Providence: How to get guys to bring their girlfriends or wives to the movie

mainstreetprod

mainstreetprod

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When marketing "Providence" we were faced with a major obstacle: It's a chick flick, we're opening on Valentines weekend in AMC theaters, how do we get guys to come along? The answer: Fill the movie with Hot cars. We scheduled all car related shots on the same day and called a local car club, whose members gladly showed up with some great rides. The main character's car, a '51 Kaiser, was mine at the time. Here are a few snapshots:

car pic 1.jpgcar pic 2.jpgcar pic 3.jpgcar pic 5.jpgcar pic 6.jpgcar pic 7.jpgcar pic 9.jpgcars.jpg
 
haha! well done. when i made your DCP drives and watched the film, I definitely took notice of all the cars.
 
i've never once thought i should see a movie because it has old cars in it. to each his own, i guess. i do however want to congratulate you on the theatrical release. that's a big accomplishment.
 
ugafan said:
i've never once thought i should see a movie because it has old cars in it. to each his own, i guess. i do however want to congratulate you on the theatrical release. that's a big accomplishment.
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Yeah... in fact, if that is the only draw... I'd not bother... although... the only reason I would show up at a 'romcom/romantic' film was due to the Wife wanting see it... so it didn't really matter what was the content...

In fact... I'd probably not go even if it had 'old cars' and 'drugs, sex, and violence'... I hated muscle cars in the era when 'boys' use to brag about how much gasoline they could waste achieving 'light speed' in 10 seconds or less... polished 'mooney' hubcaps... forget it... ok the logo was kind of cute...

Ok... perhaps a 1938-46 (except during the war...) Chevy Truck... but restored to original, not hotrodded, state... for some wyrd reason I like the look...
 
yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh. i would have to agree. not specifically that i dont want to see a movie like yours, but about the promise of cars (i drive them; thats about it) getting me excited to see it. and i agree that boobs or stuff blowin up wouldnt sway me either. i would say that those things, IF YOURE INTO THEM, are the ICING, not the cake. the cake is a good movie/story youd be interested in anyway. if you then see someone's boobs who youve been lusting after the whole time, thats just a bonus, isnt it? if the movie doesnt interest me, a signficant other/friend saying "but its got _______ in it! lots of them! and theyre HUGE!" isnt going to make me change my mind.

im not sure i have a point-- im a mystery even unto myself sometimes-- but if i do, its that it seems weird to me to try to sway people otherwise uninterested to come see the movie that way rather than finding ways to better target your actual demographic.
 
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I'd not bother... although... the only reason I would show up at a 'romcom/romantic' film was due to the Wife wanting see it... so it didn't really matter what was the content...


Interesting how women make up half the planet but so few movies are made for them. Guys drag girls to action flicks every weekend, but can barely be dragged along to a chick flick (I'm just as guilty of that as anyone).


Oh, don't tell me you didn't do that just to be able to drive/ride in the cars.


I was too busy shooting to get to ride in them. Most were just parked anyway.


i do however want to congratulate you on the theatrical release. that's a big accomplishment.


Thanks! Now all we have to do is make it a box office success with a promotional budget of $1.98
 
Two days until the wife and I start traveling to promote the film. Support your local DVXuser! If you happen to live in NYC (Empire Times Square), Destin FL, Atlanta (Kennesaw), Tulsa, LA (Orange County), or Charlotte, stop by your local AMC theater Valentines weekend and check it out. Take the wife as it's a great date night flick. If nothing else, you can see what an "everymans" camera like the FS7 looks like on the big screen. And you'll see how we pulled off a modern silent film.


Here it is on Fandango's list of Valentines day picks:

http://www.fandango.com/movies/valentinesday


...and on IMDB's list of editors picks:

http://www.imdb.com/imdbpicks/febru...A&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=15081&pf_rd_i=main
 
mainstreetprod said:
I'd not bother... although... the only reason I would show up at a 'romcom/romantic' film was due to the Wife wanting see it... so it didn't really matter what was the content...


Interesting how women make up half the planet but so few movies are made for them. Guys drag girls to action flicks every weekend, but can barely be dragged along to a chick flick (I'm just as guilty of that as anyone).
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So in another forum the question of 'what film have you seen the most times'... and without a doubt it is "Sound of Music"(1965)... I first saw it in 16mm form at a church social... when it was still running in theaters...

Would that be a rom/drama...

Where the Wife and I differ significantly is I will watch more 'complex' films such as the "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy"(2011) which doesn't have much 'action' at all, but has a complex 'who's the traitor' plot. And I liked "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"(1965) even in the era of Bond...
 
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I have not seen a '51 Kaiser in more than fifty years. I would buy a ticket just to see this. I would love to feature a car I inherited and sold because I needed the money, a '59 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer with black, silver, and red interior, and of course, push-button transmission and mechanical digital speedometer.
 
Curtis Mack said:
I have not seen a '51 Kaiser in more than fifty years. I would buy a ticket just to see this. I would love to feature a car I inherited and sold because I needed the money, a '59 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer with black, silver, and red interior, and of course, push-button transmission and mechanical digital speedometer.
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I believe Coppola's interest in Tucker, according to the wiki, Coppola's father invested in the company, and the Tucker automobile inspired him to buy rights to what eventually became the movie "Tucker"(1988)... Unfortunately it was a box office bomb... Coppola had a series of box office bombs, and so, that gave birth to 'Godfather III'...
 
Hey, Providence came up on my Fandango app, "new in theaters this weekend."

Nothing apparently within a 250 radius of Connecticut....but hey, kudos that it is being promoted.
 
Scott F said:
Hey, Providence came up on my Fandango app, "new in theaters this weekend."

Nothing apparently within a 250 radius of Connecticut....but hey, kudos that it is being promoted.
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Not sure how close it is to you, but it is showing at the AMC Empire in Times Square, NYC. Right now we're in Destin FL about to go to the early evening screening and do a Q & A afterwards for the audience. One of the perks of "real" theatrical vs "on demand" is that you get on Fandango,Moviefone,Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, all the AMC sites, etc. It's exposure we could never possibly pay for otherwise.

Got reviewed today by the Charlotte Observer (very favorable) and NYC Movie Guru who gave us an 8. So far the release is looking good, we'll see how many are in the theater!
 
Some feedback from reviewers:

On being a silent film-



“The rhythm of the story would have seemed natural to audiences 90 years ago, though the scenes then would have been intercut with printed dialogue on title cards. The approach takes some getting used to these days. Yet as you get into the flow of the narrative, and the strangeness of hearing no dialogue recedes, the movie becomes a rewarding experience.”


Charlotte Observer






Cinematography:




“Minor flaws—some exaggerated facial expressions, the camera crew’s reflection in a chapel’s glass door—detract only a little. The film’s camerawork stands out from the start, with smartly lit shots, richly designed sets, and scenes framed from interesting angles.”


World Magazine



Acting:


Both the teenaged actors (Josh Allen and Stacey Bradshaw) and the 40-ish adults (Juli Tapken and Rich Swingle) deliver low-key, natural performances. People unused to communicating emotions without words might be tempted to overact, but they don’t. The soundtrack occasionally breaks an emotional mood, jumping chaotically from soft jazz to hard rock to a tinkling piano across scenes, but the actors do not.


Charlotte Observer



NYC Film Guru's evaluation chart:

wprovidence.jpg
 
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