The more things change in theatrical film marketing—think social marketing, Twitter buzz and mobile-phones—the more they remain the same? “Marketing costs for movies will continue to rise,” says Rob Friedman, co-chairman/CEO of Summit Entertainment, the movie studio behind the powerful “Twilight” young-adult super-natural drama series, which has pulled in $1.6 billion in … [Read more...] about Digital No Panacea for Spiraling Costs
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Super-luxury Theaters Sprout
Some movie theaters have created a premium-priced film-going experience with booze and fancy food at $29 a ticket, versus a $7.50 national average. Australian theater circuit Village Roadshow (VRS) has four such theaters in the U.S. offering a movie and dining experience. “Forget Milk Duds and popcorn,” says a “Los Angeles Times” article by Richard Verrier and Jessica Gelt. … [Read more...] about Super-luxury Theaters Sprout
Studio Talk Marketing Cuts (Again!)
Newspaper articles say Hollywood studios are again talking up cuts in marketing expenditures (when will they ever learn?) and movie publicity is becoming increasingly scientific as entertainment marketers purport to measure impact of press stories. “But don’t think that Hollywood believes it can get by with less promotion,” notes a “New York Times” story by Brooks Barnes. … [Read more...] about Studio Talk Marketing Cuts (Again!)
‘Paranormal Activity’s’ Unlikely Stardom
“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
Disaster Epic Mounts ‘Roadblock’ TV Buy
Sony Pictures is making an expensive and early push for its Nov. 13 release of global disaster epic “2012.” If you are watching advertising-supported TV Thursday Oct. 1, you can’t miss the “2012” commercials. Sony/Columbia is mounting a “roadblock” campaign placing ads simultaneously on all TV media, in what will reach an estimated at 110-140 million people (the US … [Read more...] about Disaster Epic Mounts ‘Roadblock’ TV Buy
Marketing Costs Handicap Biggest Indie
Lions Gate Entertainment says it spends “well more than 25%” of its revenue on marketing expenses, which is sharply higher than what the major studio pay comparably, putting what is the largest independent film distributor at a competitive disadvantage. In a conference call with investors last week, the publicly-traded Lions Gate estimated that the media/entertainment … [Read more...] about Marketing Costs Handicap Biggest Indie
Financiers Drive MGM Marketing Spend?
Did MGM goose up “Valkyrie” marketing spend to trigger third-party monetization? Corporate decisions about how much marketing spending a movie gets often hinge on hidden considerations, which a New York Post article says is the case with “Valkyrie–the Tom Cruise-fronted thriller set in the Nazi high command. In a story headlined “MGM goes for broke on ad campaign for … [Read more...] about Financiers Drive MGM Marketing Spend?
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
Financing Set for Digital Cinema
Four major studios and the biggest independent agreed this week to help fund a consortium of movie theater owners to convert to electronic digital film projection to replace mechanical projectors. Digital cinema has been stalled for a decade, because of questions if the technology was not ready, making movie companies unwilling to invest in what could be soon-obsolete … [Read more...] about Financing Set for Digital Cinema
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