Movie Marketing and PR Notebook
Movie Marketing
Rapper T.I. denied that scandal-plagued singer Chris Brown was going to be excluded from Bone Deep’s marketing and PR materials. No, instead the movie is actually getting a new title. [MTV]
Have you heard of SpeedCine? It’s a website that offers a database of all movies that, you know, are available legally online. [CT]
International/Foreign Films
Hungary’s filmmakers are learning that there’s no place like home when it comes to film location. [NO]
Slumdog Millionaire has already made an estimated $250 million dollars in international box office receipts. Now, it’s headed towards China, where its universal story of triumph from poverty will definitely ring a bell there. [CBC)
A list of 5 foreign films that are getting tongues wagging at this year's SXSW. [DT]
Paris 36, a Sony Pictures film is being touted as the Best Foreign Film contender for the 2010 Oscars. [LAT]
Tech
Toshiba wants to make portable DVD players more stylish. [CG]
Should you pack up your standard DVD player in favor of the Blu-Ray disc player? You might want to read the Consumer Reports pros and cons first. [ABC]
Festivals
The winners of the Miami International Film Festival. [MH]
Paris 36 still via Fandango
Should Movie Studios Pay Bloggers to Talk About Their Movies?
One of the most debated subjects in the blogosphere is the pay per post model, in which influential and of course up-and-coming bloggers, are wooed either with money or goodies to introduce a product to their blog’s audience.
Should movie marketers make that part of their movie marketing and PR campaigns?
Judging from wisdom of the most prominent social marketing and web pundits, the answer would seem to be an overwhelming ‘No’.
Former Techcrunch editor Marshall Kirkpatrick is miffed that Forrester Research’s lenghty report slants towards favoring this practice in any shape or form.
David Griner of Adweek’s Adfreak blog seems to be a little less reserved, pointing out that he sees nothing wrong with throwing freebies at bloggers, but then adds that however, “when there’s a direct quid pro quo for coverage, you’ve got a recipe for eroded credibility on both sides.”
FishBowlNY took a poll, asking for reader feedback about whether paying a blogger for writing content and coverage is appropriate, and the votes were actually split between the two choices.
Web Pro News was actually somewhat reluctant in putting in its two cents, and instead chose to act as referee in the ongoing debate about whether bloggers should be courted with Benjamins.
Other observers favor the practice, but with a caveat.
The thing about the movie industry, unlike other industries, is that it’s practically impossible to pay your way to a good review or a fawning mention. If a movie sucks terribly, even the most intrepid blogger will not be forced to applaud. And if he or she does, there goes that individual’s credibility.
Pic via Google Images