Serenity trailer (aka the Firefly movie)

[Reveilled]

I think it was the lack of full-blown advertising. The problem I see with this viral advertising that was used is that it is prone to social barriers. I can see the film, and tell my friends about it, but if they aren't interested, they might not tell their friends about it, and those people won't see the film as a result. The film was marketed to us primarily as the Firefly movie, and secondarily as a hard science-fiction film, but while it was pretty good as an action film, the action film fans with no interest in Science Fiction (a huge portion of the movie-going population) were never marketed to with general media.

 

Serenity is a film that could please anyone, but its advertising focused on too narrow a group, I think.

[julianw]

No household names on the cast list didn't help either I guess.

[Surreptishus]

Reveilled and Walsingham got it on the nose.

[Oerwinde]

Does anyone else think maybe we internerds have scared regular folk away?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Devin at CHUD.com did an editorial that touched on that. He suggested that the crazy hardcore fans who were buying tickets to pass out to people who were undecided on which film to see and handing out fliers on the street and such probably scared some people away from the film because they didn't want to be associated with those people.

[Walsingham]

Yet starwars ep III had similar nerd antics, and was a much worse film, taken on its surface characteristics.

 

So what is it that made the difference there?

 

Moreover, is there a potentially dangerous parrallel here for Obs? Are nerd hardcore fans like us a positive threat to Obs reaching out to non nerds? Particularly in the console market?

[Surreptishus]

Yes. People dont like rabid nerds, this is true.

 

 

 

With star wars its something that has been with us for years and so built up a HUGE rabid core fanbase and passed into popular culture - add to that the promotional behemoth and you should be able to see the reasons for the whys.

[Hurlshort]

The problem is that nerdiness has become so huge, it has split into separate factions. Star Wars and LotR are mainstream nerdiness. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity have only reached a niche in the nerd community.

[Surreptishus]

Buffy was more than a niche, 7 seasons is more than respectable for a show of its type.

 

Firefly didnt have time to sink into the minds of the public (cancelled after half a season) and the promotion seems like it was geared to the pre existing audience rather than try to gain new fans.

[Nartwak]

I was scared away from seeing it. I didn't watch Firefly; why would I want to watch Firefly the Movie.

Edited October 14, 2005 by Nartwak

[Surreptishus]

Yeah well buffy did have monsters and stuff. Its ok now though they've gone

[kalimeeri]

The 'normal' rules of marketing don't apply to this movie; there was no real sense wasting money on them. Word of mouth is the only fair way to spread the word. Serenity is about people and character, first and foremost; the plot is tightly interwoven, but it's secondary. But marketing has to focus on something--and the Serenity universe is a broad spectrum that is most accurately described as sci-fi. Most people who don't like sci-fi are the result of decades of real stinky, hokey B movies. Prejudices affect part of the audience, even though Serenity is a good intelligent movie that adults can enjoy, and Whedon's writing is a breath of fresh air.

 

I think that referring to "Buffy" in the advertising was not a kindness. To adults who haven't watched that show, the impression is that it's a kid's TV show, the same way that consoles are regarded as being a kid's toy. It's a stigma (much like Peter Jackson had; pre-release, I read a number of critics mention he had only done zombie movies--no one really believed he could do justice to LOTR).

 

I don't think the lack of big-name stars is significant. Who had really heard of Mark Hamill before Star Wars, or Harrison Ford before Indiana Jones? Faces don't sell a role; acting ability and talented writing does. If you're someone who appreciates these things, see the movie. It's the only way to send a message to the suits in Hollywood who are hurling shovelfuls of uninspired manure at us.

[Surreptishus]

But to get people to watch it you have to tell them about it and really sell it. It needs the monster marketing to get the point across. Most of the reviews i read of it are positive to glowing - this suggests that the majority of people dont give a crap about reviews.

 

Word of mouth doesnt cross the nerd/non-nerd barrier.

[kumquatq3]

I was scared away from seeing it. I didn't watch Firefly; why would I want to watch Firefly the Movie.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thats exactly what I think happened.

 

I don't believe the advertising did a good enough job of selling the movie by itself.

[Walsingham]

I've seen nothing by way of mainstream advertising in the UK except some posters in the underground. This was almost certainly a mistake. They had the money to spend a little on some targetted TV advertising.

 

I do think serruptishus is right. People don't seem to have paid a great deal of attention to the reviews.

 

However, I still hold out some hope. Occasionally films grw slowly, and there is till time for this to take off further.

[kumquatq3]

 

Back cover of todays Variety

[Hurlshort]

That's a pretty heartwarming move by a group of fans. I'm still struggling to convince my wife that we NEED to go see it again on Saturday, but I haven't given up yet.

 

Buffy was definitely a niche product. It managed 7 seasons because it was very well done, but also because it was on the WB and UPN. Buffy pulled in great rating for those networks, but if you put it on ABC it probably wouldn't have lasted. Not because it didn't have a decent qaudience, but because it doesn't compete with CSI and Law & Order. Remember that Angel struggled on Fox with basically the same audience.

 

I loved Buffy, but it was a difficult show to sell to the mainstream. Serenity is easier to sell, but not if you piggyback it with Buffy.

[Cantousent]

I just saw this film. The person with me hadn't ever watched the Firefly series. For that matter, I hadn't watched it either. She didn't know anything about the show and no-one had discussed it with her. She really enjoyed the movie.

 

I think this movie could have done better. It should have done better. I will be buying it when it comes out on DVD. If I get the chance, I will probably see it again.

[Kor Qel Droma]

Don't forget to pick up the tv series on DVD , Eldar. There are more episodes than the 12 originally aired on television.

[Commissar]

Yet starwars ep III had similar nerd antics, and was a much worse film, taken on its surface characteristics.

 

So what is it that made the difference there?

 

Moreover, is there a potentially dangerous parrallel here for Obs? Are nerd hardcore fans like us a positive threat to Obs reaching out to non nerds? Particularly in the console market?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Star Wars had nerd antics alright, but the normal people standing in line either laughed at or pitied the guys walking around in costume and saber-fighting in the lobby. They also didn't go see it opening night. I sure as hell didn't, because I knew it'd be a mad house.

 

Star Wars succeeded because the originals, which most people remember very fondly, allowed people to get into the story a normal amount; a lot of people took it way too far, but the average person simply saw the movies, liked them, and figured they'd see the new ones.

[kumquatq3]

I just saw this film.  The person with me hadn't ever watched the Firefly series.  For that matter, I hadn't watched it either.  She didn't know anything about the show and no-one had discussed it with her.  She really enjoyed the movie.

 

I think this movie could have done better.  It should have done better.  I will be buying it when it comes out on DVD.  If I get the chance, I will probably see it again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Just came back from watching it again.

 

 

WASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!

 

 

my theatre, tho one of the smaller theatres, was full. Good sign?

[Cantousent]

I don't know much about the movie industry. I understand that the numbers up to this point have been lackluster. However, I've seen what a small number of dedicated fans can do. We make fun of Trekkers, Fallout fans, and other such die-hards. ...But you can't deny the effect these groups have. So, maybe we'll see something out of it.

 

I doubt I'd watch the series regularly, since I don't watch anything regularly. Still, the movie has convinced me to buy the DVD and Kor has convinced me to buy the series on DVD. DVDs are great for me. I can watch a series, in order, whenever I want rather than trying to make sure I don't have any plans for a specific day and time every week.

 

I can understand why the show had some problems, but I think I'll just write a review and post that instead of taking up the space in a thread labeled "Serenity trailer." It just seems a little less confusing.

[Oerwinde]

My Brother was raving about how it was an awesome movie, and he's never seen the show. I tried to get him to watch it but I couldn't get him to sit down and do so. He's more willing to do so now.

 

He refers to Book and Wash and "The old guy" and "Steve the Pirate"(Alan Tudyk's character in Dodgeball). Which made me really want to get him to watch the show so he understands them better.

[metadigital]

Meta: You went from threatening our lives if it sucks to seeing it twice

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Um, where?

 

And even if I did that (which I didn't), then that would prove both the depth of my ingenuous and impartial equanimity and the quality of the film.

 

 

As for comparing Star Wars and Serenity, I think you are forgeting that one was a genre-breaking/defining film that contained entirely new (academy-celebrated, like CGI, and otherwise, like merchandising) categories of film craft, and the other is just another film without advertising.

 

There is a reason that the tripe produced in the last decade is still moving off the shelves; it's the enormity of the impact of SW on society; remember it was as much a SF film as Serenity is a Zom-Rom-Com; SW is a Space Opera.

 

And whilst spending fifty million on advertising doesn't represent the best value, it certainly will give any film a lift. What was missing was the plastic figures inserted into every chocolate-covered, late-onset-diabetes-inducing children's cereal and colouring-in books, and pattern-bombing the cartoon timeslots with child-tempting Firefly toys.

 

Oh, and SW was a children's film, and Serenity wasn't.

 

May the Schwartz be with you.

[kumquatq3]

Meta: You went from threatening our lives if it sucks to seeing it twice

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Um, where?

 

And even if I did that (which I didn't), then that would prove both the depth of my ingenuous and impartial equanimity and the quality of the film.

 

 

oops

 

I'm going to watch it without having watched the series - if its rubbish, i'll get you... all of you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Surreptishus]

EEEEEE! EEEEEEE! OOOOOH!

 

 

still haven't watched it yet...