The $3-$3.5 million opening for this movie was completely the fault of the marketing department. We went to see the movie and it was actually a good film. However, we had NO IDEA what the film was about until we researched the synopsis. The marketing dept. focused on the stars rather than the story -- which is too bad.
shareI'm going to agree the marketing department dropped the ball on this movie. They should have generated an advanced buzz in the birding community. That should have been the target audience. The only articles I saw about this was after the movie came out. They should have had articles talking it up in "Birdwatching", "Wildbird', and "Birdwatcher's Digest" magazines. Posts on birding listserves and blogs would have drawn more attention to it. I didn't hear about it until the trailer was first posted on this site.
I've seen various numbers on how many birders there are in this country (USA). Its been said there are about 6 million regular birders around the country, people who are similar to some of the characters depicted in this film. There are also about 50 million people who regularly feed birds and can identify the common birds in their area. If just a quarter of these people came out to see this film, it would be a hit and word would have spread.
This movie could have been a cult classic for birders. It may still be that, but it won't be the financial success its makers no doubt were hoping for. Golf had 'Tin Cup', baseball had 'Major League.' Both had some comedy, but were not slapstic funny, not unlike this film. By not focusing on a core target audience, it got lost.
All of this may have been overcome if there had been more ads being shown. I only saw a handfull of ads on TV. I've already seen three times the numbers of ads for Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" than I ever saw for The Big Year. In advertising, repetition counts. If they keep seeing the title, you have a better chance of people seeing it, even if they don't really know what they are seeing.
I find your lack of faith disturbing.
I tried. I really tried. I'm a birder and I work for the studio that released this film. I tried to get them to create buzz in he birding community. I even had the ear of someone in marketing. I had all kinds of great ideas for them. However, the studio hired a new guy in marketing and it was his decision to market the film as a 'buddy' comedy and not focus on the birds at all.
shareAgreed.It's not the first time a marketing dept.messes things up...
THE WORLD IS YOURS
I did not need to see no ads, did not need any marketing of any kind to see all those guys. Just saw the poster and there I went watching it. Just like a bird watcher...
share I came across the film on Imdb and went to see it on the gamble that 2/3 actors weren't bad but I think once I realized it was more of a light hearted drama than a comedy I immediately got with the flow of the film. And I actually appreciated Jack Black!
"Internet Whiner, I care not what you think!"
This movie was better than War horse and Drive...
shareI don't see how that is possible with Drive being one of the best flicks of 2011.
shareWhy would a studio green light a movie about birds in the first place if they thought the idea sucked and nobody would want to watch a birdwatching flick?
They should have embraced it full force and marketed the movie for what it was...birds and life. People would have appreciated a new and fresh concept, rather than yet another tired retread...and the box office could have been better.
I thought the movie was OK. 6/10. Hated the voiceover though...
Good film. I think it'll develop a small cult following in years to come on DVD, VOD and TV, if only bird watchers.
shareAgree completely.
I remember the ads for this film on TV. They tried to sell it as a zany, slapstick comedy. The ads really turned me off on the possibility of watching it. Now that it's on cable I see that it's actually a watchable movie, but entirely different in nature than what we were led to believe.
Marketing executives are overpaid. These are the same geniuses who, after tons of money had been spent to film John Carter, decided to hide the fact that it was set on Mars.