Sunday, December 07, 2008

No Trailer This Year?

In a post on his forums, Don Murphy provided an update on several of his projects and commented on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The part of his posts that contain information is in regards to the marketing for the sequel where he says "we're kind of trying to follow the Pirates of Caribbean model, that is, no publicity for as long as possible, since the sequel will have enormous attention no matter what we do." This seems to indicate that no trailer will come out until some time next year.

Personally I think it’s a mistake. Do fans know about the movie? Sure. Does john q average movie goer? Nope not even close. Even people wearing Transformers shirts that seem semi-Internet savvy are surprised when I tell them the sequel is coming out next year. Internet knowledge does not equal common knowledge. The Pirates model was based on two movies coming out less then six months apart. When the sequel is your advertising for the next movie you don't have to engage in aggressive selling. Transformers came out over a year and half ago. It simply doesn't have the same popularity that Pirates had (like it or not). They are comparing apples to oranges and don't seem to know it.

I thought the marketing for the first movie to have been handled perfectly. Enough information and trailers to keep people interested but no so much that people get sick of hearing about it. Nothing worse then seeing a trailer so often you lose interest in the movie itself. However, its better most people know about your movie then not enough and right now I don't think there is a critical mass that is aware a sequel is coming. The way I see it, if ET or AICN do not suddenly get an "exclusive" by Wednesday, there will be no Transformers 2 trailer until February or March of next year.

41 comments:

  1. well that really sucks...i was looking forwards to it...man! Why they gotta do that?

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  2. M-I-S-T-A-K-E!!!

    BIG FRICKEN MISTAKE!!

    Bay you SUCK!!!

    My enthusiasm for the movie isdropping .. part of me doesnt want to see this anymore..

    Release some info.. or it'll flop

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  3. son of a b!

    well i was kinda looking foward to TDTESS, but now im kinda dont care again.

    damn you keanu!

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  4. noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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  5. This thread is misinformation....The trailer will be here soon.

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  6. WOW, just wow. bay & Crew are reeeeeeally asking for it, aren't they??? They keep playing with fire like this and they are going to get burned... badly.

    If we see nothing By the end of DECEMBER or Early to Mid-JANUARY, that is just awful, awful, promotion and advertising. Donald Trump would not be pleased. Haha.

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  7. bull shit.. WTF

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  8. Sometimes i wonder what does it actually take to run a big company or produce and direct a big movie... I just dont get how retards like this make theese decsions. The everyday logical person can see that this is a mistake. This isnt at all good for marketing. Christmas is coming and this would be the perfect time to release a trailer let alone anything else. Im meen are people really this stupid. In stead of us getting pumped about the movie know body finds out about it, and the hardcore fans that do know are just pissed of. I could say more but its not like there listening. lol

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  9. Well, if they don't show a trailer this year I won't be too pissed off... That means less spoilers I guess? And to keep the movie free from any surprises I might add...

    Although, they should at least do an announcement teaser. I mean come on now...

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  10. Just the sheer arrogance of it all. Its like they just assume that the movie goes well because of its fanbase, which is not a good approach. However, this thread could be part of the misinformation as suggested earlier.

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  11. yeah!

    Shame on U, MB

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  12. That's a real bummer... :(

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  13. and MB wonders why his house was broken into with the last movie..tut tut

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  14. An idea for a trailer, even a teaser (just a few seconds long... i.e. an annoucement trailer) would be to have a shot panning thru water, deeper n deeper into the murky depths til we see a 'shape' forming then being able to identify Megatron's form/body, closing in on his head, his eyes suddenly lighting up (like they did when he was frozen in the arctic). All of a sudden the screen going black, ending with the Decepticon insignia fading in then fading out. Then just adding 'TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen', '26-06-09' or 'COMING SOON'.

    I know it wouldn't amount to much in way of new characters or plot, but it'd answer a few questions, i.e. who is the Fallen, and would definately get people's interest going again.

    Look at the Cloverfield teaser that aired with TF1... no-one had a frickin' clue what that was going to be about yet it was still HUGE!!! It didn't even have a title for gawd's sake! I think Bay and co. may have missed a trick by already announcing the sub-title. Had they not done that then we wouldn't even know to discuss rumours re: the 'Fallen' and could bs discussing any number of potential plot outlines, hundreds of possibilities.

    A teaser even without 'TRANSFORMERS: RotF' splashed across it would do for me... it could only add to the mystique that is currently shrouding the movie.

    But I agree, not enough non-hardcore TF fans out there know about it yet thus may not flood the box office on opening wknd. Part of TF1's success was the superb media strategy it got to begin with, everything about it was pretty much spot-on (apart from the script being leaked which spoilt things a little, not Bay's fault!) No-one outside us TF/TF-blog geeks (come on, admit it!) know about it (people are still surprised when I mention its out this coming Summer). Yes a media-push will come at some point (it has to) but I do agree that this may be a mis-info thread then when any trailer DOES hit... we will be all blown away.

    We'll see soon enough

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  15. What the hell!NO!!Trailer!!Give me trailer!

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  16. I hope this doesn't mean that movie will be released later. I've waited Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen so much.

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  17. Because of the expected release date, it's not "all" that surprising that they're opting for a later trailer release. However, I've seen promotions already begin (ie. Bite-size snickers in yellow wrapper with yellow "nugget" bearing the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen logo).

    One thing I've considered is that the promotional/marketing team behind the decision-making as to when to release a trailer might be considering the Super Bowl as prime-time airing for the release of the Trailer (with it showing up in a movie trailer sequence at Theaters at the same time attached to as big a name as they can).

    Smart idea? Probably not...however fans of Tranformers are going to be eager to see the trailer...regardless of it's release date. Sure, we want to see it as soon as we can, but the marketing team behind Revenge of the Fallen need to consider getting it out when the Most people are going to see it.

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  18. Oh god, this couldn't be true. The Spidey 3 Trailer was released 1 year before the movie!! it is really true that a little teaser won't hurt anybody^^ I mean, i know that my friends don't even know that there's coming a sequel. Such an Teaser is nothing for marketing.. you start the hype for the fans but not for the public. The people recognize a trailer.. with real footages of the movie or a little tv spot in the commericals, when they watch their favourite shows... MB! Take care of your friends (oh my god that sounds so silly^^).. Greetings from Germany to the Admin of this great site!

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  19. They don't need to spend the massive amounts of money on marketing the sequel than the did the first movie. They had to advertise the concept the first time around and it was more successful (by $50 million more than Pirates 1, so I wouldn't necessarily say Pirates was more popular at this point in each respective franchise). It doesn't take a full year to build a hype for an already anticipated sequel. Bring on the marketing by the spring and things will be ok. The pirates model will work.

    To say that the pirates model only worked because of a third movie is wrong. People didn't just go see the second movie because a third movie was coming. They went because of a successful and entertaining first entry along with a huge (though purposefully delayed) marketing push.

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  20. It's not like we need to see a full theatrical trailer or anything. I personally think a teaser before the end of the year would have done them a lot of good, and then maybe a real trailer with Watchmen or something. While they may not think that they don't need to build hype, they really do. Two years between movies is a long time, and popularity with the first movie died many months back. The marketing team needs to remember that not everyone trolls blogs and forums like we do, and that yes, there are still many people out there that don't know there's even a sequel being released.

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  21. seriously, the only reason i went to go see twilight was for the mere fact that the trailer might be with it, but no it was fricken harry potter.. and now, although i really do want to see the day the earth stood still, my only incentive to go opening night was the possible chance of the premiere trailer

    it would be a terrible mistake to not release a trailer, or at the least a teaser

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  22. I think we should all calm down.

    Yes, his post mentioned hold off on trailers and promotions...
    BUT ISNT' THAT WHAT THEY'VE DONE ALREADY??

    They showed us a trailer 1 year before TF1.

    We are almost 6 months away from TF2.
    I think the trailer still comes out with TDTESS.
    If not, then the WATCHMEN in March for sure.

    Marketing is key to big movie hype. With the economy in the state it's in...studios need our dollars. The Dark Knight is going for $1 billion with it's theater rerelease next month.
    TF2 should be a blockbuster for this coming summer. Why would you not build hype?
    Yes, it might stand alone...but every company advertises even though their products sell well.
    Example, Apple Iphone.

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  23. Whether they release a trailer 10 minutes from now or a day before the movie gets released, TF2 will make a GABILLION dollars. Because we'll all see it. I don't need any teasers or trailers. I dug the first movie, warts and all. I'll be there for the second one. So will the rest of the planet.

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  24. T_T

    Well, I can't be overfilled with TF2-Trailers!

    TransFormers was the first Movie ever, that I've visited the Cinema for a second Time.
    Also, I've just recently brought me the Steelbook-Edition(This Version http://www.amazon.de/Transformers-Steelbook-DVDs-inkl-Poster/dp/B001F7AFP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1228759770&sr=8-1), as I've seen it for quite a low Price, so now i have the good-Looking One-Disc-Edition within the 3D-Cardboard-slipcase(http://www.weltbild.de/transformers/index.html?b=930872).

    As a Sidenote: and if you're wondering about me using german Pages, well that's because I'm from Germany.

    Well, let's hope we'll get a Trailer soon, 'cause that's what the Fans(including me) want.

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  25. The funny thing I see in this is true for other hyped-up films.

    You give nothing, the fans will scream, "Hell Mary! Give us SOMETHING! ANYTHING!!!" and they'll eventually flood the theaters.

    You give a little, the fans will scream, "Hell Mary! Give us MOOOORREEE!!!" and go nit-picky on you, but they will eventually flood the theaters.

    You give too much, the fans will scream, "Hell Mary! It totally sucks! SUCKS!" They'll eventually watch matinees, download illegal content, or wait for the rental DVD.

    I think the key here is exactly when to build up the hype. You need to do it at just the right time, when there is a raw nerve about to show. I honestly don't think the time is now. I'm going to believe it'll be sometime in February, but that is just me.

    Some of us are fairly patient. I'd rather have a quality trailer than an utter crap early teaser.

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  26. Yes, it's a deadly mistake that risks to not let Transformers2:ROTF end up with a box office gross higher than the first movie, a success that it might be hard to replicate if the marketing is getting so bad.
    Better Spielberg, Bay and Dreamworks,Paramount do something about it quickly or the franchise might be at risk.

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  27. i feel like there will be a teaser soon, then wouldn't be surprised to see the first trailer during the superbowl. kinda like jurassic park 2 did.

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  28. Now that I think about it. I'm guessing the wisest and most exceptional spots to put a Transformers movie ad on would be during the Rose Bowl Parade (Jan 1st, 2009) and the Super Bowl (February 1st, 2009).

    If I were Michael Bay, historically speaking, that's the path I'd take to strategically and patiently build up a summer blockbuster (The Rock, Armageddon, Bay Boys 2).

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  29. "Yes, it's a deadly mistake that risks to not let Transformers2:ROTF end up with a box office gross higher than the first movie, a success that it might be hard to replicate if the marketing is getting so bad. Better Spielberg, Bay and Dreamworks,Paramount do something about it quickly or the franchise might be at risk."

    BREAKING NEWS: PARAMOUNT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY DUE TO NERD NOT GETTING TO SEE TRANSFORMERS TEASER TRAILER SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO MOVIES RELEASE

    Christ you people are unbelievable sometimes

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  30. Just my opinion again. I think it was and will be a smart move not to target specific movies for a teaser or trailer release.

    Twilight: We could argue that we're missing an untapped demographic here, but quite honestly, it's a GIRLS movie. TF is pretty much aimed as BOYS and robots and violence don't mix with romance and intrigue.

    Harry Potter: Why mix a massive franchise with another? Big mistake there. You want to release a product when it has the most likely chance to stand out but aimed at the same demographic. HP is not that demographic which are the more bookish liberal types.

    Day the Earth Stood Still: (December 12th) Possible here, but highly unlikely. I mean, Dec 12th is like almost tomorrow and turnout to theaters in a December timeframe for a sci-fi movie is typically low. I don't see a bang-for-buck here.

    Watchmen: (March 6th, 2009) Now THIS I see a very possible candidate for theater trailer. It's got all the trappings of wide audience, anti-hero/superhero mantra, and perfect timing to kick off the blockbuster movie timeframe.

    Thoughts on this? Did I miss something? I'd honestly like to hear sound judgments with reasonably well-thought-out justifications, not itchy-scratchy judgments based on shakey-legs fanboys throthing at the mouths.

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  31. Word up from Sydney...well said dude...hopefully someone higher up the food chain is taking notes and they will have a change of heart and give us a Xmas present in the form of a trailer !

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  32. I think MB will release a teaser, when Unborn (January 9th, 2009) is released, there after he will follow it up with another trailer when Friday the 13th (February 13, 2009) is released.

    I came to this conclusion after noticing the respective movie adds in his NewsBlog: http://www.michaelbay.com/newsblog/blog.html

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  33. I agree with CloneTroop. A TF teaser next to MB's own Unborn is highly likely. And Friday the 13th is a sure win for the intended thrill-seeking audience, that being the toy-collectible savvy and intelligent teenagers and 20-30-somethings that are sure to want something to look forward to when summer comes around.

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  34. Bay must not realize that the economy is going up in smoke, a trailier is something for people to look foward too, you douche!!!

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  35. From shootfortheedit:

    "Our Trailer for Transformer you have been asking about - First there will be a teaser poster soon after the new year, and the teaser trailer will be out either in the theaters early Feb. or on the Superbowl. Cannot decide yet. I'm going to release some set stills on this site in a few weeks. I'll keep you informed."

    There you have it.

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  36. why dont the lot of you get off the internet and carry on with you lives. This movie is 6 months away and all you can do is sit and talk about it. Seriously,man

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  37. hey snortpocket, please do us all a favour and dont "keep us informed". Im sure we will all see the trailer when it comes out in due course. We dont need someone keeping us "informed", okay? really!

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  38. I agree, we dont need a baby sitter.. Seriously, snortpocket, its time you logged off and did something else man...

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  39. But I lobve trailers guys, they are like, my life...I want to be a transformer so badly!!!!!!!!!

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  40. This is awesome – thank you for curating all this valuable information.

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