Friday 8 January 2010

Question Summary

Here are short, summary answers to the questions. More detail can be found through the question links in the labels.

1. How was the film produced to appeal to the audience?
  • Fusion 3D Technology was used to make the film spectacular and give it something the low budget/amateur films don't have
  • The narrative was kept as a simple, classic Hollywood narrative, a tried and tested formula so audiences to focus on the spectacular special effects without losing track of the plot
  • The genre (fantasy, sci/fi, action) was chosen to appeal to huge family audiences and allow the creators to show maximum special effects as they enhance this genre

2. How has the UK theatrical distribution of the film been managed in order to ensure the film's success in the UK?

  • Distributed on multiple platforms to give it the modern, global 'brand' name it needs in the current film industry
  • Fox marketed their own brand through Avatar, by theming their own site to the narrative world of the film

3. How has the film been marketing to ensure it successfully reaches its target audience?

  • Sold the film through the success of the director, Cameron, as his films were hugely successful in the UK before, and some share similar genres therefore audiences (e.g. Terminator)
  • Star power was a major feature in the audience appeal (e.g. Sigourney Weaver)
  • Above the line, mainstream marketing was used (e.g. prime time television trailers, posters, billboards) to reflect the high budget, glossy Hollywood nature of the film, giving the film appeal the low budget films (e.g. Paranormal Activity) don't
  • Sponsored by big brands all with wide audiences (Coke, McDonalds and LG)
  • News reports on the unique, new technology to attract the films fans as well as some who want to see something different

4. Where and how is the film being exibited in the UK?

  • Global premiere in London with iconic blue carpet
  • National release into cinemas, first week 503 sites, second week 485
  • Reached number 1in the box office in its opening weekend, then went to second by Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel

5. Who is the target audience and how have they been targeted in the UK?

  • Masculine audience (displaying of the sci/fi action genre and the connections with technology such as LG, advertising/selling the game before the film's release)
  • Families (12A rating, trailers shown in family films such as The Simpsons Movie, McDonalds and Coke sponsors, the imaginative fantasy genre)
  • Film fans (hype about the 3D technology used, displaying the spectacle as something a low budget film can not provide)

6. How have audiences responded and reacted to the film?

  • Hype created through marketing campaign shown as huge online through, for example, Facebook and Rotton Tomatoes
  • Premiere audiences and all since are stunned and awed by the films simple yet effective plot line, realistic yet imagintive characters and special effects

Thursday 7 January 2010

Sponsors and Merchandise

Avatar's two U.K. sponsors have helped market the film to its audience and the merchandise will continue the Avatar franchise beyond the film

The U.K. Sponsor's
  • LG Chocolate BL40 and BL20 - As 3G phones, this sponsor will help target the young, modern, tech-savy audience
  • Cokezero - This product is from a massive worldwide company, showing the glossy, high budget appeal of Avatar as well as drawing in wide audiences. Cokezero is especially targeted at men and will therefore reach Avatar's majority male audience
In the USA Avatar toys are being given away in McDonald's Happy Meals. McDonald's is the largest chain of hamburger fast-food restaurants in the world. This also targets the film's family audience.

LG Chocolate

LG Electronics launched a multi-platform marketing campaign with Avatar. This included:
  • A television spot featuring the trailer projected from the LG eXpo
  • An interactive joint-sponsored Facebook page in association with Fox and MTV
  • A movie-themed microsite with exclusive content and video demonstrations of LG eXpo features.
The two websites create interactivity including features such as:
  • Create your own Avatar
  • Upload the trailer to your phone
  • Get Avatar wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones for your phone
LG also have a joint advert with Avatar



Cokezero

Cokezero and Avatar have worked together placing adverts for each other on their websites.
This is particularly prominant on the avtr site, which includes many Cokezero links.

Also, on Cokezero's facebook page their is an Avatar application

"Coca-Cola Zero takes you behind the scenes with exclusive footage, images and an inside look at life on Pandora and the AVTR program"

Cokezero also has a joint advert with Avatar



Merchandise

Mattel Toys announced that they will be making Avatar action figures. Each one will have an individual 3D web tag (or i-TAG) which can be scanned by a webcam to reveal unique on screen content.
Mattel Toys is the largest toy company in the world based on revenue, having produced toys such as Barbie and Hot Wheels

Also, three books have been published:
  • "Avatar, A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora" - A fictional field guide to Pandora
  • "James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook"- A children's book
  • "The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure" - A book all about the production art work for the film
Finally, "James Cameron's Avatar: The Game", produced by Ubisoft Montreal for most video game platforms, including:
  • PS3
  • PSP
  • Xbox 360
  • Nintendo Wii
  • Nintendo DS
  • iPhone
  • Microsoft Windows

The Game

The game created synergy by distributing the Avatar brand to U.K. audiences through another platform



Why the game was a successful part in the film's distribution and marketing:

  • It was marketed and sold before the U.K. release date in order to wet the appetite of the audience by displaying the unique special effects, narrative and characters
  • Appealed to the male audience, a vital segment of their target audience, by providing another platform to access the Avatar brand
  • Connected with the action/fantasy genre, a genre that lends itself perfectly to a successful video game and therefore the two industries (film and video game) attract similar audiences
  • Avatar needed to connect with the proliferation of hardware to sell the film successfully as audiences no longer access their media from one source, but look for cross media convergence

Tuesday 5 January 2010

3D Technology

The 3D technology was one of the main production methods used to appeal to the audience.



Fusion 3D Technology

James Cameron co-developed The Fusion Camera System with Vince Pace in order to shoot in stereoscopic 3D

"It essentially recognises a focal length and adjusts the controls of the system provide a starting point. I believe it will allow the cinematographer to focus on creative decisions rather than the technical. It will also help minimise the number of bad 3D shots" - Vince Pace

Audience Appeal

  • "Without those polarised goggles Avatar [would be] just another cornball sci-fi fantasty about alien monsters on a faraway planet" Xan Brooks (The Guardian)
  • Increases the atmosphere and therefore helps to suspend the audience's disbelief
  • It gives the Hollywood high budget films an attraction amateur/low budget films don't have
  • Creates increased interest - the factor this film has that others don't

Sunday 3 January 2010

Audience Response

Facebook
  • 570581 fans (03/01/10)
  • Response from the official Avatar comments exceeds 7000 comments, raising huge viral hype before, during and after release

Rotten Tomatoes

London Premiere Audience

"First audiences rave about Cameron's 3D epic Avatar - By Mairi Mackay CNN

London, England

As the credits rolled following the 3D epic's world premiere in London on Thursday, it looked like the "Titanic" director's decade long gamble had paid off.

There were whoops and cheers as portions of the audience gave Cameron and cast members a standing ovation."

  • "It was an absolute marvel and I am left in awe after seeing it," audience member James Howard, 23, said of the magical jungle that lights up with phosphorescence at night.
  • "The Na'vi female character had a really expressive face. She was really beautiful and that's why I think it worked." Kent Renwick, 39
  • Others commended the advanced 3D: Lucy Biswicke. 34. said she had no feelings of motion sickness from wearing the specs. "It's all about the quality of the 3D for me. I'd never seen a 3D film before and this is amazing."

Trailer Analysis

One of the main methods by which the film has been marketed to reach the U.K. target audience is via the trailers, shown on Channel 4, E4, Film4 and in cinemas

Teaser Trailer


Key Points:

  • Quick, fast paced clips
  • No dialogue
  • "From the director of Titanic"
  • Release date
  • Title

Full Length Trailer

Key Points:

  • Dialogue from film gives a sense of characters and lays out the narrative
  • Release date
  • Distributer
  • Director
  • Director's past films
  • Title

Differences:

  • Full length trailer uses dialogue to explain the narrative and characters
  • Full length trailer places more emphasis on Cameron and his past successes

Saturday 2 January 2010

Competing Titles

Competing titles sharing Avatar's opening weekend:
  • St Trinian's 2 (18/12/09) - Pre-teen female audience opposes target audience for Avatar
  • Where the Wild Things Are (11/12/09) - Competes for family audience and fans of the fantasy genre. However Avatar has the 3D appeal and other core audiences (e.g. adult males)

Other competing titles still in cinemas on Avatar's opening weekend:

  • Planet 51 (04/12/09)
  • Nativity! (27/11/09)
  • Law Abiding Citizen (27/11/09)
  • Paranormal Activity (25/11/09)
  • New Moon (20/11/09)
  • 2012 (13/11/09)
  • Christmas Carol 3D (03/11/09)

Competing titles after Avatar's opening weekend:

  • Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel (21/12/09) - Took over Avatar in number 1 spot in Avatar's second weekend, possibly due to strong family appeal
  • Sherlock Holmes (25/12/09)
  • Nowhere Boy (25/12/09)

Film Critics' Reviews

Chris Hewitt (Empire)


"It’s been twelve years since Titanic, but the King of the World has returned with a flawed but fantastic tour de force that, taken on its merits as a film, especially in two dimensions, warrants four stars. However, if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers, this becomes a transcendent, full-on five-star experience that's the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world. Just don’t leave it so long next time, eh, Jim?"

Jonathan Romney (The Independent)


"His long-awaited Avatar is digital epic as attrition – you can't escape being overwhelmed by it, but it doesn't leave you much thinking space. I saw the film in 3D on a relatively small screen rather than in the colossal Imax format in which it's also being released. See it on that scale, and no doubt you'll feel totally engulfed by the experience, but even in a Soho Square basement, Avatar was immersive enough for me."

Mark Kermode (5Live)



Andrew Pulver (The Guardian)


"James Cameron just got slack. The Titanic director's monstrously-hyped creation does look fantastic but, in trying to cover all the bases with militarist sci-fi, vacuous eco-waffle and an intra-species love story, it's too baggy"

Poster Analysis

The posters were marketing designed to widen the audience being targeted

Posters shown on:
  • Bus stops
  • Tube stations
  • Billboards
  • Buses
  • Cinema foyers

Poster 1 (Most recent)

Denotation:

  • Dark, low key lighting
  • Strong blue colourscheme, broken by green eye
  • CU of right half of a young male, grisly skin with intense determined look
  • CU of left half of Na'vi male, smooth, sleek skin, bright green eye and determined expression
  • VLS of Na'vi female, crouched down, tribal clothing
  • Blue glowing text, 2/3 down the poster
  • Left-hand side background is Pandora jungle scene
  • Right-hand side background is equivalent jungle as on left but burnt and smouldering

Connotation:

  • Lighting gives mysterious, sombre feel and allows other features to be accentuated (e.g. the title and the eye)
  • Blue colours brand the film and the green eye draws attention to the fantastical nature
  • CU allows the expression to give maximum intensity. The grisly skin and determined expression work together to show the masculinity and action/warfare aspect to the character and film
  • Smooth skin represents the peaceful purity of the Na'vi. Showing the Na'vi character creates awareness of the fantasy/sci-fi genre
  • Showing the split between Na'vi/human juxtaposes the two races, enhancing their similarities and differences
  • Crouching shows the fighting side to her character, and the VLS keeps the focus on him
  • Title is brighter so it stands out and the style is mystical but the metallic edge maintains its strength
  • Background sets the scene as an isolated jungle, showing the action adventure genre as this is a key signifier
  • The burnt forest foreshadows the narrative of the film, and the conflict between the human and Na'vi races
  • The poster gives more information about the film's characters, setting and narrative

Poster 2 (Teaser)


Denotation:

  • White text ("from the director of Titanic") at top of poster
  • Blue glowing text at bottom of poster
  • BCU of half of female Na'vi, seductive, powerful expression
  • 1/3 way down green eye with thick, long black eyelashes and a slightly drooped eyelid
  • Black background, with the image blending in through low-key lighting

Connotation:

  • Poster sells off director James Cameron's past successes, creating hype about the film
  • Title is brighter so it stands out and the style is mystical but the metallic edge maintains its strength
  • Woman is presented as powerful, following Cameron's trend of strong female characters, appealing to female audience. However her seductive look appeals to male audiences
  • The features all work together to create an intense but still feminine expression
  • The black background prevents giving too much information away in these early stages of marketing
  • The low-key lighting creates enigma within the poster

Poster 3 (Initial design for original summer release)

Changes made from this original design:

  • Bigger focus on the sci-fi over fantasy with the universe background and the "believe it, or not"
  • James Cameron's role as director is more prominent
  • The font and style of the title is more metallic, cold and sci-fi
  • The blue colourscheme has not yet been established

Avatar Facts and Stats

About the Film:
  • Genre - Epic fantasy/action adventure/sci-fi
  • Plot - A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
  • Characters - Jake Sully (human, disabled, ex-marine) and Neytiri (Na'vi, daughter of tribe leaders)
  • Cast - Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Dr Grace Augustine), Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch)
  • Running Time - 162 mins
  • Certificate - 12A
  • Style - 3D, CGI, Hollywood

About the Institutions:

  • Production - 20th Century Fox
  • Distribution - 20th Century Fox
  • Director - James Cameron
  • Producer - Jon Landau
  • Budget - $230M (estimated)
  • Marketing Budget - $150M (estimated)
  • Marketing Techniques - Above the line, mainstream
  • Release Dates - London Premiere 10/12/09, U.K. release 17/12/09

About the Audience:

  • Core - Masculine, technology conscious, families
  • Secondary - Film fans, 3D appeal

About the Response:

  • Ratings - Empire 5 stars, The Independant 4 stars, Youtube response 4.5 stars
  • U.K Opening Weekend - £8.5M
  • U.K Latest Gross - (25/12/09) £18.4M
  • Worldwide Latest Gross - $405M
  • U.K. Ranks - 1st weekend 1st (503 sites), 2nd weekend 2nd (485 sites)

  • Audience Response - In Empire pre-release poll huge support from marketing is revealed

The Production of Avatar

These are the stages in production that highlight what processes the film makers went through to appeal to their audience

1994

  • Cameron wrote an 80 page scriptment for Avatar

1996

August

  • Cameron announced that after completing Titanic he would film Avatar, making use of computer-generated actors
  • The project would cost $100 million and involve at least 6 actors in leading roles "who appear to be real but do not exist in the physical world"
  • Digital Domain (a visual effects company) joined the project, which was supposed to begin production in the summer of 1997 for a 1999 release

2005

June

  • Cameron was announced to be working in a project titled "Project 880"

Cameron on the Initial Production Stages:


2006

February

  • Cameron announced that Project 880 was now scheduled for 2007 and could be delayed until 2008
  • Cameron reveals that Project 880 was a "retooled version of Avatar" which he had tried to make years earlier, citing the technological advances in the creation of the computer-generated characters (e.g. Gollum, King Kong and Davy Jones)
  • Cameron's early scriptment for Avatar had circulated on the internet for years, but when the project was reannounced all copies were removed

April

  • Cameron continued to work on the script with the help of linguist Dr Paul Frommer to develop the Na'vi language and culture

July

  • Cameron announced a 2008 summer release for Avatar and planned to begin principle photography with an established cast by February 2007

August

  • Weta Digital (visual effects studio) signed on to help produce Avatar and Stan Winston joined Avatar to help with the film's designs

Behind the scenes footage of the filming of Avatar:

September

  • Cameron was announced to be using his own Reality Camera System to film in 3D. This system would use two HD cameras in a single camera body to create depth perception

December

  • Cameron described Avatar as "a futuristic tale set on a planet 200 years hence...an old-fashioned jungle adventure with an environmental conscience [that] aspires to a mythic level of storytelling"

2009

  • Cameron stated that if Avatar was successful he hoped to make two sequels to the film, and that the story arc he developed is large enough to cover two more films following Jake and Neytiri.

Director James Cameron

This is showing James Cameron's direct take on how he produced/directed/designed the film to appeal to the audience


James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian film director, producer, screenwriter, editor and inventor. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.35 billion in North America and to $3.68 billion worldwide. After several feature films, Cameron turned his focus to documentary filmmaking, and to co-developing the digital 3-D Fusion Camera System.

His writing and directing work include:
  • The Terminator (1984)
  • Aliens (1986)
  • The Abyss (1989)
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  • True Lies (1994)
  • Titanic (1997)
  • Avatar (2009)

James Cameron on Avatar

Director James Cameron first designed the script of the film back in 1994, basing his ideas on inspirations from “the science fiction stories [he] read as a kid”

"Before I decided to make a major movie in 3-D, I had to resolve to my own satisfaction that the 3-D would not degrade in any measurable way the 2-D viewing experience. Could I shoot the same way? Would the camera placement or lighting be compromised? Could I cut as fast? Etc. Only when I had done enough 3-D production and testing to answer these questions was I willing to proceed."



"When you see a scene in 3-D, that sense of reality is supercharged. The visual cortex is being cued, at a subliminal but pervasive level, that what is being seen is real. All the films I've done previously could absolutely have benefited from 3-D. So creatively, I see 3-D as a natural extension of my cinematic craft."

"A 3-D film immerses you in the scene, with a greatly enhanced sense of physical presence and participation… When most people think of 3-D films, they think first of the gimmick shots — objects or characters flying, floating or poking out into the audience. In fact, in a good stereo movie, these shots should be the exception rather than the rule. Watching a stereo movie is looking into an alternate reality through a window."

Avatar Website Comparison

Official Avatar Site (http://www.avatar-movie.co.uk/)
  • See the trailer before entering the main site
  • Links to share/follow the film creating audience interactivity (facebook, myspace, youtube, flickr, twitter)
  • Links to buying merchandise, maximising awareness and profits
  • Avatar theme music plays to immerse viewer in the site and the whole narrative world
  • Flash based site fits with the technological side of the film (e.g. special effects)
  • 20th Century Fox logo used to promote the distrbuting company through the Avatar brand
  • Link to the 'avtr' narrative world site
  • Links to downloads (desktop backgrounds) create more interactivity and promotion through the release dates being displayed

Avtr Site (http://avtr.com/)

  • Presents narrative world to the audience through, for example, the themed link bar
  • Coke Zero sponsor is prominent, creating synergy. The adverts also promote Avatar, forming a symbiotic relationship
  • '#1 Transmission from Alison Boyd' creates believability that the characters can communicate with Earth. It compliments the film's narrative by providing information about the world of Pandora, its inhabitants and the human technologies
  • Short video clips showing blue prints of the human warships/technologies in the film, appealing to the modern, majority masculine audience
  • Link to facebook game creates interactivity and younger/teenage audience appeal, immersing audience in Avatar brand
  • Live twitter feed gives instant audience feedback, creating a word of mouth viral response

Comparison

The avtr website gives more narrative information about the film whereas the official Avatar site serves to broaden the platforms the film is distributed through. The avtr site also provides a platform for the sponsor (Cokezero) to advertise on, however the official site purely serves to promote Avatar and the 20th Century Fox brand. Despite differences, they both work together in linking to interactive social networking sites (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) and creating a clear Avatar brand through, for example, colourscheme and images

20th Century Fox

Located in the Century City area of Los Angeles, just west of Beverly Hills, the studio is a subsidiary of News Corporation, the media conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch. The company was founded in 1935, as the result of a merger of two entities, Fox Film Corporation founded by William Fox in 1915, and Twentieth Century Pictures, begun in 1933 by Darryl F. Zanuck, Joseph Schenck, Raymond Griffith and William Goetz.

Specialise in mainstream franchises including:
  • Star Wars
  • Ice Age
  • X-Men
  • Die Hard
  • Alien
  • Planet of the Apes
  • Home Alone
  • Night at the Museum
  • Predator
  • The Chronicles of Narnia

Fox Movies Site

  • Current focus on Avatar (themed/branded to film, full screen avatar images, promoting cinema release)
  • Links to other 20th Century Fox releases (smaller images and links to official sites)
  • Appeals to the majority masculine target audience through the black metallic colourscheme and sleek, modern, technological stylising
  • Links to official site/trailer/widget/buying tickets for Avatar