DreamWorks Animation placed “Kung Fu Panda 2” in an integration with the CityVille social game that is popular on Facebook, as the animation film company becomes more entwined with social media. Paramount Pictures premieres animated film “Kung Fu Panda 2” on next Thursday for DreamWorks Animation. “Last month, (CityVille’s parent) Zynga added Jeffrey Katzenberg, … [Read more...] about ‘Panda’ Integrates in CityVille Game
social media
‘African Cats’ Builds Wildlife Promotions
Walt Disney Studios serves up lots of web links in a press release for “African Cats,” its documentary set for April 22 theatrical release. A portion of box office will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), which makes AWF a promotional partner. There’s the obligatory Facebook page and a website to “pledge” to see the movie. Another ticket commerce … [Read more...] about ‘African Cats’ Builds Wildlife Promotions
‘Source Code’ Arm-twists Journalist
A journalist for news website TechCrunch, which is owned by AOL, went public with an internal request sent by AOL asking that the journalist's article “tone down” a “snarky tone” about the Summit Entertainment film “The Source Code,” which is scheduled to premiere April 1. Alexia Tsotsis posted an inter-company memo from an AOL executive (AOL also owns MovieFone) complaining … [Read more...] about ‘Source Code’ Arm-twists Journalist
Oscars Present Two TV Screens
ABC Television has built a website to present behind-the-scenes activity at the Oscars awards www.oscar.com/all-access, which attempts to keep viewers glued to its screens…whether TV or computer. “Trying to exploit viewers’ two-screen behavior, the television network has built a companion Web site with behind-the-scenes video streams, so Oscar winners will be seen accepting … [Read more...] about Oscars Present Two TV Screens
New Media Alone Can’t Open Films
Pundits sing the praises of relying on digital media to market theatrical films and Walt Disney Studios just hired a new media guru who designed digital-media-only marketing campaigns for corporate clients. But experience has proven to date it’s suicidal to diminish or downplay ad spending in key traditional media of TV. “Few films have become hits in the US based on digital … [Read more...] about New Media Alone Can’t Open Films
‘Gift Shop’ Builds Mystery
Here’s an emerging triumph in digital media marketing for a small indie film. The “New York Times” published a review about narrow-release theatrical documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop” that calls the film an “enigma.” Here’s a documentary theatrical where film critics are crucial to its marketing. The documentary about street and graffiti artist Banksy is … [Read more...] about ‘Gift Shop’ Builds Mystery
‘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
High Concept ‘Bruno’ Proves Fragile
The second weekend of “Bruno” plunged an astronomical 73% at the boxoffice, indicating the R-rated black comedy will fade fast after a decent opening and underscoring that “high concept” films are fragile. Universal Pictures’ Bruno grossed $8.3 million for the July 17-19 weekend on 2,759 screens in the U.S. and Canada. It took in $30.6 million on three less screens its … [Read more...] about High Concept ‘Bruno’ Proves Fragile