Help promote Serenity - part 1!

POSTED BY: WhoIsRiver
UPDATED: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 19:25
VIEWED: 5417
PAGE 1 of 2

1 2 NEXT PAGE

WHOISRIVER

Monday, March 21, 2005 5:42 PM

All,

Initial discussion. Part 1. Trying to keep this to Fireflyfans.net just for now, although once things are finalised I'll move it to other boards too...

How can we help tell the mass market about the Big Damn Movie? Ideas, please!

My ideas: mail drops. People design leaflets/flyers, which are slick, to the point (not too crowded) and get people interested. We want them to think, if only for a minute: "What is this movie called Serenity?". Get the name and concept lodged in their brain.

We print them, organise locations we can cover between ourselves, and then use a few evenings and weekends to post them all in our areas. Even with a very small number of volunteers, with a few hours you can cover a vast number of houses.

Can anybody think of anything else we could do?

I'd love to know who is willing to help - particularly UK browncoats. I'm looking for a few people who are willing to travel short distances and give up a bit of free time to help spread the word.

The UK 2nd screening of Serenity is tomorrow - I will have more of a view of how to promote this then.

We *NEED* to start to do something - if you're all up for it - to get this movie known. Make it so people know roughly about the movie for when they first see the trailers - if they know about it in advance, and you've battered it home to them that it's an 'event' movie, they're going to go away with that impression when Universals advertising kicks in too.

Kick around ideas please, folks, and I'll gladly co-ordinate things for us all.

www.WhoIsRiver.com

EVILFAITH

Monday, March 21, 2005 6:15 PM

This is a brilliant idea. Hopefully, if time allows, I'll be designing a set of Serenity postcards for the fanart table at the Starfury: Serenity con. If i'm happy with the finished design, i might print up lots to help advertise the film.

As well as posting them in local areas, you could also bring a bunch of flyers/postcards to your local cinema and ask to leave some there. That way you could specifically target your audience. Advertising around the release of a film with a dedicated fan following, say Star Wars: Episode III, would be ideal.

CHANNAIN

Monday, March 21, 2005 6:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EvilFaith:
As well as posting them in local areas, you could also bring a bunch of flyers/postcards to your local cinema and ask to leave some there. That way you could specifically target your audience. Advertising around the release of a film with a dedicated fan following, say Star Wars: Episode III, would be ideal.

Comic book shops, especially once with space in the back for gamers. They'll advertise for conventions, why not movies?

Coffee shops - I saw bumper stickers for the new radio station in town at my local shop, why not the movie?

I picked up a complementary admission for a movie at an office-supply store once.

The possiblities are endless!

Fans come and fans go...but zealots are with you until the bitter black end.
I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922
Minnesota Meetup - join us! http://firefly.meetup.com/45/

RABIT

Monday, March 21, 2005 7:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EvilFaith:
Advertising around the release of a film with a dedicated fan following, say Star Wars: Episode III, would be ideal.

Uh, I'm not sure if folks interested in SW are going to be as interested in Serenity.

Not saying that they won't, but we've heard a lot of comments from more "traditional" sci-fi fans coming out of the viewings saying rather derogatory things like "Where are the lasers?" and, well, in my opinion, other such ignorant comments.

I guess I'm not saying we shouldn't do it - I really think it's a good idea. I just want to make sure that we're ready to deal with comments like that, because there are going to be people who just don't get it...

Rabit

JADEHAND

Monday, March 21, 2005 7:40 PM

I'd been thinking on this a bit myself. Those of you who are still in school (high school/university whatever) there are usually bulletin boards around campus as well as in the dorms. these are great places to get attention. also many colleges have sci-fi clubs, if you're not already a member, these can be great places to meet people who just happened to miss "Firefly", or at least get the word out on our BDM.
Also, Any NYC Browncoats? Every morning I wake up with my TV programmed to turn on in the morning, to the TODAY show, with lots of people standing around with homemade signs hoping to be seen. This would be a great place to get noticed Nationwide, though it looks like it would require getting up fairly early. A really 'Shiny' poster might even cause ol' Al to ask questions.
Even local shows that do a live broadcast are good. Though I don't recommend running out in the middle of a live game disguised as a Ref, to rip off the uniform with and advert on your back, as someone did at the superbowl.

Visit WWW.Marillion.Com for a better way to live

SHINY

Monday, March 21, 2005 10:28 PM

I think someone (Buchanan?) has to convince TPTB to create some discout coupons for the DVD set that browncoats everywhere can print out and take with them to the movie theatre to hand out to everyone in the Serenity line (heck, everyone in ALL the lines -- everybody loves Firefly!!!)

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

WHOISRIVER

Monday, March 21, 2005 10:44 PM

Quote:

As well as posting them in local areas, you could also bring a bunch of flyers/postcards to your local cinema and ask to leave some there. That way you could specifically target your audience. Advertising around the release of a film with a dedicated fan following, say Star Wars: Episode III, would be ideal.

Excellent idea. Also, if we could pick a few similar films with a target audience that might work, we could do this.

It's worth noting the sidewalk/pavement outside of a cinema is public property, so you can legally stand out side it can give people leaflets.

If people think Episode 3 is crap, too, and somebody hands them a leaflet about a good sounding fresh Scifi adventure... you might be on a winner.

Also: you can tell when screenings finish by asking at the cinema desk - so you only need to be there for 10 minutes as a screening ends.

Another idea: I'm writing "WhoIsRiver.com" on all my bank notes. They're still legal tender, as long as you don't - you know - scribbed completely over them (a bit of text is fine). You'll be surprised how far bank notes will reach, and if YOU got a bank note with 'WhoIsRiver.com' on it - would you be tempted to look into the website? I'm sure you would. (I'm planning to increase the content on the website - with some exclusive stuff - sortly).

RAE

Monday, March 21, 2005 11:13 PM

Another good place to put up flyers would be game shops. A lot of scifi fans are avid gamers. Also, any Oklahoma browncoats? I know of a few, but never see anyone from here posting. Would love to get together with other locals.

EXCITINGNEWCRIME

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 3:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhoIsRiver:
I'd love to know who is willing to help - particularly UK browncoats. I'm looking for a few people who are willing to travel short distances and give up a bit of free time to help spread the word.

I'm very tired and out of ideas for the moment, but love the ones that are being batted around! I'm willing to tackle bits of the Sunderland area, including our shiny new 12-screen Cineworld!

Also love the bank note idea!

RIELPRYN

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 5:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhoIsRiver:
It's worth noting the sidewalk/pavement outside of a cinema is public property, so you can legally stand out side it can give people leaflets.

No they're not. We tell folks to shove off at my theater, if they don't leave police are called. Ask first before you stand outside and possibly bother the customers, many theater managers will let you as long as its nothing obscene.

Gabriel Pryn
"I reject your reality and substitute my own."
Browncoats of Memphis: http://firefly.meetup.com/53/

1 2 NEXT PAGE