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Here's my latest contribution to the filmmaking arts:

20120325FilmitAndTheyWillCome.png
 
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Part I of Two

It's morning.
I think I'll tackle the smaller 6.5 double columned article before the fluffed 31 pages of the other.
http://www.ncrp.org/files/publications/seizingthemoment.pdf


Seizing the Moment: Frank Advice for Community
Organizers Who Want to Raise More Money​

Lettuce replace "Community Organizers" with "Independent Filmmakers."

Seizing the Moment: Frank Advice for Independent
Filmmakers Who Want to Raise More Money​


You'll see [brackets] throughout this post where I've made the above substitution.
Not always. Not exclusively. But wherever you'd logically think such would occur.


Fluff, fluff, fluff...
"Can we translate this growing public awareness*
into serious funding that will propel growth and
strengthen the [project]? That is one of the most
important questions facing [independent filmmakers] today.
We believe that in spite of the current economic
climate, there is real potential for tremendous
expansion of funding for [independent filmmaking].
But this potential will be realized only if [filmmakers]
do their part."

* Would refer to news or social media reports of [a filmmaker's project].
This is a November, 2009 article. Just in the doorstep of the current financial crisis, for context.

"Building Relationships
From our decades of experience thinking about
how to get more donors and funders to support
[filmmaking], one lesson stands out loud and clear:
successful fundraising for [independent filmmaking]
requires building strong relationships with a wide
variety of potential donors and funders. Many
[filmmakers] fail to raise money because they haven’t
built good relationships, or because they haven’t
cast their nets wide enough.

Finding the right prospects isn’t rocket science, but
it does take some time and a systematic approach.
For foundations [or corporate sponsors], your best prospects are those
funders who have invested in your [filmmaking]
in the past, or who currently are funding [projects]
similar to yours. You want to start with a large
list of potential funders, and then look for those
where the fit is best. Some won’t be able to fund
you because of geographic restrictions, or because
the issues you’re working on don’t fit with their
priorities. But others will be a good match."

Be VERY CLEAR about distinguishing between fundraising and marketing.
(I am in the "marketing and promotion thread", right... ? ... uh... Yes! Okay! So, don't muddle the two issues.)

Fundraising -
  • Secures funds from a BROAD audience.
  • Marketing may/should occur simultaneously but passively.
  • Emphasis is on "Give to our film" not "Pay money to watch our film."
Marketing -
  • Promotes the film to a NARROW audience
  • Uses the funds collected to actively promote our film.
  • Emphasis is on "Pay money to watch our film."

"[Filmmakers] often find it somewhat easy to generate
a list of potential foundation funders but are
convinced they don’t know any major donors.
Thinking you don’t know any prospective major
donors is the first hurdle you need to get over. In
reality, the contacts you need are all around you...

Remember that prospective major donors are
people you or someone in your group knows or
has access to who have an interest in you, your
work, issue area or community, and the ability to
give a significant contribution.

Where are these people? Here are some ideas to
get you started:"
If you're serious about fundraising you really should just read this article (page 3). It is dense with useful information.
  • "Identify major donors whose intentions and goals match yours from inside your [filmmaking project] and work your way out.
  • Get your [cast & crew] to give and connect you to family members and friends who are possible donors.
  • Make a list of [cast & crew] who have moved or no longer are active.
  • Make a list of the not-the-usual-suspects.
  • Reach out to the community.
  • Do joint events with [independent filmmaking] investment professionals.
  • Hit your social networking sites."
I must admit I'm almost a genuine recluse.
I can "type talk" all day long but loathe meeting and speaking to people in person.
This is a BIG hurdle to me.

"Many of the relationship-building aspects
highlighted in this section work with both donors
and funders, but there are a few differences.
Individuals have priorities and interests, but they
tend to be driven by the heart. Their giving is not
guided by the same kinds of mission statements
and established goals that foundations have.

Individuals can be approached directly and tend
to be less formal than foundations in how they
consider gifts.

Foundation... are being
judged by the strength of their program areas,
the kinds of grants they make and the success
of their grantees. Think about how funding your
work will help the foundation be successful,
and also think about other ways foundation staff
can help you beyond providing funding, such as
being an advocate, translator or bridge-builder."

Just like in requesting funding to also ask for information in lieu of, consider if the funder you're in contact with could provide alternatives to funding instead such as referrals, services, materials, locations, labor etc.

No sh!t:
"Relationships take work. Your attitude and respect
for the person you are (or will be) soliciting is
crucial. Be upbeat, enthusiastic, passionate,
thoughtful, truthful and engaging. Program officers
and donors are looking for a connection to your
organization through you."

Something to keep in mind is the controlling officer in any position in any job is not the same as the person who held the job before them, nor the person before them, etc.
Yes, they are given corporate guidelines and constraints to operate within.
However, often there are judgement calls unique to the individual and circumstances where rules are... fudged, just a wee little bit, maybe in your benefit.

"Before you even approach anyone for financial
support, make sure you are prepared:
• Be able to give easy-to-understand
definitions of the basics including:
[filmmaking], [filmmaker], campaign, [cast,
crew, genre], strategy.
• Be ready to give short examples
and illustrations that you can use to
demonstrate what these terms mean, and
be able to go more in-depth on these
definitions depending on the experience
and orientation of the funder or donor.
• Be clear about your [film], where it
is now and what the vision is for the future,
and how the definitions above can be
demonstrated by what your [film] is
doing.

Donors can’t and won’t support what they
don’t understand. And they can’t help you with
introductions to other possible supporters if they
can’t explain what you do.

And don’t forget to listen deeply. We can’t
emphasize this enough."

Loglines and elevator pitches are focused on that next to last point: Is the film's story BRIEFLY understandable?
Regarding funding, is the funding's impact BRIEFLY understandable?

*** I just want to interrupt my own babbling in this thread and state the authors of this report have done a superb job of excising filler and fluff. ***
I find myself quoting the majority of their points, leaving only small bits behind regrettably.
I'd seek other articles written by these authors.
Back to the program... !

I can't rightfully cut out any of the following. It's all true and something to be actively conscious of.
"The first time a donor or funder gives your
[film project] money, it is an act of faith upon
which trust will be built. The initial faith will turn
into trust as you demonstrate the power of your
work and that you are doing and delivering what
you said you would. Let him celebrate with you
the advances and victories you achieve.

But also be ready to let the donor know when
things don’t work out or if you have to make a
change. Be prepared to share your learnings and
analysis. No donor or funder wants to hear bad
news through the grapevine. Make sure you are
the one to be in touch first... Let your donors
know how they can be good allies to you.

Be sure to stay in touch when you are not asking
for money. Shoot them quick e-mails with an
article attached just because you thought they
might find it interesting. Let funders know you are
ready to be on a panel or be interviewed for an
article. Send them motivating press coverage or
blog posts about your [filmmaking].

There is nothing like a good road trip to build
relationships. You know how great
car talks can be. [Invite] your donors and funders
on quality [location] visits. For some trips, invite several
donors to join you at once. Let them witness
[site and equipment set up, cast and crew conversations,
takes and re-takes being filmed, the importance of audio,
a sit-in in editing, generally - where their money is being
spent]. Being part of what is going on – including strategy
discussions and debriefings – can be very exciting
to a funder or donor. Seeing your members in
action and participating in some way will allow
your donors and funders to tell their own stories
about your [filmmaking process] and strengthen their bond
with [your film].

Remember to keep good records about all
contacts. Make sure they are up-to-date and, with
donors, make sure they are confidential. Be clear
about who has access to the information. In your
records, be mindful about personal issues as well.
If your donor is being honored, call to say how
deserving the award is. Is her daughter graduating
college? Call to offer congratulations."

That's all good. Perfectly sensible. Yes, it's more "mind consuming" than "time consuming", but easy to forget to do in our manic modern way of living.

The first underlined part above, "it is an act of faith upon which trust will be built", is in reference for any of you creative enough to link their past film project with the current film project which will link to the next film project.
I know this can't always work. No doubt.
But as the independent filmmaking environment changes due to economics, social values/current events, recording and distribution technology, etc. then so should the way independent filmmakers conceive of their film projects.
Adapt or die.
Single cell organisms vs. multi-cellular organisms.
Survive vs. thrive.
Why do you think the major studios are going ga-ga over the "tent pole model"?
The issues with the bloated budget spectacle-fests can be bypassed in favor of developing a low-cost branding effect while retaining all the benefits: It's cheaper to sell to a satisfied existing customer than to bring in a new customer.
This applies to both fundraising as well as marketing.

"One final word about building relationships –
don’t forget to thank donors and funders for their
support. Let them know your sincere appreciation.
Find out if they want public or confidential
recognition. Submit timely reports, mail
handwritten thank-you cards right after a meeting
or receiving a check, and plan social get-togethers
over a meal. Let them feel your gratitude in ways
that are genuine, and develops their dignity and
self-esteem in ways that reinforce their smart
choice in supporting you, your [film project] and
[independent filmmaking]."

What do you IT-ers think?
Do you believe differentiating between a donor donating to A) you, B) the film, or C) independent film benefit from being all rolled up into one package.
Or is it beneficial to distinguish between them regarding a donor's motivation - for the next time you meet?
 
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Part II of the Above Post

Okay, that post was getting so long it was giving me a headache.
I'm breaking the article down into two posts at it's own division line: Communicating the Impact of Your Work
http://www.ncrp.org/files/publications/seizingthemoment.pdf

"Having a list of the right prospects and building
relationships with them won’t help you raise more
money if you can’t communicate effectively why
the work of your [film] matters. You need
to be able to tell a compelling story about the
impact your [filmmaking] has had and will have on
[the film consumers] – and you’ll need to be
able to tell that story in different ways to different
audiences.

Some funders and donors are “numbers” people.
They want to know, in dollars and cents, the
impact of your work. They want to figure out why
they should invest in your [filmmaking project] instead of
supporting someone else. So for these folks, you
need to figure out credible ways to quantify the
value of your wins.

... But most funders want to know how your efforts
will have an impact on people’s lives.

Communicating the impact of your work using
hard numbers won’t resonate with all your
prospects; there is a significant group of funders
and donors that love to hear personal stories.
They don’t care so much that [your last film had
X-thousand DVD sales and downloads]. They
want to hear about [reviews of your last film from
the audience and critics]; why they [felt your films
are meaningful], and how [they influence and
motivate other independent filmmakers]; how
[cast, crew, and audiencees] got involved, and
how [the independent filmmaking community's]
lives were changed as a result of your [filmmaking]
campaign. They want to hear that you [created
experience and job opportunities], but they also
want to hear how [the experience on your film set
enabled cast and crew] to get a new job across
town [to creat job opportunities]. [Filmmakers]
who are successful fundraisers are able to tell
compelling stories that make the numbers real"

Is it just me, or does all of this sound just a wee more... professional(?) than much of what we see at KS/IGG?
This looks like enough work to do for a full time... producer, which is kind of exactly what producers do, among other organizing activities.

I think this is kinda why it's so easy for average KS/IGG pleas for cash to be dismissed just like pan-handling bums on the street.

cylon_panhandler1.jpg



"Communicating clearly about the impact of your
[filmmaking] past victories... establishes that your [leadership] can get
things done and knows how to have real impact
on important [film projects]. But funders and donors don’t
often give out money for past accomplishments.
They’ll fund you for what you’re working on right
now or for what you’re going to be working on in
the next few years.

This means that you need to be able to
communicate not only about the [film project you're
working on now], but about the positive impact
you expect to achieve in the long run when you
win the campaign. What will be different in your
community when you win the campaign? How
will people’s lives change?

Be patient with funders who struggle to understand
the critical role that process plays in [independent filmmaking].
Help them make the connections that show why
doing so many [crew members are important for
production quality], which in turn leads to [a high
production valued and marketable film product]. [Pre-
production planning in filmmaking]is key to achieving
outcomes and is an essential part of being participatory.
Doing research, educating people, conducting role-plays,
building leadership teams, practicing testimony and
building alliances all are essential elements that help
[independent filmmaking develop] ordinary people into
[community leaders] and achieve an impressive bang
for the buck."

Finally!
"Conclusion
So go and make your case! Create a fundraising
plan. Start your major donor campaign today!
Call your current funders and ask them to make
introductions for you. Build relationships. Find
new donors and funders, using all your resources
through members, other supporters, at meetings,
on line, through Facebook and even Twitter.
Don’t just sit there; fund-raise!"



Alllllll-righty!!!!
I hope you guys enjoyed that as much as I did. (I need a nap, now.)

That thirty-something page fundraising whopper looks like a good dragon to skewer some other day.

220px-Stgeorge-dragon.jpg

603​


EDIT:
FWIW, I've read maybe only a few dozen of these fundraising articles, papers, and treatises and NONE of them EVER suggest maybe the reason the organization in search of funds has a plain suck-@ss mission or goal.

It would appear that no matter what butt-uuuugly pig you have for a non-profit (and by substitution, film project) the authors, editors, and publishers (mostly the publishers) either think all NPOs have redeeming value no matter their administrative costs vs. social impact - or - they have the sense to not alienate or offend any NPO that may cry or sue.

I, however, have no rose-colored glasses nor socio-political agenda: some film projects suck in either story premise or director/producer's promise of execution. Sometimes both the story and execution look like they're gonna suck.

Headzup: Don't look to any of these articles to suggest your project sucks, or to die or modify to something less sucky before crying about "No one wants to give me money. Wa-wa-wa."

Just lumping that distinction out there.
 
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Marketing Budget is Quite Relevant

http://abovethelineproducer.blogspot.com/2011/12/hollywood-profits-quantitative-drivers.html
"From 1980 to 2000, production costs rose by 600%, marketing spend by 800% - ROI for under $10m film outperforms films with budgets over $10m. According to another article from Strategic Finance magazine March 2008, marketing is still one of the key factors contributing to film's success: - Viral marketing for 1999 release of "The Blair Witch Project", an independent film that cost $60K to produce and bought over for $1m by Artisan Entertainment. AE spent $20m for marketing and distribution. Worldwide gross box office is $249m. - Cost-Revenue association indicates that marketing costs are much more strongly associated with revenue streams: 10% change in production cost (say better quality) results in 2% revenue change, while 10% increase in marketing budget results in 10% increase in cumulative box-office revenue. Film rating is another contributing factor. R rating will have lesser audience than PG rated films. Distribution channels are another huge chunk of cost. Based on above alone, one can connect the dots of why "straight to DVD" releases are becoming a lot more popular. One another interesting observation: Netflix's profit sharing model for independent film producers. In a nut-shell: a low budget film releases to DVD to be "distributed" by Netflix. Clever low-cost marketing techniques pushes up rental revenues that are split by both parties. If successful, consider re-release or sequel at main stream."
846​



Additional Homework: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9B18E986098ADA36


"Mark Burnett: 'Create Something People Want'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwPRsEFlXn8
 
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QR Codes +/or Story Web Page = 2° Separation From Your Production Co. Website

So, I'm watching BLITZ, distributed by Millennium Entertainment (which has a rather discrete few-second fade in & out of a static image, BTW), and I'm noticing that the promo's for their other films Trust and Elephant White conclude with credits displaying those goofy QR codes, which seem to be multiplying like tribbles everywhere.

20120409TheTroubleWithQRibbles-TribblesQRCodes.png


And so, I got to thinking "How can I take advantage of this? How can I incorporate this into one of my films so that it can extend to all of my other films?"
(Assuming I made any films at all, let alone more than one.)


cohen-qr-code-80x80.JPG
<--->
cohen-qr-code-80x80.JPG
<--->
cohen-qr-code-80x80.JPG

Surely there's a way to stick one of those hideous looking QR codes somewhere into a film for our more inquisitive viewers (the literal "fanatics" aspect of "fans") to scan onscreen and pursue additional BTS & production info.

I want to extend the viewer experience BEEEEYONNNNND the time allotted in a traditional 90-120min feature film.

In lieu of a hideous QR code, consider a display of a webpage URL or simply a dialog reference to one as part of the actual story.

Either the hideous QR tag leading to a webpage or rote webpage both have a discrete link to yet another page which - Dah! Da-dah! - is your production company's homepage where all of your other films are promoted.

2° of separation.

Film's QR code &/or web page ---> film web page ---> production company webpage.



Let those d!ckless, pirating c*ckgobblers steal my sh!t all they want, LOL! I'll work around the li'l b!tches.



Have any of you seen this? https://www.weylandindustries.com/
It's a pre-release variant of the same idea.
Pretty darn cool in organizational/promotional construct.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's filmed slick and all. Blah, blah, blah.
But the idea is really nice.
I'm interested to see if this is an excerpt of the final film or is it a stand-alone product?
1,106​


* * * * * * * *

An internet marketing forum: http://www.warriorforum.com/

No, I haven't reviewed a great deal of what they have to say, but a cursory look indicates they're a pleasant community.
There's likely some good intel on approaches and tools to gather from such a focused group.
 
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I wonder how much Harley Davidson is paying to have that logo stuck on there? For what looks like 15 scheduled hours!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew9pyMRTXKY

And notice when they goto a splitscreen shot the "The Avengers" is, of course, being promoted on top fifth, but the bottom fifth promotes Marvel.
Niiice. Niiice. Niiice.


http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_U...avengers&camp_id=16&source_cd=Vanity_avengers
http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/harleydavidsons-avengers-contest-offers-sweet-ride,69044/
"Entering requires a profile on the Harley-Davidson website, or, at the very least, a junk e-mail address to divert the spam from Marvel and Harley’s marketing henchmen. Contestants are encouraged to select a bike, create a superhero, and then describe that hero in 1,000 characters or less. The last step is to customize a bike for the freshly minted superhero. (It’s like playing with LEGOs, except with a calculator nearby to keep track of how many thousands of dollars your toy will cost before you throw in matching LEGO hats, boots, gloves, and wardrobe.) The winner of the contest gets his or her mug in a digital comic book—probably getting punched by Hulk or something—as well as the custom ride."

- Offer a significant gift reward
- Acquire email address (GOLD! You can retain that to promote your next indie film.)
- Provide an interactivity/participation activity
- Dangle a token cost "also ran" premium IN ADDITION to the prize (Customers may ask "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't win the Big Prize. Can I get one of them there customized token 'also ran' prizes?" Suuuurrrre. For a $5 donation to my next indie film I'll even autograph it!)


Ah! As contest details emerge this just keeps getting better (if you know what to look for!)
http://nerdmonkey42.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/avengersharley-davidson-contest/
"... this internet nerd raffle gives you a chance to create your own superhero, describe him or her within 1,000 words, then build your own motorcycle fit for your hero. Winning the contest will... "

Who sees the gold?

The buncha schmuck contestants are PROVIDING MARVEL intel on what they find most engaging.
I promise you all entries are going to be categorized into most to least popular, then dissected for intriguing ideas.
Hmm... I wonder what amalgamated super hero-like-type creation Marvel will present to its illustrators to develop? Hmm...
Think there's any... benefit to this market study?
Can't copyright an idea, right?
Only a fully fleshed development.
I think a 1,000 word description is arguable as being indefensible.
But I ain't a lawyer. I didn't even sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. Mighta drove by one in the last year.



W. T. F?
I sure run across some goofy sh!t on these quests.
Iron Girl.
827_max.jpeg
Whatever. Fan art freaks.


Finally, something a little on-topic:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/168239/harley-davidson-follows-the-passion.html?print
"Bernacchi [the Harley-Davidson marketing communication director who helped develop the Chevrolet/Transformers partnership] tells Marketing Daily that programs like “The Avengers” are about reaching people who are interested, but thinking of swinging a leg over a Harley-Davidson motorcycle maybe later on. "We want to get people interested in Harley-Davidson products and lifestyle in a way that makes them think twice, in places they're living in already; Marvel is one of the largest male publications out there, with the average fan literally being 18 to 34 years of age, so it really hits a sweet spot for us."

Marvel fans are also 40% more likely to consider a Harley-Davidson than any other motorcycle brand and almost 25% more likely to be into motorcycles in general than fans of any other general publication, per Bernacchi. "We are focused on scale and on [relationships with] brands whose characters resonate with ours.""
Okay, so someone's already been doing his homework and knows where to go hunting for more customers.
Good boy. Earn your cheddar.


Speaking of cheddar...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(2012_film)#Promotional_partners
"Other promotional partners include bracelet-maker Colantotte, Dr Pepper, Farmers Insurance, Harley-Davidson, Hershey, Land O'Frost lunchmeats, Oracle, Red Baron pizza, Symantec, Visa and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. In total Marvel and its' parent-company Disney secured an estimated $100 million in worldwide marketing support for The Avengers. Notable exclusions include Baskin-Robbins, Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts, who had partnered with Marvel in the past when their films were distributed by Paramount. Disney has long strayed away from pairing up with fast fooderies because it does not want to be seen promoting junk food to kids."

Wiki citation led to: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052078?refCatId=13
Just... read the whole d@mn thing.
 
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Movie Trailers Released Exclusively Via QR Code for The First Time [PICS]

Ahem: http://icomnow.com/movie-trailers-released-exclusively-via-qr-code-for-the-first-time-pics/



Ahem. Again. (Different subject, though, but one I mini-rant on about): http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/creating-brand-advocates-marvel-avengers-style/
"Give a taste of what’s to come. One of the signature Marvel moves is to post a little teaser of an upcoming Marvel film or a bonus scene at the end of their current release. Robert Downey Jr. showed up after the credits of The Hulk, Thor’s hammer was featured after Iron Man 2, and a full teaser trailer for the Avengers was tacked on to the end of Captain America.

Keep the hype going. Are you about to release a new product or redesign your website? Then get your customers excited about it! Make full use of your social media. Post cropped pictures of a tiny part of your new item. Tweet semi-cryptic messages about your upcoming service. Organize a promotion. If you make it exciting, your fans will find it exciting."
 
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I'm not really sure which filmmaking section to place this under, but Marketing & Promotion seem good as any, especially since I sense that's often where most beginning filmmakers are weakest.

Hardware & software tech specs are objectively simple and very comforting to know.
Industry standard to personal preference camera techniques are quasi-subjective simple enough to learn (with some effort and concern.)
Screenplay format for writer/directors - not a problem.
Solid audio gathering can be in the bag with proper equipment & know how. Emphasis on the know-how.
Organizing cast & crew, equipment transportation with set up & breakdown, location scouting & confirmation, permits & papers, costumes & props, etc. are administrative functions to bag & tag.

Great.
Wonderful.

But when it comes time to "get" the money to do this stunt or "show" the film after it's done writer/director/producers begin scratching their heads.
WTH did people do before kickstarter and indie gogo? OMG!
Now that we have Kubrick 2.0 incarnate on a DVD WTH do we do?
"Youtube!
Vimeo!
Uh... Film festivals!"
(Okay, you're just guessing, aren't you? That last one didn't sound too convincing. How about "very small rocks" while you're at it.)

"Submit to Sundance and SXSW!
My neo-noir gritty urban dysfunctional dystopian redefinition of the existential family is sure to not only be selected as one of a hundred out of near four-thousand entries but Warner Brothers might cut me a big fat distribution check!"
Um... chief. The big W. B. don't roll like dat. Sorry.

So, WTH am I missing or forgetting?

I dunno.
Lettuce see.

Thanks to Chilipie's always helpful post with link I ran across the following.

Go ahead. Click on the picture. I dare ya!​

I gotta hit the refresh button for that tab that pops up. How odd. Whatever.

It's good.
I like it.
It's presented a little linearly, as most minds work, so it's fairly decent.

I just thought some of the points could be better elucidated. So, I thought I'd give it a go:

20120412UnderstandingFilmmakingProductionStepsMatrixChart.png

(Photobucket kinda miniaturizes photos that are waaaay outta scale as this one is, so you may need to CTRL+ that a couple times to read it well.)

I didn't really add a whole lot, just provided what I felt was some context.
No single step absolutely stops the moment the next step begins. There's often some degree of carry over activity.
Additionally, the intensity of any given activity is variable, perhaps starting low before ramping up then stopping.

"The Idea" doesn't, or shouldn't, stop the moment we start trying to figure out how we're going to pull off this stunt, stunt being making a film.
Going forward, trying to figure out how to pay for just organizing all of this doesn't stop the moment we start pounding out a script or screenplay. (I tend to think of script as being just the dialog, a screenplay includes actions and location details.)
Feelers for sales should begin during the development stage, incorporated into the budget and design of the film, turned-up once there's preliminary product to tease with, then kicked into overdrive well before the film is edited and well after the film is "in the can".
Likewise, marketing the film doesn't begin once it's in the can, and shouldn't stop the moment it starts showing in exhibition.

The steps in black, bold, italicized type are those I see most frequently being inquired about and expressed in a great deal of comfort around IT.
The steps in dark red type are those I see very little discussion about, other than my own, and a fair bit of expression of "WTH do I do?"



In education there are two schools of approaches: Descriptive and Prescriptive.
The descriptive approach to education is to present options A, B, C, and D, describe their pros and cons - but offer zero guidance. You're on your own to make your own decision as to WTH you wanna do.
The prescriptive approach to education is to present options A, B, C, and D, describe their pros and cons - and tell you if you do this or that you'll screw up stuff and/or get in trouble, so don't do that. Or at least don't get caught doing that.

On this... you gotta figure out WTH you're doing. I can't tell you. So, I'm gonna puss out and largely just give you the descriptive approach, other than to prescriptively state:
DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOUR FILM IS DONE
BEFORE
SELLING & MARKETING IT,
AND FIGURING OUT WHERE
YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW IT!
​
IMHO, of course. :)
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http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/movie-marketing/

"As a filmmaker, you must realize that movie marketing is essential to your success. And while I’m sure you “know” this, you probably aren’t doing anything about it.

In an effort to provide you with bite sized steps you can take to accelerate your filmmaking success, I have listed the top ten things that all filmmakers must include in their movie marketing:
  • Definable hook.
  • Great screenplay.
  • Clearly definable target audience.
  • Cost effective way to reach the target audience.
  • Consistent branding (logos, fonts and colors) on movie marketing collateral.
  • Awesome poster.
  • Great Movie website that helps you “sell” your movie.
  • Marketing plan included in your business plan.
  • Team of people consisting of at least one internet nerd.
  • The willingness to implement your own sales and marketing strategy."

Yep. Yep. Yep. It all looks good to me.
I like that "internet nerd" part.
Someday, when I start to figure out how to effectively market indie films online, I'll offer to monetize my own "internet nerd" skilz.

Hire actors.
Hire a DP.
Hire a audio guy.
Then hire Ray the "internet nerd" to market what they acted out, shot, and said.

Maybe.
Definite maybe.
Someday.
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Decent low-budget film marketing interview: http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/filmmaker-david-allen-talks-modern-moviemaking-and-vod-distribution/
"JB
So would you say that filmmakers must first understand the value of relationships?

DWA
There is such a valuable lesson to be learned here especially with the social networking explosion on the Internet… Success is all about the relationships both online and offline.

JB
That makes me remember a quote I learned while selling overpriced hot tubs in college. “People buy from people they trust and like.”

DWA
In my opinion this is the key to being successful in offline and online business and film distribution. Over time your followers will come to trust you and believe you, so when you have something to sell they will be far more likely to buy because they feel like they know and trust you.



DWA
My marketing plan is simple. With very little money, I am taking the advice of a brilliant marketer Seth Godin and build a tribe and sell the movie to that tribe who over time will spread the word.... I will be collecting emails from prospective customers so we can sell them backend products that they actually want.



DWA
I look at the film itself as a lead generation product for the purpose of building a big [previous buyer email] list. I am not all that concerned about making the money back on the DVD itself but on other monetizing avenues over time including advertising.... The modern filmmaker needs to think beyond the film itself as the only means of generating income. The money online is where the eyeballs are. Think about it."



Another business-y marketing article: http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/financing-movies-with-vod-sales-projections/
"Given the birth of VOD distribution, filmmakers now have the ability to access and enter into a non-discriminatory marketplace as soon as your movie is ready. As a result, you can now create movie sales projections from day one.

To get started, answer these questions:

Modern MovieMaking Model
  • Who Is Your Target Audience?
  • How Large Is Your Target Audience?
  • How Will You Reach Your Audience?
  • What Is Your Marketing Strategy?
  • How Many VOD Sales To Break Even? "
I believe a sober answer to that very first question will make a profound impact on the honest production of our film products.

By viewing the gamut of shorts submitted to IT for our review and noting both the dearth of pithy non-technical/execution responses and subject content extrapolated into a full-length feature it seems the overwhelming majority of (short) film products are created for only the writer/director/producer's benefit.
"I made this. Watch it."
Not a lick of consideration for WTH any audience wants to see.



Another nice article: http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/how-to-sell-your-movie-25-part-checklist/
How To Sell Your Movie 25 Part Checklist!
"This checklist should be considered a good start – but many of you will want further information. "
Just... read the whole d@mn thing. :yes:

LMAO @ #11


Marketing article a la carté: http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/tag/marketing/


 
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I have GOT to learn how this guy raised so much donor cash!

$100M Charity 'Scammer' Refuses To Reveal Identity
http://news.yahoo.com/feds-100m-cha...-identity-180838810--abc-news-topstories.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...5648.0.6598.15.5.0.10.10.0.46.181.5.5.0...0.0.

That it was a scam was beside the point.
I want to know his methodology for getting people to believe in his program or cause.



Headzup: Soon I plan on investigating how political campaigns secure donor cash to see if some of those techniques can be applied to our private equity film funding acquisitions.
Yay.

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GuerrillaAngel said:
Talk to the swift boat people. :cool:
Click to expand...
And the Jack Abramoff crew, as well! :lol:


Any ways...


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...early-1-million-when-20120504,0,6652107.story
"The [bogus] U.S. Navy Veterans Association, which was based in Tampa, Fla., collected at least $2 million from Virginia residents over a five-year period that ended in 2010, according to findings by the state's consumer affairs agency that were made public last year.

Virginia officials began investigating the charity in 2010 after news reports raised questions about its fundraising and spending practices and whether many of the organization's members actually existed. The address for the group's Virginia chapter was a drop box at a UPS store just outside of Richmond."

Lotta blabbin' about all the wrong doing, but zero statement of how John Doe actually secured any of the supposed reported millions donated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Navy_Veterans_Association


Well... I flippantly pursued this just to see the mechanics of how he got so many people to donate to him. But of the two dozen articles I've read they all consistantly dodge those details, they all regurgitate who the organization made all sorts of bogus claims to or about, but no identification of any methodologies - only a defunct website.

Next search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...s&source=lnms&ei=XrOkT4vdM5Oo8ATno_C9Aw&sa=X&

Rats.
That didn't turnip anything useful.

Next: http://www.webcrawler.com/search/web?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=2&q=how+charities+find+donations&ql=

This isn't going much better.

Until now (and even then, it's still pretty lame-sauce): http://www.beggingmoney.com/
"How Do You Get Your Money?
We recommend using PayPal to donate and receive money online, it's free, safe and secure.

Make a Donation Now!
Visit Paypal.com to sign up and start receiving donations.

Create a PayPal Button
Login to PayPal.com and click on Merchant Services on the menu. Scroll down to the middle of the page and under the heading "Create Buttons" click on "Donate". Follow the instructions and post that button code in your email to send to us. Whatever you receive in donations goes directly to you, we never take a percentage of your money.
Watch the Video "How to Make a PayPal Donation Button"! What if somebody contacts me and wants to send me cash or a check? Do not reply to them!We give all donors the chance to send money through PayPal. If anybody wants to help, that is how they can do it. Any attempt to contact you is almost certainly a scam, no matter how sincere they may seem. "

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/merchant


Something else: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/nonprofit-donations.html
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From what i've seen through personal experience, most people donate to politicians either because of what they believe in or what they are going to get out of it.
 
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Got Name? Okay. Got Promotion? - How to turn $11m into Pocket Change!

Miley Cyrus’ ‘LOL’ bombs at the box office
http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/miley-cyrus-lol-bombs-box-office-180407154.html
lol-poster-jpg_174800.jpg


"... the film did not have a premiere event and Cyrus did no interviews with major outlets for "LOL," indicating much-curtailed -- if non existent -- publicity.

There did seem a last-ditch attempt to get a groundswell of Miley's fans (she has 5.6 million followers on Twitter) to the theaters where it was opening. Stories on mileycyrusworld.org and mileyraycyrus.org -- which literally listed every theater and city in which "LOL" would be screening -- attempted to create hype.

...we need a lot of people to see the movie when it's released. If more people go to see it, Lionsgate might expand it into more theaters — which is already a possibility so we need all of you fans in those areas to go and see the movie!​

Apparently the fans didn't bite."

So, even with 5.6m (devout) twitter followers she couldn't get more of her peeps to pay.

LK-2012-05-06--651x604.jpg


I looked over that chart column a few times and I do believe $440 per theater was the lowest for the weekend! :blush:


Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore film ‘LOL’ gets sidelined
http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/miley-cyrus-demi-moore-film-lol-gets-sidelined-190532131.html

""LOL" is essentially going straight to DVD—hitting a very small amount of theaters due only to contractual obligations. From the L.A. Times report:
"LOL" would likely have gone direct to DVD, [sources tell the L.A. Times], but [Mandate Picture's—a Lionsgate subsidiary—] contracts with foreign distributors contained a provision that the movie must be shown domestically in at least 100 theaters. As a result, the studio has very quietly decided to release "LOL" in seven cities on May 4, the same day as the sure-to-be blockbuster "Avengers," which is expected to open to more than $100 million.
Lionsgate set the May 4 date recently without making any formal announcement and has apparently planned to do no publicity.​
Miley Cyrus has a strong fan base due to her years on Disney show "Hannah Montana," but her transition to film hasn't been as smooth.

Certainly the marketing and publicity for "LOL" is markedly different than that of "The Last Song"—for which Cyrus did extensive press interviews and television appearances. Cyrus is currently not booked for any major network television talk shows—rather strange for a major celebrity in the final weeks leading up to a film release by a major distribution company."

Okay, so if we compared the "LOL" to "The Last Song" as fairly as possible I'll straight up admit comparing first weekend of the former with the first week of the latter isn't good statistical science - but WTH?!!!

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=lastsong.htm
Mar 26–Apr 1 Week
$9,387,615 Weekly Gross
2,673 Theaters
$3,512 Average (per theater)​

Alright, I'm pretty sure that 105 theaters can't compete with 2,673 for overall revenue.
However, on a "per theater" basis there's no way there's going to be a come-from-behind win or even approach of a three-day $440 per theater to anywhere near a week's worth of $3,512 per theater average.

Although the budget for LOL was almost half of The Last Song's at $11m and $20m, respectively, I think it's safe to say that there is wide recognition of the little correlation between budget and revenues.
And I don't think the difference is between the distribution companies' pull with anyone, foreign or domestic, either.


To me this is a clear example that marketing and promotion can and does have a profound impact on the profitability of a film product.


I wonder how much the foreign distributors ponied up? I hope it offset the budget by a fair bit.
And combined with state tax credits the fiscal damage to Lionsgate was mitigated.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592873/locations

http://www.michiganfilmoffice.org/For-Producers/Film-Credit-FAQs/Default.aspx
27 - 35% rebate for qualifying expenses. Not bad.

So, with the finance model we've been examining over at the Budget thread we know it's the gap + supergap bank equity and investor private equity that are exposed at this point.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=263463#post263463

I think they're toast unless Lionsgate got some pretty sweet up front foreign sales revenues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOL_(2012_film)
Budget $11 million
Box office $46,100 (As of May 7, 2012)

220154_o.gif


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592873/


U 2 can LOL @ the reviews of LOL!: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592873/reviews


UPDATE: I found a little more...

LOL: Miley Cyrus Bomb Makes $440 Per Screen
http://movieline.com/2012/05/07/lol-miley-cyrus-bomb-makes-440-per-screen/

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Internet Marketing Lowers Marketing Expense, But Requires More Effort & Time

Marketing The Hunger Games
http://blog.aprimo.com/marketing-the-hunger-games

"For an $80 million dollar production budget, The Hunger Games had a remarkably small marketing spend – just $45 million (marketing budgets for large-scale blockbusters are normally at least $100 million). How did Lionsgate keep costs so low? According to The New York Times, it’s because the 21-person team led by Tim Palen “relied on inexpensive digital initiatives to whip up excitement.”

That’s not to say that Palen’s team didn’t use old standbys in movie marketing: television spots, articles in trades, billboards, eye-catching posters and trailers. (As you might expect, this part of the campaign was targeted to the 25+ crowd who are used to making viewer decisions based on more traditional media messages.) But, the true magic of The Hunger Games marketing was in its use of compelling digital initiatives to immerse the 25-and-younger crowd –the original audience of the book –in the cinematic world of Panem, the movie’s futuristic society. To do this, the marketing team reached out across the platforms young adults now use in their everyday lives. Interactive campaigns via Facebook, Twitter, an iPhone game and the Capitol Couture Tumblr created expansive, immersive experiences that rolled out in a purposeful cadence over the course of the past year.

20120213FilmDemographicQuadrants.png



How can we assure fans of the source material that the Hollywood adaptation won’t sully their beloved reading experience?
To start, a contest was created to bring a loyal fan to North Carolina during the film shoot. This initiative was designed to show fans directly –not through the “Hollywood Hype Machine” –that the film would be a faithful adaptation of their beloved books."


The "contest" (:lol: It's a pretty low bar.)
http://www.hungergamestrilogy.net/2...ultimate-hunger-games-fan-sweeps-on-facebook/

"To enter the sweepstakes... fans need to visit THE HUNGER GAMES on Facebook and “like” it. They have the option to submit two additional entries if they share the page with friends. The winner will be announced online the week of July 25. Included in their set visit will be a tour of set, select meet and greets with some of the cast and crew and autographs."

Simply, the more friends you share the sweepstakes contest link to that lead to a "like" you get double the points.
For a typical lo/no budget film the "contest prize" would need to be appropriately scaled to budget, of course.
The point though is to incentivize link sharing, thus awareness, as much as possible.


How ‘Hunger Games’ Built Up Must-See Fever
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/b...t-up-must-see-fever.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp

"Studios are playing a wilier game, using social media and a blizzard of other inexpensive yet effective online techniques to pull off what may be the marketer’s ultimate trick: persuading fans to persuade each other.

The art lies in allowing fans to feel as if they are discovering a film, but in truth Hollywood’s new promotional paradigm involves a digital hard sell in which little is left to chance — as becomes apparent in a rare step-by-step tour through the timetable and techniques used by Lionsgate to assure that “The Hunger Games” becomes a box office phenomenon when it opens on Friday.

Lionsgate used all the usual old-media tricks — giving away 80,000 posters, securing almost 50 magazine cover stories, advertising on 3,000 billboards and bus shelters.

But the campaign’s centerpiece has been a phased, yearlong digital effort built around the content platforms cherished by young audiences: near-constant use of Facebook and Twitter, a YouTube channel, a Tumblr blog, iPhone games and live Yahoo streaming from the premiere.

A built-in fan base for “The Hunger Games” certainly helps its prospects. More than 24 million copies of “The Hunger Games” trilogy are in print in the United States alone. "
Imagine the effort required for a successful campaign with NO existing fan base?

"Lionsgate has generated this high level of interest with a marketing staff of 21 people working with a relatively tiny budget of about $45 million. Bigger studios routinely spend $100 million marketing major releases, and have worldwide marketing and publicity staffs of over 100 people. The studio has been able to spend so little largely because Mr. Palen has relied on inexpensive digital initiatives to whip up excitement."
What is your marketing budget?
Half of your production budget?
Will you spend half the time and effort marketing your film as you invest in planning, pre-production, production, and post-production - COMBINED?
Traditional studio marketing budget is at least equal to (or more than!) the production budget!

"Early promotion for “The Hunger Games” started in spring 2009, when Mr. Palen flew to New York to meet with publicity executives from Scholastic to learn about the book franchise. Rubber didn’t hit the road, however, until last March [2011], when the Lionsgate team... started methodically pumping out casting news via Facebook.

They assigned one team member to cultivate “Hunger Games” fan blogs. [The] senior vice president for digital marketing, drafted a chronology for the entire online effort, using spreadsheets (coded in 12 colors) that detailed what would be introduced on a day-by-day, and even minute-by-minute, basis over months.

One important online component involved a sweepstakes to bring five fans to the movie’s North Carolina set. [See above link about this sweepstakes]. Notably, Lionsgate invited no reporters: The studio did not want consumers thinking this was another instance of Hollywood trying to force-feed them a movie through professional filters.


Last summer, the Lionsgate team... started debating how to handle the movie’s subject [,of kids killing kids, in the film's advertising]... [the studio’s top movie executive] floated a radical idea: what about never showing the games at all in the campaign? Some team members were incredulous; after all, combat scenes make up more than half the movie. “There was a lot of, ‘You’ve got to be kidding. I don’t see how we can manage that,’ ”

Eventually, he prevailed. “Everyone liked the implication that if you want to see the games you have to buy a ticket,” he said. Boundaries were also established involving how to position plot developments; in the movie, 24 children fight to the death until one wins, but “we made a rule that we would never say ‘23 kids get killed,’ ” Mr. Palen said. “We say ‘only one wins.’ ” The team also barred the phrase “Let the games begin.”

In August came a one-minute sneak peek, introduced online at MTV.com. People liked it but complained — loudly — that it wasn’t enough. “We weren’t prepared for that level of we-demand-more pushback,” Mr. Palen said.

The footage did include a Twitter prompt through which fans could discover a Web site for the movie, TheCapitol.pn. (The Capitol is where the Hunger Games take place.) The site allowed visitors to make digital ID cards as if they lived in Panem, the movie’s futuristic society; more than 800,000 people have created them.

October included another Twitter stunt, this time meant to allow those ID makers to campaign online to be elected mayor of various districts of Panem. November marked the iTunes release of the main trailer, which received eight million views in its first 24 hours.

On Dec. 15, 100 days before the movie’s release, the studio created a new poster and cut it into 100 puzzle pieces. It then gave digital versions of those pieces to 100 Web sites and asked them to post their puzzle piece on Twitter in lockstep.

Fans had to search Twitter to put together the poster, either by printing out the pieces and cutting them out or using a program like Photoshop. “The Hunger Games” trended worldwide on Twitter within minutes.

“It was a silly little stunt, but it worked — bam,” Mr. Palen said.

More movie hubs went live on sites like PopSugar, Moviefone and The Huffington Post in January, which also was the start of a lavish Tumblr blog called Capitol Couture dedicated to the movie’s unique fashions. Fifty more Web sites coordinated a ticket giveaway. Capitol TV — movie footage, user-generated “Hunger Games” videos — arrived on YouTube in February and has since generated almost 17.7 million video views.

This week, remembering it is operating in the attention deficit era, Lionsgate will introduce a new Facebook game and, separately, a virtual tour of the Capitol in a Web partnership with Microsoft.

“You’ve got to constantly give people something new to get excited about, but we also had another goal in mind... How do we best sustain online interest until the DVD comes out?”"


Alright, that's a lot to digest and cogently comprehend, so allow me to break it down:
  1. Q1 or Q2 2012 - Release date fairly well planned.
  2. Spring of 2010 - Promotion pre-planning begun almost two years before release.
  3. March of 2011 - Serious promotion effort begins a year before release.
  4. June of 2011 - Facebook "Like-Link" contest begins for five fans to be brought to filming set.
  5. August of 2011 - One minute sneak peek online @ MTV.com.
  6. --> The sneak peek included a twitter prompt.
  7. --> The twitter prompt led to a website for the movie.
  8. --> The website allowed visitors to make their own IDs to live in the fictional city of the movie. Over 800k created.
  9. October of 2011 - twitter prompt for those with city IDs to enter online city district mayor election campaigns.
  10. November of 2011 - The iTunes release of the main trailer. Over 8million views in 24hrs.
  11. December of 2011 - 100 puzzle piece poster digitally disseminated to 100 websites to be posted on their company twitter accounts.
  12. No date - Tumblr blog "CapitalCouture " launched, dedicated to movie's unique fashions.
  13. No date - Over fifty websites release coordinated ticket giveaway.
  14. February of 2012 - Capitol TV (movie footage of user-generated “Hunger Games” videos) arrived on YouTube. 17.7million views. (Anyone wanna make a logical ;) guess as to why this part was saved for near-last? :D)
  15. Week of film's release - Lionsgate introduces a new Facebook game and a virtual tour of the Capitol.
Remember - the above "online effort, using spreadsheets (coded in 12 colors) that detailed what would be introduced on a day-by-day, and even minute-by-minute, basis over months" was in addition to "all the usual old-media tricks — giving away 80,000 posters, securing almost 50 magazine cover stories, advertising on 3,000 billboards and bus shelters."


I like this plan.
Granted, it's a sh!tload of effort, and probably a bit much for our typical lo/no budget indie film, but there are some good ideas here.
The volume of interactivity is beautiful. Thoughtfully increasingly engagement of the scope potential viewers. Very nice.

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THE DEVIL INSIDE: The Smartest Guys in the Room

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/06/us-boxoffice-idUSTRE8051XZ20120106
"Paramount has been heavily promoting "The Devil Inside." The studio has estimated that the movie -- which has a 7 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- will make $8 million in box-office receipts. Rival studio estimates, however, have the film opening at between $12 million and $16 million. BoxOffice.com predicts it could take in as much as $23 million."
It opened up @ $38.3m.

In
F**cking
Credibe.

This $1m (reported) production budget piece of "found footage" sh!t, loved by no one, (7% critics [YES! S E V E N. It's the lowest RT number I've ever seen] and 23% >38k paying audience) lame-sauce hauled in over $100m.

The boiled down reviews: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Inside_(film)#Reception

It's first domestic week hauled in $38,346,847 across 2,285 theaters, equaling a $16,782 average per theater.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=devilinside.htm

What did the $210m BATTLESHIP haul in? $25,534,825 for a 3-day weekend across 3,690 theaters @ $6,920 average per theater. RT: 35% critic / 57% 101k paying audience
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=battleship.htm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battleship/

$250m JOHN CARTER? $39,657,453 across 3,749 theaters @ $10,578 average per theater. RT: 52% critic / 67% 78k paying audience
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=johncarterofmars.htm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/john_carter/


$1m budget.
No stars - at all! Not even little pickle cameos or nothing.
No household name directors or godfather-like producers.
No special release date (January 6, 2012) (Although this article suggests otherwise: http://finchclasses.blogspot.com/2012/01/devil-inside-really-scary-true-story-of.html )
No... effing anything.
AND... ! And - it SUCKS!
(FWIW, I've been on a found footage/documentary style roll lately: A Mighty Heart, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, [REC], Quarantine, Cloverfield, Monsters, Paranormal Activity III, Troll Hunter, Apollo 18, Black Death, and probably a couple others I can't recall.)

So, how the h3ll did they get so many butts in seats? H3ll! I wanna know how they got this hated POS into so many GD theaters?!

Well, that second question is probably the more easier of the two to answer - up to a point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Inside_(film)#Background
"[Producers] Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Steven Schneider brought the movie to Paramount Pictures, and their low-budget branch, Paramount Insurge acquired the film for the first release from that low-budget branch, hoping it would be its next Paranormal Activity."
So, how-the-h3ll did they get ahold of this?
The writer/directors have some street cred.

Bonaventura has considerable street cred: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_di_Bonaventura

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/devil-inside-william-brent-horror-280644
"Devil Inside director William Brent Bell will direct the untitled project from a script he wrote with Matthew Peterman. Steven Schneider, producer of Devil Inside, is producing the film with Peterman and Morris Paulson through their production company Prototype."

Ho-lee-sh!t. One of the producers (key team trio member) is a for-real atty.
http://ahdootwolfson.com/morris-paulson/

Well, after some more looking around I still can't quite get a handle on how the writer Bell + writer/producer Peterman + producer/atty Paulson trio hooked up with executive producers Bonaventura + Schneider who likely approached Paramount Pictures' micro-budget arm Insurge Pictures headed by Amy Powell, the studios' SVP.


Okay.
So back to the meatNtaters of marketing & promotion:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=o....,cf.osb&fp=a7440405c8a6cc37&biw=1599&bih=809

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/01/devil-inside-box-office-hit.html
"And the Twitter volume coming into the weekend was both a reason for and a symptom of pre-release interest. (Paramount deployed social media in a number of ways, including with a clever "Tweet Your Scream" promotion that it also used for "Paranormal Activity 3.")"

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/09/entertainment/la-et-box-office-20120109
"85% of the audience was younger than 35... From Friday to Saturday, receipts were down 27% — on par with the average slide for a scary flick."
http://www.speroforum.com/a/PYDMEUD...e-Me-cheap-horror-film-outperforms-Tom-Cruise
"According to Paramount, 59 percent of viewers for The Devil Inside were under 25 and 85 percent were under 35"


Timeline:
http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12035/the-devil-inside-new-teaser-poster-and-chilling-911-call/
10.15.11 The Devil Inside: New Teaser Poster and Chilling 911 Call
"Paramount Pictures actually moved up the movie's release date from Feb. 24 to Jan. 6.
We have yet to see any still images and the trailer isn't due to drop until next week"

http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12052/creepy-first-trailer-for-the-devil-inside/
10.18.11 Creepy First Trailer for The Devil Inside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuGEicv0cAg 28,741 views

11.31.11 The Devil Inside- TV Spot #1
[yT]SLhlZHBD2Oo[/yT] 1,459,658 views

http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12566/no-soul-is-safe-in-first-preview-clip-from-the-devil-inside/
12.10.11 "No Soul is Safe" in First Preview Clip from The Devil Inside
"Because it's a Paramount Insurge movie, the marketing campaign for The Devil Inside has been virtually non-existent, but a new preview clip has been released that offers more footage not seen in the trailer and TV spot. "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVI-GZUjWGg 66,229 views

12.15.12 How the Church Helped Turn 'Devil Inside' Into Mega-Hit
"... scores of people were ushered into the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena for an advance showing of the film.

Paramount marketing gurus Josh Greenstein and Megan Colligan: “We screened the movie at night. And the priest blessed people if they wanted,” Greenstein says. “He also was available after the movie to answer any questions about exorcisms.”

Greenstein and Colligan won’t reveal the clergy member’s identity, or whether he is actually a Catholic priest or a minister. “We didn’t want to advertise him or his faith,” Greenstein notes.

“Our strategy was to anchor the campaign around making the film seem real, reflected by the slogan, ‘The film the Vatican doesn’t want you to see,’” Colligan says.
Paramount released a red-band trailer online Christmas Eve, prompting worldwide chatter (the film doesn’t roll out overseas for another three weeks) and the TV spot cut from the Westminster screening sparked a flurry of online comments. "

Resulting commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1IH5vYC0rQ 220,309 views

http://www.movieviral.com/2011/12/28/featured-app-the-devil-inside-for-iphone-ipod-and-ipad/
12.28.11 Featured App: “The Devil Inside” For IPhone, IPod, And IPad
"For a film that’s being released on the 6th of January, there has been very little promotion. That must be why they release this app for the iPhone and it’s multiple sister products.

The app is free, and starts off, upon launch of the app, with a picture of the poster, a short, one sentence instruction, and then the option to start the actual test.

The app then proceeds to ask you a series of questions. Once you’ve answered all the questions, it has you line up two red crosses with your pupils. I won’t spoil what it does from here, but I will say one thing: I was not impressed.

It’s a dated concept in a time where it takes a hell of a lot more to impress a viewer. The app was free, so I wasn’t too upset, but I would like to write the studio and get a refund on my time wasted. It’s very predictable, but hey, like I said, it was free, so if it seems like you might dig the movie, then get the app." :lol:

http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12722/creepy-new-images-and-preview-clip-from-the-devil-inside/
12.30.11 Creepy New Images and Preview Clip from The Devil Inside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9lZZPDVYEM

1.06.12 Theatrical release.

http://www.fangoria.com/index.php/h...-qdevil-insideq-visit-to-linda-vista-hospital
05.~07.12
"Last week, FANGORIA was invited to tour the closed-down Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles as part of the promotion for Paramount’s DVD/Blu-ray release of THE DEVIL INSIDE. This place is legendary for being haunted."

05.15.12 The Devil Inside DVD Release date May 15, 2012
​
Additional THE DEVIL INSIDE youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DevilInsideMovie/videos

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/09/showbiz/movies/the-devil-inside-box-office-ew/index.html
"Demonic tales have made a mini-comeback in the last few years -- starting with the success of 2005′s "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," which earned $75.1 million domestically. Since then, similar titles like 2009′s "The Haunting in Connecticut" ($55.4 million), 2010′s "The Last Exorcism" ($41 million), and 2011′s "Insidious" ($54 million) have all proven lucrative thanks to their tiny budgets. "Insidious," for example, cost just $1.5 million to make. Of course, the "Paranormal Activity" movies (the fourth of which was just announced this week) are the biggest success stories of this whole trend. A total of $8 million has been spent making the three "found footage" movies, yet they have earned $296.7 million domestically.

Paramount marketed "The Devil Inside" in much the same way the studio markets the "Paranormal" films. Commercials included ample shots of audiences screaming at the screen, and viewers were encouraged to use social media to chat up the film with the "Tweet Your Scream" campaign. Indeed, all the promotional costs -- certainly a much higher number than the budget -- helped "The Devil Inside" achieve a stellar debut,... "

http://www.speroforum.com/a/PYDMEUD...e-Me-cheap-horror-film-outperforms-Tom-Cruise
"Like the Obama campaign, marketers made good use of an online presence to promote their product. With a sales campaign that bypassed traditional newspaper and TV advertising in favor of online teasers and cryptic marketing, Paramount managed to get young adults into cinemas who had not been interested in family films like Steven Spielberg's excellent Tintin and War Horse."

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20562552,00.html
" Part of that feat is thanks to the film's marketing team, which employed a bag of tricks that included a well-constructed trailer, ubiquitous posters, Twitter campaigns, and a running line about how much the Catholic Church doesn't want you to see the film. ''It really gives you the flexibility when a movie is at a certain price,'' says Josh Greenstein, Paramount's chief marketing officer. ''You can take some risks and not look at it like you have to make back a fixed number.''"

http://collider.com/the-devil-insid...hew-peterman-morris-paulson-interview/136384/
"the film reportedly cost only a mil to make (though that’s not counting print and marketing – which puts the cost around 15 or so mil"


Well... Alright. :(
After more than a reasonable amount of investigating it looks like Paramount via Josh Greenstein put in considerably less effort than the folks at Lionsgate put in for THE HUNGER GAMES.



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I just travel, add twitter and FB fans that I meet personally while doing radio interviews and personal appearances. If you stay on the road long enough and engage your following correctly you really don't need all of the crazy numbers and market info. It just happens. Building an FB and Twitter base for your work that is not project specific is probably the best thing you can do for yourself.
 
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Mining Techniques from the Masters + SciFi MPAA 'R' Marketing Risk

Viral video campaign boosts 'Prometheus'
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055213?refCatId=13

"By the time auds settle in for "Prometheus" this weekend, many moviegoers will already have seen six minutes of exposition that won't appear in Ridley Scott's long-awaited return to sci-fi -- a bit like DVD or Blu-ray extras, presented in reverse.

Created by Scott's own RSA production shingle, those videos are the latest example of a shift beyond the usual teasers and trailers. Their aim: to turn hardcore fans into mini-marketeers by giving them something unique to share with their less-engaged online friends.

At the center of the "Prometheus" initiative [they] created three stand-alone viral videos with the pic's stars Guy Pearce, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace -- all in character.

The first video, which features Pearce as founder of "Alien" company Weyland Industries, launched Feb. 28 at innovator confab TED and has generated more than 4.5 million online page views so far.

In April, RSA and Fox released its second -- and most shared -- video, featuring Fassbender as the android David, a product of Weyland. The video has drawn 3.4 million online views, boosted by a TV spot from promotional partner Verizon, which created a VOD channel on its FiOS network dedicated to showing exclusive "Prometheus" content.

Fox also invited online users to join the Weyland Industries site as "investors" in the Prometheus Project. Targeted mainly at hardcore fans, the initiative has more than 1.8 million visitors, with north of 1.3 billion social media impressions to date."

Interesting idea putting out trailers and promotional video that IS NOT included in the final product, especially for the benefit of filmgeeks, such as ourselves, to promote to our "less-engaged" friends.

Clever.

That "investor" idea is another audience engaging interactive activity very similar to THE HUNGER GAMES' "register as a city citizen" followed by the "district mayor campaigns."

Very good.
I like these.



'Prometheus' and Defying the R-Rated Blockbuster Odds
hollywood [dot] com/news/Prometheus_R_Rated_Blockbusters_Box_Office/29925403

"Prometheus is still a risk for the studio. Committing to the hard R-rating the material desperately calls for, Fox boldly steps out this weekend into an arena where few have found blockbuster-sized success. The R rating presents a formidable challenge for a movie, limiting their audience to the 18 and up crowd, a majority who are not the target demographic when it comes to theatrical experiences — especially during the summer... With an R rating, Prometheus already narrows the field of vision.

Despite the restrictive nature of the MPAA's adult branding, R-rated movies can triumph at the box office. 2012 has seen two films branded with R cross the $100 million mark: the raunchy comedy 21 Jump Street and Denzel Washington's Safe House. 2011 even saw an R-rated movie blow past $200 million, with The Hangover Part II grossing $254.5 million in the states alone. The biggest hurdle for Prometheus may be its sci-fi roots — while R-rated comedies thrive, they naturally appeal to a broader audience and, in general, cost significantly less than a special effects-driven spectacle. The cost of producing Prometheus is anyone's guess, but it's safe to assume that as a summer movie, it has to make summer movie numbers — which, these days, is upwards of $200 million. Very few R-rated, sci-fi movies have been able to cross that [$200M] event horizon, with 2003's Matrix Reloaded ($281 million) being the most recent. Only two other movies fit as apt comparisons: 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($204.8 million) and (a bit of a stretch) the 2007's comic book adaptation 300 ($210.6 million). Even franchise revivals that stir up nostalgia don't muster up much business. 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines bowed out at $150.4 million."


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