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I've been getting up a little earlier than usual these days, because it's the only time I can walk my dog without killing her in the humidity (and she is used to a longgg daily walk)....
. So, it happens that I was awake and listening to Marketplace's Morning Report at 6:50 a.m., when I heard this interesting piece on summer blockbuster movie sales.
Host Mark Austin Thomas was interviewing Daily Variety managing editor, Michael Speier, about "the unexpected crossover appeal and staying power" of the film, "The Devil Wears Prada." It has, in fact, been the surprise hit of the summer, even though it never made #1. What gives?
Broad appeal. Apparently it is not only a "chick" flick.
I'll let Speier explain:
"Broad appeal and how it became a broad appeal is pretty amazing, because it is a movie about fashion. You'd think it would be just for women, it was based on a book that was pretty much just for women, and all of a sudden it becomes the hottest date movie of the summer. And a lot of that of course has a lot to do with the performances, because Meryl Streep is someone who elevates this movie from just kind of a sitcom-y feel to something that makes it important and something vital and a compelling watch and that is kind of the old-fashioned Hollywood, which is how one person can elevate a movie by a performance."
This caught my attention because, earlier in the interview, Thomas had mentioned the fact that Superman had had a huge opening a few weekends ago, but that the interest had since faded away.
Yes, this is Hollywood, so they are really stuck on the glamour, buzz and over-hype-ification (my word, obviously) of the first weekend. Still, you figure/hope that at some point they'll put less money into that and start making good movies again. But, I digress...
Again, having not yet seen it, it sounds as though "The Devil Wears Prada" movie (based on a book) was written and marketed based on what resonates with a summer audience of male and female movie-goers, and how they may choose to see a movie - rather than being developed and marketed according to what the studio imagines or hopes the audience will get excited about for one minute on a specific Friday night. Hmmm.
Sooo.. you can appeal to a broader audience by improving quality of product and service, and striving to reach the highest standards in your industry. Slow and steady wins the race.
Who'd have thought a Prada-wearing devil could beat out The Man? It's raining outside and I'm pondering an afternoon matinee just thinking about it.
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In the meantime, I want to take note of the very helpful Marketplace web site. What they've done seems so obvious, but it really struck me that they'd paid attention to details usually forgotten. Those include:
* It's easy to find audio for previous shows.
* Clips are quickly uploaded (same day, within hours of original broadcast).
* It's easy to find and listen to that one particular teeny, tiny story.
* There's a text transcription option!!! (This is hugely helpful when you randomly hear something, it "marinates" in your brain for a few hours or days, and THEN you decide to go find it and write a blog post about it, but want some direct quotes, for example.)
The site truly anticipates the way its viewers/listeners/users will want to use it. Does yours?
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Comments
Streep was outstanding - and 98% of the audience I was in three weeks ago were women. Men, too, experience "the boss from hell" syndrome, so I'm not surprised to hear they appreciate it.
Posted by: marsha | 08.11.06
I have not seen the movie, I understand it is much like the book which I did read.
After closing the book I recognized a parallel with military boot camp. Call Meryl Streep's character a 'drill instructor'. Now take an outsider, place her in a strange world that on the surface looks almost familiar. Use apparently mundane tasks to make the trainee learn to pay attention to details, increase her ability to accomplish apparently pointless tasks, to completion, and without understanding (or asking!) 'Why?'.
Miranda trains her assistants to an exacting standard, that the assistants hate at the same time as they grow in ability and character. She has a published training schedule (last a year, and she will recommend you a place elsewhere).
And when Miranda identifies that her assistant (Hathaway) will be better suited as a 'officer' than as an 'enlisted', she forces the girl to take an early graduation for herself. That last 'straw that broke the camel's back' was a deliberate move to awaken the newly trained assistant to responsibility for herself and others.
The book dwells on how this 'throw the newbie into the deep end of a strange pool' new kid gets twisted, confused, and disoriented during the process -- without ever relating there is a process.
I think part of the appeal of the story is how the assistant both masters the training, and refuses to follow someone else's path. The personal success is very powerful. And it is very easy for anyone to identify with the assistant, and to vicariously enjoy the quiet victory in the end.
The glittery, shallow view of the fashion world is only the very thin first layer of this coming-of-age story.
Posted by: Brad K. | 08.11.06
You make one of those points which seems like it should be self-evident, but which is so often ignored:
Any one who regards marketing problems as something that can be solved indendently of the core creative problem of connecting a story with an audience, should contemplate that thought closely.
Posted by: Arvind Ethan David | 08.14.06
Interesting military analogy, Brad.. now I definitely want to read the book before I see it (still haven't managed that)! And, Arvind - a book I think any brand (including Hollywood producers) could learn from on the story front is The Story Factor, by Annette Simmons. When I read it, I kept thinking to myself that women "get" the storytelling thing innately, but was there any hope for men to learn the power of it? Annette gives examples of topics that can really get men thinking differently and open their eyes to the value (one such example - men, as much as women, tend to like to tell stories about children, their own or even others... who'd have thought?) Thanks for the great comments, all!
Posted by: Andrea Learned | 08.16.06
Thanks for the book tip. Will check it - as a film producer myself I spend a lot of time thinking about the innate power of story.
Though I must confess, in so far as I there were gender biases in the nature of story telling, I had always felt that women tended towards open channel communication : the aroma of myth, whilst men had more bias towards structured narrative.
But will read and revise my opinion....
Posted by: Arvind Ethan David | 08.30.06