Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Marketing
It seemed to me that the marketing for this film let it down in a way. They had great acclaim at festivals, which is where they were picked up by Fox Searchlight. That seemed to be the primary angle they used: they played the festivals until someone picked them up and then used their awards won to try to draw the festival crowd to the box office.
If this were my film, I may do thing similarly, but the I would not leave the marketing up to Fox Searchlight once they picked it up. One of the things I would like to do with a film like this is have the stars/musicians play some musical venues and try to get them some opening gigs for bigger bands and musicians. The music in the film is really likable, so I would have explored that angle a bit more.
If this were my film, I may do thing similarly, but the I would not leave the marketing up to Fox Searchlight once they picked it up. One of the things I would like to do with a film like this is have the stars/musicians play some musical venues and try to get them some opening gigs for bigger bands and musicians. The music in the film is really likable, so I would have explored that angle a bit more.
Some Media
Official Film Trailer and poster. The official site and be found by following a link on a previous post.
The images are very soft visually. This works to the benefit of the film because it makes it easy on the eyes. The same is true for the actors, while they are not incredibly attractive Hollywood stars, their easygoing looks and demeanor make they likable people. The poster works for me as well because they are in a trendy city of Dublin and they are walking toward the camera. Many posters feature characters facing away, which is very dramatic, but having the two of them walking together toward the camera makes it very inviting.
Also, have the award won at Sundance works really well in their favor.
Money Money Money
"Once" grossed approximately $9.5 million in the US according to IMDB. Internationally, it did not see as much success, only breaking the into seven figure in Australia. However, the total box office gross for all international territories did outsell the US box office totals. Boxofficemojo.com reports total worldwide sales of over 20 million USD.
Although "Once" is a critically acclaimed film, the lackluster box office numbers shows that it failed to find wide audience. However, the film can be considered a good financial success since it was made for only around $130,000 by current currency exchange rates.
Although "Once" is a critically acclaimed film, the lackluster box office numbers shows that it failed to find wide audience. However, the film can be considered a good financial success since it was made for only around $130,000 by current currency exchange rates.
"Once" has achieved a 97% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com, with over 146 reviews. They can be found here.
Consensus: A charming, captivating tale of love and music, "Once" sets the standard for the modern musical. And with Dublin as its backdrop, "Once" is fun and fresh.
The official website does not offer any reviews, but does have some nice little tidbits.
A press release for Fox Searchlight picking up the film can be found here. One of the major highlights of the release was the film's success at Sundance.
Consensus: A charming, captivating tale of love and music, "Once" sets the standard for the modern musical. And with Dublin as its backdrop, "Once" is fun and fresh.
The official website does not offer any reviews, but does have some nice little tidbits.
A press release for Fox Searchlight picking up the film can be found here. One of the major highlights of the release was the film's success at Sundance.
Season of Festivus
"Once" played several festivals including: the Dublin Film Festival, where it made it's festival debut, the Flanders International Film Festival, the Mons International Festival of Love Films, and the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize.
"Once" was distributed by Buena Vista International in Ireland and Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States. When it opened in both locations, it was a limited release and built momentum onto more and more screens. Both companies retain distribution rights in their respective areas.
"Once" was distributed by Buena Vista International in Ireland and Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States. When it opened in both locations, it was a limited release and built momentum onto more and more screens. Both companies retain distribution rights in their respective areas.
John Carney
John Carney is an Irish filmmaker with a few feature films under his belt prior to "Once." He shot "Once" on two digital cameras over a period of three weeks for 100,000 Euros. This amount at the current exchange rate comes out to approximately $130,000.
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