Distribution : Movie Marketing Madness

iTunes kills remnants of DVD market; Warner goes day-and-date with VOD

Apple has struck a nail in the coffin of the DVD markets, signing deals with most every studio to offer movies through iTunes on the same day they’re available on DVD. Fox, Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal, Sony, Lionsgate and New Line are all expected to be announced as participating. The deal marks a [...]

Downloads still small, but they’re the future

While no movie download provider reported in their earnings that revenues from those downloads were immensely popular and no studio said download sales and rentals were bringing in record income, it’s encouraging that all parties are still moving in that direction.
Most of those in the industry seem, based on the story, to think 2009 could [...]

Major players band together for pay TV outlet

Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM have all banded together in a new pay-TV venture that will launch in 2009. The announcement comes amid reports that Showtime, with which all three have an existing pay-TV distribution deal, is about to expire. Negotiations to renew that deal have essentially halted with the report being Showtime [...]

Studios hope summer brings salvation

It’s funny. According to this THR story the spring box office is off about three percent from 2007 levels. But there don’t seem to be the volume of “What’’s going wrong?” stories there were in the wake of this past fall’s dismal showings. Perhaps that’s because there isn’t one prevalent genre that can be blamed [...]

What do you mean bigger isn’t better?

Seems the conventional wisdom, at least that which has become conventional in the last 15 years or so, of opening a blockbuster release as wide as possible is now coming under some scrutiny. With summer upon us this trend is on full display as movies like Iron Man, Indiana Jones 4 and others get released [...]

Blockbuster hints as direct-to-TV plans

Blockbuster is reportedly on the verge of launching a direct-to-TV streaming service that would present a direct rival not so much to iTunes but to video-on-demand providers. The company has not confirmed rumors other than to say it fits with their strategy of trying to build outside the bricks-and-mortar sector it currently dominates.
Such a service [...]

Surprise! Internet helps niche films

Let me just offer one pull quote from the very top of this story by Anne Thompson on how the makers of a hockey documentary found success with online distribution of their movie:
“It is possible to exploit the power of the Internet to sell a movie without a theatrical release — as long as [...]

Imax signs mobile screen deal

This is actually kind of funny. Imax, the producers and exhibitors of films on the biggest of big screens, has signed a deal with Northstar Media to have its movies put on to mobile devices. The deal also includes TV, VOD and other digital distribution, but still.
I don’t doubt that the sweeping documentaries of the [...]

The Fanboys situation

I haven’t devoted much coverage to the back and forth over Fanboys. In case you’re wondering, Fanboys is a movie set in 1998 about a bunch of friends who, since one of them might die before Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace comes out, decide to try and sneak into Lucasfilm in order [...]

Regal adding Imax to theaters

Regal Cinemas has become the second theater chain in just a few months to sign a deal with Imax Corporation to open large-format screens in its locations.
The first Regal/Imax locations won’t be open and operational until November, meaning they’ll be missing out on this summer’s stable of mainstream movies being released in the Imax format, [...]

That indie article

I’ve been wondering what to do with the asinine piece that appeared in The Hollywood Reporter that seems to hang the failure of independent movies on their inability to get a major newspaper reviewer (assuming they haven’t been fired) to write about them. I had some good stuff, mostly vitriol and righteous indignation, about how [...]

WB chilly toward movies on Hulu

In a conversation with AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher, Warner Bros. SVP Jim Wuthrich said his studio would not be providing movies to Hulu.com any time soon despite the appearance of WB television programming there.
TV is one thing, Wuthrich says, and the site is great for showing off some shows and hopefully getting people to buy DVD [...]

Chains tapping into desire for better movie experience

More and more exhibition chains are seeing the value in a premium movie-going experience, with the quality of the food and drink going up exponentially. The chains are embracing this after seeing the success a handful of independent houses have had by offering micro-brew beers and restaurant-quality food for a higher ticket price.
The changes are [...]

Studios willing to risk packing releases together in 2008

In their desire to put as many of their eggs in the basket of summer as possible, studios are willing to risk overwhelm the public with each weekend’s releases.
The summer of 2008 will see 25 major releases compared to 2007’s 18. That’s leading to a handful of weekends where flicks appealing to the same audience [...]

Exhibitors get updated digital guidelines

I get why the National Association of Theater Owners has issued new guidelines for digital film exhibition. I do. There’s value in making sure that everyone is using compatible equipment and trying to steer member exhibitors away from making bad choices.
I just hope that they’re allowing for as much bottom-up communication as they are top-down [...]

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