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Chapter 117: Theater Selection
🕑 Added 2024-10-07 20:44:25 +0000 UTCKnoxville, Tennessee, a small riverside city, is home to the headquarters of Emperor Entertainment Group. After receiving the first-hand preview data, Joesman took a plane overnight to the group's headquarters. The immense motivation brought by money left him with no intention of resting; after getting off the plane, he went straight to the theater company's office floor in the headquarters building.
It wasn't long after Joesman arrived at the company that several high-ranking executives of the theater company quickly gathered.
"The special effects are excellent! Duke Rosenberg's explosion scenes are as thrilling and exciting as ever!"
Sitting at the long conference table, Joesman motioned to a secretary to distribute the data he had brought, "This is the overall assessment from the team. All twelve of us who watched the film unanimously agree that it is a top-tier commercial production!"
His words garnered a lot of attention, and everyone quickly opened the materials in front of them to take a look.
"Joe..." CEO Mandino, seated at the front, asked, "Let's hear the specific statistical data."
"Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox did not invite critics to the preview, so there's no professional feedback to discuss."
Even now, Joesman couldn't understand why the producers broke with tradition, but that had nothing to do with the theater side. "As for audience feedback, 367 viewers participated in the survey, with 314 giving it an A rating, while 49 rated it below a C."
"The negative reviews seem a bit high," someone remarked.
"The story is just average; the selling points are the special effects and emotional appeal." Joesman wasn't surprised and responded slowly, "I think everyone understands that with films like this, those who like it will love it, while those who don't will really dislike it."
Before anyone else could speak, Joesman continued, "According to the statistics from the preview and random surveys conducted by the polling company, far more people want to see this film than those who don't, and the preview feedback confirms this!"
Many people nodded. Movies with special effects as the main selling point, like *Jurassic Park* and *Terminator 2*, often had similar patterns.
As the only person present who had seen the film, Joesman knew its potential and understood that if the film succeeded, he could receive a huge bonus. He had no intention of stopping at this point.
"I believe *Independence Day* should be given more screens," he continued, "and each theater with multiple screens should allocate at least three to the film..."
Looking at the data signed by all the preview experts, CEO Mandino fell into thought. After a long pause, he finally said, "Duke Rosenberg's previous two films exceeded our expectations, and *Independence Day* is in his strongest genre. I think Joe's suggestion is feasible."
One by one, the other executives expressed similar opinions. After some discussion, Mandino made an initial decision, "Gradually reduce the screens for *The Lion King* and *Forrest Gump*, and pull underperforming films that have dropped below our bottom line. By July 1st, we'll free up enough screens in multi-screen theaters for *Independence Day*, with each theater starting with two to three screens. We can adjust based on the first day's box office results."
"Columbia Pictures has been contacting us recently," someone reminded, "They're trying to secure enough screens for *The Shawshank Redemption*."
"No, no, no..." Joesman immediately objected, "I think we should limit the number of screens for *The Shawshank Redemption*. I attended last month's preview for the media, fans, and theaters, and while the film is very interesting, I don't think it's suited for the theater market."
"*The Shawshank Redemption* scored 9.8 in the professional ratings at the preview!" the person replied.
"In fact, the audience feedback was also quite good. Although the prison theme presents some issues, the approval rate exceeded 80%, but..."
Joesman frowned. To be honest, he believed the film would become a classic, but classic doesn't necessarily mean box office success. His many years of experience on the frontlines of the market gave him an indescribable feeling that the film simply wasn't suited for commercial theaters.
Hollywood history is filled with countless films that are fondly remembered as classics but were box office failures.
"I don't think *The Shawshank Redemption* is fit for the theater market."
As the leading preview expert on the West Coast, Joesman's words carried weight. After taking everyone's opinions into account, Mandino said, "The screens freed up in early July will first go to *Independence Day*. If the box office doesn't meet expectations, we'll reduce its screen count in the second week, and the remaining screens can be given to *The Shawshank Redemption*. Additionally, if *The Shawshank Redemption* performs well in its first week, the screens freed up from *The Lion King* and *Forrest Gump* can be allocated to it."
This was a cautious approach. Even if Sony-Columbia executives were present, they wouldn't be able to object.
In a coordinated effort, both AMG theaters and National Artists Cinemas, the second and third-largest theater chains in the U.S., made similar decisions.
Once a film enters theaters, everything depends on box office performance. Even if the number of screens differs, single-screen results can be compared. If *Independence Day* underperforms, no matter how much Duke begs, the theater companies won't allocate extra screens.
Similarly, if *The Shawshank Redemption* performs well in its opening week, not only can it maintain its initial screen count, but it could also expand its reach to more theaters.
The success of any film requires extensive promotion. With the preview over, *Independence Day*'s pre-release marketing campaign entered its final stage. The main cast frequently appeared in public, and even Duke, the director, participated in several interviews and cooperated with Fox's PR team in some staged "street shots."
These "street shots" are like the ones often seen in magazines and newspapers. If anyone thinks those glamorous photos are genuine and not staged, they've been fooled by the stars and their companies.
Typically, these photoshoots are arranged in advance with photographers and journalists, and both parties, acting with professional dedication, ensure the best possible results. The selected photos then undergo scrutiny by the PR or management teams, who choose the most suitable ones for publication.
Of course, PR fees must be paid for these "street shots."
Newspapers, magazines, posters, outdoor advertisements, and TV/radio promotions were the most conventional methods. The tabloid rumors surrounding the cast members were also heavily hyped by News Corp. and Time Warner subsidiaries, and even Duke wasn't spared from the gossip.
It seems that after Fox experienced success with the fake couple marketing strategy during *Speed*, and with the gossip around Duke and Naomi Watts circulating in the tabloids for over a year, they somehow convinced Nancy Josephson to try a similar strategy by having Duke and Naomi pose as a couple.
Duke flatly refused without hesitation. What a joke! Playing a fake couple might be fun to watch when others do it, but to actually do it himself? No, thanks.
There were plenty of other promotional strategies to use; missing out on this one wasn't a big deal.
Duke also took this opportunity to warn Nancy Josephson again, reiterating that she must not interfere in his personal life!
As the release date approached, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox ramped up their promotional efforts. Nearly every sizable community and bulletin board across the U.S. featured the film's posters. The trailer ran on Fox's Family Channel and NBC for ten consecutive days in late June, and *Good Morning America* aired a special feature on *Independence Day* the weekend before its release.
A copy of the film was even sent to the White House, where Bill Clinton and his family enjoyed a private screening. Warner Bros. and Fox's media outlets ran endless stories like "The President Praises the Film."
It's no exaggeration to say that every possible film promotion channel and strategy of the time was used for *Independence Day*.
Coordinating with theaters, preparing copies, confirming premiere venues, and inviting guests were all handled by the production and distribution teams. For Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, these tasks were straightforward given their vast resources and experience.
Duke remained in strict compliance with the terms of his contract, offering only minimal suggestions and largely refraining from interfering with the promotional plan. Most of his time was spent cooperating with the PR team's strategy.
Even if Duke had more leverage, he would still have to follow certain rules. Those who disregard the reality of Hollywood, believing they can bend it to their will, are bound to fail.
Hollywood is more than just the entertainment industry. Even though it's only the 1990s, the combined revenue generated by films and related industries nears the billion-dollar mark each year. With so many giants closely guarding such a massive industry, the consequences of trying to disrupt the system would be dire.
Though the actual production cost of the film was only $90 million, the official reported budget and promotional cost was still $100 million. For such a massive commercial production, the premiere had to be equally grand. *Independence Day*'s premiere was set at the Shrine Auditorium, one of the most famous theaters in America and a regular venue for the Oscars!
This was the largest premiere of Duke's directing career, though he had only had two premieres so far.
*Speed* opened with a limited screening and didn't have an official premiere; *The Rock* opted for a premiere at the Alcatraz
Island Plaza to save costs and match the film's theme.
The premiere of *Independence Day* was not only held at one of the most renowned theaters in the United States, but Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox also extended invitations to over a hundred global media outlets, aiming to make the event a major spectacle.
Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox weren't just focused on the North American market; they also had their sights set on the growing international territories.
On June 30, 1994, the last Thursday of the month, the $100 million sci-fi action epic *Independence Day* had its grand premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles!
