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[Snaku]

We have to create that brand value. “Avatar” means something to that group of fans that know this film is coming, but to the other 99% of the public it’s a nonsense word and we have to hope we can educate them. Well, I shouldn’t say a nonsense word – it doesn’t mean anything specific in terms of a brand association. And in fact there may be even a slight negative one because more people know about the Saturday morning cartoon, the anime, than about this particular film. We’ve got to create that [brand] from scratch.

Go fuck yourself, Jim. Avatar The Last Airbender's mere existence has done more to market your shitty film than Fox has ever done.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Go fuck yourself, Jim. Avatar The Last Airbender's mere existence has done more to market your shitty film than Fox has ever done.

:lol :lol :lol

Maybe if the series was something that would get the general public excited your claim would hold some weight, but the fact is that association with The Last Airbender is very bad for Cameron's film.

 

[JimiNutz]

This is incorrect. People outside of Comic-Con have heard of Avatar, and I've talked with at least ten people about the film. The Last Airbender seems less likely to succeed than Cameron's film, IMO.

My experience is contrary to this.
Nobody at work knew what Avatar was, and even among my friends very few know unless I tell them about it (some that I told about a year ago had completely forgotten what I was talking about when I mentioned that the comic-con footage has been getting glowing reviews).

They need to do a LOT more to expose these movie to the mainstream, and I'm not even sure if this Avatar day is gonna cut it.
Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[near]

My experience is contrary to this.
Nobody at work knew what Avatar was, and even among my friends very few know unless I tell them about it (some that I told about a year ago had completely forgotten what I was talking about when I mentioned that the comic-con footage has been getting glowing reviews).

They need to do a LOT more to expose these movie to the mainstream, and I'm not even sure if this Avatar day is gonna cut it.
Hopefully I'm wrong.

Seconded. My circle of friends are unaware that there is a new Cameron film on it's way, let alone that it's called Avatar. No way is Avatar Day going to cut it, it's just not possible. We're like 4 months away from release, and we've seen nothing more than concept art, and toys. At this rate, I don't think we'll even see commercials. At first I thought it was a technical issue getting a trailer out without losing significant amounts of quality, because Cameron's tech is just so POWERFUL. But now, I just think he or Fox are really really stupid.

 

[JimiNutz]

Seconded. My circle of friends are unaware that there is a new Cameron film on it's way, let alone that it's called Avatar. No way is Avatar Day going to cut it, it's just not possible. We're like 4 months away from release, and we've seen nothing more than concept art, and toys. At this rate, I don't think we'll even see commercials. At first I thought it was a technical issue getting a trailer out without losing significant amounts of quality, because Cameron's tech is just so POWERFUL. But now, I just think he or Fox are really really stupid.

Fox are the most inept studio in Hollywood, so this doesn’t surprise me in the least.
I am surprised Cameron isn't demanding more from them though.

 

[shintoki]

Fox are the most inept studio in Hollywood, so this doesn’t surprise me in the least.
I am surprised Cameron isn't demanding more from them though.

Except Cameron has control over it, Not Fox :lol

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Except Cameron has control over it, Not Fox :lol

You're crazy if you think Cameron has control over FOX's marketing department.

 

[Busty]

JC: I think there are no real negatives because we aren’t going to get prejudged like “Watchmen” or even a Batman or Spider-Man movie because you don’t have all that history and that huge, brand-based mythology that you have to live up to. We aren’t going to piss anybody off because they don’t know what this thing is. Nobody read the novel, nobody read the graphic novel, we’re not going to be playing against expectation. They aren’t going to be viewing us as a disappointment or letdown before the movie even starts. This is a doorway and they don’t know what’s on the other side. We’re going to open it for them.

Alright Jim, you are correct to a certain extent. Avatar is indeed an original creation which means the audience will be coming in' with no preconcieved notion of what the material should be.

However, in saying that, you have hyped up Avatar with such grand claims and massive boasts that it's easily one of, if not the, most hyped films among the online community of the last decade.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that for many the film will never meet their totally unrealistic, atmospheric expectations. I've been trying to keep my expectations realistic as I'm a huge fan of Cameron's work but when the man himself is basically saying that Avatar is going to unlike anything we've seen before (or there abouts) it's his own fault if this film disappoints.

And at this point I wouldn't be surprised if a sizeable chunk of the potential Avatar audience are left feeling disappointed when they finally see what the film itself actually is.

 

[Veidt]

I don't care about interviews and seeing Cameron's face. I want the trailer dammit. So I can finally judge this film. 10 years, dammit. 10 years. JC better reveal the meaning of life to me through this medium of Avatar.It better deliver.

 

[Busty]

I don't care about interviews and seeing Cameron's face. I want the trailer dammit. So I can finally judge this film. 10 years, dammit. 10 years. JC better reveal the meaning of life to me through this medium of Avatar.It better deliver.

My point exactly. The longer the wait goes on, more and more people are going to feel this way.

You're crazy if you think Cameron has control over FOX's marketing department.

Not control but I'd imagine he has some kind of draconian approval over all the media for Avatar that's released, including photos and trailers. Considering Cameron directed Titanic for them and made well over a billion dollars for the studio it doesn't seem unlikely.

Fox have a great marketing department but it's clear that something is going very, very wrong with Avatar. There was talk at the start of the year that Fox weren't sure how exactly to market Avatar.

Considering their woeful efforts thus far I'd imagine that there is something going badly wrong behind the scenes.

 

[JimiNutz]

My point exactly. The longer the wait goes on, more and more people are going to feel this way.


Not control but I'd imagine he has some kind of draconian approval over all the media for Avatar that's released, including photos and trailers. Considering Cameron directed Titanic for them and made well over a billion dollars for the studio it doesn't seem unlikely.

Fox have a great marketing department but it's clear that something is going very, very wrong with Avatar. There was talk at the start of the year that Fox weren't sure how exactly to market Avatar.

Considering their woeful efforts thus far I'd imagine that there is something going badly wrong behind the scenes.

You kind of contradict yourself though.
You state that people have been waiting for years so the movie has a huge chance of failing to live up to expectations, but then you admit that Fox cant market the movie for shit implying that nobody even knows anything about the movie.

Your first point stands firm for people like us that have been following the film for a long time, but for the majority of people it looks like Avatar is just gonna appear out of nowhere, and because of that they will probably have no predetermined expectations.

Avatars mainstream success is going to live or die on that trailer IMO.
If the world of Pandora is as aesthetically captivating as the rumours suggest, then a well made trailer that effectively showcases this should be enough to captivate the mainstream, especially coupled with the James Cameron/Titanic association.

Just look what the trailer for TDK did for that movie.
Before that trailer people like us were excited, but once that hit I remember people that never really talk about movies saying how awesome TDK was gonna be.
If they fail on the trailer the movie will bomb with the mainstream IMO simply because there's been no other significant marketing for the movie.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

My point exactly. The longer the wait goes on, more and more people are going to feel this way.



Not control but I'd imagine he has some kind of draconian approval over all the media for Avatar that's released, including photos and trailers. Considering Cameron directed Titanic for them and made well over a billion dollars for the studio it doesn't seem unlikely.

Fox have a great marketing department but it's clear that something is going very, very wrong with Avatar. There was talk at the start of the year that Fox weren't sure how exactly to market Avatar.

Considering their woeful efforts thus far I'd imagine that there is something going badly wrong behind the scenes.

You are out of your mind. FOX has never, ever had a great marketing department. Their marketing dept is the most woeful out of any of the majors. Cameron's status has allowed him to make the movie he wanted and allowed him to balloon his budget out past their initial agreement.

Yes he would have a say in specifically what from the film is shown, but I guarantee you he has no bearing on HOW they market the film. They could have had teaser posters or trailer over a year ago, with no footage shown just to create an awareness.

Even I don't think FOX would risk not marketing the shit out of this film given how much they have riding on it. Who knows, maybe they've decided to use their marketing budget up in the 4 month blitz lead up to the film, as opposed to stretching their awareness over a long period of time. At least that is what I hope they are doing. To have a concentrated approach to these last few months where they can attempt to saturate the market with AVATAR shit would be their only bet now I think. I don't have faith in FOX to do that though. Like many have said, if this film fails it will fall squarely on FOX and their shitty marketing.

Nutjob - TDK's hype was all about ITS THE SEQUEL TO BEGINS/LEDGER'S PERFORMANCE AS JOKER. The trailer was indeed awesome, but you could find most of the general public eating it up because it showed glimpses of Ledger's final and apparently harrowing performance.

Also, given Cameron's previous comments, I don't think he wants to showcase shit of Pandora and I would hope he doesn't for the sake of surprise. I really don't want him to blow his load in the trailer.

 

[SketchTheArtist]

You're crazy if you think Cameron has control over FOX's marketing department.

They're both very, very protective over that film. Cameron's baby and Fox's monies.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

They're both very, very protective over that film. Cameron's baby and Fox's monies.

Solo is very protective over Speed Racer's reputation. The point is that he's not in the position where can do anything about it.

 

[agrajag]

Maybe you don't. I think it's pretty obvious he's CG. Better than Jar Jar, but not really revolutionary. I mean it's a pretty solid effort for a fantasy movie series, but he certainly doesn't look anything close to a practical effect.

:lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[Cheebs]

How is not even crossing 5 million domestic a success? That's shit no matter if it's indie or not.

This is one of the stupidest things I have ever read.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Aw man, it happened again.
Not a bad thing, but EVERYTIME I get drunk with people and someon mentions movies it always ends up with me on a 10 minute shill for AVATAR.

 

[Solo]

I love how Sculli is referencing me :lol

 

[JimiNutz]

Nutjob - TDK's hype was all about ITS THE SEQUEL TO BEGINS/LEDGER'S PERFORMANCE AS JOKER. The trailer was indeed awesome, but you could find most of the general public eating it up because it showed glimpses of Ledger's final and apparently harrowing performance.

Also, given Cameron's previous comments, I don't think he wants to showcase shit of Pandora and I would hope he doesn't for the sake of surprise. I really don't want him to blow his load in the trailer.

This is true to a degree and like it or not, Ledgers sudden death did a lot to inadvertently market that movie, however before that trailer hit a LOT of people (and I'm talking real mainstream here, not GAFers/people that frequent film sites or message boards) didn't even know Ledger was playing the Joker, or they knew and just didn't care.

That trailer came out in December a good month before his death, and I remember that once it hit and word of mouth spread, I was over hearing people in bars and other public places talking about how awesome this Dark Knight movie looked. Also remember that Begins did well at the box office, but not exceptionally well. I know people that hadn't even seen Begins, nor really wanted to, that suddenly got excited for TDK because of this awesome trailer that they'd just seem with I Am Legend.

As for the Avatar trailer I can understand why you personally don't want Jim to show too much. I can appreciate that you want to go to a lovely 3D IMAX on opening day and be wowed with fresh eyes, BUT you need to think about the mainstream here.

A short teaser that shows Cameron’s name, a quick cut of a Na'vi, and then the Avatar logo is not going to cut it. It's too late for that now That is not going to captivate the mainstream, who know next to nothing about this projects existence, and they will be left scratching their heads.

If they had been steadily marketing this movie for the last year then sure a trailer like that may suffice, but that is not the situation we are in.
Cameron needs to WOW with the trailer to get people to pay attention otherwise the movie is gonna bomb at the box office.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

This is true to a degree and like it or not, Ledgers sudden death did a lot to inadvertently market that movie, however before that trailer hit a LOT of people (and I'm talking real mainstream here, not GAFers/people that frequent film sites or message boards) didn't even know Ledger was playing the Joker, or they knew and just didn't care.

That trailer came out in December a good month before his death, and I remember that once it hit and word of mouth spread, I was over hearing people in bars and other public places talking about how awesome this Dark Knight movie looked. Also remember that Begins did well at the box office, but not exceptionally well. I know people that hadn't even seen Begins, nor really wanted to, that suddenly got excited for TDK because of this awesome trailer that they'd just seem with I Am Legend.

As for the Avatar trailer I can understand why you personally don't want Jim to show too much. I can appreciate that you want to go to a lovely 3D IMAX on opening day and be wowed with fresh eyes, BUT you need to think about the mainstream here.

A short teaser that shows Cameron’s name, a quick cut of a Na'vi, and then the Avatar logo is not going to cut it. It's too late for that now That is not going to captivate the mainstream, who know next to nothing about this projects existence, and they will be left scratching their heads.

If they had been steadily marketing this movie for the last year then sure a trailer like that may suffice, but that is not the situation we are in.
Cameron needs to WOW with the trailer to get people to pay attention otherwise the movie is gonna bomb at the box office.

I dunno, remember The Matrix? That film didn't start marketing until it was a few months out and the nature of the marketing was insanely cryptic. It didn't show shit from the movie, but the word of mouth was incredible. They just need to find the right way to tease the movie. I will never forget that WhatIsTheMatrix marketing campaign. I tell you nobody in the cinema on opening night (including myself) knew what the fuck we were about to watch.

 

[Zabojnik]

I would only like to let you guys know that basically NOBODY in my group of 'people I usually hang out with' knows or has heard ANYTHING about Avatar. Not even the internet-savvy will-download-every-new-movie-and-fucking-talk-about-it people. Yesterday a friend of mine, an avid fan of all things sci-fi (though not a forum reader), finally said to me: "Is the Avatar you were talking about that cartoon?" So, yeah, I pretty much convinced that at this point - outside of the nerd community - nobody (yet) knows or gives a shit about Avatar. They better start the marketing machinery right now.

 

[Busty]

You are out of your mind. FOX has never, ever had a great marketing department. Their marketing dept is the most woeful out of any of the majors. Cameron's status has allowed him to make the movie he wanted and allowed him to balloon his budget out past their initial agreement.

Yes he would have a say in specifically what from the film is shown, but I guarantee you he has no bearing on HOW they market the film. They could have had teaser posters or trailer over a year ago, with no footage shown just to create an awareness.

This is a ridiculous statement. If Warners consult George Clooney over how they market the Ocean's Eleven movies then you'd better believe James Cameron (a man not afraid to scream and shout at executives) is all over Fox's marketing efforts.

The marketing for Avatar thus far has been laughable to the point of amateurish. This isn't mere incompetence. Something is going on behind the scenes.

When the first look at any artwork (or anything!) from a film that's been ten years in the making (one way or another) is a screenshot from some mediocre looking Ubisoft multi format game you know something is up.

Even I don't think FOX would risk not marketing the shit out of this film given how much they have riding on it. Who knows, maybe they've decided to use their marketing budget up in the 4 month blitz lead up to the film, as opposed to stretching their awareness over a long period of time. At least that is what I hope they are doing. To have a concentrated approach to these last few months where they can attempt to saturate the market with AVATAR shit would be their only bet now I think. I don't have faith in FOX to do that though. Like many have said, if this film fails it will fall squarely on FOX and their shitty marketing.

Scullibundo. You are excited for Avatar and that's cool. I want the film to be cool and it might very well be incredible, I hope it's all you want from it regardless of what everyone else thinks of the eventual film.

But the above statement has very little accuracy to it. Fox has one of the best marketing departments in town. Without a doubt. The fact they have made Ice Age 3D the most succesful animated movie with International markets passing Finding Nemo and then made Wolverine a hit despite the fact it leaked a month before hand is a major win for anyone.

I dunno, remember The Matrix? That film didn't start marketing until it was a few months out and the nature of the marketing was insanely cryptic. It didn't show shit from the movie, but the word of mouth was incredible. They just need to find the right way to tease the movie. I will never forget that WhatIsTheMatrix marketing campaign. I tell you nobody in the cinema on opening night (including myself) knew what the fuck we were about to watch.

That's a great point. The Matrix is still used a bench mark today on how to create a viral campaign. But that was ten years ago and alot has changed since then.

The Matrix had some great imagery and a big star in Keanu Reeves. The only name attached to Avatar is James Cameron. And while that's a big pull, it's not that big with casual audiences.

 

[AgentOtaku]

I dunno, remember The Matrix? That film didn't start marketing until it was a few months out and the nature of the marketing was insanely cryptic. It didn't show shit from the movie, but the word of mouth was incredible. They just need to find the right way to tease the movie. I will never forget that WhatIsTheMatrix marketing campaign. I tell you nobody in the cinema on opening night (including myself) knew what the fuck we were about to watch.

Man ...those times were amazing. I would love to go back to '99 and do it all over again

 

[DieNgamers]

They aren’t going to be viewing us as a disappointment or letdown before the movie even starts.

I think he's right there. So I asked some people I know and nobody has ever heard of Avatar, except the ones who I introduced to the concept of the film earlier. I think the people who may be disappointed because of the hype are the hardcore sci-fi fans following the movie for such a long time. If there's going to be that kind of backlash it's going to be in nerd forums only, imo.
Now let's see how they grab the attention of the mainstream crowd...I'm hoping for best success but I know I'll enjoy the movie anyway and if it's really good it will find its fans.

Man ...those times were amazing. I would love to go back to '99 and do it all over again

Man, I know so many guys who haven't seen Matrix 1 based on the negative opinions of others on the sequels. It's a shame.

 

[duckroll]

So, it's a little over a week before AVATAR DAY or whatever, and we still don't have a full international list of participating cinemas? No hype? No advertising for it? Or teasing? This is retarded. The day's going to come and go and by the time there's "word of mouth" that they showed 15 mins of Avatar on the 21st, it'll be long over. What a waste of time. :lol

 

[JimiNutz]

I dunno, remember The Matrix? That film didn't start marketing until it was a few months out and the nature of the marketing was insanely cryptic. It didn't show shit from the movie, but the word of mouth was incredible. They just need to find the right way to tease the movie. I will never forget that WhatIsTheMatrix marketing campaign. I tell you nobody in the cinema on opening night (including myself) knew what the fuck we were about to watch.

Good example.
I was only 13 when the Matrix came out (fuck cant believe it's 10 years already!) and I cant really remember the marketing campaign.
What I do remember though is going to see the movie the first day it released and dragging my Father along (because it was rated 15 in the UK and I was worried I might not get in).

This was why I did that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM5yepZ21pI

I wasn't even aware of the viral marketing (I wasn't an internet savvy child), but I saw that trailer and, although I knew next to nothing about the movie, it alone made it the most anticipated event of the year for me (and that was the year that episode 1 came out-a film I was ridiculously excited for).

That is what Avatar needs to sell to the mainstream.
A trailer like that.

 

[Krev]

Go fuck yourself, Jim. Avatar The Last Airbender's mere existence has done more to market your shitty film than Fox has ever done.

Haven't you been totally negative about this film from the start because you're protective over the 'Avatar' title?
I really don't get it.

I think people are crazy if they think the lack of marketing so far is because Fox are inept and not part of some predetermined strategy. This is probably the most expensive film of all time, and they've already had four years to figure out how to sell it to people. It's standard practice with these kind of projects to start marketing at least a year in advance. Even if no footage is ready, you throw together a teaser. A bunch of people on a message board can tell you that this is what you are supposed to do to build awareness. If Fox aren't doing this on a project of this magnitude, they must be pretty fucking certain they have a better idea. How good this idea is can't really be assessed at the present.
What I'm trying to say is that the late start of the marketing is not just a stupid oversight because Fox have no clue or haven't thought this through. I guarantee you they've deliberated over this to no end.
The late start to the marketing is all part of the plan. It's too early to judge the effectiveness of the strategy or write off Avatar as a bomb, since the plan (designed with a late start in mind) hasn't even kicked off yet.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Cameron has a rather big say into how this is marketed.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Haven't you been totally negative about this film from the start because you're protective over the 'Avatar' title?
I really don't get it.

I think people are crazy if they think the lack of marketing so far is because Fox are inept and not part of some predetermined strategy. This is probably the most expensive film of all time, and they've already had four years to figure out how to sell it to people. It's standard practice with these kind of projects to start marketing at least a year in advance. Even if no footage is ready, you throw together a teaser. A bunch of people on a message board can tell you that this is what you are supposed to do to build awareness. If Fox aren't doing this on a project of this magnitude, they must be pretty fucking certain they have a better idea. How good this idea is can't really be assessed at the present.
What I'm trying to say is that the late start of the marketing is not just a stupid oversight because Fox have no clue or haven't thought this through. I guarantee you they've deliberated over this to no end.
The late start to the marketing is all part of the plan. It's too early to judge the effectiveness of the strategy or write off Avatar as a bomb, since the plan (designed with a late start in mind) hasn't even kicked off yet.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Cameron has a rather big say into how this is marketed.

+1 for sanity

 

[Veidt]

Good example.
I was only 13 when the Matrix came out (fuck cant believe it's 10 years already!) and I cant really remember the marketing campaign.
What I do remember though is going to see the movie the first day it released and dragging my Father along (because it was rated 15 in the UK and I was worried I might not get in).

This was why I did that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM5yepZ21pI

I wasn't even aware of the viral marketing (I wasn't an internet savvy child), but I saw that trailer and, although I knew next to nothing about the movie, it alone made it the most anticipated event of the year for me (and that was the year that episode 1 came out-a film I was ridiculously excited for).

That is what Avatar needs to sell to the mainstream.
A trailer like that.

I remember not knowing anything about what the matrix was. I saw a guy dodging bullets, and well, that was enough reason for 10 year old me to watch that film.
But I got so much more, so much more.....

 

[JimiNutz]

I was wondering if the late start was due to the fact that they weren't really sure when the movie was going to be ready (a year ago).
Didn't the movie get pushed back a couple of times already?

Maybe they were worried about advertising it too early and then having to push the release date back?

 

[Tim the Wiz]

I would only like to let you guys know that basically NOBODY in my group of 'people I usually hang out with' knows or has heard ANYTHING about Avatar. Not even the internet-savvy will-download-every-new-movie-and-fucking-talk-about-it people. Yesterday a friend of mine, an avid fan of all things sci-fi (though not a forum reader), finally said to me: "Is the Avatar you were talking about that cartoon?" So, yeah, I pretty much convinced that at this point - outside of the nerd community - nobody (yet) knows or gives a shit about Avatar. They better start the marketing machinery right now.

Well, I'll match your anecdotal evidence with some of my own. I was at the cinema watching Bruno several weeks ago and a bunch of teenagers sitting behind my friends and I were wondering aloud whether one of the trailers (it turned out to be D9) was going to be Avatar ("the sci-fi movie!"). Keep in mind I live in Australia. I think you may be underestimating the reach of James Cameron's name and oeuvre - and overestimating the wealth of your own anecdotal evidence.

Hell, I put no real trust in my own anecdotal evidence for actually providing accurate predictions of future box office success. If it had proved accurate in that sense this year, Bruno would be the biggest hit of the summer and The Hangover would have bombed - nobody within my group of friends knew about that film until the week it came out. It would be wiser to wait for the marketing to begin in earnest before rolling out the doomsday prophecies.

Then again, I also think District 9 is going to be mildly successful. Two thousand and nine: one of the biggest years of sci-fi in film. Believe.

 

[JimiNutz]

Well, I'll match your anecdotal evidence with some of my own. I was at the cinema watching Bruno several weeks ago and a bunch of teenagers sitting behind my friends and I were wondering aloud whether one of the trailers (it turned out to be D9) was going to be Avatar ("the sci-fi movie!"). Keep in mind I live in Australia. I think you may be underestimating the reach of James Cameron's name and oeuvre - and overestimating the wealth of your own anecdotal evidence.

Hell, I put no real trust in my own anecdotal evidence for actually providing accurate predictions of future box office success. If it had proved accurate in that sense this year, then Bruno would be the biggest hit of the summer, and The Hangover would have bombed - nobody within my group of friends knew about that film until the week it came out. It would be wiser to wait for the marketing to begin in earnest before rolling out the doomsday prophecies.

Then again, I also think District 9 is going to be mildly successful. Two thousand and nine: one of the biggest years of sci-fi in film. Believe.

Maybe it's because the lead actor (Sam Worthington) is Australian?
I imagine he's been getting a lot of buzz in his home nation since Terminator Salvation?

But yeah you are correct, anecdotal evidence is not really strong enough to base concrete predictions on.

 

[Veidt]

I was wondering if the late start was due to the fact that they weren't really sure when the movie was going to be ready (a year ago).
Didn't the movie get pushed back a couple of times already?

Maybe they were worried about advertising it too early and then having to push the release date back?

I think Avatar: The Last Airbender has lot more to do with this than any of us anticipate.
One thing is sure, The Last Airbender will certainly add as free, confusing,marketing to AVATAR.
A lot of the people that see the name Avatar will immediatly think of that cartoon show, which isn't too bad for FOX. If I recall correctly, the last airbender is huge in America now. Fox really is banking on that small point of confusion for some part.

 

[Krev]

I think Avatar: The Last Airbender has lot more to do with this than any of us anticipate.
One thing is sure, The Last Airbender will certainly add as free, confusing,marketing to AVATAR.
A lot of the people that see the name Avatar will immediatly think of that cartoon show, which isn't too bad for FOX. If I recall correctly, the last airbender is huge in America now. Fox really is banking on that small point of confusion for some part.

I think that's kind of true. Look at one of the current official descriptions:

AVATAR, which opens in Imax and theaters everywhere December 18, 2009, takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love -- as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization in this epic action adventure fantasy. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, AVATAR breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the moviegoing experience.

To the average person, that might sound just like the cartoon. Note the total avoidance of mentioning aliens or sci-fi.

 

[Busty]

So, it's a little over a week before AVATAR DAY or whatever, and we still don't have a full international list of participating cinemas? No hype? No advertising for it? Or teasing? This is retarded. The day's going to come and go and by the time there's "word of mouth" that they showed 15 mins of Avatar on the 21st, it'll be long over. What a waste of time. :lol

At this point it really does feel that way. In Britain the tickets to 'Avatar Day' wil only be given away to competition winners and people who are 'members' (not sure about the wording) of the IMAX cinemas.

All I'm saying is this. For Avatar Day to be anything other than a 'minor blip' on most people's radar the trailer had better hit and be huge.

And I mean HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE.

 

[Krev]

At this point it really does feel that way. In Britain the tickets to 'Avatar Day' wil only be given away to competition winners and people who are 'members' (not sure about the wording) of the IMAX cinemas.

Maybe that's part of the point. It will be seen by people who haven't necessarily been obsessively following the film and don't know what to expect.

All I'm saying is this. For Avatar Day to be anything other than a 'minor blip' on most people's radar the trailer had better hit and be huge.

Even if it doesn't show much at all, the trailer is going to be more than a minor blip.
Given the fact that the toys, games, ect are all being unveiled on the 21st along with the trailer, I'd say it's likely to hit huge.

 

[duckroll]

Maybe that's part of the point. It will be seen by people who haven't necessarily been obsessively following the film and don't know what to expect.

If you're not obsessively following the film, why would you enter a contest to win tickets to a 15min preview of the film? :lol

 

[Cheebs]

I love how the teaser for the new Christopher Nolan sci-fi film is out the same day as the Avatar footage. :lol

 

[Busty]

Maybe that's part of the point. It will be seen by people who haven't necessarily been obsessively following the film and don't know what to expect.

There are 8 IMAX Cinemas in Britain. Realistically how many people are actually going to be able to see the footage?

A couple thousand?

Even if it doesn't show much at all, the trailer is going to be more than a minor blip.
Given the fact that the toys, games, ect are all being unveiled on the 21st along with the trailer, I'd say it's likely to hit huge.

If people aren't interested in something they aren't interested. Nothing is guaranteed. But I have a feeling that this trailer needs to hit the ground running. Perhaps even create a type of buzz we're never seen before.

That's how much Avatar as a whole has riding on this one day. And thus far the tie in toys and games haven't exactly set the world alight.

I'm excited and nervous at the same time to see this trailer/footage.

 

[JimiNutz]

While we're talking about toys and games, is anyone here (this is primarily a gaming forum afterall) actually anticiptaing the game?

I know Ubi are publishing, but which team is developing? Any real talent involved?
I imagine it's too much to expect anything other than an average at best, rushed out, shooter?

 

[Krev]

If you're not obsessively following the film, why would you enter a contest to win tickets to a 15min preview of the film? :lol

"Hey look! Free stuff!"
The competitions never mention that it's only 15 minutes, by the way. All the ones I've seen advertise 'a free preview of James Cameron's upcoming 3D movie, AVATAR' or something similar.

There are 8 IMAX Cinemas in Britain. Realistically how many people are actually going to be able to see the footage?

A couple thousand?

Probably enough for their purposes. This is just an experiment to help build buzz. The footage is supposedly amazing, so X friend of a friend who has seen footage might be babbling about it at the office and get friends interested, who promptly look online and see the trailer. Marketing is always stronger when it comes from people you know, and letting a few people see footage and spread the word about Avatar might be enough to plant the seeds of something bigger.

I love how the teaser for the new Christopher Nolan sci-fi film is out the same day as the Avatar footage. :lol

Hilarious, isn't it?
While it's funny to see a last minute challenger turn up after a month of hype for Avatar Day and threaten to upstage it, it's probably not really that wise for Warner Bros. Avatar's trailer will contain some pretty remarkable special effects footage from a film just four months away and is going to catch a lot of people off guard. I doubt Inception can match thiat given that it only has a few months of shooting under the belt. The trailer will get a bit of attention, but the buzz with both geeks and mainstream audiences.

Unless Warner Bros have thrown something like the Tron footage from last year's Comic Con together... Too early to say. In any case, chances are that everyone who sees the Inception trailer (in cinemas or online) will be seeing the Avatar trailer as well.

 

[Cheebs]

Hilarious, isn't it?
While it's funny to see a last minute challenger turn up after a month of hype for Avatar Day and threaten to upstage it, it's probably not really that wise for Warner Bros. Avatar's trailer will contain some pretty remarkable special effects footage from a film just four months away and is going to catch a lot of people off guard. I doubt Inception can match thiat given that it only has a few months of shooting under the belt. The trailer will get a bit of attention, but the buzz with both geeks and mainstream audiences.

Unless Warner Bros have thrown something like the Tron footage from last year's Comic Con together... Too early to say. In any case, chances are that everyone who sees the Inception trailer (in cinemas or online) will be seeing the Avatar trailer as well.

Why would they at all worry about comparing to it? Nolan's sci-fi movie is not going to be a big CGI spectacle. It's not the type of blockbuster Nolan does.

 

[Zabojnik]

Well, I'll match your anecdotal evidence with some of my own. I was at the cinema watching Bruno several weeks ago and a bunch of teenagers sitting behind my friends and I were wondering aloud whether one of the trailers (it turned out to be D9) was going to be Avatar ("the sci-fi movie!"). Keep in mind I live in Australia. I think you may be underestimating the reach of James Cameron's name and oeuvre - and overestimating the wealth of your own anecdotal evidence.

Hell, I put no real trust in my own anecdotal evidence for actually providing accurate predictions of future box office success. If it had proved accurate in that sense this year, Bruno would be the biggest hit of the summer and The Hangover would have bombed - nobody within my group of friends knew about that film until the week it came out. It would be wiser to wait for the marketing to begin in earnest before rolling out the doomsday prophecies.

Then again, I also think District 9 is going to be mildly successful. Two thousand and nine: one of the biggest years of sci-fi in film. Believe.

Well, it's not like I'm saying that the lack of decent marketing will prevent this movie from being a worldwide hit. Far from it. I'm sure it was pretty much the same with Titanic. I doubt anybody here knew anything about it before release, even if the specialized media kept writing about it for months. The occasional cinema-goes simply doesn't get involved in the obscure hype process. It'll be curious to see if Avatar day changes anything in that regard.

 

[duckroll]

Why would they at all worry about comparing to it? Nolan's sci-fi movie is not going to be a big CGI spectacle. It's not the type of blockbuster Nolan does.

Yeah, it'll be a big ensemble spectacle instead, like we have come to expect from him.

 

[Cheebs]

Yeah, it'll be a big ensemble spectacle instead, like we have come to expect from him.

Yep, Nolan always has the best casts. He is incapable of having a bad cast in his movies.

 

[Krev]

I'm only comparing the release to Avatar with regards to the way they're playing the hype game. If they want maximum internet traffic and attention for the launch of Inception, they shouldn't release the trailer on the so-called 'Avatar Day'.
Still, none of this should matter in the slightest in the long run. We're still a year out, and little things like that have zero bearing on a film's success.

 

[duckroll]

I'm only comparing the release to Avatar with regards to the way they're playing the hype game. If they want maximum internet traffic and attention for the launch of Inception, they shouldn't release the trailer on the so-called 'Avatar Day'.
Still, none of this should matter in the slightest in the long run. We're still a year out, and little things like that have zero bearing on a film's success.

I don't think anyone gives a fuck about this "Avatar Day" nonsense except people like us in this thread. Seriously. You can imagine that there's this huge crowd out there ready to get all hyped up for it, but unless something MAJOR happens, nothing will change.

 

[FoneBone]

Yes he would have a say in specifically what from the film is shown, but I guarantee you he has no bearing on HOW they market the film.

Bull. Fucking. Shit.

The marketing for Avatar thus far has been laughable to the point of amateurish. This isn't mere incompetence. Something is going on behind the scenes.

But at the same time, I think it's ridiculous to imply that there's anything sinister about what's going on. I think it's mainly Cameron being egotistic (of COURSE people will turn out in droves, regardless of when the marketing kicks off) and also something of a perfectionist (hence not showing any footage until there are a number of fully completed scenes, not just "trailer shots.")

That said, I'm still baffled by the lack of promotion for Avatar Day.

 

[Veidt]

I don't think anyone gives a fuck about this "Avatar Day" nonsense except people like us in this thread. Seriously. You can imagine that there's this huge crowd out there ready to get all hyped up for it, but unless something MAJOR happens, nothing will change.

Agreed. Fox is fuckin' up proper.

JC better offer money for free to get people in the theater, because I really doubt it's going to go over well.

 

[duckroll]

Agreed. Fox is fuckin' up proper.

JC better offer money for free to get people in the theater, because I really doubt it's going to go over well.

Well, I think by December it'll be a different situation. I just think that within this month or so, nothing will change. "Avatar Day" sounds like a HUGE waste of time and money to me, because it's not really shaping up to be an event at all. There's zero hype. You need to hype an event up before it actually happens, or it's a waste of time.