Non-Screenings are the new screenings

By Steven Zeitchik

Movies that no one has seen, at least the high profile ones, have an advantage in this age of instant blogging. As a studio, if you can belt out promotional arias and hear nothing but an echo you're always better off than having some hotheaded or agenda-driven blogger provide the response to your call. Or at least that's the thinking.

That may not be a conscious strategy for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." But it's how that movie's publicity is unfolding. No one's seen it, but that's not very interesting to talk/blog about. So people chat up what they've "heard" -- i.e., what may very well be what people involved with the film are saying. Or they just grease the wheel by talking about how much they'd _like_ to see it.

That seems like it should keep the advance word positive, a campaign's ultimate goal with these kinds of tactics. The problem with the strategy is that, as a studio, not only do you risk unreasonable expectations for when the movie actually begins to show (that's a relatively benign concern) but you create a feeding frenzy for leaks and assorted laymen -- actual laymen, not bloggers you happen not to like. In turn, you have early word defined by people even further out of your control (and, let's be honest, people whose backgrounds and taste are complete unknowns -- but who, because they are among the few who've seen it, get a disproportionate degree of publicity and credibility.)

The irony is pungent: in trying to avoid having semi-professionals get their hands on a movie, you actually turn the keys over to complete non-professionals . Think about what this assumes, and implies: that the more early publicity a movie gets, the more undesirable its coverage. What does that say about the movie? Or publicity?

In a worst case, you even end up with this, from a Spout blogger we're sure is well-meaning but whose post comes off as semi-absurd: a boast they've seen the movie but can't tell you what it's about because they're under embargo.

So this is what comes down to? Movie bloggers now blogging about the fact that they can't blog about a movie? This is what passes for advance word about a high profile movie like "Button?" We're not expecting the second coming of Pauline Kael, but there has to be a better way -- perhaps, maybe, democratizing the screening process by letting hundreds of media see it within a one or two-day span. Too hard to control, some will say. Nonsense. They managed it for Indiana Jones, the biggest movie on the planet. They can do it here.

Or maybe there's another creative solution. Either way,  the current method -- a mix of selective strictness and kneejerk control tactics -- not only leads to some truly bizarre coverage, it doesn't help the movie. It's time to rethink the model.

Comments

[Karina]

Well, come now -- everyone knows what the film is *about*. I fail to see how my post is any more absurd than any of the back and forth over embargoing going last week on other sites regarding "Milk." And I'm certainly not the first person to write a blog post saying that I've seen a film and a full review will be coming down the road.

[Karina]

Well, come now -- everyone knows what the film is *about*. I fail to see how my post is any more absurd than any of the back and forth over embargoing going last week on other sites regarding "Milk." And I'm certainly not the first person to write a blog post saying that I've seen a film and a full review will be coming down the road.

[Karina]

Well, come now -- everyone knows what the film is *about*. I fail to see how my post is any more absurd than any of the back and forth over embargoing going last week on other sites regarding "Milk." And I'm certainly not the first person to write a blog post saying that I've seen a film and a full review will be coming down the road.

[bob]

i saw the trailer at a cinema. Pitt ages backwards. is that hard to understand?
when the film comes out-this concept will either work or it won't. the filmgoer will decide if he or she likes the story.FIN

[Parker]

Mr. Zeitchik thank you for your insightful perspective on perhaps a new trend in Hollywood. It has become the norm to see reviews and advertising for big budget films months before they open and this certainly has not been the situation for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. The blogging medium has influenced many features of our culture and as you and others have pointed out the film industry has also been forced to react. I think Hollywood is now aware of the influential power of the blogging world and until they can find a way to control the medium, it is probably better to not indulge bloggers and offer early screenings for films. A negative review can spread across the Internet extremely fast and be seen by millions of viewers. Hollywood formerly operated with the understanding that any publicity is good publicity. I do not think that is the case any more. Consumers now tend to unquestionably believe negative reviews. The principal drawback to blogs is the lack of accountability and authority from the writers. Personally I find it hard to separate reviews from credible and professional critics and regular unprofessional consumers who paid the same twelve dollars to see the movie as everyone else. However this is not a completely negative phenomenon. For years a majority of consumers felt those being paid to critique films did not represent their tastes and now people can read reviews from real people who they can relate to. What I think will be most interesting about this new covert marketing scheme is if it is a damage control tactic or if the movie is actually good. Your opinion on this new marketing trend and its causes creates an excellent forum for discussion. I appreciate your continued effort that you put forth in your blog and eagerly await future posts on the evolution of Hollywood. I have a few general questions about this topic that I would love to hear your opinion on. Do you think the blogosphere has been overall damaging to the success of some films? Do you believe we will start to see the stealthy marketing scheme used by “button” on other big films? Are we seeing the end of early screenings for critics?

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