Search Salon

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Recently in Salon Technology

Books
Is the Internet the new heaven?
"The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace" examines the spiritual realm of non-physical space -- and finds that Giotto painted VR frescoes.
By Gavin McNett
[07/15/99]

Is Red Hat becoming Linux's Microsoft?
Hardly. But as the lovey-dovey Linux business matures, elbows are beginning to fly.
By Andrew Leonard
[07/14/99]

Silicon Follies
Silicon Follies
Chapter 35: Comdex burlesque -- Barry preaches to the choir as Paul duct-tapes the demos
By Thomas Scoville
[07/14/99]

They got game
Talented players make good money selling characters on eBay. Are they denigrating gaming -- or turning it into a profession?
By Moira Muldoon
[07/13/99]

The overtime stigma
Plenty of tech workers could rightfully demand fatter paychecks, but fear that asking for overtime could be a costly faux pas.
By Alicia Neumann
[07/12/99]

Complete archives for Technology

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Barry uses the test screening process to help tweak his films," explains Ira Rubenstein, vice-president of marketing at Columbia Tristar Interactive. "This is particularly critical for comedies. Now he can't, because people [who attended the test screening] are writing, 'It's awful, its special effects are bad, the music sucks, the timing's off.' Etc. Listen -- I find it difficult to watch films that aren't finished -- they're missing all sorts of subtle cues. And I'm in the industry. When a regular moviegoer sees a test screening, chances are he won't get it. And then if he goes off and writes about it in a way that ultimately hurts the finished movie, it undermines the whole process."

Poland says that the Net has changed the landscape so much that Hollywood execs are now talking of doing away with test screenings all together.

"Look at the monsters we've created," mused another industry executive, who asked that his name not be used. "People think they can co-opt Harry Knowles -- and sure, you can co-opt him for one film. But every time the dog turns around and bites you."

Knowles declined to be interviewed for this story. But word has it that he hadn't actually seen "The Blair Witch Project" when he first wrote this about it on AICN: "As for movies coming up at SUNDANCE the one to see it 'THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT'!!! The most creepy fuckin mockumentary made ... ever." Figuring AICN as the best way to get the word out to an obsessive fan base, Myrick and Sánchez had apparently slipped Knowles the blurb. In the next six months, the indie film was reviewed 12 more times -- and each review was more positive than the last.

At least some AICN frequent flyers suspect that one of "The Blair Witch Project" reviewers setting the buzz-generator on high was ... someone directly involved with the film. Whoever was doing it, the reviews were working. How else to account for the increasing number of rabid fans whose postings began, "I've seen a tape of 'The Blair Witch Project ...'"? Particularly when the film's distributor, Artisan Entertainment, was enforcing a strict no-tapes policy?

"We haven't created screeners for this film," says Artisan spokeswoman Jessica Rovello. "Piracy is a big issue."

John Pierson, the independent film guru who put up part of the seed money for the film, suspects that when the hype reaches a certain level, people start confabulating. "What happens in the more buzzy world is that people end up posting about a film that they haven't seen at all -- thousands and thousands are already on board talking about a movie that they haven't seen."

You couldn't ask for a better way to promote a movie.

And "Blair Witch" fans defend the marketing campaign. As Anthony Pryor-Brown puts it: "There's a significant difference between saying, 'You liked the movie? Tell your friends,' and [studios] specifically planting people to rave about the movie." Pryor-Brown is a 38-year-old technical writer from Portland, Ore., who faithfully visits AICN once a day.

"To the extent that Ed Sánchez and Dan Myrick have been encouraging people to spread the word about 'Blair Witch,' there is indeed a publicity campaign going on," he offers, "but I'm encouraged to see that it doesn't involve huge ads in the trades, massive TV campaigns or action figures at Taco Bell. Although I probably would get 'Blair Witch' action figures if they were available."
salon.com | July 16, 1999

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

  Get a printer-friendly version

  E-mail a friend about this article

  Backflip this article to find it again

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Search Salon