Every day I have about 5 websites that I visit. One of them is IMDB.com.
Over the past few years, I have noticed some new trends in Movie Publicity which I would like to note here.
In the old days, this was how you would promote a movie:
Old School Movie Publicity
- In-theater Previews
- TV commercials
- A splashy premier
- A series of press junkets
- Appearances on top talk shows
- A carefully timed TV movie; one of the star’s older films just to remind people how much they love the movie’s star the week before the movie opens
- A carefully timed car accident in which the star rescues some poor old lady if it is an action film.
This method of promoting movies was fine with me.
However, if you visit IMDB every day looking for Entertainment news you will find stories like the story I’m about to share with you now.
We’ll just make up a star and a possible movie here. Let’s say the stars of the film are Julius Caesar and Massa Nero. The film is called Oh My Glory Days and is set to open on January 15th, 2009.
Right around the time the movie is set to open or a few days after the film opens you will see a story on IMDB which goes something like this:
* * *
January 12th, 2009
Julius Caesar, star of the upcoming Film, Oh my glory days, just suddenly remembered where he left his lunch pail back in grade school.
* * *
You’re secretly scratching your head wondering why IMDB is telling you that Julius Caesar suddenly remembered where he left his lunch pail back in grade school. Could this be a ploy to remind me of Julius Caesar’s existence, which I had largely forgotten about?
You feel you’re being played, but you put it aside until a few days later when you visit IMDB again and you see this story:
* * *
January 14th, 2009
Julius Caesar lashes out at the vicious rumours of fighting between him and Massa Nero on the set of “Oh my glory days.”
* * *
Now, you’re completely perplexed. So you go outside and poll 1 million of your neighbors. “Did you hear any vicious rumours about Julius Caesar and Massa Nero fighting on the set of their new film?”
Your neighbors, all 1 million of them say, “No, I haven’t heard anything.”
So, what do you do? You scratch your head and then turn around and visit imdb.com, like clockwork for more the very next morning.
Listen up boys and girls. The world is changing. We used to listen to cassettes. Now we listen to mp3 players. We used to respect my intelligence. Now we don’t.
Listen up all you new Film School Grads.
We used to promote a movie one way, but things have changed.
Takes notes, and by the way, “Welcome to New School Movie Publicity.”
(This article was originally published on January 8th, 2009.)
