Hollywood Doesn't Care About 'Fanboy' Approval

[TomG]

Interesting read..

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2014/05/26/hollywood-doesnt-care-about-fanboy-approval/

[comicwiz]

Thanks for the share Tom.

 

My main criticism with this article is that it's based on the argument that fans don't make/break a movie. It's a lousy argument for any entertainment product, but worse for movies, because box office numbers don't tell the full story of how much WD or WB are spared in marketing dollars by bringing characters to the big screen we all know and recognize from early childhood. Even if WD or WB saves themselves a couple of hundred thousand to a few million in promoting a character film with wide collector interest/appeal, that's a significant metric with respect to the bankable aspects of the character property, and overlooks the fringe benefits associated to marketing nostalgia and memories.

[Catalog-In]

Thanks for the share Tom.

 

My main criticism with this article is that it's based on the argument that fans don't make/break a movie. It's a lousy argument for any entertainment product, but worse for movies, because box office numbers don't tell the full story of how much WD or WB are spared in marketing dollars by bringing characters to the big screen we all know and recognize from early childhood. Even if WD or WB saves themselves a couple of hundred thousand to a few million in promoting a character film with wide collector interest/appeal, that's a significant metric with respect to the bankable aspects of the character property, and overlooks the fringe benefits associated to marketing nostalgia and memories.

 

I agree that the studios gain a lot by using well-known characters, but I think that there is a difference between fans, who read/own/know about comic books, and those who recognize and remember a character from popular culture. I am not a comic book "fan" in that I know close to nothing about any character. I recognize lots of superheroes but don't go see the movies to see how true they are to the comic books. I've seen quite a few superhero/based-on-other-media movies, but for many of them I had no idea which story arc they were pulling from, how truthful the characters were to their comic book counterparts, or any of the other pertinent related details. Accuracy just ain't on mah checklist, so it better be good as a movie. I loved the Lois and Clark: True Adventures of Superman TV show (don't judge me, I was young) b/c it was cheesy and fun and Dean Cain was a hottie. I still have my trading cards. I didn't watch the new movie because it didn't look like that great of a movie and I didn't like Cavill's look in the role. I have a friend who is a comic book fan who sees *everything* that comes out, whether or not he thinks it will be good. And many of the kids I've worked with who "love" superheroes don't even know that the characters are from comic books (much less what a comic book is), and will probably never own a comic.

[jaybuck43]

You didn't miss much, Not a fan of depressed Superman a.k.a Man Of Steel, though it was lightyears better than Superman Returns.

 

Comicwiz, I highly doubt Disney or WB saves any money marketing wise. Sony spent 180 Mil to market the *spoon* fest that was ASM 2. Spider-man is easily one of the 3 most recognizable comic book characters in pop culture. Man of Steel had WB spend $150 Mil on the marketing alone. Superman is THE character. Babies know who he is. Disney spent $175 Million on marketing for Iron Man 3 (mind you this was after the Avengers and everyone on earth wanted to see the movie even before the first trailer hit just because of The Avengers)

[Catalog-In]

You didn't miss much, Not a fan of depressed Superman a.k.a Man Of Steel, though it was lightyears better than Superman Returns.

 

Comicwiz, I highly doubt Disney or WB saves any money marketing wise. Sony spent 180 Mil to market the *spoon* fest that was ASM 2. Spider-man is easily one of the 3 most recognizable comic book characters in pop culture. Man of Steel had WB spend $150 Mil on the marketing alone. Superman is THE character. Babies know who he is. Disney spent $175 Million on marketing for Iron Man 3 (mind you this was after the Avengers and everyone on earth wanted to see the movie even before the first trailer hit just because of The Avengers)

 

I find it surprising that they spent that much on advertising. I think of those movies as being something that sell themselves. But I guess you have to get the mainstream audiences to want to come in, right? Jay, since you're so good at getting embarrassing confessions out of me, I will now admit that I saw the George Clooney Batmans. All of them. The one with Batgirl (probably the worst Batman movie ever) multiples times. Awful but somehow addicting at the same time. But I've only seen the ones with Michael Keaton once, and of the ones with Christian Bale, only the first one.

[conditionfreak]

Simply put. This article is spot on.

 

"We" are going to spend our money on these films, no matter what. So why bother to cater to our whims and desires.

 

So, fan boys don't want Ben Affleck to be Batman. Who the flock cares. "We" will see it anyway, and we are a small minority of the theater going public. There is a much larger percentage of the public that go for famous names, and also go for established mega stars. Regardless if they fit the roll well.

 

That is just the way it is, so we might as well get used to it.

 

We are guppies in a huge pond.

 

[slym2none]

Simply put. This article is spot on.

 

"We" are going to spend our money on these films, no matter what. So why bother to cater to our whims and desires.

 

So, fan boys don't want Ben Affleck to be Batman. Who the flock cares. "We" will see it anyway, and we are a small minority of the theater going public. There is a much larger percentage of the public that go for famous names, and also go for established mega stars. Regardless if they fit the roll well.

 

That is just the way it is, so we might as well get used to it.

 

We are guppies in a huge pond.

 

I got used to by X-Men 2.

 

 

 

 

-slym ( *sighs heavily* )

[thunsicker]

I have to say I agree. Everyone here let me know what an awful movie ASM 2 was, it got pretty bad reviews, but my butt was still in the seat opening week.

[Logan510]

Shocking.

 

Next, someone will post an article revealing that water is wet.

[conditionfreak]

Shocking.

 

Next, someone will post an article revealing that water is wet.

 

Whaaat?

[dupont2005]

Thanks for the share Tom.

 

My main criticism with this article is that it's based on the argument that fans don't make/break a movie. It's a lousy argument for any entertainment product, but worse for movies, because box office numbers don't tell the full story of how much WD or WB are spared in marketing dollars by bringing characters to the big screen we all know and recognize from early childhood. Even if WD or WB saves themselves a couple of hundred thousand to a few million in promoting a character film with wide collector interest/appeal, that's a significant metric with respect to the bankable aspects of the character property, and overlooks the fringe benefits associated to marketing nostalgia and memories.

I don't think they skimp or save on marketing.

And by "Fans" I think they mean the people picking up Spiderman and Superman on Wednesday. Any licensed movie is definitely aiming for the "I loved that character when I was ten but quit reading comics 20-30 years ago" market. Those aren't fanboys though.

[General Zod]

Hollywood: We don't care what quality is, just as long as our drek sells.

[comicwiz]

Thanks for the share Tom.

 

My main criticism with this article is that it's based on the argument that fans don't make/break a movie. It's a lousy argument for any entertainment product, but worse for movies, because box office numbers don't tell the full story of how much WD or WB are spared in marketing dollars by bringing characters to the big screen we all know and recognize from early childhood. Even if WD or WB saves themselves a couple of hundred thousand to a few million in promoting a character film with wide collector interest/appeal, that's a significant metric with respect to the bankable aspects of the character property, and overlooks the fringe benefits associated to marketing nostalgia and memories.

I don't think they skimp or save on marketing.

And by "Fans" I think they mean the people picking up Spiderman and Superman on Wednesday. Any licensed movie is definitely aiming for the "I loved that character when I was ten but quit reading comics 20-30 years ago" market. Those aren't fanboys though.

 

I never said they skimp on marketing. Another way of explaining my point: from the time a contract or talent is signed, discussions are happening in all areas of the social web. These discussions gain steam every time an update is made, and not even CNN tracking OJ's truck down a highway can compare to the way these discussions maintain audiences attention and interest as a movie release date nears.

 

If you had to hire competent community managers and/or online marketers to create/maintain the kind of buzz that generates leading up to a character film, sometimes a year or more before the film is even shot, you would be lucky to break even at box office. This obsessive kind of fan loyalty is simply not observable in other entertainment products, and the only close comparison would be a sporting franchise, and more recently, is resembling the announcement of Disney's new Star Wars trilogy.

 

To add some context to each comparison, the sporting teams more closely resemble his point about not paying too much attention to what fans are saying, but that varies with mileage (especially in cases where team members make controversial public statements or aren't pulling their weight), and it would be naive to believe Marvel/Disney isn't paying close attention the online feedback cycle every time an update or more details are shared about an upcoming film, which is yet another facet of due dilligence you couldn't put a financial figure on even if you were willing to pay for that kind of insight.

[ComicConnoisseur]

One thing that stands out about these millions of non-fans who have got introduced to these iconic heroes thru blockbuster superhero movies is they will never pick up a comic book to know the true origin.

Not only will these new fans not read a comic book, but they will not pick one up.

Sad.

[Logan510]

One thing that stands out about these millions of non-fans who have got introduced to these iconic heroes thru blockbuster superhero movies is they will never pick up a comic book to know the true origin.

Not only will these new fans not read a comic book, but they will not pick one up.

Sad.

 

That's one of the things that makes me sad as well. To millions of people, the latest piece of drek IS Days of Future Past and they will probably never know how awesome the original story is.

[bane]

One thing that stands out about these millions of non-fans who have got introduced to these iconic heroes thru blockbuster superhero movies is they will never pick up a comic book to know the true origin.

Not only will these new fans not read a comic book, but they will not pick one up.

Sad.

 

That's one of the things that makes me sad as well. To millions of people, the latest piece of drek IS Days of Future Past and they will probably never know how awesome the original story is.

 

I'll have to read it sometime.

 

However Comicopolis told me that the film is better then the original material

[Jeffro.]

I don't even remember the last superhero movie I saw in a theater.

[Kevin76]

Its not about fanboy approval, its about ticket sales

[ComicConnoisseur]

One thing that stands out about these millions of non-fans who have got introduced to these iconic heroes thru blockbuster superhero movies is they will never pick up a comic book to know the true origin.

Not only will these new fans not read a comic book, but they will not pick one up.

Sad.

 

That's one of the things that makes me sad as well. To millions of people, the latest piece of drek IS Days of Future Past and they will probably never know how awesome the original story is.

Well my point I was trying to make was here are millions of new fans being introduced to these characters, and not much is being done to convert them into millions of comic book readers. This is a golden opportunity that is being blown.

 

 

[Chip Cataldo]

Its not about fanboy approval, its about ticket sales

"The big yellow one's the sun!"

 

Peace,

 

Chip