Marketing Independent Film

LOOKING FOR ERICA Case Study

23 June 2009

Write a detailed synopsis for the film explaining clearly the function of the narrative and characters?Write a review of the film discussing the following:

- the narrative- themes- characters- acting- screenplay

- what was good about the film?- What could have been improved?

What is British about the film?What other films is it similar to?How might the film be different if it were filmed in America?What is the impact of the budget constraints?

Marketing Independent Film

• LOOKING FOR ERIC1. What did we see in the film?2. How did we approach the release strategy?

• Target audience• Spend and targets• Print numbers and date

3. Positioning. How should we sell it? 4. The campaign – rollout.

Look at this poster for Looking For Eric and answer the following questions:

What is the films genre? Could it be a hybrid or subgenre?What are the key signifiers in the poster?Are there any clues about narrative?Is genre important when marketing a film? If so why?Do you believe that this poster is successful? If so how?

You might like to consider:Colour paletteTitleTaglineActorsReviewsTypography, Mode of address

Now look at the DVD cover and answer the following questions:

•Is it marketing the film differently to the poster? •If yes, how and why?•What are the key signifiers on the cover?•Are there any further clues about narrative?•Is genre more important when marketing a DVD? If so why?•Do you believe that cover is successful? If so how?•Consider whether you believe it accurately reflects the film?

You might like to consider:

Colour paletteTitleTaglineActorsReviewsTypographyMode of address

STRENGTHS

PEDIGREE OF DIRECTOR

BRITISHNESS

HUMOUR

THE FILM ITSELF

S.W.O.T

OPPORTUNITIES

ERIC CANTONA

MANCHESTER UNITED

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

END OF FOOTBALL SEASON

GO WIDE

WEAKNESSES

GRITTY / LACK OF GLAMOUR

LOOKS LIKE A DOCUMENTARY?

WILL IT APPEAL TO WOMEN?

THREATS

TOO ASSOCIATED WITH FOOTBALL

ERIC CANTONA

COMPETITION – 44 INCH CHEST

Film Distributor Release Box Office Opening Screens Screen Ave.

East is East Film Four 5th Nov 1999 10, 374,926 435,627 80 5,445

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Pathe 23rd June 2006 3,906,765 390,720 105 3,721

Mike Bassett: England Manager

EFD 28th Sept 2001 3,586,492 835,219 264 3,164

Brassed Off Film Four 1st Nov 1996 3,388,319 466,058 203 2,296

Kinky Boots BVI 7th Oct 2005 3,028,257 623,123 292 2,134

Vera Drake Momentum 7th Jan 2005 2,377,998 266,010 65 4,092

Secrets & Lies Film Four 24th May 1996 1,969,910 123,929 17 7,290

Fever Pitch Film Four 4th April 1997 1,863,141 470,013 224 2,098

Venus BVI 26th Jan 2007 1,273, 873 317,426 196 1,628

Happy –Go-Lucky Momentum 18th April 2008 1,085,089 385,190 77 5,002

My Name is Joe Film Four 6th Nov 1998 949,228 101,083 20 5,054

Sweet Sixteen Icon 4th Oct 2002 852,178 144,388 66 2,188

Enduring Love Pathe 26th Nov 2004 710,054 165,338 69 2,396

Starter for 10 Icon 10th Nov 2006 628,661 207,345 84 2,468

Ae Fond Kiss Icon 17th Sept 2004 456,362 106,366 62 1,716

There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble

Pathe 25th August 2000 355,023 101,282 127 797

Carla’s Song Universal 31st Jan 1997 326,480 71,968 42 1,714

Bread and Roses Film Four 27th April 2001 223,574 53,906 26 2,073

Heartlands BVI 2nd May 2003 72,228 26,493 31 855

Once in a Lifetime Pathe 19th May 2006 35,783 13,947 22 634

The Navigators BFI 2nd Nov 2001 9,238 929 3 310

Research – comparable titles

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

'7-11 '12-14 15-17 18-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

ABC1 88%C2DE 12%

64% MaleMean age 49

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY – Audience Profile

Source: Caviar 301

Box Office

Media spend

Competition

Certificate Release Date Distributor

15 23rdJune 2006 Pathe

Screens Open w/e Total B/O P/ Screen Open w/e $US B/O UK/US

105 £391k £3.9 mill £3,721 1% $1.8 mill 325%

TV Outdoor Print Radio Online

£10,200 £39,500 £58,393 0 0

9% 37% 54% 0% 0%

2 weeks prior 1 week prior Same Day 1 week post

Election/ Offside/

The Omen

Thank You for Smoking/

Hard Candy

Lake House/

Pretty Persuasion

40 Shades of Blue/

Just My Luck

Pre Post

£769k £131k

83% 17%

Total

£900k

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY

WIND THAT SHAKES… Regional split for Box Office and DVD

Source: CIN/TARGET

REGION BO REG. % AVE. % INDEX

LONDON (inc. West End) 459,778 35.69% 24.60% 1.45CENTRAL 89,701 6.96% 14.20% 0.49HARLECH 52,947 4.11% 6.50% 0.63WESTWARD 15,864 1.23% 2.20% 0.56GRANADA 61,522 4.78% 11.20% 0.43BORDER 13,470 1.05% 0.80% 1.31YORKSHIRE 50,460 3.92% 8.40% 0.47TYNE TEES 14,800 1.15% 3.70% 0.31SCOTLAND(CEN) 148,385 11.52% 7.30% 1.58NORTHEAST SCOTLAND 21,207 1.65% 2.10% 0.78SOUTH 47,910 3.72% 9.30% 0.40ANGLIA 36,326 2.82% 6.50% 0.43NORTHERN IRELAND 275,803 21.41% 3.30% 6.49         REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2,525,217 66.22%    

TOTAL B.O. 3,813,390 1,288,173      

DVD Regional Sales Split

   

London 1.16

Midlands 0.84

Wales & West 0.77

Lancashire 0.92

Border 1.01

Yorkshire 0.81

North East 0.8

C. Scotland 1.51

N. Scotland 1.08

South 0.77

South West 0.62

East 0.76

N. Ireland 3.29

Belfast Telegraph

Independent

The Times

WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY – MEDIA EXAMPLES

WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY – OUTDOOR

5th – 18th June4 Sheets400 panels (medium weight/ GD)

19th June – 2nd JulyQuad Crowns500 panels (medium weight/ GD)

ABC1 25-5414 million

Research – quantifying the audience

ABC1 25-54 MALESFilm afficiandos400,000

25-64 Males interested in

football12 million

Man U Fans70k+

3.8

milli

on

6.8 million

Competition around our date

+1 +2-2 -1 RELEASE

£3m

£20m

£1m

£3m

£2m

£6m

£25m

£5m

• Target audience / compsABC1 25+ male film afficionados/ Ken Loach fansABC1 25-54 adults25-64 male football fans

• 12 June 2009• Wide release – 200+ prints• Ken Loach / Eric Cantona• Launch at Cannes Film Festival• Great reviews• £1m+ spend

Release Strategy

• A Ken Loach movie...• A football movie...• A romantic comedy...• Or a quirky British comedy...?

Positioning. So, what is it?

Early Poster Concepts

• A Ken Loach movie...

Early poster concepts

• A football movie...?

Early poster concepts

• A romantic comedy...?

Early poster concepts

• A quirky British comedy...?

LOOKING FOR ERIC – PR Campaign

Extensive in-house PR Campaign

• Cantona fully supporting• Friday Night With Jonathan Ross• Premieres in Manchester, Dublin and London• Cannes coverage • Main campaign combines Cantona and Loach

'A real crowd-pleaser with both heart and soul'TIME OUT *****

‘Touching and hilarious... A blinder' EMPIRE****

“It’s the feel-good hit of the summer.” LITTLE WHITE LIES *****

‘This film’s the best movie medicine I’ve had all year’Baz Bamigboye, DAILY MAIL

“Entertaining, uplifting… a winner” UNCUT ****

“Funny and sharply observed” INDEPENDENT ****

 “Marvellous… Perfect” THE TIMES ****

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH ****

EVENING STANDARD ****

TOTAL FILM *****

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Soccer_AM.png

LOOKING FOR ERIC

Marketing Campaign• Lead media – television (30s, 20s and 10s)• Supporting media – press, outdoor, radio,

online• Regional upweight in the North

CAMPAIGN PHASING

W/C 11TH MAY W/C 18TH MAY W/C 25TH MAY W/C 01TH JUNE W/C 8TH JUNE W/C 15TH JUNE

TV

ONLINE

OUTDOOR

PRESS

RADIO

TV ads

• Targeting – football fans– broad audience – and female appeal

Icon Film Distribution• One of the UK’s leading independent film distributors• Formed in 1999 to release a diverse range of titles each year• Successes include:

* Oscar-winners MAN ON WIRE and LA VIE EN ROSE* Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, APOCALYPTO,

WHAT WOMEN WANT* Oscar-nominated MARIA FULL OF GRACE, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

and WHALE RIDER* Woody Allen thriller MATCHPOINT* Children’s titles THE LITTLE VAMPIRE and BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA* And popcorn movies TRANSPORTER 3 and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT