Marketing Proposal for the Re-Release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape. Prepared for: Dr. Paul Marchbanks, CEO BCHAL Marketing, Inc.

Transcription

1 Marketing Proposal for the Re-Release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape Prepared for: Dr. Paul Marchbanks, CEO BCHAL Marketing, Inc. Prepared by Team 3: October 26, 2006

2 TO: Paul Marchbanks, CEO BCHAL Marketing, Inc. October 26, 2006 FROM: Team 3 SUBJECT: Marketing proposal for re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape in Blu-Ray format In an effort to keep up with rapidly advancing technology, Paramount Pictures contacted BCHAL Marketing, Inc. and presented them with the opportunity to market the re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape on Blu-Ray. After carefully reviewing the trailer and film, our group, Team 3, has attached several suggestions that will benefit the remarketing campaign for the film. We eagerly approached the assignment with a new target audience in mind. We hope to produce a new trailer for What s Eating Gilbert Grape that will draw the attention of more teenagers and young adults, specifically males. To accomplish this goal, we studied the audience demographics and box office sales of the 1993 film s release, other movies starring the main characters, and the rivalry between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD in today s media. The original movie trailer, narrated by the main character Gilbert Grape, paints an empathetic picture for the audience of the struggles that emerge when raising a mentally handicapped boy. In addition, the mother of the boy suffers from morbid obesity and cannot even take care of herself. While the trailer accurately depicts the main ideas from the movie, it consequently narrows the target audience by highlighting mostly dramatic and romantic scenes. This aspect negatively affects ticket sales by appealing primarily to the middle aged female audience and excludes male viewers, who are mostly interested in action films. With our insightful suggestions, we will redirect the movie trailer for the Blu-Ray release in hopes of gaining the attention of a much wider audience. We strongly encourage any questions or comments you may have as we greatly appreciate all feedback. We look forward to getting the new trailer underway, and we guarantee all of our energy will go towards making this marketing project nothing short from a success. Thank you for placing your trust in our team and we look forward to working with you in the near future.

3 Dear Dr. Marchbanks, After receiving orders to begin plans for the marketing campaign of the re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape, our team sprang into action and compiled the following proposal. We have spent time researching, collecting data, reviewing the original trailer, and brainstorming for innovative marketing tactics that will help make the re-release a success. Thank you for allowing us to contribute to this project thus far; we look forward to our further involvement in the exciting re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape. Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD Competition continues to increase between the two disc formats known as Blu-Ray and HD DVD. Blu-Ray remains supported by more companies in comparison to HD DVD, including Sony, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric, Phillips Electronics, Pioneer Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, TDK, and Thomson Multimedia. While Blu-Ray will prove to be more expensive to generate initially, the format boasts a thirty percent larger capacity than that of HD DVD offering an average of 25 GB per layer versus the 15 GB per layer offered by the HD DVD versions. ( HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray: who cares? ) Additionally, Blu-Ray extends the option of dual layers which provide eight hours, two times more than single layers, of audio accompanied video in high definition ( Blu Ray versus HD DVD ), allowing for enticing extra features on the re-released edition of What s Eating Gilbert Grape. The intensity and effects of piracy devastate major motion picture production studios, with a loss of $6.1 billion in 2005 in the United States alone. ( The Cost of Movie Piracy ) Thus, Blu-Ray is currently implementing a system to reduce mass production piracy including ROM Mark, an embedded identifier invisible to the average consumer and only overpowered by equipment licensed to BD-ROM associates. ( Blu-ray Disc Association Adopts Comprehensive Content Management System ) Moreover, Sony s control in the media market, such as the ownership of Columbia Pictures and MGM and the release of the new PlayStation 3, which will play Blu-Ray discs, will influence the popularity of the Blu-Ray format. Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Memory Tech, and Microsoft back the HD DVD format which presents a familiar name to consumers but cannot compete with the technology advancements of Blu-Ray. ( HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray: who cares? ) Therefore, the re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape in Blu-Ray format should prove to be the most favorable high definition option. Original Film Performance On December 25, 1993, the movie opened in the United States of America with an estimated budget of $11,000,000. Over the following twenty-five months, it debuted in Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, and The Netherlands. In these foreign countries, the film also proved unsuccessful as it only produced approximately $2,800,000 gross income in Sweden. The latest gross income report for the United States stands

4 at $9,170,214 with around $9,000,000 from box office performance. ( What s Eating Gilbert Grape? ) Leonardo DiCaprio & Johnny Depp in the Movie Market Despite the weak performance, the movie still received high ratings and good reviews among contemporaneous viewers. In fact, one of the movie s leading actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, received nominations for the 1993 Golden Globe s and 1993 Academy Award s Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film. Also, he won the 1992 New Generation Award from the L.A. Film Critics Association and the Best Supporting Actor award from the 1993 National Board of Review and 1993 National Society of Film Critic s runner-up. (Maslin) The lead actor, Johnny Depp, starred in Edward Scissorhands three years before, with an $84,300,000 million gross income and Pirates of the Caribbean: Deadman s Chest thirteen years later, with a gross income of $1.05 billion. Leonardo DiCaprio s recent films have generated large profits as well; for instance, The Departed (2006), grossed $73,785,185 worldwide only one week after release. Titanic, debuting only three years after What s Eating Gilbert Grape, has produced a gross income of $1,835,300,000 to date. ( What s Eating Gilbert Grape? ) The increased popularity and recent media attention directed towards these actors will increase the success of the re-release of this film. Analysis of the Original Trailer The original trailer for the film opens with soft banjo style music and narration by the voice of Johnny Depp, who plays the main character Gilbert Grape. He speaks of life in the small town of Endora as well as daily life with his family. As he describes the two subjects, one second clips of Endora and his family are flashed onto the screen. The slow and deliberate transition between theses scenes mimic the slow moving daily life in a small town in the heartland of America. This deliberateness is also echoed in Gilbert s monotone voice that narrates the voice-over for the majority of the trailer. While some of the snapshots shown strike an emotional chord with the audience, they are followed by scenes that offer comic relief, offering appeal to a wider demographic. Taken as a whole, however, the trailer appeals to the target audience of American families as well as women aged 18 to 45. The trailer increases tempo following a loud crack and the end of one of the short scenes. After this point, the background music picks up speed and the scene transitions become sharper and faster. The scenes shown are now around four to five seconds long and include more action and in many cases, dialogue. These scenes delve deeper into the plot, past details of the setting and characters, and show more of the movie s inner-conflicts. These conflicts include Arnie s disability, Mamma s weight issues, and the tension between family members. This portion no doubt appeals to the family demographic. In the last third of the trailer, scenes range from ten to fifteen seconds in length. Romantic and emotional issues are shared, appealing to the woman demographic, aged 18 to 45. These scenes also include some sexual situations that add intrigue. For the most part, however, they are innocent scenes of sunsets and rainy evenings. In the transitions between these longer scenes, a

5 black screen is shown with white writing, reading an unusual story of life and love in the heartland. These captions further reinforce the themes of family, life in the heartland, and romance that are more than apparent throughout the trailer. While the original trailer gives an accurate view of the themes of the movie, it provides little intrigue or excitement. The trailer highlights some important scenes of the movie, introduces the characters to the audience, and touches on all of the emotions evoked by the movie, but does not leave the audience feeling as if they must rush to the store to buy the newly released Blu-Ray edition. Overview of New Trailer The new trailer that we propose for the re-release of What s Eating Gilbert Grape focuses on a new, cutting-edge idea that will leave audiences stunned. We plan on marketing the trailer as a spoof of a horror/thriller movie trailer. Those who view this trailer have most likely seen What s Eating Gilbert Grape before, as this is the re-release; therefore, this technique will not trick viewers into thinking that the film is a horror movie, but rather draw their attention with a humorous play on common horror trailers. We think that by using this technique, we will spark a renewed interest in the film and induce a response from a younger audience of both males and females. The new trailer opens with Gilbert quoting one of his most famous lines from the movie, Endora. Endora s where we are, as he describes how nothing ever happens in Endora with still shots of the quiet town transitioning slowly on and off the screen. The trailer then quickly cuts to a shot of a house burning with much louder volume and a sudden shock, lasting for only a second. The slow music also changes to a quick, horror sound, and the noise of the fire burning is intensely overpowering. The scene then returns to Gilbert s narration; Describing Endora is like dancing with no music, with more still, empty shots of Endora scrolling across the screen. Again, it cuts drastically to a shot of Arnie in the bathtub, appearing to be drowning, the volume again becoming loud with intense music and sound effects; the shot lasting only a second. It s a town where nothing much ever happens and nothing much ever will, continues Gilbert, as more shots of this peaceful town crawl across the screen. Afterwards, the mood shifts completely. The length of the scenes shortens, and a new soundtrack begins to play with fast-paced and eerie synthesized music borrowed from the Psycho soundtrack. Short clips of visually stunning shots flash on and off the screen. These shots include Arnie pretending to hang himself, Gilbert backing the car up and nearly running over his little sister, and police cars at the Carver s house after Mr. Carver s apparent suicide. A new narrator assumes the place of Johnny Depp s explaining, Something horrible is going on in the sleepy town of Endora. More eerie shots of Endora at sunset scroll across the screen along with creepy synthesizer music. In the re-release of this classic drama, things get a little strange, and everyone is trying to get away, continues the narration, as shots of the caravan of RVs are heading down the road and people appear to be leaving.

6 The eerie music continues as the trailer cuts to a scene of Gilbert explaining to his boss that it s just a phase and that people will come back again. He is speaking of people returning to their grocery store, but in the context of this trailer, it appears as if he were referring to the town of Endora in general. The narration returns, stating They re running from something massive, something huge, something terrifying., as shots of momma s hand, legs, and body fill the shot as she walks up the stairs, interwoven with shots of Gilbert and his siblings faces displaying shock and horror. Finally, at the top of the stairs, a full body shot reveals mamma as the music comes to a climax. The trailer ends with a dramatic shot of Gilbert as the narration reads What s REALLY eating Gilbert Grape? and this text is also shown on the screen. Short credits to the production company and actors, as well as a brief disclaimer stating that the movie has not actually been altered into a horror movie end the trailer. Rationale for the Proposed Trailer Our new trailer targets males and females aged 15-30, the largest movie-going audience. This target audience would also be likely to purchase this film due to an interest in Blu-Ray technology. The choice of a horror spin for the trailer stems from our goal to appeal to a new target audience. Younger audiences are more likely to see a horror film. For example, the audience for the horror film Hostel consisted of 65% viewers aged 25 or below (Gordan). As the film was released in 1993, the majority of our target audience would not have seen this film. Elements of intrigue, suspense and fear produced by the trailer create a desire within in the younger viewers to see the film. For viewers who have already seen the film, the trailer will serve to re-spark their interest in the film. Instead of attempting to falsely advertise our movie, the trailer makes it clear that the trailer does not accurately depict the content of the film. Using this marketing technique will draw the attention of viewers, making them laugh at the disparity between the trailer and film, also drawing attention to the film as people discuss this innovative technique which will help to increase sales. The horror twist creates a desire within older viewers who have already seen the film to see it again as the elements of fear and action contrast with the actual plot of the film. Viewers will want to refresh their memory of what the film was about as their reaction to the trailer will differ from their reaction to the film they saw years before. Using scenes including Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio appeals to our target audience because these are two well respected and well-known actors. Viewers familiar with many of their films will be interested to see them in their early years of acting. Showing these actors will appeal to a female demographic because of their looks, with Depp having previously been named People magazine s Sexiest Man Alive in 2003 (Bowen). Both actors are also in the spotlight as they ve both appeared in films released this year, DiCaprio in The Departed and Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man s Chest.

7 The original trailer targeted females rather than males; however to increase our profits we would like to target both sexes. Quick, eerie scenes, such as Arnie pretending to hang himself, police cars, and a burning house, make the film seem more fast-paced and highlight the action. The use of action and fear will attract a male audience. Other Marketing Suggestions What s Eating Gilbert Grape debuted in theaters on December 25, We recommend releasing the Blu-Ray version on Thanksgiving in order to give shoppers time to purchase the item before winter celebrations. After seeing the many difficulties of the Grape family, promotional advertisements should lead viewers to focus on what they are thankful for. Promotional commercials easily reach large audiences, and will undoubtedly help increase sales when aired during peak hours. Televising the new trailer during prime time television will draw the attention of adult audiences while airing the commercial during after school programs will grab teenagers interests. With Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio starring in the film, capitalizing on their recent movie debuts will easily attract customers. The Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp, and the newly released film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed, are two prime examples of media outlets we can use to our advantage. Movie theaters across the nation will preview the new movie trailer for What s Eating Gilbert Grape before both of these movies, gaining the interest of Leonardo DiCaprio s and Johnny Depp s fans. In hopes of gaining the attention of a more diverse target audience, we researched and discovered new marketing tactics that will help increase sales. Over the past couple of years, many movies have been made into video games that appeal more to teenagers, particularly males. We suggest that the HD-DVD not only include extra footage, bloopers, and interviews with the actors, but also a video game. Although the innovative idea is still new for consumers, it has gained popularity since hit movies such as The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, and Batman Begins were transformed into video games. The video game will attract children and they will, as a result, urge their parents to purchase the Blu-Ray formatted DVD.

8 Works Cited Bowen, Kit. "Depp is "Sexiest Man Alive." 20 Nov Hollywood.com. 20 Oct 2006 < >. Blu-ray Disc Association Adopts Comprehensive Content Management System. Business Wire. Blu-ray Disc Association: 9 Aug Oct < Blu Ray versus HD DVD. Tech Spot. 13 Oct < Gordan, Devin. "Horror Show." Newsweek. 03 Apr Oct 2006 < HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray: who cares? CNET Reviews. 13 Oct < Maslin, Janet. What s Eating Gilbert Grape? New York Times Online. 1 Oct < The Cost of Movie Piracy. LEK. Motion Picture Association What s Eating Gilbert Grape? International Movie Databse.com. 1 Oct <