Chapter 123: Word of Mouth

The message board is a popular feature on IMDB, where registered users can share and discuss news about movies, actors, and directors. However, IMDB is most famous for its film ratings.

The threshold for rating is very low, especially now, where almost all registered users can rate any film they want.

Daisy had long registered an IMDB account. Opening the webpage was, of course, to rate "Saw."

IMDB, after being acquired by Amazon, has done exceptionally well in terms of immediacy. Even a film like "Saw," which had just started a limited release, had a dedicated rating section.

She didn't rate it immediately, first checking the ratings next to the movie poster.

Currently, thirty-seven users had rated it, with an impressive score of 8.8!

It was obvious that these thirty-seven users were all horror enthusiasts.

Frankly, Daisy thought this rating was a bit high. The film was excellent, but 8.8 seemed exaggerated. Also...

She still didn't know what that damned director looked like. Just for that, she couldn't give it too high a score!

She gave it an 8.5 and typed a line full of resentment.

"Maybe the most terrifying and gory aspect of 'Saw' isn't the ingeniously designed death traps, but the cold, heartless inner world of the twisted old man. When someone's psyche is this warped, they either destroy themselves or the world. And after the destruction, the perverted director Murphy Stanton can find some absurd reason to hypnotize himself…"

Daisy closed the webpage and leaned back in her chair, her curiosity about what the perverted director looked like only growing stronger.

The night wind blew through the streets of Seattle, bringing a surprising coolness in July. Several young people rubbed their arms exposed by their short-sleeve T-shirts as they walked toward a nearby theater.

"Is it really as good as you say?" asked a blonde boy.

"Really, I swear!" said a mixed-race black-haired boy, swearing an oath. "After watching 'Saw,' I guarantee you won't be able to sleep all night!"

He had just seen it that morning and, as if discovering a miracle, was eager to share it. Returning to his university, he immediately pulled all his friends from the same dorm building.

"If it doesn't scare you," he added, "if it doesn't surprise you, you can twist my head off and play soccer with it!"

The others were skeptical but walked together to the theater. They encountered several people leaving, discussing the film just like most moviegoers.

"What an amazing director, amazing writer!" One person's voice was quite loud. "The final twist is something only Satan could think of."

Someone else chimed in, "I really admire the director and writer. How did they come up with and execute that ending?"

"I remind you…" another person said smugly, "the director and writer are the same person. You only need to praise one person."

"I'd praise both!" The person looked enraptured. "Such a horror film, such a director—what else is there to praise?"

These words reached the ears of the blonde boy's group.

Unable to contain his curiosity, the blonde boy called out, "Excuse me, sorry to bother you."

The people looked over, and he quickly asked, "Can you tell me what movie you were just discussing?"

"Murphy Stanton!" The speaker was nudged by a companion, scratching his head sheepishly. "'Saw,' directed by Murphy Stanton."

Like a child eager to share, he added, "If you like horror films, I strongly recommend you see it. The experience is just too wonderful…"

Hearing the praise, the blonde boy became more convinced of the mixed-race boy's words, his anticipation for the film growing.

In the absence of substantial marketing, "Saw" relied on word of mouth. While it couldn't become widely known like mainstream commercial films, word of mouth was the most effective way to drive ticket sales. Many horror fans, hearing about the film from friends, colleagues, or relatives, would go to the theater and most would be satisfied, spreading the word further...

Such information, coming from relatively trusted sources, spread more slowly but had a much greater impact on actual ticket sales than media hype.

Kevin Harland, a freelance worker around the film industry, was one of many like him. For instance, when a movie star held an event in Las Vegas, they could be hired by companies to act as enthusiastic fans. When companies needed to investigate the popularity or market prospects of a work in Vegas, they could serve as surveyors.

Hollywood kept them fed, and they made their living closely tied to Hollywood.

This time, he was hired by a survey company to spend three days over the weekend in a single theater, collecting data on a film. For $300, he was quite dedicated.

This was a theater in Las Vegas, where Kevin Harland had worked long enough to be well-acquainted with the staff, enabling him to take on such temporary jobs.

It was late, and the theater was getting quieter. In the smoking area, Kevin Harland lit a cigarette for the person across from him. "How's the film I'm surveying?"

This person was the theater's operations manager, who took a deep drag, saying slowly, "As you've seen, the audience for 'Saw' has been increasing. The last screening had at least sixty people!"

"Looks like this film has potential," Kevin Harland muttered, then asked, "Is this the last screening for today? You should have the box office stats, right?"

"You sly dog, always have an agenda," the operations manager said, flicking ash off his cigarette. "The two morning screenings made about $270. The afternoon did better, with four screenings making around $1,200. Tonight, you saw it—the hundred-seat hall was over fifty percent full. Four screenings tonight made at least $1,600, bringing today's total to around $3,000."

Kevin Harland pressed on, "How's that performance?"

The operations manager shrugged, "'Saw' is only showing in one hall, but in terms of single-hall performance, it's second only to MGM's 'Legally Blonde' and Warner's 'Cats & Dogs,' ranking third in the theater."

Both were typical summer blockbusters. It was normal for "Saw" to rank behind them. Kevin Harland ended his conversation with the manager, returned to the lobby, found a chair, and organized the day's data.

Throughout the day, he had surveyed 125 viewers of "Saw." As expected, most who watched such a film were enthusiasts, giving it extremely high ratings. The approval rate was an astounding 90%, with many marveling at the director's incredible storytelling.

That director, Murphy Stanton, seemed to have a knack for horror films.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be an unknown newcomer. Otherwise, a film of this caliber should be shown in more theaters.

Kevin Harland shook his head, packed the organized data into his briefcase, and retrieved a stored survey report from the theater's front desk for a final review.

This report detailed how target audiences learned about the film before buying tickets.

Morning viewers mainly learned about "Saw" through four channels: print media and newspapers, accounting for about a third; TV ads and late-night promos, also about a third; online information, less than a third; and a few decided to watch after seeing posters and trailers in the theater.

By the afternoon and evening, a significant portion of viewers, almost a third, were influenced by word of mouth.

Although not a professional in this field, Kevin Harland often freelanced in this role and understood what this meant.

Viewers of "Saw" were highly satisfied and eager to share their enjoyment, unknowingly becoming the film's promotional agents!

Such films often had phenomenal word of mouth and ended up performing well at the box office!

What about "Saw"? Kevin Harland knew the audience response he had gathered was overwhelmingly positive. However, with only 30 theaters showing the film, viewers were mostly gore fans who naturally gave high ratings. Once it expanded, would more people see it, or would it crash and burn?

Hollywood had plenty of films that started with rave reviews in limited releases but flopped when expanded.

After a day's work, he subconsciously categorized "Saw" as a film that could expand its release.

Turning his head, Kevin Harland glanced at the posters in the theater, where the unfamiliar name Murphy Stanton didn't inspire much confidence.

Just as he finished organizing the survey report, a commotion and footsteps were heard nearby. Kevin Harland checked the time; the last screening of "Saw" for the day had ended. He didn't intend to approach, having done enough work for the day.

Amid the crowd, a middle-aged man with a large, round head caught Kevin Harland's attention.

The theater's operations manager had already seen the middle-aged man and nimbly darted through the crowd like a rabbit. "Mr. Mintz, it's really you. I didn't expect you to come to our theater. It's our honor."

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