2. There are a number of ways that a Film can be promoted but one of the most common ways is the use of interviews that
feature the main actors of the film. The interviews can take place in numerous places such as Talk Shows and Radio Shows.
This is known as Cross Media Coverage .Aaron Paul who was the main Star of Need For Speed appeared on shows such as
Top Gear to speak about the film and at the same time promote it.
Below are a list of examples where the starts of Need For Speed have appeared to promote the film.
Absolute Radio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iegrFqgGG3k
E3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMgJbdly1_I
Graham Norton: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03wxt98
IGN: http://uk.ign.com/videos/2014/03/12/aaron-paul-plays-need-for-speed
Jimmy Kimmel:
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HJup5V6qA4
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yLgTs13NN0
Radio 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01sz9n4
Radio 1Xtra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vko_5p-1UJ4
Top Gear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OjfH_LbyHY
WWE Raw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UEu0lwXfcA
3. On March 2nd on BBC2 Aaron Paul appeared on Top Gear to promote his film ‘Need for Speed’ Appearing on Top Gear was
relevant for the promotion of the film as they share the same Target Audience which is Males both Teenage and Adult. They
also both feature the same topic which is Cars. Aaron Paul appearing on Top Gear will allow the film to reach the shows fans
and its own desired target audience gaining a wider target audience.
The main topic that is spoken about in the film is cars but they go on to discuss the movie briefly speaking about CGI and how
all of the stunts were performed without the use of any effects. Speaking about this would attract car fans to watch the film
more as they would like the idea of seeing real stunts being performed.
Top Gear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OjfH_LbyHY
Aaron Paul appeared on BBC Radio1Xtra on 8th March 2014 to promote his new film ‘Need for Speed’ Within 20 seconds we
are informed of who Aaron Paul is and why he is in the UK as well as on the Radio. By appearing on this show Aaron Paul has
managed to promote the film to its desired target audience as BBC Radio1Xtra’s target audience is 15 to 30 year olds.
They speak about Need for Speed for a few minutes letting us know the basic storyline of the film. The interview then goes off
the topic of the film and moves on to the TV series ‘Breaking Bad’ in which Aaron Paul stars in. They stay off the topic of
Need for Speed for the rest of the interview until the very end when Aaron Paul is asked when need for speed is released.
Radio 1Xtra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vko_5p-1UJ4
4. From the two interviews I would say in my opinion that Aaron Paul appearing on Top Gear would have been able to reach a larger
group of its desired Target Audience. Top Gear primarily focuses on cars and is the widest watched television program in the
world and because of this I believe that Aarons Pauls appearance on this show would have attracted a larger amount of people
however, The Interview on BBC Radio1Xtra focused more on the film ‘Need for Speed’ and although they weren't constantly
speaking about the film we learned more about what the film was about and when it was release which promoted the film more
than his appearance on Top Gear did.
So from the two interviews I believe that his appearance on Top Gear would have reached more of the films target audience but
his appearance on BBC Radio 1Xtra was more informative and promoted the film better.
My Opinion
5. Aaron Paul was the main star to promote Need for Speed, this was because he was the main character and is perhaps the most
well known character in the film. He is best known for his critically acclaimed role as Jesse Pinkman in the American TV
series Breaking Bad. I think that using Aaron Paul to promote the film was a good idea because he is quite well known. The
TV series breaking bad will have a range of different fans and Aaron Paul himself will have a range of fans that would watch
Need for Speed purely because they like him as an Actor.
Dominic Cooper was also involved in the marketing campaign for the film, this could have been to reach a wider audience. He
has starred in films such as Captain America, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Mamma Mia. His fan base would attract
a larger audience to the film.
I personally believe that Aaron Paul was the best choice to promote the film. He is more well known as an actor and could
attract a larger audience. Dominic cooper could also attract people to the film which is why I think he was also chosen to
promote the film.
Star Theory
6. Pre Production
One of the key aspects of the movie industry is its marketing campaigns. The marketing campaigns allow even the smallest films
to be successful at the box office. Some of the main aspects of the marketing process can include:
Background: Need for speed has been around since the late 90’s starting with Video Games.
Think Ahead: Distributors of Need For Speed would focus their audience on the games audience using surveys and focus groups.
Identify Audience: Over the years the franchise has become more popular and in recent years has been adapted into a Hollywood
movie. The movie needs to follow the games which already have a fan base of 15 – 30 year old males.
Rules Of Good Copy: Copy plays an important role in movie marketing focusing on the visual side using posters, trailer and
websites. The elements that need to be focused can include:
- Strong headlines to capture the audiences attention.
- Social proof through Star endorsement
- Convey your big idea/theme through compelling taglines
Test: In the film industry it can be difficult to determine if promotion was a success. Promotion includes Film Posters, Trailers
and Ads in Magazines. There is no way to understand the effectiveness of these promotional items and how they raise awareness.
The only way to gain an understanding is through customer research which needs to be conducted regularly.
7. Post Production
A test screening is a preview of a film which is shown before the films release, they are held to receive feedback from the
audience, the audience will usually be asked to complete a questionnaire to provide feedback at the end of the film. Producers
require the feedback to understand what needs to be changed/improved. The audience of a film have a large role in the final
decisions. At test screenings The audiences reactions give the films producer an idea on what scenes need to be changed.
Changes can include a number of things such as: lines being dropped, Scenes being scrapped and even the films plot being
rewritten.
The two main types of screening are known as: Testers and Talkers. They are very different but share a common element which is
gaining feedback from the audience. The audience feedback will be appropriate due to the Screenings featuring the same
demographic as the film itself. Producers will get an idea on what view the film will acquire from it’s target audience and judging
from the feedback can then make any improvements to the script, plot or scenes from the feedback received from its target
demographic.
Problems can occur when the Producers decide against making any changes to the film. The producers can sometime disagree
with the feedback received from the audience and not make any changes which can possibly result in critical and/or commercial
failure.
