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Rottenwatch: AVATAR (82%)

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irfan said:
As good as the word of mouth, the marketing campaign was also a HUGE success.
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That got Avatar it's opening weekend. It was clear word of mouth was crazy when the Cinemascore came out, and when the first Monday-Wednesday take was over $16m per day. WOM kicked in fast.
 
What was the marketing campaign like?

My radio is set to NPR, and I do not watch TV.

Plus I am not in NYC anymore so my exposure to ads is essentially 0. Gaf is my filter to modern day media.
 
Gallbaro said:
What was the marketing campaign like?

My radio is set to NPR, and I do not watch TV.

Plus I am not in NYC anymore so my exposure to ads is essentially 0. Gaf is my filter to modern day media.
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I actually went out of my way to NOT see any advertising for Avatar and it was hard. Just to show you how little I knew about the movie, I had no idea there were humans in the movie :lol
 
GhaleonEB said:
That got Avatar it's opening weekend. It was clear word of mouth was crazy when the Cinemascore came out, and when the first Monday-Wednesday take was over $16m per day. WOM kicked in fast.
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It did, but typical non franchise films like Avatar dont get such a big start overseas.
 
Scullibundo said:
Just found a new behind the scenes video that shows Cameron directing the actors as well as some more stuff that was cut out of the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjloXVNEbo

Halfway through.

Edit - fucking awesome! You also see the WETA guys showing Cameron the props and weapons they've come up with for him and see Cameron unloading some shots at the end of it.
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thanks man! sooo awesome, I could watch this stuff all day!
Got to love how Cameron's always behind the camera!!


LOL
That's is the same guy on the LOTR DVD's with the badass accent, is he the director of Weta or something!( the guy explaining stuff to Cameron 4:53 in!
 
irfan said:
It did, but typical non franchise films like Avatar dont get such a big start overseas.
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Right, I agree the opening weekend was due to 1) the huge marketing push and 2) Cameron's built-in audience (not sure how much that was a factor).

But from Monday on, it's largely been WoM.
 
Spike Spiegel said:
This is definitely something that I've been wondering about, ever since that 2nd weekend when the numbers didn't go down at all. How are the film's actual ticket sales tracking compared to those past films whose records Avatar appears to be breaking? Tracking higher, lower, about the same, compared to other record-holders?

I paid $12.50 for a ticket to see Avatar 3D on its first weekend, and I'm located in a part of the country where ticket prices usually lag behind bigger markets; I've heard the average ticket price for Avatar 3D is somewhere around $15.00 nationwide. Now, I actually keep my ticket stubs for every movie I've seen in theaters, and have been for years (don't ask, I just do -- it's a collection); so, it's not that difficult for me to go back and see what I paid for a ticket. And I don't have to go very far back to see that I only paid $8.00 for a ticket to The Dark Knight, $7.50 for Iron Man, $6.50 for Spider-Man 2, etc. etc.

I'm not really trying to piss on Avatar's parade as a film -- I already said my piece on that -- but I do think Avatar is fast demonstrating just how much of a game changer ticket prices have become with regards to these records, and ultimately how futile they are.
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It's sad how this will become a business model from now on (mostly, higher admission fees). It simply won't work in most situations.

Lot of productions companies will probably jump in the 3D upcoming wagon because it justifies charging high fees to the customers.
 
Gallbaro said:
What was the marketing campaign like?

My radio is set to NPR, and I do not watch TV.

Plus I am not in NYC anymore so my exposure to ads is essentially 0. Gaf is my filter to modern day media.
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It was strange because the trailers were not all that interesting. But essentially they did a ton of short clips across multiple demographic stations whether it be ESPN, Comedy Central, Lifetime, or CBS, telling you that this is the biggest and best film ever made. That was the marketing.
 
Just came back from seeing it again today.
The best gift I've had today, over 1 billion bitches!

1. I'm going to work on my quartich doesn't give a shit-jpg, and change it to Dark Knight version.
2. Going back in this thread to read awesome reactions on this great news.
 
Also Fuck yeah on 1bil, I've never been this happy for a movie to make money than this! Cameron is a badass! I'm going Monday to see it in 2D for the first time!
 
I finally saw it last night. Got there late-ish and had to sit in the middle of the front row. Thought they'd be shitty seats and ruin the movie, holy fuck it was a religious experience. Best seats in fucking theater.

TAJ said:
No, the marketing on this really was terrible. Its success is due to repeat viewings and word of mouth, much like Titanic.
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Pretty much. The advertising for this was utterly repulsive and it made the aliens look absolutely horrid. That totally melts away in the actual movie.

Definitely nothing worth seeing in the movie other than the fancy 3D visuals, if you've seen Pocahontas before, that is.
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Pocahontas stupidity aside, I actually agree with this. Except that ignores the fact that the fancy 3D IMAX godliness is the entire point of the movie. It's not even close to the same movie without the 3D.

Sad how this will become a business model from now on (mostly, higher admission fees). It simply won't work in most situations.
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Cameron deserves some sort of business savvy award for the release date of this movie. It's like exactly the right time market-wise for a legit 3D/IMAX movie to work. The types of screens that can show such a thing are still limited and novel enough for the word of mouth to basically create itself.
 
DanielPlainview said:
cool, here is the write-up if you guys want all the facts in one place: ‘Avatar’ Crosses $1 Billion, Becomes 4th Highest Grossing Film of All-Time…in 17 Days

I also included some freaking awesome photos taken on the worldwide tour via LIFE:

Avatar_4.jpg


Avatar_5.jpg


avatar_6.jpg


avatar_9-590x435.jpg


so cool!
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Damn Zoe's soo hot....

Love the Last pic, They must be really good pals!
 
Avatar was pretty great. The visuals are incredibly and worth seeing it alone. The 3D is really incredible (first time I’ve seen a 3D movie since theme park ones at universal studios or Disney world) and it wasn’t even in your face about it, at least the majority of the time it wasn’t. Even ignoring the 3D, the CG was so good that at one point in the movie I actually stopped and thought “holy shit this was done on computers?” Only the facial expressions and the occasional stiff movement broke the verisimilitude of it all. But most of the action scenes were enchanting, and again, a lot of that relied on how damn good it looked.

I can’t say I didn’t go into the movie without skepticism and at least the movie didn’t have all the problems I thought it would. In particular
Jake siding with the navi was well done.
Still, the story and characters were weak. Watching it for the impressive visuals and well realized world is nice, but yeah, I don’t know if that makes for good movie or not. The closest comparison I can think of is Speed Racer, but that was entertaining only for the visuals during the races. Nothing wrong with any of that.

And how soon can I replicate the 3D effect on my own TV? I’m only familiar with the Nvidia setup of a 120hz monitor, glasses, and that little box you plug in (would Avatar work with that?). Have they even mentioned if the blu-ray will support 3D, even if the tech isn’t widely available?
 
An anecdote:

After my failed attempt at seeing Avatar yesterday (it sold out before I got there, an hour and ten minutes early), I went online to buy the ticket today. But the 3:00 showing had already sold out, so I had to buy the 6:40 ticket.

I maintain my prediction that Sunday will not see a 33% drop from yesterday and the weekend will top $70m.
 
Most people agree that Avatar's script was pretty bad. In addition to dialog being bland the story was really predictable. And I can't disagree. But I actually think that it is one of the strongest parts of the movie. Of course the movie would of been better if it had a better screenplay but I don't think it would be as successful. The story in Avatar is told visually and that visual storytelling works even better when rest of the movie is so simple. It is easier for people to understand (and in some ways relate to) the movie when there is less substance. And I actually don't think that this is such a bad thing either. Most movie audiences tend to avoid movies with substance and in the case of Avatar a lot of people are going to see it just because it works so well without being too complex.
 
roman2003h said:
Most people agree that Avatar's script was pretty bad. In addition to dialog being bland the story was really predictable. And I can't disagree. But I actually think that it is one of the strongest parts of the movie. Of course the movie would of been better if it had a better screenplay but I don't think it would be as successful. The story in Avatar is told visually and that visual storytelling works even better when rest of the movie is so simple. It is easier for people to understand (and in some ways relate to) the movie when there is less substance. And I actually don't think that this is such a bad thing either. Most movie audiences tend to avoid movies with substance and in the case of Avatar a lot of people are going to see it just because it works so well without being too complex.
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I don't want to wade into the arguments about the script (it's good), but Cameron has actually said he chose a familiar story arc specifically so people had a familiar guide post to counter the unusual visuals. He thought a more complex, twisting story compounded with what he wanted to do visually would lose mainstream audiences.
OuterWorldVoice said:
Everyone can agree that the logo is fugly though right? It's like the logo for an incense store.
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On this there is universal agreement. And while the poster font is bad, the iteration at the end of the movie is simply horrifying.
 
I actually enjoyed the script. Simple story, simply told. No need for, or use of confusing subplots. It's linear and it's a tour of the world through one character's experience. In fact that only time we really move from that concept and from him, is when he goes and gets the big you-know-what.
 
roman2003h said:
Most people agree that Avatar's script was pretty bad.
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Some, yes.

Most, no.
In addition to dialog being bland the story was really predictable. And I can't disagree. But I actually think that it is one of the strongest parts of the movie. Of course the movie would of been better if it had a better screenplay but I don't think it would be as successful. The story in Avatar is told visually and that visual storytelling works even better when rest of the movie is so simple. It is easier for people to understand (and in some ways relate to) the movie when there is less substance. And I actually don't think that this is such a bad thing either. Most movie audiences tend to avoid movies with substance and in the case of Avatar a lot of people are going to see it just because it works so well without being too complex.
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This is why it's doing so well overseas.

It's very palatable, even with subtitles.
 
OuterWorldVoice said:
I actually enjoyed the script. Simple story, simply told. No need for, or use of confusing subplots. It's linear and it's a tour of the world through one character's experience. In fact that only time we really move from that concept and from him, is when he goes and gets the big you-know-what.
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arrested_development_-_tobias_as_mrs_featherbottom1.jpg
 
Solo said:
This year, if you're rich and dont mind lack of content. Mainstream and affordably? Probably 5 years.
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How rich are we talking? I'm not expected to buy an imax theater, am I?

Content wise there are tons of PC games, and the PS3 is supposed to get 3D too, iirc.

I don't know if Avatar is doing well or anything, but hopefully it does enough to make the tech mainstream (and not good enough that Cameron doesn't put focus on Battle Angel).
 
Linkzg said:
How rich are we talking? I'm not expected to buy an imax theater, am I?

Content wise there are tons of PC games, and the PS3 is supposed to get 3D too, iirc.

I don't know if Avatar is doing well or anything, but hopefully it does enough to make the tech mainstream (and not good enough that Cameron doesn't put focus on Battle Angel).
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A 3D-ready monitor won't really cost you all that much than a regular one. You will also need however an nvidia video card and the Nvidia 3D Vision glasses thingy.

A 3DTV..well we don't know really, but I doubt it'll be that much more than a regular one.
 
I fully expect 3DTVs to be exactly what HDTVs were 7-8 years ago: niche and overpriced. Like HDTV, give it a few years before it starts picking up steam and prices are more reasonable.

Linkzg said:
I don't know if Avatar is doing well or anything.
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Its made over one billion dollars already :lol
 
jett said:
A 3D-ready monitor won't really cost you all that much than a regular one. You will also need however an nvidia video card and the Nvidia 3D Vision glasses thingy.

A 3DTV..well we don't know really, but I doubt it'll be that much more than a regular one.
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So, an the Nvidia solution should be able to reproduce the the same 3D effect?

shit, I'll probably just end up waiting the TVs to get more affordable. Whatever the next TV I get will support 3D, which will be...eventually. I don't know if it was a good idea to be introduced to this 3D stuff because now I want it.

Solo said:
Its made over one billion dollars already :lol
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wow
 
About Cameron choosing an intentionally standard story:

While I do think parts of the shooting script have bad dialog or awkward / rushed characterization, overall, I do agree that Cameron made the right call. I mean, let's be frank and try to step outside the geek perspective for a moment. This is a film that is asking mainstream, whitebread audiences, to fully identify with non-human giant blue cat people as more than just cartoons. It is asking audiences to swallow a romance between big blue aliens. And it is asking them to identify and sympathize with the alien civilization over the familiarity of the human realm.

Does anyone actually think that playing it safe is a bad idea? Most mainstream people I've heard from love the film and find the story alright. While some of the more strident Internet pundits have jumped on the movie with cries of "magical savage" tropes and White Man's Guilt Complex stories, to the average person, this is not what they're taking away from the film. (If anything, there is a major nod in the film to the "magical savage" mythology when a scientist flat out tells someone what's happening on the alien planet is not new-age retcon mysticism but actual science. This may as well be a shout-out to nerds and kneejerks in the audience ready to whine about what appears to be a standard trope.)
 
Kaijima said:
sympathize with the alien civilization over the familiarity of the human realm.
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I agree with everything except this. They weren't terribly alien in any specific way. In fact, they weren't any different from any random "tribe" from Earth. I would say that Apocalypto was more "alien" than the Na'vi.
 
Kaijima said:
Does anyone actually think that playing it safe is a bad idea?
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It is a good idea from the perspective of wanting something that would appeal to a wide audience and be financially successful.

But stronger and less cliched story, characters, and dialogue would have made for a better movie for me at least.
 
Linkzg said:
So, an the Nvidia solution should be able to reproduce the the same 3D effect?

shit, I'll probably just end up waiting the TVs to get more affordable. Whatever the next TV I get will support 3D, which will be...eventually. I don't know if it was a good idea to be introduced to this 3D stuff because now I want it.



wow
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I haven't experienced shutter technoglogy first-hand, but from what I hear it produces a slightly better image than RealD, but essentially yeah it should be the same 3D effect. The problem with shutter glasses is that they're heavier than either RealD's or Dolby3D's, use batteries, and may not be all that comfortable for a lengthy period of time. However it doesn't seem like there's gonna be much of a choice for us as TV manufacturers are moving ahead with this. :P
 
After watching LIFE photos, I have to say , Sigourney has aged really well.

She absolutely can carry an Alien 5 movie on her own without the Winoa Ryder/new faces crap.
 
tino said:
After watching LIFE photos, I have to say , Sigourney has aged really well.

She absolutely can carry an Alien 5 movie on her own without the Winoa Ryder/new faces crap.
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The Queen of Science Fiction. I get a kick out of it though, she is in those pictures, getting harassed by paparazzi and touring the world, with two much younger relatively unknowns that she played a supporting role two.

I hope in the sequels she is in that tree brain still.
 
Gallbaro said:
The Queen of Science Fiction. I get a kick out of it though, she is in those pictures, getting harassed by paparazzi and touring the world, with two much younger relatively unknowns that she played a supporting role two.

I hope in the sequels she is in that tree brain still.
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Twist: She is the tree brain!
 
Ok, screw it! I was gonna wait till next week and see how AVATAR does since the holidays are over to make this call but I’m just gonna do it now!

I’ve thought for quite a while now that AVATAR has a really good chance at finally dethroning Titanic, but now I’ll officially go on record and say it:

AVATAR will knock Titanic down and become the highest grossing movie of all time! So who else wants to join me in this prediction? :D
 
Mario said:
It is a good idea from the perspective of wanting something that would appeal to a wide audience and be financially successful.

But stronger and less cliched story, characters, and dialogue would have made for a better movie for me at least.
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I agree. However, I think that's as much a failing of Cameron's writing skills as it is deliberate direction. I don't think Cameron could write a character like Lady Eboshi to save his life.
 
Tricky I Shadow said:
Ok, screw it! I was gonna wait till next week and see how AVATAR does since the holidays are over to make this call but I’m just gonna do it now!

I’ve thought for quite a while now that AVATAR has a really good chance at finally dethroning Titanic, but now I’ll officially go on record and say it:

AVATAR will knock Titanic down and become the highest grossing movie of all time! So who else wants to join me in this prediction? :D
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The question we could ask ourselves at this point is: What will be Avatar's grand total at the end of it's theatrical showings.

I personally cannot guess any numbers. Avatar box-office performance is uncommon. Trying to apply the patterns of Titanic performances to Avatar won't work.
 
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