midzi
04-11-2006, 07:13 AM
Beastie Boys is million-dollar DVD (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6323926.html)
ThinkFilm spends big on marketing music title
By Susanne Ault 4/10/2006
Hoping to bust music DVD out of its niche status, ThinkFilm is pouring $1 million into marketing July 25 title Awesome: I F**kin’ Shot That.
The indie supplier wants the Beastie Boys concert film to behave closer to a theatrical disc at retail. ThinkFilm is initially shipping more than 100,000 units to stores, about double even the most optimistic projections of a typical music title.
“Retailers find that music DVDs just show up and are slapped together with no marketing behind it,” said Marc Hirshberg, senior VP of finance and operations at ThinkFilm. “But Best Buy is very much behind this film, and the reason they are is because we are spending the marketing dollars to show it’s a cool film that people should buy.”
Awesome does boast a unique premise. Beastie Boys handed out 50 video cameras to audience members to use during its 2004 Madison Square Garden concert. The resulting footage was then pieced together to create Awesome.
But the film nevertheless seemed doomed to an uphill battle at retail.
At a recent Los Angeles conference, Best Buy senior entertainment VP Gary Arnold pointed out that music DVD sales are soft. He largely blamed the absence of studio promotion (VB, 3-09).
Hirshberg paid close attention. He knew Awesome needed a strong publicity blitz.
To start, ThinkFilm helped finance a one-night digital screening of Awesome across 200 screens on March 23. Participating theaters included Regal, United Artists, Edwards and AMC.
That preceded a limited theatrical run that started on March 31.
ThinkFilm also partnered with social networking Web site MySpace to offer members free Awesome theater tickets.
ThinkFilm will continue to plug Awesome through its July DVD street.
Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas said splashy marketing is a big reason why the chain’s exclusive music DVD releases fare well. The chain’s Rolling Stones, Elton John and Usher titles each bowed with a splashy red carpet party.
“We treated those like movie premieres,” Lucas said. “If you have a product you’re excited about, you want people to know about it.”
ThinkFilm hopes Awesome is deemed mainstream and carried at more than just music-centric retailers.
“There is a million bucks behind this, so it should get the attention,” Hirshberg said. “And a Hollywood [Entertainment] buyer has given the most phenomenal review [of Awesome]. I was sort of surprised. That’s a rental store—talk about a crossover.”
Music DVD is considered more sell-through, collectible fan merchandise than rental product.
Still, Hollywood Video will be carrying Awesome across its chain.
Beastie Boys has connected with previous DVD efforts. Fans welcomed November 2000 Criterion Collection release The Beastie Boys DVD Video Anthology.
Band member and Awesome director “Adam Yauch is known for technical brilliance,” Hirschberg said. “His fans know they can expect a really well put together DVD.”
ThinkFilm spends big on marketing music title
By Susanne Ault 4/10/2006
Hoping to bust music DVD out of its niche status, ThinkFilm is pouring $1 million into marketing July 25 title Awesome: I F**kin’ Shot That.
The indie supplier wants the Beastie Boys concert film to behave closer to a theatrical disc at retail. ThinkFilm is initially shipping more than 100,000 units to stores, about double even the most optimistic projections of a typical music title.
“Retailers find that music DVDs just show up and are slapped together with no marketing behind it,” said Marc Hirshberg, senior VP of finance and operations at ThinkFilm. “But Best Buy is very much behind this film, and the reason they are is because we are spending the marketing dollars to show it’s a cool film that people should buy.”
Awesome does boast a unique premise. Beastie Boys handed out 50 video cameras to audience members to use during its 2004 Madison Square Garden concert. The resulting footage was then pieced together to create Awesome.
But the film nevertheless seemed doomed to an uphill battle at retail.
At a recent Los Angeles conference, Best Buy senior entertainment VP Gary Arnold pointed out that music DVD sales are soft. He largely blamed the absence of studio promotion (VB, 3-09).
Hirshberg paid close attention. He knew Awesome needed a strong publicity blitz.
To start, ThinkFilm helped finance a one-night digital screening of Awesome across 200 screens on March 23. Participating theaters included Regal, United Artists, Edwards and AMC.
That preceded a limited theatrical run that started on March 31.
ThinkFilm also partnered with social networking Web site MySpace to offer members free Awesome theater tickets.
ThinkFilm will continue to plug Awesome through its July DVD street.
Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas said splashy marketing is a big reason why the chain’s exclusive music DVD releases fare well. The chain’s Rolling Stones, Elton John and Usher titles each bowed with a splashy red carpet party.
“We treated those like movie premieres,” Lucas said. “If you have a product you’re excited about, you want people to know about it.”
ThinkFilm hopes Awesome is deemed mainstream and carried at more than just music-centric retailers.
“There is a million bucks behind this, so it should get the attention,” Hirshberg said. “And a Hollywood [Entertainment] buyer has given the most phenomenal review [of Awesome]. I was sort of surprised. That’s a rental store—talk about a crossover.”
Music DVD is considered more sell-through, collectible fan merchandise than rental product.
Still, Hollywood Video will be carrying Awesome across its chain.
Beastie Boys has connected with previous DVD efforts. Fans welcomed November 2000 Criterion Collection release The Beastie Boys DVD Video Anthology.
Band member and Awesome director “Adam Yauch is known for technical brilliance,” Hirschberg said. “His fans know they can expect a really well put together DVD.”