Mixed Reality and Experiential Movie Trailers

     Christopher Stapelton and Charles Hughes both agree that the opening weekend at the box office determines how successful a movie will become. Prior to this box office buzz, movies must have media hype surrounding it. Stapleton and Hughes use the example of the movie “The Blair Witch Project” to highlight the importance of this emotional hype and the growing use of Mixed Reality to gain audience attention and increase revenue.

     “The Blair Witch Project” is the most profitable film ever created (Stapelton and Hughes 124). This is overwhelmingly due to the Internet hype surrounding the movie before it was released. The film gathered a following of people even before it hit the box office. Mixed Reality is an interactive advertising device meant to suspend the viewer between what is virtual and what is real. It uses playful means to inspire viewers to attend a movie premiere. Movies are perfect storytellers, and they sell because of it. Success of films creates new products including clothing items, theme parks, and games. Mixed Reality is a way for move producers to almost create a “cult following before [the movie] is released” (Stapelton and Hughes 128). After all, popular movies inspire retail, which creates revenue for all involved.

Works Cited

Stapleton, C. and C. Hughes. "Applying Mixed Reality to Entertainment." Computer 35.12

               (2002): 122-131.

Television Previews and the Meaning of Hype

     Jonathan Gray knows that consumers cannot help but be influenced by hype when it comes to the media. Posters, previews, and other constant reminders of new television shows airing are buzzing around us every day. Because of this, our perception of these new shows becomes biased. However, the industry is completely dependent on hype. Millions of dollars go into these previews because hype creates revenue.

     In Gray’s research, he studied two upcoming television shows (Six Degrees and Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip) and the hype that surrounded them. While on the Subway, Gray noticed the ads for Six Degrees because they were in the form of witty sayings and included a website to find out more. The sayings were meant to spark the interest of the consumers and persuade them to visit the website. Studio 60 previews were surrounded by controversy. In the preview was a shocking Saturday Night Live-like rant. This outrageous advertisement influenced the decision of the audience to tune in to the show.

     Combining the findings of the two television shows, Gray notes that a great marketing campaign is a powerful thing (Gray 47). Grabbing an audience’s interests is the most important way to sell a product, especially when it comes to the media.

Works Cited

Gray, J. "Television Pre-views and the Meaning of Hype." International Journal of Cultural

               Studies 11.1 (2008): 33-49.

    

Consumers and Movies: Information Sources for Experiential Products

          Elizabeth Cooper-Martin is a firm believer that there are two types of products in the consumer world: experiential and non-experiential. Experiential products are products that people buy in order to gain pleasure (i.e. movies, fine arts, and alcoholic beverages). Non-experiential products do not describe consumption at all. Cooper-Martin has discovered that consumers use these two types of information sources to influence their decisions on going to see a particular movie.

     In her recent study with 98 college students, Cooper-Martin exposed the students to both experiential (previews and friends’ comments), subjective (serious, good, funny), non-experiential (magazine ads and critics’ reviews), and objective (producer, setting, actors and actresses) information sources and asked them to rate their usefulness and reliability in making a decision to attend a specific movie (Cooper-Martin 758). Her research found that the students rated experiential and subjective sources more credible and useful than non-experiential and objective sources.

     Experiential and subjective information sources such as movie previews and comments made by friends have a far greater impact on consumers and moviegoers than do non-experiential and objective sources. This discovery has allowed consumer behavior to become more easily understood by manufacturers.

Works Cited

Cooper-Martin, Elizabeth. “Consumers and Movies: Information Sources for Experiential  

                        Products.” Advances in Consumer Research Volume 19 (1992): 756-761. eds.

                        John F. Sherry, Jr. and Brian Sternthal, Provo, UT. n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.     

Research Topic and Relevant Articles

I have found my topic! My topic is- “Previews: How Do They Grab Audiences and What Works?” I want to explore the ways that previews stimulate interest in certain movies and television shows. As of last night, I have read three articles that will be very helpful in my research process. They are "Consumers and Movies" by Elizabeth Cooper-Martin, "Television Pre-views and the Meaning of Hype" by Johnathan Gray, and "Applying Mixed Reality to Entertainment" by Christopher Stapleton and Charles Hughes. 

First CWRR II Blog!

This is my first CWRR II blog! Yes!