All Things Superman: An Open Discussion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 37

[G.Godfrey]

I'm totally fine with them withholding new footage. The more they do that the more I think the stuff they'e saving up is going to blow our minds.

Well, the opposite logic could also be applied to that. Meaning that they hold back because there is a limited amount of "mind-blowing footage" so they are saving it because they can only do so much with it. I don't believe that but you never know.

 

[Kevin Smith]

I dunno. I actually think his acting's better in the TV spot, but I feel like both Trailer 2 and the new spot have had the dialog edited for time, with some of the dramatic pauses cropped out. I know the "wasn't ready" dialog sounds far better in the CC trailer than any of the official ones.

I definitely agree, the best delivery of the dialogue was the CC footage, which is what I'd like to think is closest to what it would sound like in the actual film so far out of everything we've got.

Also, doesn't Cavill kind of look like Dreamworks' Moses w/ the beard? Like if you squint?

Haha not that much to me, but that's so funny because I was actually just checking out some of Zimmer's Prince of Egypt soundtrack earlier, I'd never heard it before, the man is really very talented. I have no doubt that if he wants to he can deliver a very awesome, "hummable" Superman soundtrack, with horns, etc, as long as he doesn't decide to do something super avant-garde and "experimental" because he is "bored" with the "epic" sounding stuff. Really hoping he does something awesome for MOS.

 

[Gianakin_]

I've heard so many people talk like this about Zimmer. What I'm about to say applies to any composer out there: If he's talented enough, he can do epic or experimental. Has it ever occured to you that those people are following a line the director gives them each time? If Nolan wanted "epic sounding" stuff, he would've told Zimmer and Howard to do it. He obviously wanted something different. Similarly, if a composer pitches an experimental approach to a score, the director can accept or reject it.

If people don't like the tone of Zimmer's Batman stuff, then place 50% of the blame on Nolan. If Zimmer goes experimental with MoS again, Snyder asked him to or let him go there. Simple as that.

 

[BH/HHH]

I dunno. I actually think his acting's better in the TV spot, but I feel like both Trailer 2 and the new spot have had the dialog edited for time, with some of the dramatic pauses cropped out. I know the "wasn't ready" dialog sounds far better in the CC trailer than any of the official ones.

Also, doesn't Cavill kind of look like Dreamworks' Moses w/ the beard? Like if you squint?

I've seen Henry pull that face plenty of times I think its just a face he pulls.

Haha yeah he does

I'm totally fine with them withholding new footage. The more they do that the more I think the stuff they'e saving up is going to blow our minds.

Yeah I don't wanna be spoiled but I'd just like to see some action snippets in the next trailer. I mean they don't wanna do what Superman Returns did and show the entire plane sequence spread across trailers and TV spots.

 

[Krumm]

Lol people on YouTube complaining about the tv spot bring too fast paced! Smh!!

I don't know if it being "fast paced" is the issue -- parts of it should be face paced. I think they mean it felt rushed and it frankly it did.

They tried to jam too much into a :30. I mean what was with those cuts him Superman and Lois? You couldn't lose one of those shots or another shot somewhere else to smooth them out?

 

[BH/HHH]

Yeah it was rushed, I think its obvious it was cut together quickly so they could get it on TV. End of the day rushed or not it did its job.

 

[G.Godfrey]

The general public doesn't really care about Superman cinematically. They dig the logo, and merchandise featuring said logo, but that is a different story. WB has to make the general public care about Superman on screen like they do Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Batman. This is their main objective and they just stood outside all our houses and tapped on the glass. In the next couple months they better have busted down our doors and started sleeping on our couches.

t:

 

[mad-sci]

To give a more recent example of the effectiveness of this type of marketing, I say look to the last Indiana Jones film.

Regardless of quality, the film achieved £315 million in the US, £786 million worldwide.

But in terms of footage shown?

We had 1 teaser trailer (that was half a recap of the first 3 films), and a 2nd trailer (SHORTER than the teaser!), and some TV spots that had only a little more new stuff.

The selling points were the return of the character (after 19 YEARS), the director (Spielberg) and producer (Lucas).


That sounds a lot like what WB are doing here.


A rushed TV spot? Really? You don't think they intended to set up the spot to show character, not action?



One more trailer, and some posters. But I seriously doubt we'll see a lot more footage now. It's not the approach WB are going for. I'd rather they do that than spoil MOS, to be honest.

 

[G.Godfrey]

To give a more recent example of the effectiveness of this type of marketing, I say look to the last Indiana Jones film.

Regardless of quality, the film achieved £315 million in the US, £786 million worldwide.

But in terms of footage shown?

We had 1 teaser trailer (that was half a recap of the first 3 films), and a 2nd trailer (SHORTER than the teaser!), and some TV spots that had only a little more new stuff.

The selling points were the return of the character (after 19 YEARS), the director (Spielberg) and producer (Lucas).

That sounds a lot like what WB are doing here.

Well, to be honest, Superman already returned (kinda,sorta) in 2006 so that lessens this particular effect for MOS. Also Indy wasn't a reboot or an origin. Also, Indy had Harrison Ford returning, while Superman is returning with a new nobody. Also, Spielberg is a much, much bigger name than Snyder. So the comparison makes little sense.

One more trailer, and some posters. But I seriously doubt we'll see a lot more footage now. It's not the approach WB are going for.

Nah, we'll see plenty more (and yes, probably too much, lol). Just not this week or the next. At the end of the month is when it will all start.

 

[Krumm]

Yeah it was rushed, I think its obvious it was cut together quickly so they could get it on TV. End of the day rushed or not it did its job.

I'm not arguing as whether or not it did it's job. I'm thrilled it's out there. It's a matter of how well they executed that job -- it could've been much better.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

That TV Spot proved one thing to me: I don't give a stuff about how the marketing effects the BO performance, I just want them to cater a bit more to the fans (i.e. Me! )

Seriously, I kind of understand what they are doing in terms of the GA, and I think as long as they amp it up the month before, have lots of interviews and specials on Superman's 75 years etc, people will go and see the film.

I'm only dissapointed as a fan, who wants to see more pictures and a bit more new footages just because it makes me happy

 

[Krumm]

A rushed TV spot? Really? You don't think they intended to set up the spot to show character, not action?

I'm not sure what your point is.

 

[i_Cam]

Written FAR better by Drew McWeeney at Hitfix here:-

Spoiler

The most frequent question I heard from those of you who stopped me at WonderCon or who sent me e-mails in the days after the event was "Why didn't Warner Bros. show new 'Man Of Steel' footage during the panel?"

Obviously, Warner Bros. marketing doesn't run their decision-making by me for approval, so I can't answer that question conclusively. I can, however, guess based on the reactions I've heard from people who have seen Zack Snyder's Superman movie, and it seems to me that Warner Bros. didn't bring new footage to screen because, frankly, they don't have to.

The most dangerous thing to do with a giant blockbuster in today's media landscape is to jam it down the throat of the audience to the point where they learn to hate the film before they ever lay eyes on it. Sometimes, it's the only option that the studio has, and when they know a movie doesn't work, that's when they kick into overdrive. When a movie has a pre-release awareness as automatic as a new Superman movie and they feel like the film completely works, that's when they get to lay back a bit and let the actual anticipation of the audience do the work for them.
.......
........
By centering the campaign on an idea instead of a villain, it makes this feel different than most superhero films already. And by emphasizing character over action (and word is there is plenty of action, some of it truly epic), it makes this feel like a real film and not just another empty CGI spectacle.

So the reason I think Warner brought "The Conjuring" and "Pacific Rim" to the WonderCon was because they believe in those films and they know that those are originals, movies that don't come with the automatic cultural weight of a Superman movie, and that they could generate conversation with a great presentation. As a quick look around the Internet right now will prove, even a "Man Of Steel" trailer that features nothing new is enough to cause excited posts everywhere. People are ready to see what Snyder and Nolan have done, and they're excited to see what Henry Cavill does as the character. At this point, if they didn't show us anything new between now and release, I still think they'd have theaters packed on opening day.

People seem to be skipping or glossing over this, but it makes a ton of sense.

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

^ Full trailers are where characters can be found. TV spots should have explosions and "hulking out." Superman punching or using some heat vision would suffice.

 

[i_Cam]

They will. This was just the first one.

 

[mad-sci]

My point about the TV spot is that if it WERE rushed, it would be designed to get your attention, and focus on only the action shots seen so far. The fact it seems to not do that, but continue the theme of an alien in real life (like the other trailers) suggests that is planned.



As for my point about the Indiana Jones marketing:- here was a sequel to a franchise 19 YEARS later (that's at least 2 generations of kids that didn't grow up with this character), starring the original actor (who had not had a box office hit in 10 years). But instead of aggressive marketing/spoiling, very little footage was seen (and repeated). The biggest selling points were recognition of the franchise/character, and the creative talent involved.


For MOS, we have Superman, Zack Snyder (like him or hate him, he IS a popular director) and Chris Nolan ( who is on fire right now).

 

[Showtime]

I can't believe they released a synopsis with no mention of their lead actor's name. I mean, I know Henry's resume isn't as impressive as many of the other cast members but... they put friggin' Antje Traue's name in there! He's got to be more well-known in the States than her. Hell, I still don't have a clue as to how you pronounce her name.

(sigh) Good to see that WB's marketing department still finds new and interesting ways to get things wrong.

That isn't a new synopsis.

 

[AnneFan]

If people don't like the tone of Zimmer's Batman stuff, they place 50% of the blame on Nolan. If Zimmer goes experimental with MoS again, Snyder asked him to or let him go there. Simple as that.

Yes, this is correct. The composer and director have to be in synch. Zimmer can do epic, experimental or whatever else. But if one of these styles suits more than the other for a particular project, that's the go.

 

[BMM]

I like the TV spot, but I'm a bit surprised by Warner Bros.' marketing strategy, especially after Returns. Maybe the studio is just that confident in the film and wants to establish a serious tone first and save the spectacle for later???

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Just saw the TV spot...

It obviously doesn't excite that much because there wasn't any new footage. Plus, it did seem and little rushed and lazy.

However, at least the movie is now getting some exposure on TV which is a step in the right direction. In the next two months WB are going to have to do a marketing BLITZ. Superman isn't what he used to be in the eyes of the public... so they need to make sure this movie is front and center. They literally can't afford to be coy on this one.

I hope they find the right balance between stoic philosophy and pulse-pounding action with the previews in the coming weeks.

 

[BH/HHH]

I'm not arguing as whether or not it did it's job. I'm thrilled it's out there. It's a matter of how well they executed that job -- it could've been much better.

I never said you were and infact I agreed with you. I was merley saying that it was only rushed so they could get it out there.

 

[SpideyFan866]

I can't believe they released a synopsis with no mention of their lead actor's name. I mean, I know Henry's resume isn't as impressive as many of the other cast members but... they put friggin' Antje Traue's name in there! He's got to be more well-known in the States than her. Hell, I still don't have a clue as to how you pronounce her name.

(sigh) Good to see that WB's marketing department still finds new and interesting ways to get things wrong.

It isn't new. It's been on the official site for a while.

Also, Cavill's name IS featured in the synopsis. But for some reason, websites keep omitting the section with his name in it.

It's stupid.

Here's it with the omitted portion:

Spoiler

FROM WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES COMES “MAN OF STEEL,” STARRING HENRY CAVILL (“IMMORTALS,” TV’S “THE TUDORS&#8221 IN THE ROLE OF CLARK KENT/SUPERMAN, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ZACK SNYDER (“300,” “WATCHMEN&#8221.

A YOUNG BOY LEARNS THAT HE HAS EXTRAORDINARY POWERS AND IS NOT OF THIS EARTH. AS A YOUNG MAN, HE JOURNEYS TO DISCOVER WHERE HE CAME FROM AND WHAT HE WAS SENT HERE TO DO. BUT THE HERO IN HIM MUST EMERGE IF HE IS TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM ANNIHILATION AND BECOME THE SYMBOL OF HOPE FOR ALL MANKIND.

THE FILM ALSO STARS FOUR-TIME OSCAR® NOMINEE AMY ADAMS (“THE MASTER&#8221 AS DAILY PLANET JOURNALIST LOIS LANE, AND OSCAR® NOMINEE LAURENCE FISHBURNE (“WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT&#8221 AS HER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PERRY WHITE. STARRING AS CLARK KENT’S ADOPTIVE PARENTS, MARTHA AND JONATHAN KENT, ARE OSCAR® NOMINEE DIANE LANE (“UNFAITHFUL&#8221 AND ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER KEVIN COSTNER (“DANCES WITH WOLVES&#8221.

SQUARING OFF AGAINST THE SUPERHERO ARE TWO OTHER SURVIVING KRYPTONIANS, THE VILLAINOUS GENERAL ZOD, PLAYED BY OSCAR® NOMINEE MICHAEL SHANNON (“REVOLUTIONARY ROAD&#8221, AND FAORA, ZOD’S EVIL PARTNER, PLAYED BY ANTJE TRAUE (UPCOMING “THE SEVENTH SON&#8221. ALSO FROM SUPERMAN’S NATIVE KRYPTON ARE LARA LOR-VAN, SUPERMAN’S MOTHER, PLAYED BY AYELET ZURER (“ANGELS AND DEMONS&#8221, AND SUPERMAN’S FATHER, JOR-EL, PORTRAYED BY ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER RUSSELL CROWE (“GLADIATOR&#8221.

ROUNDING OUT THE CAST ARE CHRISTOPHER MELONI (UPCOMING “42&#8221 AS U.S. MILITARY MAN COLONEL HARDY, HARRY LENNIX (“STATE OF PLAY&#8221 AS GENERAL SWANWICK, MICHAEL KELLY (“THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU&#8221 AS STEVE LOMBARD, AND RICHARD SCHIFF (TV’S “THE WEST WING&#8221 AS DR. EMIL HAMILTON.


..........

I left the crew portions out, but you get my point.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Let's fast forward a month from now when tv spots 10-14 show up and fans start complaining about seeing too much and how they wish they could stop looking at it but they can't.

SHH message boards...Wash-Rinse-Repeat.

t:

 

[Dr.]

I was kinda hoping they’d go minimalist/creative/impressionistic with the first TV spot. Maybe just tease with the logo, the Snyder/Nolan name recognition, perhaps play up the anniversary angle (June 1938 -> June 2013) and then offer a single “money shot.” Granted, this approach tells you next to nothing in terms of what the movie’s about - just that a new Superman movie exists and is coming soon. But that may be all that’s needed for a first volley; and it might have made a stronger impression than a condensed/rapid-edit version of the extant trailer. To me, the spot (though entirely adequate) looked like a typical ad for a typical summer movie. It didn’t say “this is DIFFERENT,” “this will be an EVENT.” (Admittedly, I don’t have fresh eyes on this; maybe it impressed the average Joe and Jane more.)

 

[Smallville13]

I just got so excited to read there was a new tv spot and then laughed after I watched it. I can't have been the only one. It was a kinda sad laugh though. So many posts on here how we haven't had anything new in months and then that. Is WB Marketing reading these boards haha?

The talk of the 'where do I come from line' reminds me of Heath's 'HIT ME' line in TDK. Remember there was different takes of that they showed in the trailer and TV spots.