How Hollywood Sabotages Its Own Box Office Sales

As movie piracy accounts for a portion of loss in box office revenue for Hollywood studios, the marketing and distribution decisions made for select films are also to blame for any decline in ticket sales. As a filmmaker and movie lover, I try to support films by going to see them when they are showing in theaters whether they are independently produced or mainstream titles. The entities behind these films, however, allow unnecessary limitations and annoying marketing tactics to cause audiences to reconsider buying theater tickets for a particular movie.

Promotional Overload of Mainstream Films in the New Media Sector

Saturating mass media with advertisements such as movie trailers and commercial bumpers for mainstream films works to fill theater seats. However, this method of heavy promotion can also have the opposite effect when Hollywood studios reach moviegoers at inappropriate times. This is the reason why I did not go to watch "The Help" when it was released in theaters.

The movie trailer for this film played several dozen times within the half-hour that I spent listening to music on an Internet radio station. The frequency of the advertisements became so intrusive to my recreational pastime of enjoying tunes in peace that I refused to buy a movie theater ticket for "The Help," despite its acclaim and strong opening weekend at the box office.

Extremely Limited Releases for Films that Deprive Local Audiences of Independent Cinema

Theatrical releases for art-house films are sometimes too limited in scope, which prevents audiences from supporting movies that are already marginalized by mainstream media compared to mainstream blockbusters. In early 2011, I wanted to see "Mooz-lum," starring Evan Ross and Nia Long, when it was released, but the closest theater playing it was located in another state. Luckily, this movie became accessible in the home video market but the same is not true for "In Search of a Midnight Kiss," another independent film that I wanted to watch in theaters. The Alex Hodridge-directed movie played in New York but did not become available on DVD for a very long time following its Big Apple opening.

Playing Musical Chairs with Movie Release Dates

After anxiously waiting for "Blue Valentine" to be released in theaters, I was excited to learn that it was being released in Philadelphia by New Year's Eve. As that date approached, disappointment set in when I learned that this movie wasn't going to be playing at my local theater until well into January the next year.

If it weren't for sheer determination and curiosity to find out what all the ratings drama on this film was about and a friend's liking to one of the leading actors, I would have lost interest in "Blue Valentine" altogether. The movie trailer alone for this film wasn't captivating enough to make me want to buy a ticket initially. Switching the release date for a movie is not the best choice for audiences who are already skeptical about visiting a theater to watch it at all.

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