The World of Motion PicturesThe World of Motion Pictures

The Power of FilmThe Power of Film

• The motion picture industry is one of The motion picture industry is one of the only industries that thrives during the only industries that thrives during tough economic timestough economic times• people want to escape real lifepeople want to escape real life

How does it all begin? How does it all begin?

Old Movie (re-make)Old Movie (re-make)

Old TV show (re-Old TV show (re-thought)thought)

Current TV showCurrent TV show

Video GameVideo Game

Book (Fiction or Non-Book (Fiction or Non-fiction)fiction)

Real life eventReal life event

Comic bookComic book

Original ideaOriginal idea

The Development ProcessThe Development Process

1. 1. The pitch (sharing the idea)

2. The treatment (developing the general idea/plot)

3. The script (a writer is hired to develop the script)

4. The notes (what does the studio think)

The Development ProcessThe Development Process

5. The re-write (revise the script using notes)

6. The notes (what do they think now?)

7. The re-write (revise AGAIN)

8. The shooting script (final script)

The Development The Development ProcessProcess

The Producer The Director The Actors

The RestThe RestThe RestThe Rest

The music supervisorThe music supervisor

The stunt coordinatorThe stunt coordinator

The set designersThe set designers

The lighting crewThe lighting crew

The location scoutsThe location scouts

Stand ins (So actors Stand ins (So actors can be staged without can be staged without having to be there) having to be there)

Etc, etc, etcEtc, etc, etc

ProductionProductionProductionProductionWeeks to MonthsWeeks to Months

Production DangersProduction DangersProduction DangersProduction Dangers

WeatherWeather

Publicity Nightmares Publicity Nightmares

On set difficulties On set difficulties (broken equipment)(broken equipment)

Walk offs (actors or Walk offs (actors or directors leaving set)directors leaving set)

Accidents (someone Accidents (someone gets hurt)gets hurt)

Management Management changeschanges

Post ProductionPost Production

Editing Editing

EffectsEffects

MusicMusic

Color correctionColor correction

TimingTiming

EtcEtc

ContinuityContinuityContinuityContinuity

A part of the editing processA part of the editing process

Different parts of a scene may be Different parts of a scene may be filmed at different timesfilmed at different times

You don’t want this to be You don’t want this to be noticeable to the audience, so it is noticeable to the audience, so it is important that all the lighting and important that all the lighting and surroundings are exactly the samesurroundings are exactly the same

Determine audienceDetermine audience

They pick a location They pick a location (city or town)(city or town)

An audience is recruitedAn audience is recruited

This audience watches This audience watches the moviethe movie

They fill out They fill out questionnairesquestionnaires

A select group stays to A select group stays to discuss the moviediscuss the movie

Test Screening Test Screening DangersDangersTest Screening Test Screening DangersDangers

Negative On-Negative On-line reviewsline reviews

An “odd” An “odd” audienceaudience

Focus Group Focus Group misdirection misdirection

Stolen still Stolen still shots shots

Video taping Video taping (cell phones)(cell phones)

The Film is FinishedThe Film is FinishedThe Film is FinishedThe Film is FinishedThe Marketing BeginsThe Marketing Begins

Trailer CuttingTrailer Cutting Can begin during the Can begin during the

very early stages of very early stages of production for big production for big moviesmovies

Teasers can be cut from Teasers can be cut from dailiesdailies

Each trailer cut attempts Each trailer cut attempts a different positioning a different positioning (to attract a larger (to attract a larger audience and see which audience and see which trailers attract more trailers attract more people)people)

Trailers attempt to distill Trailers attempt to distill the most compelling the most compelling story of the moviestory of the movie

Trailer Trailer TestingTestingTrailer Trailer TestingTesting

Generally they start Generally they start with with qualitativequalitative – – focus groups among focus groups among the core target the core target market, to hear them market, to hear them talk about the various talk about the various positioning attemptspositioning attempts

Then they test the Then they test the best best quantitativelyquantitatively – – a nationally a nationally representative samplerepresentative sample

Trailer EvaluationTrailer Evaluation

They generally pick the trailer that generates the They generally pick the trailer that generates the most interest among the core target during recall most interest among the core target during recall testingtesting

If they are similar they pick the trailer that If they are similar they pick the trailer that generates the most interest among sub-targets generates the most interest among sub-targets (just outside the target market)(just outside the target market)

NextNextNextNext

From the trailer they From the trailer they begin:begin:

Internet marketingInternet marketing

TV spotsTV spots

Publicity strategy Publicity strategy (with actors)(with actors)

TrailersTrailersTeaser Trailer

Iron Man Website

Marketing TimelineMarketing Timeline

Teaser Trailer (big movie) 6 to 8 months Teaser Trailer (big movie) 6 to 8 months before openingbefore opening

Website – teaser page generally starts 8 Website – teaser page generally starts 8 months outmonths out

Teaser Poster (big movie) 6 to 12 months Teaser Poster (big movie) 6 to 12 months before openingbefore opening

Poster 4 to 5 months prior to openingPoster 4 to 5 months prior to opening

Trailer 3 to 4 months before openingTrailer 3 to 4 months before opening

Outdoor – generally 4 weeksOutdoor – generally 4 weeks

TV Campaign – generally 4 weeksTV Campaign – generally 4 weeks

Other MarketingOther Marketing

Special programmingSpecial programming

PublicityPublicity PrintPrint TVTV

On Line Advertising (biggest one)On Line Advertising (biggest one)

Print Advertising (not very common)Print Advertising (not very common) Newspaper (but no one reads it anymore)Newspaper (but no one reads it anymore) MagazinesMagazines

Marketing DangersMarketing DangersMarketing DangersMarketing Dangers

Publicity nightmaresPublicity nightmares

Tivo Tivo

Diversity issuesDiversity issues

Gossip becomes bigger than the movieGossip becomes bigger than the movie

Opening DayOpening DayOpening DayOpening Day

Opening WeekendOpening Weekend

FridayFridayAs early as 11:00 am As early as 11:00 am the distribution the distribution department is making department is making projections based on projections based on east coast matineeseast coast matinees

SundaySundayThe studio reports to the press what The studio reports to the press what people thought based on exit studies people thought based on exit studies conducted in the fieldconducted in the field

MondayThe press reports the Saturday The press reports the Saturday estimates and the studio gets the estimates and the studio gets the final Sunday box office and final Sunday box office and reports the official numbersreports the official numbers

TuesdayTuesdayThe press reports the final box The press reports the final box office numbers and sometimes office numbers and sometimes noting overly optimistic or overly noting overly optimistic or overly pessimistic estimates previously pessimistic estimates previously reported reported

Opening WeekendOpening Weekend

MondayMonday The press reports the Saturday estimatesThe press reports the Saturday estimates The studio gets the final Sunday box office and The studio gets the final Sunday box office and

reports the official numbersreports the official numbers They review the exit study data to tweak their They review the exit study data to tweak their

marketing efforts for week 2marketing efforts for week 2 They review box office performance to tweak the They review box office performance to tweak the

media budget for week 2media budget for week 2

Opening WeekendOpening Weekend

TuesdayTuesday The press reports the final box office numbersThe press reports the final box office numbers Sometimes noting overly optimistic or overly Sometimes noting overly optimistic or overly

pessimistic estimates previously reported pessimistic estimates previously reported

The Home Entertainment The Home Entertainment ReleaseRelease

Actually Home Actually Home Entertainment is Entertainment is involved from the involved from the very beginningvery beginning

The marketing The marketing department reviews department reviews all of the movie’s all of the movie’s materialmaterial

The campaign is The campaign is tweaked as neededtweaked as needed

Movie Trailers

THE ENDTHE ENDTHE ENDTHE END