Since its onset, the Coronavirus pandemic has affected almost every business industry and has undoubtedly ravaged Hollywood, forcing it into a freefall.
The film industry is known for its gig economy that hires freelancers of various backgrounds and expertise. As a result, freelancers and film crew were initially the hardest hit as hundreds of thousands of crew workers lost their jobs overnight as productions in progress were postponed or canceled – affecting both television and film productions. While television productions have slowly began to resume taping and film permits issuances returned, while following strict Los Angeles County health protocols, the film industry continues in despair.
The summer Blockbuster season, one of the two annual periods when movie studios release their biggest and most expensive productions was completely canceled as movie theaters remained closed. Consequently, studios are bleeding dollars in the billions as they continue to withhold and delay release of some of the most highly anticipated releases and franchise Blockbusters. Warner Brothers had originally committed to releasing Wonder Woman 1984 in June 2020 but has since postponed the release to the holiday blockbuster season instead. The Candyman reboot, showing trailers in theaters beginning in February, was originally set to release in June 2020 as well and has since been pushed to a 2021 release. Most notably, Universal’s James Bond film, No Time to Die, Paramount’s Mission Impossible 7, Marvel Universe’s Black Widow and from Sony, Greyhound and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, have all been pushed back.
I recently sat down with former Sony Pictures Entertainment President of Domestic Marketing, Christine Birch, (via Zoom) who confirmed that the studios “are bleeding money in the billions. That, alone, can set them back for years to come.” When asked if she thought that they could recover, she said, “The livelihood of Hollywood has been threatened by technology for years now and it has endured. The current way of doing things has just always been upended and we pivot.” She expressed that, in the interim, studios should take stock of what marketing tools they have before them and use those to bridge the gap until things are back up and running. One of those tools being the ‘Direct to VOD’ platform.
Birch left Sony Pictures Entertainment back in 2018 after 30 years as a marketing executive, having been the mastermind behind the success of some of the biggest blockbuster marketing campaigns for Oscar-winning films such as The Help as well as other blockbusters such a Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Peter Rabbit just to name a few. Currently the founder and CEO of The ROYGBIV Collective, a new consulting firm that provides media and lifestyle companies with positioning, creative branding, messaging and overall vision, Birch continues to work on marketing campaigns as a consultant.
As we discussed all of the films on the rosters at all studios which we anticipated but that have been pushed back, Birch mentioned that she conducted focus groups and consulted on the recent direct-to-VOD release, Antebellum, starring Janelle Monae. “I loved the movie. The best thing that Lionsgate could have done was release that film on demand.” She went on to talk about how the focus groups didn’t seem to grasp the subject matter of the film due to some missteps is positioning. “Janelle Monae is a global star! They should have led that campaign with ‘Janelle Monae as Veronica Henley’! She should have been on every talk show’s virtual couch, every podcast and radio show. This was this movie’s time and they didn’t listen. They missed the opportunity to reach Get Out status,” referring to the surprise blockbuster status of the Jordan Peele film with a similar social horror racial undertone. She also mentioned that the design of print media for the film was lazy and how they “basically copied the Silence of the Lambs” concept. “All of these (marketing) elements are interconnected. Integrating marketing strategies is what makes people aware of the film. They should be doing that six months ahead of the release, at the least, and the way you position it communicates to them why they need to see that movie.”
Is there a formula for marketing and releasing film, especially with the current constraints on the industry, that can bridge the gap to survival for the film industry? That’s the million-dollar question! I posed that question to Birch expecting a lengthy answer with points on positioning and marketing, but her response was quite simple. In a quiet and serious tone, she replied, “Use the tools at your disposal, even if no one else is using them. You have to be creative. You have to know your audience and how that film fits the zeitgeist. That thread is your reel. Reel them in!”
References
Jordan, M. (2020, August 12). Movie theaters are on life support – how will the film industry adapt?. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/movie-theaters-are-on-life-support-how-will-the-film-industry-adapt-143877
Trenholm, Richard. (2020, September 24). Coronavirus movie delays: New release dates for 2020 and 2021 blockbusters. Retrieved from: https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-movie-delays-2020-2021-blockbusters-new-release-dates/
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