tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post8734390912327682118..comments2024-03-29T02:18:35.303-07:00Comments on TAG Blog: Saturation?Steve Huletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05537689111433326847noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-10336364596675733252011-02-15T19:24:16.017-08:002011-02-15T19:24:16.017-08:00"A long time ago, I was shown a cutting conti..."A long time ago, I was shown a cutting continuity for Snow White. Minimal dialogue.<br />"<br /><br />It was a cost saving (and money making" decision--less dialogue meant less dialogue to translate--and broader understanding in foriegn markets.<br /><br />There are just as many (percentage wise) blabby cartoons (CareBears, astroboy, Megamind) as there are live action films.<br /><br />But ALL films are, by definition--visual. And aural.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-49853510118421448212011-02-15T08:34:33.926-08:002011-02-15T08:34:33.926-08:00And Iron Giant, which also flopped, was a horrible...And Iron Giant, which also flopped, was a horrible kiddie cartoon.<br /><br />(Watch the Astro haters get all foamy)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-63110569939930076942011-02-14T21:32:16.688-08:002011-02-14T21:32:16.688-08:00ALL films are visual. AND aural. Even animation.
...<b>ALL films are visual. AND aural. Even animation. </b><br /><br />A long time ago, I was shown a cutting continuity for <i>Snow White</i>. Minimal dialogue.<br /><br />But then, the guys making it had all grown up with silent films. So minimal dialogue wouldn't be surprising.Steve Huletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05537689111433326847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-27692928699494979072011-02-14T19:53:54.034-08:002011-02-14T19:53:54.034-08:00"animated features are visual rather than aur..."animated features are visual rather than aural"<br /><br />ALL films are visual. AND aural. Even animation.<br /><br />And astroboy is a horrible kiddie cartoon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-14961988677547660222011-02-14T17:21:28.856-08:002011-02-14T17:21:28.856-08:00Very few realize 'Gnomeo' started at Disne...<b>Very few realize 'Gnomeo' started at Disney Feature about a decade ago.</b><br /><br />And what got released in theaters doesn't have too much to do with that version, as detailed below in another thread.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-17627554691748769722011-02-14T17:16:13.977-08:002011-02-14T17:16:13.977-08:00As for G & J, good marketing AND timing by Dis...<b>As for G & J, good marketing AND timing by Disney helped it a lot.</b><br /><br />It looks like good timing when it works. If it failed, then the conventional wisdom would be that Feb. is a terrible month to release an animated film, that all the kids are in school, that families are still worn out from the recent holidays, that Feb. is a traditionally down time for movies, etc., etc.<br /><br />As for marketing, my observation is people tend to credit marketing too much when a movie succeeds, and blame it too much when a movie fails. It's hard to argue either way, since the logic becomes circular.<br /><br />Ultimately, after the fact it's easy to speak with glib confidence. A week ago I don't know anyone who thought the marketing for Gnomio was so hot, and I don't know anyone who thought releasing the film in early Feb. was a stroke of genius.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-15917877177464424372011-02-14T16:56:11.314-08:002011-02-14T16:56:11.314-08:00Yahoo based their score from 1429 users. IMDB fro...Yahoo based their score from 1429 users. IMDB from 6,565. Amazon was 54 reviewers. Not trying to be combative, just looking at the numbers. <br /><br />And I agree that lousy promotion kills a film, even good films. But Astro Boy was neither good, nor did it have good promotion.<br /><br />Gnomeo had a good weekend despite being just okay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-65569028106570818442011-02-14T14:15:47.864-08:002011-02-14T14:15:47.864-08:00So what was Gnomeo and Juliet's budget?So what was Gnomeo and Juliet's budget?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-62876209900615049962011-02-14T14:14:57.899-08:002011-02-14T14:14:57.899-08:00The Astro DVD gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from c...The Astro DVD gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from customers at Amazon.com, which is why I bought it. Watched it, liked it. *shrug* As for G & J, good marketing AND timing by Disney helped it a lot. Less helpful, perhaps, were the interviews Elton John gave on morning shows. He's terribly full of himself, isn't he?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-16961085673731003882011-02-14T14:05:02.034-08:002011-02-14T14:05:02.034-08:00*Im sticking with Rotten Tomatoes which gave it 49...*Im sticking with Rotten Tomatoes which gave it 49% critics and 53% viewers, and imdb which users gave it a 6.4*<br /><br />And Yahoo users gave it a B+. As for Rotten Tomatoes, it gave a rotten rating to Gnomeo & Juliet as well. Yet that movie did much better at the box office, at least on opening weekend.<br /><br />Don't tell me lousy promotion can't kill a film. Summit does it to its movies a LOT. (Astro Boy, Hurt Locker/best picture Oscar/flop at the box office). The only movies Summit can't kill are the unkillables, like Twilight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-40352120484732135892011-02-14T13:27:00.903-08:002011-02-14T13:27:00.903-08:00Astro Boy just wasn't very good. I wanted to ...Astro Boy just wasn't very good. I wanted to like it, hoped I'd like it, rooted for it even as I watched it, but when the credits rolled, I was disappointed. Apparently I'm not the only one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-27381151000972386602011-02-14T12:57:09.487-08:002011-02-14T12:57:09.487-08:00One very big reason for recent animated box office...<i>One very big reason for recent animated box office that you forgot to mention: 3D.</i><br /><br />An even bigger reason not taken into account--It's February, and no other "real" mainstream movies were opening that month.<br /><br />(Not saying that audiences rushed out to the theaters just for <i>that</i>, but when they did have the urge to see a movie, and it's been a long dry January, even Justin Bieber can look like a "real" movie.<br />Animateds are safer mall-audience common-denominator movies during the droughts, though, which's why we get the March Easter rush...This one just jumped the gun to avoid competition and grab the empty theater space. And given its history, we can't blame Disney much for that.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-78823970925603499732011-02-14T09:13:38.779-08:002011-02-14T09:13:38.779-08:00Very few realize 'Gnomeo' started at Disne...Very few realize 'Gnomeo' started at Disney Feature about a decade ago. The first look dev boards where up on the hallways for a while. Then Lasseter decided to can it...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-47424844204844805372011-02-14T08:39:18.435-08:002011-02-14T08:39:18.435-08:00I'm not here to argue Astroboy's artistic ...I'm not here to argue <i>Astroboy's</i> artistic merits or demerits. I only cited it because it <b>failed</b> commercially.<br /><br />On that point, there won't be a lot of debate, I don't think. It's failure took down Imagi. You can't fail much bigger than that.Steve Huletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05537689111433326847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-25193792288797778262011-02-14T08:07:33.301-08:002011-02-14T08:07:33.301-08:00The Astro Boy movie gets 5 stars out of 5 from Net...<b>The Astro Boy movie gets 5 stars out of 5 from Netflix users, and that's one more star than even The Wizard of Oz gets. 'Nuff said.</b><br /><br />Nice anecdotal evidence.<br /><br />Im sticking with Rotten Tomatoes which gave it 49% critics and 53% viewers, and imdb which users gave it a 6.4<br /><br />And my own personal opinion, which was, it was meh. Stop comparing it to Wizard of Oz caliber films. You just make yourself look stupid.<br /><br />But Im sure you're proud of it, seeing how you worked on it, so I understand. Just stop embarrassing yourself and move on. It came out 2 years ago for crissakes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-21525173848361497452011-02-14T07:22:19.991-08:002011-02-14T07:22:19.991-08:00gnomeo will fade fast... there is an onslaught of ...gnomeo will fade fast... there is an onslaught of larger pictures and sequels. Rango, Hoodwinked 2 and Rio just a few that open week after week almost. And dont count Hoodwink 2 out if the writing is as good as the first and better than the trailer it could make as much or more than the original.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-11137456544922008702011-02-14T07:05:35.965-08:002011-02-14T07:05:35.965-08:00On normal Netflix, Astroboy only has three and a h...On normal Netflix, Astroboy only has three and a half stars.<br /><br />The hipster community with an affection for 80s anime probably likes it a lot.<br /><br />But most people just didn't like it that much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-26113437155742019112011-02-14T07:02:42.233-08:002011-02-14T07:02:42.233-08:00The 3D angle is only partly true regarding ticket ...The 3D angle is only partly true regarding ticket sales. A lot of people go to the 3D screenings because that is the only option available. The 3D screenings cost more, artificially driving up the gross. If they had the choice, many would go for the cheaper 2D version.<br /><br />I like 3D, but I know a lot of people who either are indifferent or outright hate it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-24821603281143543602011-02-14T06:56:42.164-08:002011-02-14T06:56:42.164-08:00You mentioned the Disney advertising campaign, and...You mentioned the Disney advertising campaign, and how it helped Gnomeo. That campaign was the exact opposite of how Summit handled Astro Boy, and THAT'S why it failed. 3D would have helped that film too - in fact, it would have been an excellent choice for 3D, with all of the flying and fighting scenes.<br /><br />Lest the Astro Boy haters jump in here again, get this: I have an Apple TV that streams movies and TV shows from Netflix. The Astro Boy movie gets 5 stars out of 5 from Netflix users, and that's one more star than even The Wizard of Oz gets. 'Nuff said.<br /><br />As for Gnomoe, yeah, it did a lot better than many people expected. But is it such a great opening? Bolt got 27 million its first weekend, and it was considered a disappointment. What was Gnomeo's budget, does anyone know? (I'm not dissing Gnomeo, BTW - haven't seen it yet).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-71990164306060006922011-02-14T00:22:38.802-08:002011-02-14T00:22:38.802-08:00One very big reason for recent animated box office...One very big reason for recent animated box office that you forgot to mention: 3D.<br /><br />Gnomeo took in 58% of its business through 3D engagements, which added ~$5 million to what it would've made if it was only shown flat. Spread that out over the course of the film's run, it could accumulate to a full 20% of the gross.<br /><br />Take a look at those recent animated hits listed above--all of which were released in 3D--and subtract 20% from their grosses. Changes the picture somewhat, doesn't it?<br /><br />3D is a VERY good thing for the animation industry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com