A film directed by Nick Snyder A marketing plan by Amanda Vo
Table of Contents Overview 3 Executive Summary 4 Film Synopsis 5 Cast Biographies 6 Crew Biographies 7 Fundamentals 8 Target Audiences 9 Marketing Opportunities 10 Marketing Obstacles 11 Film Festival Strategy 13 Festival Strategy 14 Target Festivals 15 Key Art 16 Festival Kit 17 Marketing Activities 18 Securing Distribution 19 B-2-B Strategy 20 Distributor Research 21 Activities 22 Consumer Strategy 23 Overall Strategy 24 Distribution Strategy 25 Creative Advertising 26 Media Strategy 29 Publicity Strategy 33 Partnerships & Synergy 36 Internet Strategy 43 Conclusion 51 Acknowledgements 53
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Overview
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Born from Hell
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
DAMON: boy meets girl, boy falls in love, boy and girl live happily ever after.
Except it isn’t so simple at all.
“Boy” is Damon the Antichrist, born and raised for one thing: evil. “Girl” is Ginny, a motif for purity, innocence, and overall goodness. “Love” is forbidden for Damon, because as the Antichrist, he must kill Ginny...the one he loves. “Happily ever after?” Well...it’s harder than it sounds.
In this dark comedy, growing up can be Hell. With elements such as being yourself, gaining independence and first love, this is a film that anyone can relate to...even if it is about the Antichrist. His story, regardless of the dark and devilish undertones, ultimately has a halo of a silver lining. This film depicts a common antagonist in an unconventional setting, with moments of humor, horror and love, all of which will keep you yearning for more from Damon.
DAMON will have a platform release through Summit Entertainment beginning September 28, 2012, screening in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Chicago. The amount of theaters will exponentially increase to allow for a wide release on October 26, 2012, intended to be an alternative movie-going experience for audiences who want an eerie Halloween story without the gore. With multiple partnerships with an array of organizations, DAMON will be able to reach audiences in a synergistic manner. The following pages will depict a cohesive marketing plan that includes festival, distributor and consumer strategies. Through the use of press kits, guerilla marketing and social media campaigns, we are aiming to not only spread awareness about DAMON, but also garner interest, knowledge and attendance to see the film.
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We would like to cordially welcome you to the ceremonial experience that is DAMON.
Damon’s Story
FILM SYNOPSIS
Concept Capsule
Born out of a deal made with the Devil and raised by a family of misfits, Damon has been raised for the sole purpose of evil. But when the reluctant young Antichrist falls in love on the eve of his initiation ceremony, his humanity is put to the ultimate test.
Full Synopsis
Damon was born under unusual circumstances: he is a young man conceived through a deal with the Devil himself. As he walks, flowers wilt. His eye contact with others only induces fear and a sense of hopelessness. He is alone, with only one purpose in his life. In order to fulfill the debt his mother made with the Devil, Damon must make a sacrifice at his initiation ceremony, where he will be rightfully deemed the Antichrist. But when he meets Ginny, his ceremonial sacrifice, she gives him something he has never experienced before: kindness. Damon begins to spend more time with Ginny and fosters a relationship with her. As Ginny introduces Damon to water balloon fights, ice cream and un-dead daisies, he realizes that he may actually have a chance at a normal life--one that is not governed by Lucifer and his family of Gothic misfits. Finally, the day of his initiation ceremony arrives, and Damon is torn. His mother’s devilish friends all gather to observe the metamorphosis of mortal to fully-realized Antichrist. As Ginny begs Damon to reconsider, he musters up the courage to stand up against his family and live the life that he has always yearned for.: a life of kindness, happiness and, above all, mortal love. Damon and Ginny run away together, as his family is condemned to Hell for eternity.
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The Devil’s Advocates
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Clayton Frey - DAMON Growing up, Clayton was a big fan of Gene Kelly. Because of him, Clayton began taking tap classes at age 3 and continued dancing all the way through high school. Upon graduation from high school, Clayton knew it was time to leave Tucson, Arizona and head to Hollywood. He planted himself at Loyola Marymount University, where he received a degree in Political Science while at the same time studying acting outside of school for the past five years.
Chelsea Taylor - GINNY
Chelsea Taylor grew up performing in regional theatre in her hometown of Friendswood, Texas. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to pursue her love of acting. Here she has studied at well respected schools of acting such as The New York Film Academy, Playhouse West, and Warner Loughlin Studios. She has appeared in various plays around town such as ‘Fool for Love’, ‘Imagining Brad’, ‘Laundry and Bourbon’ and ‘When Hope Arrives’. She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Sharon Sharth - EVILYN
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A bi-coastal actor, Sharon Sharth has starred on and off-Broadway as well as in leading roles in film and on television. She was a longtime member and lead player with the prestigious Circle Repertory Company in NYC, home to some of the finest American actors and playwrights of the late 20th century. Sharon is also a lifetime member of the Actor’s Studio. An award-winning author, Sharon has written sixteen books for various publishers. She is currently working to produce and star in her award-winning play, Waiting for Grace.
Clint Carmichael - TONY
Clint Carmichael is a versatile working actor and award winning filmmaker who has entertained audiences for over two decades. A veteran of film, television, and commercials, some of his recent credits include: “Desperate Housewives,” “Big Bad,” “The House Bunny,” “NCIS” and “Two and a Half Men.” As a filmmaker, Clint has produced two award winning films: the supernatural thriller feature “The Open Door” and the comedy short film “The Action Hero’s Guide To Saving Lives.” Clint’s future plans are to continue to work in front of and behind the camera.
Jenna Stone - BEATRIX
Eighteen-year-old Jenna Stone has had her sights set on acting from a young age, beginning classes at age 11 and road tripping to Los Angeles with her mother for 4 years before they decided to rent an apartment in Burbank. Since then, Jenna’s resume has expanded to many different project types, be it music videos, modeling, commercials, hosting, and short, student, and feature films. After graduating high school at 16, she attended Santa Monica College for a short while before having to drop out due to a busy work schedule on the award winning web series Miss Behave. Jenna currently splits her time between Texas and California, and in her free time enjoys many other artistic outlets, such as writing, drawing and painting.
Satan’s Little Helpers Nick Snyder - Director & Co-Writer
Imagination, wonder, escapism. These three words are responsible for the inescapable stranglehold that movies have on this young filmmaker. They are what drew Nick to filmmaking and are the fuel to his creative fire. A native Minnesotan, Anglophile, cartoonist, graphic designer and graduate of an all-male, Catholic, college-prep military academy, Nick has a wide variety of creative skills and an unstoppable work ethic. Like so many before him, Nick wants nothing more than to bring to life imaginative and unforgettable stories. With an MFA from Chapman University’s directing program, he now has the industry and technical insight to do just that. So now more than ever, it’s time for him to share his passion with the world.
CREW BIOGRAPHIES
Nick Torokvei - Co-Writer
Spends his time observing the world in order to properly destroy it in his writings.
Julianne Breseno - Producer
Throughout her life, Julianne has always loved the arts. Not only did she once plan on becoming a Disney animator, she enjoyed acting and participated in her high school and college theatre programs. After earning her degree in business from the University of San Diego, Julianne immediately wanted to pursue her MBA. When she learned about Chapman’s joint MBA/MFA program in film producing, she knew it was a perfect fit. Movies entertain and inspire her, and she wants to produce films that will impact people the way her favorites have impacted her.
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The Groundwork
FUNDAMENTALS
Genre: dark, romantic comedy Anticipated Rating: PG-13 for crude humor, language and
some surprising moments
Tagline: Growing up can be Hell. Big Idea: First love, independence and
rebelling against authority... It’s all part of the Hellish experience called growing up.
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Witnesses
TARGET AUDIENCES
Primary Audience: Fantasists
Secondary Audience: Romantics
Tertiary Audience: Gamers & Fanboys
Offbeat, independent and driven by creativity, fantasists are enticed by the idea of true love in an unconventional setting. Young, college educated adults with a degree in liberal arts. They are the kinds of people that will buy movie memorabilia and be proud to say “I heard about DAMON first.” Fantasists are influenced by music, independent films, fairytales and each other.
Enchanted by the idea of romance and love. Romantics have been subconsciously prepared to embrace this kind of story with the ideals presented in fairytales, romance novels and movies, and television. Typically young women, high school and/or college educated with a liberal mentality. They are optimistic about life and are simply waiting for their Prince Charming or Sleeping Beauty.
Horror film enthusiasts and nerdy by nature, fanboys are ultimately gamers will go to any convention they can manage to attend. They are socially awkward, intelligent and a moderate to high income, and the dictionary definition of “nice guys finish last.” They thrive in online forums, raving about the latest and greatest in the world of comics and games.
Positioning Statement: “Like Jack and Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Damon and Ginny have a unique kind of love: one that is unheard of, unfamiliar and ultimately unavoidable.”
Positioning Statement: “It’s the kind of forbidden love that you’ve grown to yearn for.”
Positioning Statement: “You know who the Antichrist is, but do you know where he came from?”
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Falling in Love
MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
The Antichrist
The Antichrist is a character we all know, but the only constant amongst the myriad of stories is the fact that he is, unquestionably, evil. But what if he wasn’t? What if he was, instead, a normal person living a life he never asked for? This brings a different spin on the devilish character, something audiences will embrace.
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Daisies
Daisies represent shared feelings of affection, which is something we all yearn for. Flowers are a very prominent motif throughout the film, and they can be used as a constant that is present on all marketing collateral, whether they are dead or alive.
Good vs Evil
What’s a story about the Antichrist without some internal moral battles? Damon’s entire world is conflicted, and this will appeal to all audiences: everyone has to decide between right and wrong; easy and difficult; good and evil.
Romance
While this will initially appeal to our romantics, most people ultimately enjoy a good love story, thus bringing in our fantasists and fanboys. Everyone wants to fall in love, but how far would they be willing to go?
Growing Up
Not the Addams Family
Tim Burton-esque
Tim Burton is a one-ofa-kind director who has an unparalleled vision. DAMON is a dark, Gothic comedy, similar to Tim Burton films such as Corpse Bride and Edward Scissorhands. It will be important to distinguish DAMON from Tim Burton films and ensure that this is not merely a cookie cut copy of his style.
The Gray family is similar to the Addams family: Gothic misfits with a twisted sense of humor. But while the Addams family is ultimately a loving clan with eccentric qualities, the Grays are a bit more demented and evil. Similar to being Tim Burton-esque, we will need to differentiate the Grays from the Addams.
MARKETING OBSTACLES
Antichrist Controversy
While the Antichrist may be our biggest marketable element, it can also be our Achilles Heel. There are a lot of negative connotations with the Antichrist, and it may repel some people within our target audiences from watching the film. We will need to ensure that while Damon is the devil’s child, he is not the evil one we have grown to fear.
ClichĂŠ?
The crux of this story has been told before: it is, ultimately, a love story between two people who are in every way opposite. However, there are many layers to this story, and our marketing opportunities will reiterate them. Our posters and promotional strategies will need to employ these opportunities to avoid the potential stereotype DAMON may fall into.
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Film Festival Strategy 13
Walking Around
FESTIVAL STRATEGY
Our festival strategy has two purposes: to spread awareness and peak interest for DAMON, and to obtain a major film distributor. We will use means of guerilla marketing, festival kits and key art that will create a noticeable first impact and a memorable lasting impression. We will also use social media to encourage festival attendees to learn more about DAMON and ultimately create buzz and word-of-mouth publicity. Because DAMON is a modern film with a slightly twisted story, we decided to select a wide array of film festivals for it to screen at, in hopes that it will encourage both the media and dark subject matter-lovers to watch and enjoy.
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Spreading the Love
TARGET FESTIVALS
Palm Springs Film Festival: January 5-16, 2012, Palm Springs, CA We will kick off our festival season with the Palm Springs Film Festival, one that is known for its ability to spread good word-ofmouth. DAMON will rely heavily on audience interest, so PSSF is an ideal starting point.
Los Angeles Film Festival: June 14-24, 2012, Los Angeles, CA With very high attendance every year and its reputation for showcasing independent films, the Los Angeles Film Festival will be a place for DAMON to screen to large audiences in a place not far from where the film was written and produced.
Sundance Film Festival: January 19-29, 2012, Park City, UT The largest independent film festival in the world, Sundance would be an ideal platform for DAMON to be showcased. Many eccentric films have gotten their start at Sundance, including Garden State, Napoleon Dynamite and The Butterfly Effect.
Comic-Con International: July 12-15, 2012, San Diego, CA Our primary target festival, Comic-Con is the premiere location for horror, animation, anime, comic and video game junkies to gather and geek out over the latest and greatest. DAMON would thrive in this environment, hitting all three target audiences.
SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival: March 9-17, 2012, Austin, TX SXSW is more than just a film festival: it is an entire arts experience. The majority of attendees will fall into our three target audiences, making this a premiere location to screen DAMON.
Fantasia International Film Festival: July 19-August 7, 2012, Montreal, Canada Fantasia is the largest and most influential genre film festival in the world, and has showcased gritty films such as Inglourious Basterds and Ringu. DAMON’s dark nature would coincide with the reputation of the festival.
Seattle International Film Festival: May 17-June 10, 2012, Seattle, WA SIFF has a reputation for being the “audience’s festival” as opposed to the “industry’s festival,” thus implying that audiences comprise the majority of attendance. This will be an important festival for DAMON to be screened at, because it will encourage word-ofmouth awareness amongst viewers.
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Floral Pieces This will be our one sheet and the basis for our art design throughout our marketing campaign. Flowers are a prominent aspect to Damon’s story, and the dead and dark ones surrounding the title of the film emphasize Damon’s evil upbringing. This poster is eyecatching and enticing, encouraging viewers to want to learn more about what this film has to offer. The name and tagline give good insight as to what the film is about, but the flowers juxtapose both elements, thus creating interest for our audiences. The color scheme on the poster directly coincides with the color schemes present in the film: red, black and white, with the yellow daisies representing Ginny and her friendliness and innocence. This poster should intrigue all of our audiences simply through imagery alone. By embracing the masculinity of the dead flowers and tagline, the femininity of the live daisies, and the fanciful nature of the poster itself, we will be able to appeal to all audiences with our key art.
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KEY ART
Bouquets
FESTIVAL KITS
-Pitch letter -Note from the director -Fact sheet -Press release -Pressed daisies -Branded DVD case -Cast biographies -Crew biographies -Character descriptions -Photography
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Planting Daisies
MARKETING ACTIVITIES
To publicize DAMON at festivals, we will rely heavily on guerilla marketing and local advertising. Damon is an unconventional character, so we want to have an unconventional approach to marketing. We will plant dead flowers throughout the festival, with the overarching theme of “Damon was here.” This will entice attendees to learn more about what DAMON is about, and encourage them to view our screenings. We will also disperse our key art in order to make an impact in the audience’s minds. With a one sheet that is appealing to all three target audiences, we will be able to make an impression on every patron of the festival and keep them interested throughout their stay.
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Securing Distribution 19
Befriending Angels To secure a distributor, we analyzed the seven major film studios for DAMON’s best fit. To reach the target decision maker at each studio, we will:
-create press kits -conduct private screenings -hold one-on-one business meetings
Our press kits will comprise of what was present in our festival kit (as shown previously). The private screenings will help us show exactly what DAMON has to offer and how it will coincide with the studio’s previous films. Finally, business meetings will help seal the deal, confirming the mutual agreement we will share with our distributor.
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B-2-B STRATEGY
Angel Investors
DISTRIBUTOR RESEARCH
When researching film distributors, we wanted to make sure that DAMON would be able to stay true to its story: no censorship, shame or controversy. We analyzed the possibility of working with Summit Entertainment, Fox Searchlight and Columbia. Columbia has had major hits such as Ides of March, The Social Network, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. However, because Columbia is releasing Hotel Transylvania in September 2012, we felt the theme of the two films were too similar and would therefore clash. Fox Searchlight is our number two choice for our film distributor. With a superb repertoire and a specialty in independent films with a quirky edge (i.e. Juno, (500) Days of Summer and Slumdog Millionaire), it would be a fine candidate to distribute DAMON.
However, we ultimately decided on Summit Entertainment.
Summit is a newer independent studio with notable films under its belt, such as the Twilight Saga, The Hurt Locker, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Remember Me, and future releases The Perks of Being A Wallflower and Ender’s Game. Summit caters to the younger demographic with its film choices, and this would resonate well with the target audiences for DAMON. Summit films tend to be grittier and have a balance between romance, comedy and drama, which is suitable for DAMON and its themes.
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Our Wings
ACTIVITIES
We will provide private screenings for our potential distributors and meet with them afterwards to discuss our possible future together. Our screening environment will embody that of Damon’s life: dark and quirky, with dead flowers everywhere. We will attend business meetings with our distributor to determine what kind of distribution we would like, as well as what we will do to properly market the film to coincide with the studio’s already existing reputation. We will have press kits on hand, which will comprise of the same materials presented in our festival kit. These will be important to determine not only what we will do in our consumer strategy, but also to ensure that all of our tactics remain consistent throughout all phases.
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Consumer Strategy
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For Our Witnesses
OVERALL STRATEGY
Our consumer strategy has three parts:
-Garner audience interest -Ensure audience knowledge -Encourage audience attendance
We will create trailers and teaser trailers to be broadcasted on television, in movie theaters and online. The guerilla marketing techniques used during our film festival phase will be carried over into our consumer strategy, encouraging interest and speculation for DAMON. Once we have achieved audience interest, we will inform them of what DAMON is exactly about. Through the use of social media and creative advertising, our audiences will have a deeper understanding of what DAMON is about, and how the true meaning of the story is not what meets the eye.
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Finally, we will persuade consumers to view DAMON. With an extensive media plan, we will have the cast make appearances on various talk shows, encourage magazines and newspapers to write features articles, and use all of the above strategies to lock in our audiences.
The Other Demons Out There
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
Release Date & Pattern
DAMON will have a platform release beginning September 28, 2012 in four markets:
-Los Angeles -New York -Seattle -Chicago The second week will increase to 10 markets, including San Francisco, Boston and Portland. The third week will increase to at least 500 screens, and the fourth will have close to 1,000. By October 26, 2012, our wide release will be initiated, with over 300 markets. DAMON will be released in time for the Halloween season in over 1,000 playdates (engagements).
Competitive Environment
While DAMON is suitable for a Halloween release, this lends us to deal with competition. Horror films are almost always released around this holiday, so we need to make sure that we encourage audiences to see DAMON over other films. This is one of the main reasons we want to employ a platform release: over time, buzz will surround DAMON, and by the time its wide release comes, people will want to see it over other films.
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Damon Was Here
CREATIVE ADVERTISING
Growing up can be Hell. We want people to know that even though our film features the Antichrist, the heart of the story reinforces the importance of goodness. That is what we will do with our creative advertising. We will use the irony of flowers and the Antichrist to show that regardless of your supposed purpose in life, there is always beauty within...no matter how buried deep it may be. Our message?
Damon was here. Everywhere Damon walks, flowers happen to die. Our creative advertising will encompass the lifelessness of his surroundings, implying that he was once there, where the viewer is.
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Damon’s Belongings
CREATIVE MATERIALS LIST
We will have the following advertising materials:
-Trailers -Online advertisements -Print advertisements -Outdoor advertisements -Guerilla Marketing
Bus shelter advertisements of our one sheet will be displayed nationwide
Our billboards will depict our tagline along with an iconic image of Damon
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More Possessions
CREATIVE MATERIALS
The magazine print advertisement will be an image of our one sheet and executed in the magazines we pitch to (page 35). Mall banners will be displayed in malls nationwide to encourage shoppers to see the film.
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Spreading Seeds
MEDIA STRATEGY
Our creative advertising has our audience interested. Now, we need the media to be just as interested. Our main goal here is to obtain coverage and buzz prior to our release. We will use paid television, online and magazine spots in order to secure media relations while continually advertising to our fantasists, romantics and fanboys. While we will have television spots on broadcast stations, we will also focus on cable networks such as Spike, Discovery Channel, Syfy, MTV, VH1 and Fuse. Our print placements will be in newspapers and magazines that are read frequently by our audiences. We want to connect to them and, like in our creative strategy, show that “Damon was here.�
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Growing Gardens Media
Type of Placement
Television
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Network ABC: The Bachelor ABC: Modern Family ABC: Once Upon A Time ABC: Pan Am ABC: Revenge CBS: Big Bang Theory CBS: How I Met Your Mother FOX: Bones FOX: Glee FOX: Terra Nova NBC: Community NBC: Grimm NBC: Parks and Recreation
30-Second Spot 15-Second Spot 1 Minute Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 15-Second Spot 15-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 15-Second Spot 1 Minute Spot 15-Second Spot
Cable Discovery E! The Food Network FX Fuse G4 MTV Spike SyFy TeenNick VH1
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Â
August
30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot
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5
MEDIA SCHEDULE
September 4
3
2
1
October First Week
Second Week
Third Week
Fourth Week
November Wide Release
Week After
Growing Gardens Media
Type of Placement
August 7
6
5
MEDIA SCHEDULE
September 4
3
2
1
October First Week
Second Week
Third Week
Fourth Week
November Wide Release
Week After
Magazines Blender Entertainment Weekly Game Informer Nylon People Rolling Stone Seventeen Magazine Spin Us Video Art Magazine
Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed Full Page, Color Bleed
Newspapers Chicago Tribune The Los Angeles Times The New York Times The Seattle Times
Half Page, B&W Full Page, B&W Full Page, B&W Half Page, B&W
Outdoor Billboards Bus Shelters Indoor Mall Board
Â
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Growing Gardens Media
Type of Placement
Online
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Online Advertisements DeviantArt.com Facebook.com Flickr.com HuffingtonPost.com IGN.com IMDb.com Mashable.com Pandora.com Rhapsody.com Spotify.com Turntable.fm YouTube.com
Banner Facebook Ad Banner Expandable Banner Expandable Banner Expandable Banner Banner Expandable Banner Banner Banner Banner Expandable Banner
Online Streaming abc.com cbs.com fox.com hulu.com nbc.com mtv.com
Â
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August
30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 15-Second Spot 30-Second Spot 15-Second Spot
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5
MEDIA SCHEDULE
September 4
3
2
1
October First Week
Second Week
Third Week
Fourth Week
November Wide Release
Week After
Marketing the Metamorphosis
PUBLICITY STRATEGY
Promotions aren’t simple: our paid media spots can only go so far. This is where our publicity strategy comes into play. We will actively pitch to television and magazine outlets to feature or help promote DAMON. We will encourage our cast and crew to make appearances, while at the same time holding a public premiere for both the media and audiences to attend. We want to create buzz. We want to tell Damon’s story.
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Initiation Ceremony
PREMIERE
We will host our world premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 5, 2012. This will give our cast and crew a chance to showcase themselves in front of a crowd that is mostly audiencebased as opposed to media-based. We will also hold a press junket for the media that are present in order to garner more publicity.
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A Leap of Faith Vehicle Newspaper
The Chicago Tribune The Los Angeles Times The New York Times The Seattle Times
Pitch Date Publication Date
PITCH SCHEDULE
Pitch
October 2012 October 2012 September 2012 October 2012
October 2012 October 2012 September 2012 October 2012
A look into how DAMON’s “Ginny” could be an inspiration to us all DAMON and its director: how far has Chapman University come? A look into how DAMON’s “Ginny” could be an inspiration to us all Why DAMON might be good for teenagers to watch
July 2012 August 2012 August 2012 July 2012
September 2012 October 2012 October 2012 September 2012
Interview with Clayton Frey and Nick Snyder, Damon and the director Are you attracted to a Damon in real life? A deeper look into the soundtrack of DAMON, composed by Hamed Hokamzadeh A look into the visuals and soundtrack of DAMON
October 2012 September 2012 October 2012 September 2012
October 2012 September 2012 October 2012 September 2012
Interview with Clayton Frey (Damon), Chelsea Taylor (Ginny) and Nick Snyder (director) What to expect with a new take on the Antichrist What to expect with a new take on the Antichrist Up-and-coming stars: Clayton Frey, Chelsea Taylor and Jenna Stone
July 2012 September 2012 September 2012
October 2012 October 2012 October 2012
Up-and-coming stars: Clayton Frey and Chelsea Taylor Cast interview plus video art This year’s film award contenders and up-and-comers
August 2012 August 2012 September 2012 August 2012
October 2012 October 2012 October 2012 October 2012
Cast interview with Clayton Frey, Chelsea Taylor and Jenna Stone This year’s Halloween horrors and one coming-of-age tale The music behind DAMON Cast interview with Sharon Sharth and Clint Carmichael
Long Leads Game Informer Seventeen Magazine Spin Video Art
Short Leads
Entertainment Weekly People Time Us
Daytime Shows Ellen Good Morning America The Today Show
Late Night Shows Conan Jimmy Kimmel Live! Late Night with Jimmy Fallon The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
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Working with our Demons The biggest way we will reach our fantasists, romantics and fanboys is through our partnerships with organizations they already love. We will create merchandise and promotional strategies to cater to our audiences. Examples of partnerships include:
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-Hot Topic -JCPenny -Hasbro -Ben & Jerry’s -Sephora -Conroys Flowers
PARTNERSHIPS & SYNERGY
For the Fantasists
PROMOTION DETAILS
Branded t-shirts will be sold exclusively Hot Topic to promote DAMON and show fan support. We will have the shirt that Damon wears in the majority of the film with the DAMON logo on it, as well as a white unisex shirt of the Ginny and Damon in cartoon form, emulating the credits sequence for the film. Because DAMON will be released in October, we will sell pink DAMON shirts to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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Gadgets for Gamers
PROMOTION DETAILS
We will sell branded action figures based on the characters in cartoon form, as well as the masks worn during Damon’s initiation ceremony. These products will be distributed exclusively through Hasbro. Our gamers and fantasists will both enjoy the collectable items, a la Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings merchandise.
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Dangerously Beautiful
PROMOTION DETAILS
Make up palettes that coincide with the color schemes of our female characters will be sold at Sephora stores. Items will include eyeshadow palettes, lipstick and blush.
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Daisies from Damon
PROMOTION DETAILS
Our most important partnership: participating Conroys Flowers stores will have special displays selling “Daisies from Damon.� Our displays will have bouquets and single daisies for purchase. Because flowers are such a prominent aspect of DAMON, it is only fitting to have a strong partnership with a popular flower distributor. Our promotional materials will include:
-Floral arrangements -Hanging decals -Specialized one sheet -Daisy bouquets -Single daisies -Greeting cards Furthermore, we will have a new positioning statement for our Conroys Flowers partnership:
Falling in love can be Hell.
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Daisies
Damon from
Daisies from Damon
PROMOTION DETAILS
Please come back soon; I miss you.
My Life is
Our Daisies from Damon will come in two main variations: dead and alive. While we will have live, real daisies for sale, we will also sell fake, black daisies that are reminiscent of those used in our guerilla marketing.
This will be a basic floor plan set-up for all Conroys Flowers stores to help promote DAMON. There will be a large tiered floral display of the daisies we will sell in vases, pots or bouquets, and we will have three types of greeting cards as point-of-purchase items: “Birthday,” “Get Well Soon” and “My Life is Hell Without You.”
t
u Hell Witho
You
An example of one of our greeting cards, this will be displayed at Conroys locations to coincide with the theme of DAMON.
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Internal Goodness
PROMOTION DETAILS
Damon’s Least Favorite Ice Cream
What do JCPenney, Ben & Jerry’s and Sephora all have in common?
DAMON.
This is our boldest venture that will reach all three of our audiences. Because Sephora has stands and boutiques within JCPenney stores, the only location to sell Sephora products outside of Sephora stores: a “store within a store,” if you will. JCPenney will therefore host the exclusive Sephora-DAMON products as well, in order to create more reach for our audiences.
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What about the ice cream? Damon’s distaste for ice cream is something we could market as well. For the two months leading up to DAMON’s release (September and October), we will place freezers inside major JCPenney stores in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago to sell a limited edition Ben and Jerry’s flavor: “Damon’s Least Favorite Ice Cream,” consisting of vanilla, raspberry and blackberry swirl--three flavors Damon absolutely despises.
Damon Needs Friends
INTERNET MARKETING
Our last venture: the Internet.It can be safe to assume that our fantasists,romantics and fanboys are Internet-savvy,making it important for us to be extremely present on social media. By reaching out to our audiences on social media, we will not only be able to obtain awareness and interest, but we will also engage in two-way communication with our fans. We will use the following forms of Internet communications:
-Online Advertising -Facebook -Website -YouTube -Tumblr -GetGlue -Twitter -iTunes
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Influencing the Internet
ONLINE ADVERTISING & WEBSITE
Our online banner will greet our audiences on the websites indicated on our pitch schedule. When clicked, viewers will be led to our official DAMON website.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Share This
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Palm Springs Film Festival Palm Springs, CA January 5, 2012 Sundance Film Festival Park City, UT January 21, 2012 SXSW Film Festival Austin, TX March 14, 2012 Seattle Int’l Film Festival Seattle, WA May 24, 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival Los Angeles, CA June 16, 2012 Comic-Con San Diego, CA July 13, 2012 Fantasia Int’l Film Festival Montreal, Canada July 20, 2012
We will have a countdown ticker at the top of our website, counting down the days to “Damon’s Initiation Ceremony,” or the wide release of the film. We will also have a “Share This” button for fans to post the ticker on their own websites or blogs.
We will have a schedule of the festivals DAMON has or will screen at. We will also have “I Was A Teenage Werewolf” by The Cramps playing in the background (the film’s introduction song), along with the score composed by Hamed Hokamzadeh.
Tumblr Temper
PRODUCTION BLOG
Tumblr has been steadily growing over the last few years, and is now Alexa’s 43rd top website. We will use our blog on Tumblr as a way to document our progress leading up to the premiere of DAMON. We will post unit photography, key art, stories and anecdotes and answer fan questions. We will also have links on the side of our Tumblr that will lead to our different avenues on the Internet.
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The Birds are Dying
We will have two Twitter accounts: one for DAMON the movie, and one for Damon the character. Our film Twitter will provide updates and respond to fans, and will be linked to our other social media websites. Our character Twitter will be written in the voice of Damon and will act as a parallel to the film, similar to the Twitter associated with Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother (@broslife).
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We will create a “Twibbon,� an icon that fans can embed onto their current Twitter profile pictures, in order to show fan support and further publicize DAMON.
Facing the Devil
Our Facebook will be the hub for us to connect with our fans and display exclusive photos, videos and interviews. We will create conversations with our fantasists, romantics and fanboys and post multiple times a day to stay on their radar.
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Watching the Petals Wilt
YOUTUBE
211,391 views - 5 weeks ago
211,391 views
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Our official YouTube channel will have trailers, exclusive sneak peaks and interviews uploaded weekly. We will host all of our videos on YouTube and have our other social media websites link to the channel. This will also be a way to gauge our audience reactions to our film through the “like� button and comments.
Can You Look Damon in the Eye?
GETGLUE
DAMON
Starring Clayton Frey, Chelsea Taylor, Sharon Sharth, Clint Carmichael, Jenna Stone In this dark comedy, growing up can be Hell. Born out of a deal made with the Devil and raised by a family of misfits, Damon has been raised for the sole purpose of evil. But when the reluctant young Antichrist falls in love on the eve of his initiation ceremony, his humanity is put to the ultimate test. Currently trending as 4th most popular movie.
Get your DAMON sticker!
We will allow fans to “check-in” on GetGlue when they watch DAMON to gauge our audience interest and viewership. By checking in, our viewers will be granted a “sticker” to display to other users their support for DAMON. The first 100 check-ins will be given a free DAMON t-shirt as an incentive to participate on GetGlue.
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Exclusive Evilness
ITUNES
Click here to input your code and watch NOW
The original motion picture soundtrack
Composed by Hamed Hokamzadeh
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As an exclusive offer to our fanatic fantasists, romantics and fanboys, we will provide a secret code that can be inputted onto iTunes for them to watch DAMON in its entirety before its wide release. This is geared more toward the fans that are physically unable to attend festivals. The code will be obtained simply by showing deep interest on social media for DAMON. Each fan will be given a unique code that can only be used for one viewing in order to minimize infringement. We will also sell the DAMON official soundtrack exclusively on iTunes.
Don’t Run Away
CONCLUSION
This campaign is a representation of what could happen in regards to marketing DAMON in the future. While some of our stunts are extreme, we believe that through proper execution, DAMON could become extremely successful in a seemingly evil manner. We hope you have enjoyed learning about Damon’s story.
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Our Debt Has Been Repaid
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-Entertainment Marketing Fall 2011 -Nick Snyder -Julianne Breseno -Amanda Pham -Cory O’Connor -#entmar -Mike Alfaro -Brian, Jayleen & Amie Vo -Tim Burton
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