Shindler's Site: Star Power

By Marty Shindler

Star Power: What is it? How is it used? Is it effective? What does it mean for the LF industry?

LF films have always had a certain element of star power in the sense that the image on the giant screen is always the star. Even in weaker films with poor acting and lame storylines, the image is still the winner.

But with more LF theaters and films coming on line each year, picture quality alone will not be enough to grow the kinds of audiences the whole food chain depends on. A stronger engine is needed to boost the box office. Star power may be defined in many ways. For instance, one could argue that in T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous, the real star was the visual effects. But for our present purposes, let’s talk about human stars.

Many LF films have featured the talents of Hollywood stars. Wings of Courage is so far the LF world’s most star-studded film, with Val Kilmer, Tom Hulce, Craig Sheffer, and Elizabeth McGovern in its cast, and noted director Jean-Jacques Annaud behind the camera.

In a different genre altogether, Rolling Stones At The Max also has tremendous star power, even though many felt it never lived up to its box office potential. It may simply have been ahead of its time. If it were released new today, with the growing number of non-institutional theaters, I am certain that it would be a huge success.

However, most of the use of star power in LF films to date has been in off-camera roles such as narrator or composer. James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, Paul Newman, Jason Robards, Morgan Freeman, and Linda Hunt come to mind. Sting and George Harrison contributed music to two of MacGillivray Freeman’s films.

Does star power work? Most LF producers seem to think so. Charlotte Huggins of nWave Pictures says that Elvira’s willingness to participate in marketing Encounter in the Third Dimension got the film national coverage, including an article in Newsweek.

Andy Gellis of Imax Corporation suggests that stars, especially big name stars, have the power to make a hit film even bigger.

In documentaries, having a star narrator or composer benefits the film by providing an additional "hook" for press coverage. Stars showing up at a premiere also get the attention of the media. As an exhibitor, Terrell Falk (now with commercial exhibitor Cinemark, but formerly with the Houston Museum of Natural Science) says that star power "most definitely" adds to the film box office. "James Earl Jones’ voice added legitimacy to Africa: The Serengeti." Although Jones would not do spots or appearances, the film’s producers had the right to use his voice in other media if extracted "as is" from the film. In this way, radio ads featuring Jones’s extraordinarily distinctive voice were produced.

A coming wave of LF films will use star power in new and unprecedented ways, and it may help these films get high grades on their next Revenue Report Card.

Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box is being produced in 15/70 3D by L-Squared Entertainment for a July 1999 release by Imax Corporation. I recently met with the stars for an interview that will appear in a future issue of MaxImage! I was impressed with the extent to which they are involved with the marketing of the film. Will that make a difference in opening the picture? Yes. Will their names in the title make a difference in the box office and ancillary revenue streams? Probably. Will their fee and back-end involvement in the film make a difference to the film’s return on investment? Maybe. It will depend on how good the film turns out to be and how much they take away from the deal.

Producer Michael Lewis says the stars will make a difference. Numerous press events surrounding the release are planned, including appearances on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and other surprises that should boost the film’s popularity. With the enthusiasm Siegfried & Roy bring to their Las Vegas show, I would not bet against them.

Another larger-than-life figure is Michael Jordan, star of Michael Jordan To The Max, to be released later this year by Giant Screen Sports. Polls continue to show that Jordan is the most recognized human in the universe, even in "retirement."

Producer Steve Kempf predicts that the press will lavish attention on Jordan when the film comes out. Although the full marketing plan has not been completed, Kempf hopes that Michael will participate in a number of press events that should generate national TV coverage. The NBA is also expected to use its marketing muscle in getting word of the LF film out to the star’s legions of fans.

Not surprisingly, the initial release of the film will coincide with the beginning of basketball season. I wonder how many of the Chicago-area LF theaters will play the film? And will MJTTM follow Everest’s lead and run successfully in both institutional and commercial theaters?

Two other, less conventional, stars will soon be featured in LF films. The Cirque du Soleil troupe is world famous, performing in cities around the globe. That fame will no doubt help Journey of Man, the 15/70 vehicle that Sony Pictures Classics, Large Format will release next year.

Fantasia 2000 also has star power, based on the fame of its predecessor. The 1940 Fantasia has won over generations of audiences with its exquisite images and sound track. I predict that the new film’s LF release, and the accompanying publicity from Disney’s experienced marketing machine, will do more to put the LF industry "on the map" than any event or film yet.

As more commercial LF films get produced and more Hollywood film concepts get incorporated into the production and marketing of LF films, more star power will be coming to the giant screen. You can bet on it!