Would you say that there's "a surprising" number of uninformed consumers out there that just kinda sorta know WTH they're doing when selecting something to watch?
Yes, but a lot of them are wising up after being deceived multiple times. With social media, instant reviews, etc, people are quick to spread the word and warn others. It's funny how many I read that start out with, "I bought this, thinking I was getting...." Then they go on a rant.
What other sort of useful take-aways about end consumers have you figured from your experiences?
Will you apply those to your future film projects, both in production and marketing?
First and foremost, this is becoming a more critical world to sell to. It was campy to look low budget in years past, but with the proliferation of indie productions from the late 90's into around 2008, viewers got tired of watching no budget crap, which filled the shelf space between blockbuster productions. The indie filmmaker can't just complete a movie and sell it as much, anymore. Unless...that movie is done well enough to make it less distinguishable from studio fare. This is a tall task for a producer to accomplish, but it can be done.
I will certainly apply what I've learned to the next production, which is not to reveal obvious production shortcomings. If the acting is good, along with good camera work and sound, then it's hard to "see" a low budget. In my case, I won't be reaching far beyond my means on the next feature (as was the case with of a few of my sci-fi productions). For my next project, I'm going to incorporate the best actors I can get into real world surroundings. That doesn't mean that I can't be fantastical with subject, just that it has to quack like a real production.
Marketing-wise, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.) is so instrumental, nowadays. There was another movie from Las Vegas, called BUBBLEGUM & BROKEN FINGERS, that did a nice job selling out their premiere. They used social media to help sell tickets well in advance of the screening. They were sold out a week or two ahead of time, which is a lot smarter than booking a venue and hoping that people will come because they saw your advertising.
We did some extensive advertising and got quite a bit of local coverage - 7 radio interviews , 3 news spots, ads in weekly newspapers, like
THIS one. We had 5,000 flyers passed out. I went to Cox Cable and found a deal where they would run your commercial 60 times (for a thousand bucks), during various times - many of which were late at night, on the Sci Fy Channel. Some were primetime and a lot of people said that they saw my spots. I put the website on the bottom of the commercial, thinking that viewers would use the link and order DVDs. Not! You really have to spell everything out and hit people over the head with "Buy it here and now!" I know now why advertisers are often so obnoxious; they are competing with a whole world of advertising and attention spans are short, indeed.
I haven't shot a feature in 6 years, so I haven't had the chance to promote with social media, which is a huge reservoir worth tapping. It's on my list, along with a lot of other things.
These are all the same movie:
