No, really, who else re-edits and recuts his movies for re-release every so often? This penchant for changing films and selling five bazillion different versions is starting to drive me nuts. To be fair, there was the whole “director’s cut” craze, and LOTR made some annoying steps in that direction (that we tolerated because really, we wanted to see the four-hour version in theaters, but the theater owners would have had a conniption fit, and they put some really good Extra Features on the DVDs), but things are getting out of hand. Film producers need to remember that the final cut is the one they release; otherwise, the theater-goers are seeing an unfinished edit, and really, who wants to pay $40 to see a rough draft?
May 2006
Word of Mouth
I really don’t care about Prairie Home Companion, though I have some qualms about the idea of a movie based upon it, but the most interesting part of this article is at the bottom, where the writer elaborates on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.
Having never heard of them before, I was curious, so I searched for them and found their homepage. It’s important to recognize that word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. Filmmakers often forget that, because they’re too caught up in the “everybody’s doing it” mentality of TV trailers, Flash websites, and magazine ads. Bear in mind, though – consumers are not stupid. They know the producers pay to run ads, and they’ve seen enough great trailers made from lousy movies that they’re skeptical. Word of mouth, though, is inviolate; people trust their friends’ judgment, and yes, internet friendships still count. Win over a handful and watch them tell everyone else; word will spread, I promise.
Whether your film deserves good word of mouth is up to you to guarantee.
Has MySpace supplanted LJ?
Is The Industry learning to be more egalitarian?
It looks like the film/TV Industry is flailing, trying to figure out how to use this new means of communication. The web is the great equalizer – anyone can speak with authority on the web, and there are vast networks of people here, grouping and ungrouping, shifting and changing, and I’m not sure the corporations have the wherewithal to keep up. Technology is growing quickly, and the consumers are way ahead of the producers on this curve.
The Death of Theaters
The buggy whip makers are fighting tooth and claw against the motorized carriage, here, folks.
The theater system has priced itself out of its former position of preferred family entertainment. When it costs $7.50-15.00 a person for a ticket, plus drinks and popcorn (typically $15-20 a couple), there are many people who have to choose to wait for the TV or DVD release. Add to that the less and less “special” experience in the theater, what with cell phones and loud children and sticky floors, and there’s a decided advantage to the home viewing experience. Banning films from award consideration because they market themselves to the average consumer based on modern behavior patterns is petty, and to be blunt, many average viewers have decided the Oscars aren’t worth watching anymore, anyway. The social divide between average America and Hollywood is becoming a deeper and deeper chasm, the longer Industry folks refuse to acknowledge it.
