players in the underwater drama,” … [Read more...] about ‘Aquaman’ Makes Splash with Character-specific Posters