Cast & Crew’s Post

"Is it fair to fast and furiously brand a movie?" The emphasis on #opening #weekend #boxoffice #numbers can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides a clear, immediate measure of a #film's potential success and can generate buzz and momentum. On the other hand, it places immense pressure on films to #perform instantly. This can lead to a focus on #marketing over #quality and potentially undervalue films that build an #audience more slowly. Balancing initial excitement with sustained success might offer a more comprehensive view of a film's true impact. Variety https://lnkd.in/e3fd2GY5

There are several factors as to the downturn of the movie industry. A lack of original storytelling, lack of quality, not enough focus on what the moviegoers actually want to see, premium format priced models for streaming. There is a rush of films onto streaming cutting into the box office window. Theaters are not being updated/upkeep tarnishing the film watching experience. Since the pandemic studios were forced to push films to streaming and have trained movie goers to wait for most films to come to streaming, especially with the very high costs of going to view a film such as extreme concession prices. Moreover, a film can succeed, but it must be an event film such as the "Barbenheimer" to draw in the average viewer. This year the most likely candidate to succeed and maybe pass $1 billion would seem to be "Deadpool & Wolverine", and it is an example of a film that many want to see and exactly written how they want it to be seen. This is reminiscent of how "Spider-Man No Way Home" gave audiences everything they wanted. Another factor, as representation is vital and with all due respect to, some audiences do not like being preached to in their films. Legacy characters have to be written with their core elements intact (i.e. do not change them fundamentally from who there are as a character). One more factor is that there is a generational shift whereas young adults are spending more time on social media and the booming video game market than spending exorbitant amounts of money on seeing a film in theaters. Films now have to deal with the extra content for their attention. As you see, there are many elements present as a "perfect storm" as to the failings of cinema and the experience of film. If anyone wishes to engage more in this topic that can contact myself and they may be on my podcast (Geek Homeworld on YouTube, and also available wherever you get your podcasts) for further in-depth discussions.

Excellent repost by Brendan Walker at MediaLink about the decline of the “Oscar Bump” film! The original article was written by Scott Mendelson of Puck News. This conversation begs a deeper exploration, particularly concerning the opportunities and implications for Black creatives in an era where the conventional mechanisms of movie production and the monopolistic grip of narrative control by the industry’s elite are increasingly challenged. For Black creatives, who have long been marginalized by an industry that favors narratives that are often disconnected, oversimplified, or outright dismissive of the richness and complexity of Black experiences, this shift represents a beacon of hope. The decline of the “Oscar Bump” film signals a crack in the once-impenetrable facade of an industry that has historically prioritized a narrow range of stories, perspectives, and storytellers. The unexpected success of films like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” underscores a pivotal turning point: the audience’s power to redefine success in cinema, beyond the narrow confines of studio endorsements or celebrity-driven narratives. “Barbie,” in particular, serves as a testament to the transformative potential of film, challenging preconceived notions and sparking meaningful conversations among viewers, young and old alike. It exemplifies how movies, at their core, are about humanity, dialogue, and the diverse tapestry of human experiences, rather than the corporate or elitist agendas that have long dominated the industry. For Black creatives, this evolution opens up new avenues for storytelling that were previously deemed unviable or unmarketable by mainstream studios. The democratization of content creation, fueled by advancements in technology such as AI for short-form video production and scriptwriting, presents an unprecedented opportunity for Black voices to be heard, stories to be shared, and narratives to be redefined on their own terms. This is not to say that the path forward is without its challenges. However, the changing landscape of the film industry, coupled with the global market’s growing indifference to the traditional gatekeepers of cinematic acclaim, indicates that the barriers to entry for Black creatives are not as insurmountable as they once were. It calls for a collective effort to leverage these shifts, foster inclusive storytelling, and ensure that the narratives of Black creatives are no longer sidelined but are celebrated and integrated into the fabric of global cinema. In essence, the decline of the “Oscar Bump” film not only marks the end of an era but heralds the beginning of a more inclusive, diverse, and authentic cinematic world where Black creatives have the opportunity to carve out their own space, tell their own stories, and redefine the narrative on their own terms.

If everyone in the US saw 4 movies in theaters per year, it would bring the Hollywood bottom line back up to where it was pre-pandemic. Here's the problem: ---- I drove by the movie theaters in my town with my wife the other night and said, "Man, I would love to *just* go to a movie tonight." Simple, right? When we were kids a virtual billboard showed what's playing and we would crane our heads to see, and yell about what movies were playing. Now, I have to pull out my phone, Google it, pull up what's playing (near me) and the movies are just nonsense. Planet of the Apes 4, a sequel of a remake of a remake to another Disney/Marvel/DC. Where are the art movies? The comedies? The stories about the human condition? To quote Robert Frost, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” If the movie studios don't care about putting out good product for us, content wise, price wise, why should we care about them? In short, lower the ticket prices and bring back the good stuff.

If I were a movie theater I would just lower the price. Empty movie theaters don’t sell popcorn and soda. No one is seeing 4 movies a year at $20 a ticket. “If we divide that average ticket price by the $10 billion target number, it means 927,643,785 tickets would need to be sold in a given year. If we divide that number by the number of eligible moviegoers in the U.S., that brings us to 3.44 tickets per year, per person. Now, since a person can't buy half of a ticket, we can make this easy and say that the average person would need to see three or four movies in theaters per year to get us to a healthy place.”

The theatrical recovery is happening right here, right now. Some films are performing better than they would have a few years ago, with big hits like Oppenheimer and Everything, Everywhere All at Once leading the way. May was expected to start the summer quietly, with Bad Boys: Ride or Die and A Quiet Place: Day One doing solid but not spectacular business. However, Bad Boys 4 is playing like Bad Boys 3, the Quiet Place spin-off opened bigger than its predecessors, and Inside Out 2 is performing like a Pixar sequel on steroids. This June could be the biggest June since 2018. Bad Boys: Ride or Die has passed $300 million. (My thought: Imagine the potential success of a film that combines the entertaining, popcorn appeal of Bad Boys with intelligent storytelling and themes. #UndercoverDeceptions) Looking ahead, we might see a July that rivals the #Barbenheimer-fueled mania of 2023. Despicable Me 4, Twisters, and Deadpool & Wolverine are poised for big numbers. August through December also promises a packed slate with potential hits like Trap, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Moana 2, Wicked Part I, and Gladiator 2. This year, the landscape for mega hits is more diverse than ever, with #blockbusters coming from various studios, including #Disney, #Universal, and #Paramount. To paraphrase Ratatouille: not every film can be a blockbuster, but it feels like a blockbuster can come from anywhere. By Scott Mendelson #FilmIndustry #BoxOffice #TheatricalRecovery

As we are now halfway through one of the worst months at the global box office in recent memory, I wanted to share this incredibly insightful reporting from Scott Mendelson on the death of the "Oscar Bump." Though the Academy is often criticized for awarding movies the masses don't see, Best Picture winners have historically hit high earnings marks at a consistent clip. From 2010 to 2020, 7 of the 10 Academy Awards' Best Picture winners cleared at least 100 million dollars at the worldwide box office; 5 of those 7 hit totals greater than 160 million. More often than not, the word of mouth awards prestige generated was enough to quadruple returns on production budgets. The box office decline precipitated by Covid has only accelerated a prestige market grappling with shorter theatrical windows, streamer dominated festival circuits, and carriage licensing deals between those same streamers and specialty distributors. Barbie and Oppenheimer are more likely exceptions to current market conditions, rather than the return to awards season normalcy I and other chronically online cinephiles were hoping for. If you've got a second... give Scott a read!

Studios and exhibitors are horribly unaware of how bad the economy is. Lets be very clear, inflation has caused a recession. In times like these entertainment is the first thing to go in a budget. Whether it’s going to the actual movie theater, or canceling streaming subscriptions. Entertainment is unfortunately the collateral damage in an economic downturn. #film #economy #business #recession

It's too soon to write off the Hollywood summer box office - 'Inside Out 2' and 'Deadpool 3' are examples of two heavyweights on the horizon that could guide the season to some semblance of respectability - and besides the misses, there will be breakouts. 2024 was always going to be a "down year" due to the strikes, but we'll need more than a handful of tentpoles to entice audiences back and revive cinema-going momentum. That is crucial. So come on, cinema owners, take a punt and give more screens to great indie films and even more live events. Embrace dynamic pricing. Clean up your cinemas. Clean. Up. Your. Cinemas. Motivate staff to take pride in their jobs and become film-going advocates. This is your business to lose

When it comes to producing, many factors can affect creativity. But how can we navigate through these challenges and reignite our creativity? redpill's producer, Barnaby Brown gives us his top tips to help spark creativity when we're not feeling particularly inspired, whether it involves something as straightforward as a leisurely stroll or dedicating extra time to observe advertisements at the cinema, Barnaby offers practical strategies to help overcome this. Visit redpill.co to find out more about us and our work #redpill #Producer #MarketingAndAdvertising #Creativity