So this is a very interesting marketing campaign that Universal Pictures has decided to launch for the upcoming SciFi movie, Serenity. On May 5, they opened the movie to 10 theaters in major cities all over the US. These screenings sold out within only a few hours and the response from those screenings has been overwhelmingly positive. So what does Universal do? They set up more advanced screenings, this time in 20 cities. Well, I was very depressed about missing the first round of screenings, but today I was able to purchase my tickets for May 26 in Atlanta. So my best friend and I will be there with the other Browncoats in the area, waiting for the chance to see our movie 4 months early! Of course, this is an unfinished version of the film, so in September when the final version comes out, we will be at the theater again to see it in all its glory!
This whole advanced screening thing made me think about marketing techniques. Sci Fi is a hard sell among mainstream audiences, so they rely heavily on word of mouth. Star Wars has become a mainstream hit and it started out with unknowns and a cult following. Serenity has the potential to become as successful as Star Wars because it is the same scenario. Also, it is a compelling story with very good characters that have been well written. Not to mention the actors had a great deal of time getting into the characters' heads since they played them on the short lived TV show. For those of you who have not experienced the brilliance that is Firefly, pick up the DVD sets right now. Those who have seen it are most likely fans already. Go see Serenity. I will have a non-spoilery review on this blog after the screening, but I have a feeling my opinion of the movie will not change after seeing it. I will go in to the movie as a fan, but will write about it as a critic, so expect a (mostly) unbiased review after May 26.
Until then, Keep Flyin'!
No comments:
Post a Comment