Discussion How should Lucasfilm/Disney build up pre-release hype?

For those who were here between 1997-2005, the forums eagerly devoured the monthly(?) solo still shots disseminated from the production. I enjoyed very much trying to decipher what was going on in the scene being filmed. We were nearly always wrong. *sigh* Foresight...

We're dealing with a different animal now, Disney. Expect more saturation from the Superbowl TV spot in January 2015 - release. However, from late 2013 (production start) until 2015 I'd like to see the following:

1. Solo photos from the set. They are effective at generating/maintaining anticipation without giving up too many plot details.

2. Videoblogs - can be very effective marketing tools ala Hobbit.

3. Character one sheets

4. ??

 

They won't have to.

 

Done and DONE!

 

Make a press release that sends shock waves across the Internet and gets front page headlines on newspapers the world over, then drip feed info to the legions of gagging-for-it fans by putting up weekly videos on SW.com and make them wait and speculate for weeks before announcing any other info.

Oh, wait...

 

They only have to press "play" on this forum and let the cosmic clockwork run itself. The hype is on.

 

nothing needs to be done, although maybe Disney should try a new technique - no trailer, no hints, nothing....and it will still break records

 

Just confirm the big 3 are back that's all they need .

 

Given that this place's analytics page has exploded since late October, I'd say they have the pre-release hype covered, myself.

 

Mail out brochures and pamphlets.

 

Could you please elaborate? I'd like to know what kind of traffic has come here since then. I wager the numbers have more than doubled or even tripled.

 

Well, posts per day averaged about two thousand from October 1st to October 29th. Then on the thirtieth we had about 5,700; it currently hovers at about 4,000 posts a day.

Likewise, we had an average of between 5 and 10 new users a day for most of October; then on the 30th we had 140. It currently hovers around 75 new users a day.

 

Thank you. That's interesting info. And I can safely say, barring a titanic fiasco, with the promise of a ST and then even more SW movies websites like this will be packed for years to come!

 

Your ideas are interesting and innovative to me, please advise how I can subscribe to your newsletter?

I seriously hope they bring back the Hyperspace webcam...spending hours watching a crane and speculating over every single person who would walk past it was gripping stuff. LOL

 

I'm with the OP on the Hobbit-style video blogs.

 

1. Announce director
2. Announce cast
3. Teaser
4. Teaser trailer
5. Release date
6. Trailer
7. Second trailer?
8. Profit

That's all I need.

 

They already did, weeks ago.

 

The original cast in their glory. Specially one of Luke with his Lightsaber lit up.

Specially if it is a red one.

 

Photoshoots with the original cast in costume... Maybe photoshoots with the new protagonists as well as any EU figures?

 

That's awesome! Are the new forums equipped to handle this kind of traffic? I noticed a lot of glitches when the news was first announced and I'm currently running it on firefox because it got all screwy in IE.

 

Ehh...that had more to do with the site shaking itself out than the volume of information. And IE sucks. Literally anything is better

 

I wish Lucasfilm wouldn't release novelizations, soundtrack albums, graphic novel versions, other publications detailing the story and story arc, and probably toys before the movie even comes out. That stuff shouldn't be released until the Monday after the movie opens.

 

Someone who is part of the cast should have a blog once the movie starts filming. I've had my own blog since last year with it's own domain name and everything. Blogs are a pretty decent way of gaining info on certain topics.

 

"Hi. I have an important message for you from George Lucas."

 

Also they should have people dressed in Vader costumes stop by people's houses and tell them the news.

 

Bring back the Hyperspace fanclub and get us all the inside info we had access to before! I want the webcam back!