7 reasons why national cinema does not attract the viewer

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My name is Arthur and I do the so-called strategic planning of marketing in the domestic film industry. This is when another stage preproduction we, along with producer begin to figure how to “sell” the film to potential audiences: the distributors and the expert Council of Fund of cinema, to bookers, to direct visitors to the cinemas finally. But this is an ideal picture, and it is only in ideal conditions. That is, never. In fact, each time gets a lot of invisible for the non-details view, which can often bury the most worthy release. In this blog we will analyze examples of successful and not very successful promotion campaigns, to study world and national trends and, hopefully, joint efforts and good riddance from harmful beliefs that “a good product does not need advertising”.

There is a perception that the domestic audience is much more active, goes to foreign films simple because in Russia the movies are not able to remove. The view is understandable, but not entirely correct: each of you will remember the excitement caused General pacifier of domestic production — that movie people went to the shaft. Why? And why once again did not go to the domestic picture of a truly world-class?

That is what I propose to focus in first blog post — the problem with marketing in the domestic film industry that make it difficult to make even an outstanding picture attractive to the audience.

Over 10 years in the industry and 7 years of direct marketing part I again and again encountered the same behavior patterns, logical dead-ends, and a rake on which there come producers, regardless of their experience and because of that suffered the promotional campaign even noteworthy movies.

And it all starts with the producer…

Domestic producer is afraid to delegate responsibility

Domestic producer or another person, which is Central in the project (often the Director, acting as co-producer), confident in their own vision of all aspects of the project — from preparing the script to determine which publications need to give an interview a week before release. In most cases this leads to disastrous consequences — and not so much due to the fact that the producer doesn’t know or understand much of what he cooked in the project and is simply not able to perceive it adequately. Largely for that we need people from the side — for a look from that side.

After talking with local filmmakers was surprising to me to hear from John Augusta writer, not only of many films of Tim Burton, but also novels “Charlie’s Angels” — the story of how it was created, the first part of “Angels”. During filming the Director mcg went into a creative rage and shot much more than the planned amount of material, often deviating from the script quite significantly. In the end, after the first mounting Assembly, it became clear that the film does not meet anyone’s expectations and, in General, looks pretty messy — in a bad way.

With the installation unsuccessfully in pain for a few months while the head office of Sony, not offered to the entire creative team to be distracted and go in the marketing Department of the Studio where the available material has already prepared the first version of the trailer. At the viewing they were ready to argue with the marketing Department, but as soon as I saw the trailer didn’t exist until the picture on the big screen, the whole group looked at each other and in sight read: “Here it is! Here is our movie!” After that very quickly was handed a cut of the film based on seeing the trailer.

I have not seen such precedents on the domestic ground, but repeatedly faced with the fact, as a producer or Director talk to the person responsible for the trailer, but he doesn’t understand what his movie is too simple in that it is designed for cattle at the time, as the film itself is multilayered, in that minute teaser need to put more than just a representation of all the characters, but the whole plot of the film, and if you can’t, you’re a bad professional.

If to summarize, we can say that the domestic producers believe virtually everyone around you Amateurs who can’t be trusted with none of the responsibility. And to some extent they are right because…

In the Russian film industry is really a lot of Amateurs

The event, organized in the framework of the Kinotavr film festival or other film market, interview with actors and creators, which you want to send to the Urgant and noisy premiere, which will write to the duty of three publications devoted to the cinema is not a marketing strategy. But, unfortunately, on this end knowledge and understanding of promoting people, because it is the promotion of responsible, and since the market is quite narrow, people are the same, and the producers continue to buy services, like, and expertise to improve no reason.

You are, incidentally, drew attention to the fact that the main action of the film begins in a couple of weeks before its premiere? Yes, Hollywood, we know, but the volumes of these encyclopedias disproportionate. There is due to the fact that two weeks before the premiere starts high period, which is controlled by the Studio itself, we have it is because earlier than two weeks before the release just didn’t happen. And then comes out to the light another problem…

We do not realize that the significance of systemic action, not a single

Domestic producers and then experimenting, referring to the “creative” Agency in the hope that they will offer something that one movement will attract millions of viewers to the cinema. Some kind of magic button, clicking on which once, you ensure yourself success without the extra effort.

I was a witness of how such an Agency was offered the producers, for example, a campaign in which the stars of the film will be on the graphic materials beaten with black eyes and bruises. “We’ll attract attention to yourself and force them to talk about us”. What to do after the attention is attracted, the Agency said. Such stories are tens. Each of these agencies got a lot of money for one “creative” idea that was never implemented.

And what is most painful is that such ideas and wait for the producers.

Abroad you certainly will not laugh if you offered to make a fun poster for “Deadpool” in the style of romantic melodramas, but will ask: what do we do beyond that? They understand that the system actions have a much greater effect than a single event that attracted attention, but forgotten in two days.

Russian studios still need “creative” like we in the 90-ies of palavinskas “Generation P”. And here it becomes clear that…

We properly formulate goals

Behind all this “creativity” and “attention” is almost always the result of lost sight of the really important to hire the success patterns of things. 90% of those industry representatives with whom I crossed paths, sounded the order to “draw attention” and only 10 % stated as a goal “to cause the audience’s desire to see a movie in a movie”.

Agree, this is a very different goal, which is achieved by different means and lead to different results. Viral video about the girl on a motorcycle, which threw the garbage back into the car, from which he flew, was found to be very successful not only here but abroad, but after him who wanted to go to the movie “red dawn”? Or even just realized that the movie existed within the promotional campaign of this film.

The result is that, without having a clear idea about how, what and why should be done, the producer decides to do everything that comes to mind — something that will draw someone’s attention. Although much simpler and more effective to appeal directly to target audiences through channels close to her, but then gets the next item…

We rarely know who is the target audience of the film

Recipe of guaranteed failure is, as we know, to try to please everyone. Nevertheless again and again in the preparation of promotional materials, you can hear something like “why we have only one star on the poster? Also in the film, fifteen! Let all and place, and that women/men be not covered!”

After all, our audience is everything!

And we have not yet considered honored the “creators” who sincerely believe that nothing needs to be done, because the viewer himself will come.” These people are accustomed to the fact that it really comes “very”, including funding for a new project, and if the film fails at the box office — it’s just the audience is not the same as before, not able to assess. But the audience didn’t know that she needs something to evaluate and not go to the movies for one simple reason…

We do not realize that the desire of the audience must first awaken

The audience does not know that wants to go see a particular movie — this knowledge is simply not where, because of a desire to no one was trying to awaken.

Very rarely, when this step happens effortlessly. For this you need to name your movie standing, for example, the words “Star wars” or “Harry Potter”, in most other cases, the audience do not know what it is you did there and why it should be interesting.

I admit, there are loyal fans of Sergei Solovyov, who will attend his film “KE-DY,” but these — the minority. The rest of the potential value of this film you need to convey, for example, using the trailer.

And then the question arises: whether awakens movie trailer “KE-DY” the desire to go to the movies or even just look home?

In our Internet time, it’s quite easy to see if you had a chance to awaken the interest of the audience. The excitement is easy to distinguish from indifference, but it should be able to use…

We don’t understand the hype and how to create it with their hands

There are domestic brands that are guaranteed the attention of the public — for example, cartoons about heroes coming in the new year holidays. There are films produced with the support of one of the Federal channels — and then the whole channel is filled with advertising, which in theory should provide him with success at the box office.

Why, then, it happens that the Federal channel are bombarded with advertising and Queuing and excitement at the entrance of the cinemas there? Because the producers have copied only the external factor of someone else’s success, penetrating the heart.

The lack of understanding of how to operate some of the machinery has led the industry to more or less the same type of behavior on most releases: partnerima with any major resource, its brand hosted the premiere with the stars, buy the location of the positive user reviews on movie sites on the rating. Well, that’s enough.

When after a week it turns out that nobody went, bought reviews removed and wound assessment cropped automatically by the algorithm, the consciousness of a man who lived with the film for several years, it’s not always possible to adequately perceive the reality. Blame yourself stupid viewers who chose something different, Either with its correct estimates, and, of course, the unfortunate lad, zapostili in the social network a negative review.

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Following the reading, the picture had very unsightly, but our movie exists as a phenomenon and occasionally gives the audience a reason not only for joy, but also of pride. This means that people are working and that someone is doing something wrong like the majority.

In addition to the types described in the post, I was faced with a real professional producers that are in the process of constant and continuous growth. It is for them and for everyone else, who cares how they promote a movie in the world, we will continue to delve into the marketing tricks, examining how the failure cases, and unexpected hits that brought the studios billions of dollars.

And he’s still nothing about the actors, Directors and screenwriters did not say….

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