Film Marketing & Distribution Improved Draft

7/29/2019 Film Marketing & Distribution Improved Draft

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A successful film Inception

An unsuccessful film Green Lantern


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OVERVIEW

- Research a financially successful film and a financially unsuccessful film.

- Analyse and compare their marketing campaigns.

- Decide why each film performed the way it did.

- Create a new poster for the failed film with improvements.

- Through surveys, conclude whether the poster is better or worse.

- Make a new marketing campaign for the failed film.


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INCEPTION

In a world where technology exists to enter the humanmind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief isgiven a final chance at redemption which involvesexecuting his toughest job to date: Inception.

Release date: July 16th, 2010

Written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan.

Budget: $160,000,000

Gross: $825,532,764

Now the 33rd highest grossing film of all time and was

nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four. Itwas one of the first films to utilize viral marketing.


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Official Trailer


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INCEPTION MARKETING STRATEGY

Like Green Lantern, Warner Brothers spent $100 dollars marketing Inception.

Christopher Nolan has built a reputation as a bankable filmmaker. ALL of his films havebeen commercial and critically successful. People would see the film just because of him.

Started a viral marketing campaign long before release. After the revelation of the firstteaser trailer, in August 2009, the film's official website featured only an animation of

Cobb's spinning top. In December the top fell over and revealed Mind Crime,

a mini-gamethat upon completion revealed Inceptions first poster.

Footage played at WonderCon in April 2010.

Mind Game part two released a hidden trailer.

Star Ellen Page appeared on the Jonathon Ross show to promote the film.

Constant updates posted on an official Facebook page.

Details were kept under wraps. Distributors were secretive. The tagline, Your mind isthe scene of the crime can interpreted in different ways.


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WHY INCEPTION WAS SUCCESSFUL?

- Everyone loves Christopher Nolan.

- Extremely popular and diverse cast, something Green Lantern didnt have. MichaelCaine caters to the older demographic, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Leonardo DiCaprio arepopular with young people and Marion Cotillard is a French actress that would bring inforeign audiences.

- Positive word of mouth was generated.

- Potential viewers interacted early on. Playing games to unlock footage/information.

- Used the Internet effectively.

- Marketing as a complex science fiction film but also a summer blockbuster.

- Warner Brothers were more passionate about Inception than they were Green Lantern.


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GREEN LANTERN

A test pilot is granted an alien ring that bestowshim with otherworldly powers, as well asmembership into an intergalactic squadrontasked with keeping peace within the universe.

Director: Martin Campbell.

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, PeterSarsgaardRelease date: 17th June 2011.Production budget: $200,000,000Worldwide gross: $219,851,172

Green lantern was expected to be verysuccessful but ended up underperforming atthe box office. Although it made a profit, it wastoo miniscule to be considered successful.


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Official Trailer


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GREEN LANTERNS MARKETING STRATEGY

- Marketing and promotion cost Warner Brothers $100 million.

- Footage was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2010, a whole year before the filmsrelease. The cast and crew also took part in a question and answer session.

- A thirty second clip was shown in Entertainment Tonight.

- Trailer attached to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Another film distributedby Warner Brothers that made close to a billion dollars. High exposure.

- Ryan Reynolds appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote the film.

- Use of billboards to advertise.

- Coverage in magazines such as Entertainment Weekly.

- Released on Fathers Day and topped the box office that week with $52.7 million. Thelowest of any superhero movie that year.

- Released in 3,816 theatres, screened for 15 weeks.


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WHY WAS GREEN LANTERN UNSUCCESSFUL?

- The poster had many flaws: an unclear storyline, lack of character information , it did not utilize star powereffectively.

- No buzz early on: the first trailer was poorly received by fans. None of the large scale, special effectsequences were ready to show. The trailer was visually unimpressive because of this.

- Competition from other comic-book adaptations. Thor, Captain America and X-Men are all well knowcomic-book series. Coincidentally each of the films were very successful. Tranformers: Dark of the Moon

was released weeks after, it was highly anticipated and unlike Green Light it appeared to be critic proof.

- Poor reception from critics and fans. The standard for superhero films has been set by the likes of IronMan and The Dark Knight.

- Negative word of mouth.

- It is a film that can only satisfy children, it doesnt have enough depth interest adults. Despite this, it wasntmarketed at families. 63% of the people that saw the film were over 25s. This is the reason for thenegative word of mouth, because adults did not enjoy.

- Most people didnt know or care about a Green Lantern film because the comic books arent as wellknown as others like Spider Man and Batman which were adapted into successful films.


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- Obviously appeals more to youngpeople.

- Genre isnt clear- Follows a consistent, eye catching

theme.

- Stars names are not listed.- No information about narrative.- Who is the director/producer?


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Mistaken for afantasy film.

More appealing tothe youngeraudience.


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FINDINGS AND INTENTIONS

- My poster makes it clear that the films genre is science fiction.- Still appeals to young people- More eye catching things

- Features the stars names- More suggestion of storyline

- Antagonist & protagonist- Although it isnt a great piece of art, it serves its purpose as a poster.


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COMPARISON AND SUMMARY OF RESULTS

- More people could tell that the films genre is science fiction from the new poster.

- More people under 25 would see the film based on the new poster. 66% would see thefilm based on the first, 85% based on the second. 21% increase.

- Everything on the new poster is important to the story. More people picked out things thatcaught their eye.

- Females generally were not interestedby either poster.


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IS THE POSTER TO BLAME FOR THE LACK OFSUCCESS?

- In my opinion it isnt.- Warner Brothers were not determined to push this film like they were with Inception.

Lack of advertisements, hardly any promotion by the stars.

- The trailer was rushed and not impressive.

- Released at the wrong time of year.

- The film is poor but the quality could have been excused if it was marketed correctly(Example: Transformers, all of the films have pessimistic reviews yet they have grossed atotal of $2.6 billion.).

- Target audience is wrong for the type of film it is.


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IDEAS FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN

- Still use $100 million

- Target families. Green Lantern is obviously a kids film, it cannot be compared to smart superhero films likeIron Man, The Dark Knight and X-Men.

- Create buzz early on. If there was more secrecy surrounding a teaser campaign it would be moreinteresting.

- Screen the film out of competition at a film festival. Cannes film festival or Venice film festival. People willknow about the film before release. Could backfire if responses are negative.

- Give more information about the antagonist in posters and trailers.

- Release the film at the end of summer, late August. Avoid competition from Transformers and Harry Potter,the two highest grossing films of the year that were released in June/July.

- Endorse an animated TV series for children.

- Open worldwide in as many theatres as possible.

- Only put the best parts in the trailer. Original trailer was not impressive.

- Advertise online through websites popular with young people and put on competitions.

- Spend most of the budget on TV spots and billboards.


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SOURCES

- Information acquired on IMDB, WIKIPEDIA, BOXOFFICEMOJO


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THE END

Film Marketing & Distribution Improved Draft

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