Is it too early to be worried? by lexigeek

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Is it too early to be worried?

POSTED BY: LEXIGEEK
UPDATED: Friday, September 2, 2005 10:31
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VIEWED: 5384
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Thursday, September 1, 2005 12:55 PM

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I wanted to get a reality check: Is anyone else worried that the publicity for the BDM has been insufficient to draw a sizeable, non-browncoat audience?

Consider: I've haven't seen one trailer in the theatres, nor have I seen anything on TV, with the exception of what they show during Firefly on Sci-Fi. They don't even show TV trailers during the other Sci-Fi shows!

Granted, I've seen a bunch of publicity here and there from links I've found here, but I have yet to stumble upon anything related to Serenity. Isn't that what needs to happen for the non-initiated to get interested?

Is it too early to worry about it? Maybe I'm just overreacting because I've never felt this passionate about and personally connected to a movie before, but I desparately want it to do well. But I'm just not convinced I would know a thing about Serenity -- or that there even WAS a movie by that name -- if I wasn't already a Browncoat.

Tell me I'm panicking and being completely unreasonable, please!

---
"Dear Diary...today I was pompous and my sister was crazy ... Today, we were kidnapped by hill folk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 1:25 PM

WHITEFALL

Frankly, it IS too early to tell... but frankly, considering Serenity is leading in every online poll we can find (dare i say: on the web), and we have gotten some decent press... well, i dunno. Keep in mind, about the trailers, that it's my completely unofficial and uninformed opinion that the theaters probably dont run trailers for movies they arent sure about (ie, star wars they are sure about) until sooner before the movie comes out.. i'd say we'll start seeing more and more trailers in the coming weeks. (perhaps even september 1st is the magic #)....

Basically... there is no way to know. Just because browncoats have a large following of vocal people, doesnt necessarily mean that there are millions more who dont post and just like Firefly..... but we can hope. :-\

I survived a day in Whitefall and all I got was this lousy signature!

Terrifying Space Monkey of Destiny

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 2:42 PM

DARKJESTER

I don't know, lexigeek. I've seen the trailer in theaters twice (both times before other Universal flicks), I saw the poster in a theater last week, and every once in a while I see an ad (for Firefly) on Sci Fi channel during the week.

But I think you are right to be concerned. No big-name stars, little brand recognition, and not easily lumped into a genre (unlike, say, "40-Year-Old Virgin"). I don't think the BDM will be the smash hit of the season. But it will do well, even surprisingly well, enough to get some sequels into the works.

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 2:46 PM

CHRISISALL

It's getting good press in Entertainment weekly, and will be the best movie of the year. No worries.

Word of mouth, man. Word of mouth Chrisisall

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 2:48 PM

LADYSHELLEY

I'd say yes, the big pubicity push will gear up probably after Labor Day. Remember the movie doesn't come out for weeks, too much can beeven worse than too little.

I've been seeing the trailer in theater since May (Batman Begins), and folks around me sened interested.

I'd say if you haven't seen anything significant by the 19th or 20th, then you can start worrying.

Has anyone heard about interviews on the talk shows yet?

Lady Shelley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.redhawke.org

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 3:27 PM

SPIKEANDJEZEBEL

I've seen the trailer 4 or 5 times in the theatre, and last weekend at the AMC in Burbank they were playing a "making of" clip during the pre-show "entertainment." (For once, I was actually entertained by that!) It was a good 2-3 minutes long, and had footage of the pre-screenings, interviews with Joss and the cast, and clips from the movie.

I think publicity will be just fine. Also, this is going to be a word-of-mouth type of film, and hopefully it will keep generating audiences like the Penguin movie is doing.

"I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care. Or indeed, why it should be necessary to prove it at all." -Kerr Avon

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 3:53 PM

OXYOPIA

I think an interesting movie to use as a comparison to Serenity, in terms of advertising, would be 'The Transporter 2'.

[Now, say what you want about this movie, as well as its previous incarnation, but Luc Besson is one of my favorite writers/directors...Joss only has one film (directing) under his belt thus far, so it is a little early too add his name to my list.]

Anyways, I really liked the first Transporter movie, despite it's terrible storyline, but I didn't know they were even making a sequel until a little over a month ago (AICN clued me in). Over the last two weeks, however, I have been inundated with advertisements for the damn thing to the point where trying to remain spoiler-free has been next to impossible.

The point to this post is that up until about two weeks before the movie was to come out, Transporter 2 was flying pretty much under the radar. Then the media blitz began and now it seems that everyone within the film's target demographic is well aware of its existence. Therefore, it seems a little premature to be worried at this juncture. Personally, I would love to see Serenity spots on TV 24/7, but I think airing the episodes on Sci-Fi, as well as including a few trailers and behind the scenes features with them, is more than enough marketing for right now.

-Oxy

------------------------------------------------
'What people call impossible is just stuff they
haven't seen yet...'

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 4:26 PM

ROCKETJOCK

Quote:
Originally posted by lexigeek:
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I wanted to get a reality check: Is anyone else worried that the publicity for the BDM has been insufficient to draw a sizeable, non-browncoat audience?"

Worried? Not particularly. How many other movies this season have what amounts to a weekly one-hour prime-time commercial on a major cable network? Okay, so Sci-Fi Channel isn't exactly a ratings behemoth, but its audience is virtually pre-sold on any kind of space adventure -- and they've had weeks to discover the Firefly magic.

Add to this the fact that this entire movie season has had no, repeat no breakaway hit*, and you'll see that all Serenity has to do is middlin' decent box office with good second/third week "legs", and it's sequel city.

*(Revenge of the Sith only counts half points. It did as well as expected--but no better, with a huge publicity/hype budget.)

Besides, most movies don't get a big publicity boost until two weeks before release. Interest peaking too soon is a big part of what killed Fantastic Four after the first week, and overhype damaged War of the Worlds more than Tom Cruise's hair-trigger mouth.

"We have done the impossible. And that makes us mighty." -- Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, Balls and Bayonettes Brigade

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 4:40 PM

DEADMAN

You're panicking.

I dont know where YOU are,and its entirely possible the marketing just hasnt reached you out there yet. But I live near sanfrancisco and have seen the poster at every major movie theatre I've been too. I've also seen the trailer several times.

Remember, you dont really get bombarded by TV ads untill 1-2 weeks before the film lauches. Hell, for most movies, you dont even get ads untill the movies already OUT.

Universal has done a good job promoting the film so far, and they are obviously throwing their weight behind it. Go look at the film's website, they just launched a MASSIVE flash site thats really shiny, and probably cost someone a few pretty pennies to create.

Also, I expect this movie is going to get its real marketing from word of mouth. People are going to be split right down the middle, love it or hate it, and those that do love it are going to tell all their friends to go see it. Think "Pirates of the carribean." Good film, not a lot of advertising, got its real steam from people going "wow...that rocks."

Just be patient.

"Also? I can kill you with my brain."
-River

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 5:02 PM

LEXIGEEK

Quote:
Originally posted by Deadman:
I live near sanfrancisco and have seen the poster at every major movie theatre I've been too. I've also seen the trailer several times.

That's why I was worried ... I live in the Bay Area too, and I've seen SW, Batman, WotW, and I think a few others, and still haven't seen the trailer. Haven't been to the theatres since Batman, so I haven't seen the poster yet. (I'm hoping my next visit to the theatre will be for the press screening of the BDM on Tuesday!)

But I'm glad to hear everyone else thinks it'll be ok. Here's hoping!

---
"Dear Diary...today I was pompous and my sister was crazy ... Today, we were kidnapped by hill folk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 5:49 PM

NOSADSEVEN

FYI, Serenity_Leader on the 'Versal Board indicated that the TV spots should be showing up starting Sept. 11.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 8:32 PM

KALLYCAT

Well, I saw a Serenity countdown on a sample desktop in a computer magazine. That made me really happy.

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 8:59 PM

CARBONEL

Is anyone else preparing their troops? I'm starting to gently coerce family, friends and nodding acquaintances into first week attendance ('You love me, right? And do you want to know how you can prove it to me?'). I'm hoping to get around 10. And then if the film is any good at all - actually, even if it isn't - I'll go a couple more times myself for good measure.

If everyone who bought the DVD managed to get 12 people along to the box office in the first week, the film could be on its way...

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Thursday, September 1, 2005 9:34 PM

OURMRREYNOLDS

Keep in mind that a HUGE publicity push with commercials, trailers, etc. could even work against the BDM in the form of public backlash. I.E. some guy who wasn't a fiefly fan getting all worked up over trailers and leaving the theater saying "What the

???" Word of mouth and internet are the way to go. Besides, if Joss & co. released a half a dozen sequels striaght to DVD, I'd be happy with that...

I am planning on growing a big black moustache. I'm a traditionalist.

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Friday, September 2, 2005 8:27 AM

KALLYCAT

I've been doing that too. I think I've got at least 9 people right now, and hopefully I'll be able to grab a few more once school starts. I'll see it more than once myself, and I'm pretty sure at least four of them will too.

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Friday, September 2, 2005 10:31 AM

LWAVES

I live in the UK and so far publicity has been pretty limited. Again stuff has been shown on the sci-fi channel.
I read Empire and that has had a couple (albeit small) of articles. Each one has been positive though. If they have written about it then it's possible that other magazones have as well.

I personally think/hope that the movie will be what's called a 'sleeper'. Good reviews and word of mouth put a minor release into a box office hit.

Think of films like, The Usual Suspects, Trainspotting and countless others. None of these had major A-list or even B -list stars at the time.

Hell, even the original Star Wars wasn't expected to do much.

Here's hoping.

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