[Chapter 90: Rivals and Followers]
On the way to the airport, Jason briefed everyone about the latest changes in Universal's distribution strategy. All four adjustments were advantageous for Step Up, and everyone was delighted.
Halle and Tyra were a bit reluctant to part ways with Linton, but they understood that splitting the promotional tour would benefit the movie's box office and boost their own fame, so they offered no objections.
...
Then Robert called, first updating Linton on Universal's new strategy, and then informing him that the two promotional squads and their routes had been finalized.
The first group consisted solely of Linton and Naomi, with Jason managing their public relations on the road; their itinerary remained unchanged.
The second group included Halle, Tyra, George, and Snoop Dogg, with Universal assigning an additional PR person for their team. This group's tour would cover cities with predominantly African-American populations.
The first stop was Washington, where George and Snoop Dogg would fly straight from Los Angeles the next day with their PR handler.
Meanwhile, Halle and Tyra would finish the Chicago promotional events tomorrow, then fly directly to Washington to regroup.
...
At the same time, in Burbank, Warner Bros. was discussing Step Up.
Warner Bros. had invested in and produced Unforgiven, a Clint Eastwood-directed film starring Clint Eastwood himself along with big names like Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, with a hefty production budget of $36 million.
Unexpectedly, its opening day box office was far below that of the small-budget youth dance film.
More critically, audience ratings averaged at a B+, far lower than Step Up's A+, suggesting an even wider gap in final box office returns.
"Have you figured out why Step Up is performing so well at the box office?" President Kevin Tsujihara asked.
Jeff Robinov, Director of Distribution, responded while activating the projector. "We've done the research, and there are five key reasons.
First, the film itself is very appealing. Although Linton is a newcomer director, he crafted an exciting and fresh movie. Though it's a musical, Step Up revolutionized Hollywood's usual musical style, blending contemporary and street dance in a very cool way that resonated with young audiences.
Also, the story was complete and moving, intertwining youth, love, and inspirational themes with a compelling narrative.
Second is the publicity. You might recall that from the project's inception, the media overwhelmingly panned the movie. While this seemed negative, it undeniably made most people aware of it.
Now, with quality content and reputation reversal, Universal's follow-up promotions through test screenings, scandal hype, media debates, and other tactics have made Step Up known to everyone.
Importantly, the word-of-mouth turned around; Universal spent just $10 million on marketing, but it outperformed the usual $20 million marketing impact for similar films.
Third, Linton's fans. Our frontline investigators found that fans organized group viewings in every theater, significantly contributing to the box office. These fans also indirectly influenced many undecided viewers to choose Step Up.
Fourth, the movie's target audience is very clear, and the release timing is spot-on. Step Up appeals strongly to teenagers, a typical youth-targeted film. Universal's marketing also focused on the youth, and it just happened to be summer vacation, the peak moviegoing period for teenagers.
Fifth, theater support. In late July, Universal held large-scale theater screenings. They invited nearly all involved theater experts to preview Step Up, and representatives widely recognized its box office potential. Although it's a low-budget commercial film, the theaters opened it in 2,500 cinemas across 5,200 screens in the opening week, nearly matching Unforgiven's release. Judging by yesterday's performance, theaters will likely increase its showings."
"These are the success factors for Step Up. What about its weaknesses and scandals?" Kevin Tsujihara asked.
"There are quite a few, but after evaluation, we don't recommend attacking the film."
"Why?"
"Because all of Step Up's weaknesses and scandals were extensively criticized by the media before release. Now, with its quality and reputation turnaround, attacking it won't yield negative effects but will instead add to its buzz."
"What are your specific suggestions?"
"Three points. First, Unforgiven made $7.35 million on opening day. Although it trails Step Up, it met our expectations. And since the two films target different audiences, with smearing ineffective, we should agree on a mutual no-smearing pact with Universal and intensify our own promotions.
Linton started citywide promotional tours yesterday, so we should follow suit, organizing Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman to also do promotional tours.
Second, negotiate with theaters for more screenings. Our $7.35 million opening isn't low and deserves more showings. We can cooperate with Universal to reduce other films' screen time.
Third, strengthen relations with critics. We already hosted critic screenings and conducted PR; critics were positive. I heard Step Up didn't even engage with critics or organize screenings, and critics generally dislike it.
Our reviews for both films will be released tomorrow; we should follow up to make critics clearly praise Unforgiven and downplay Step Up."
"Agreed, let's proceed with these three actions.
Also, Step Up's box office success may signal a revival of youth films. Brett, your production team should analyze Step Up's keys to success. Find a youth musical script in the library, modify it accordingly, and start the project ASAP to capitalize on this trend."
"Got it, we'll implement immediately," Production Director Brett Singer agreed.
...
At Miramax's president office, Harvey Weinstein, furious after learning Step Up's opening day box office, smashed a glass, telling his staff: "Contact our media buddies. Have them smear Step Up hard. Don't let them have an easy win."
"Sir, we'll act immediately. But Step Up's widely praised and currently playing well; merely asking media might not work."
"Then pay them to do it. I refuse to see Step Up succeed so smoothly."
"Understood. I'll handle it now."
"Also, since Step Up is doing so well, we must quickly produce a similar youth musical; find a suitable script ASAP."
Harvey knows that attacking rivals is crucial, but making money is even more so. So while smearing, they'd still follow the trend and profit.
...
Hollywood's major studios were shocked by Step Up's opening and held meetings to analyze its box office secrets while preparing to produce similar films.
This is standard worldwide: when a film hits it big, copycats rush in, and Hollywood was no exception.
---
Influenced by box office and audience acclaim, Linton's group arrived in Chicago and received even wilder fan welcomes.
More than 2,000 fans came to pick them up at the airport, nearly causing chaos.
After briefly greeting, Linton hurriedly left the airport.
At the hotel, he interacted remotely with fans gathered outside, urging them to leave early to avoid disrupting public order.
The Chicago promotional schedule mirrored Houston's: afternoon press interviews in the hotel, evening talk show at the Chicago TV station, and next morning a media and fan meet-and-greet at the Sears commercial plaza.
Bella took fan materials to Chicago's fan hub to meet core fan club members and coordinate viewing activities.
...
Unexpectedly, that afternoon Robert called again: Matt Damon, Edward (who played the 'fat guy'), and Emma (the director of Maryland School actress) all requested to join the promotional tour.
After all, everyone wanted to ride the wave of the rising hit to boost their fame.
Linton agreed and arranged for Matt Damon and Emma to join him in New York the next afternoon, while Edward would travel with George and the others to Washington.
*****
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