Question about marketing a quadrilogy.

[harmonica44]

I have an idea for series, and make a movie to get some hopeful success to brake into the business. I was thinking of making the second one in the series first, since it has a much more original and unique plot than the others. They are action movies but the second one is written in a way that the action will be much cheaper to film on a microbudget. So for those two reasons I think making the second one first is the way to go.

But since it continues off the first I was thinking of starting out with a re-cap right at the beginning of the film, done TV show style. The thing is would producers or audiences find it too odd, that I am recaping another hypothetical movie that hasn't been made? If the movie gets finished and released and makes money, then I can make the second one, and even splice in the re-cap scenes with the same actors and all. I need to have some sort of recap or explanation for the movie to be understood though since I wanna do the second story first.

Now Quentin Tarantino can get away with doing a faux recap and making it stylish but would that come off as amateurish for a newcomer? This script is not at all lighthearted and deals with extremely dark controversial subject matter in it's plot, so would a faux recap also seem out of place perhaps? Thanks.

 

[mad_hatter]

I think you've made a wise decision, making the first story first.

Is having a "To Be Continued" really necessary? Are you going to film scenes from the second film and put them in a montage at the end? What's the point? Who would this benefit? You say you've seen films do this before, I never have. Can you point me to a few, so I can see what you're thinking of?

Films really don't work this way. You're movie should have a conclusion, the story should end. Having extra footage after the movie has ended, showing the continuation of the story, may make it seem like you're ripping the audience off, only giving them half of your film. You're sequel/s, although they may be a continuation of the characters individual stories, should have their own unique storyline, something that sets them apart from the previous films. The footage you show after your film has finished, would really be irrelevant to what the audience have just watched.

Big "Hollywood" productions are often fully aware that they will become a franchise. Take the current 'Marvel Universe' movies for example (although they're not direct sequels, I think my point's still valid). The producers are fully aware that they are making at least 9 films (I think that's how many Sam Jackson is signed up for), but they didn't give us a "To Be Continued" after each one, because its completely unnecessary and just seems odd.

But then, I guess that's the beuaty of "Indie" cinema, you can do whatever you like and nobody can stop you. If you feel you need this, do it. You can always cut it off afterwards.

 

[Aaron M]

Off hand "Back To The Future" and "Rock N' Rolla" both had "to be continued" titles at the end.
I'm fairly sure The Matrix Reloaded had a "to be continued" or "to be concluded" title.


I think you should write all four movies at once, shoot all four movies at once, and then release all four movies at once!
Also - see if you can get a friend or two to make a tie-in PS3/Xbox video game!
Plus write a novelization on the weekends! ..maybe develop a breakfast serial! !!


Rock On!

 

[Michael Allen]

I think the 2nd Back To The Future film may have finished with "To Be Continued."

Only example I can think of.

 

[Michael Allen]

jinx

 

[Aaron M]

I think back to the future 2 finished with "To be Concluded.."

 

[Michael Allen]

Not the first or last time I've been wrong.

 

[mad_hatter]

But there is a difference between a "To Be Continued..." title screen and shooting parts of the second movie to produce a "Next Time On..." style monatge (if you get what I mean?) for something that doesn't exist.

Both the Matrix sequels and the BttF sequels were shot at the same time, so there'd be no doubt that both of those film would actually be continued.

One example I can think of where no sequel is actually planned (maybe thought about, but not written, green-lit) would be Machete. "Machete... will return... in... Machete Kills... and... Machete Kills Again." Unfortunately, this is obviously a joke. Still, it's not the same as shooting scenes from the next film to put at the end of the first.

 

[SiCurious]

For some reason, the first that springs to mind for me is the end of the god-awful Masters of the Universe movie (1987) with Dolph Lundgren. After Skeletor is knocked into some pit at the end, you can wait until the credits have finished rolling and there's a shot where Skeletor's head pops out of the slime at the bottom of the pit and furiously screams "I'll be back!" Sadly he never was, but I waited a good few years before I gave up hope.

 

[FantasySciFi]

For some reason, the first that springs to mind for me is the end of the god-awful Masters of the Universe movie (1987) with Dolph Lundgren. After Skeletor is knocked into some pit at the end, you can wait until the credits have finished rolling and there's a shot where Skeletor's head pops out of the slime at the bottom of the pit and furiously screams "I'll be back!" Sadly he never was, but I waited a good few years before I gave up hope.

Agonizing was that? With the spate of comic book movies, maybe they'll do a remake and this time include She Ra! Princess of Power. I think that would have upped their demographics.

 

[JoshL]

Agonizing was that? With the spate of comic book movies, maybe they'll do a remake and this time include She Ra! Princess of Power. I think that would have upped their demographics.

Is it wrong that I really want to see that? At the time, I remember being really disappointed that the He-Man movie was mostly set on Earth rather than Eternia, but "fantasy characters come to earth" seemed to be a bit of a thing for a while. 80s nostalgia does seem to be in full swing though, what with Transformers and G.I. Joe moves. Someone should do He-Man before they remember that He-Man was, in fact, really really bad...

And FWIW, the sequel to Masters of the Universe got transformed into the wonderfully awful Cyborg, with Jean Claude Van Damme. Not as fun as the equally awful sequels, but enjoyable if you have a taste for schlock!

 

[harmonica44]

I don't know about the new DVD release of Back to the Future II, but back in the original release, after it said to be continued, they did show a montage of scenes of the Part III. Even though I wanna do that, my script still has an ending before that, so the ending does stand out on it's own.