Chapter 118: Online Marketing

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Sitting in his study-slash-office on the second floor, Murphy carefully reviewed the budget report sent over by Fox Searchlight. Hollywood isn't all about big-budget films; there are countless low-cost films under a million dollars. For these independent films to recoup their investment from the market, promotional marketing is essential.

The film industry is no longer what it used to be. It's no exaggeration to say that promotional marketing has become an increasingly critical factor in a film's success, possibly even the key factor.

The larger the promotional campaign, the more people will know about the film, which also means higher costs.

For a film like "Saw," the promotional marketing budget wouldn't be high, which Murphy had expected, but the numbers from Fox Searchlight were lower than anticipated.

In front of Murphy was a $260,000 marketing plan, detailing various estimated expenses.

"Print media and newspapers—$50,000."

"TV promotion and trailer broadcasts—$100,000."

"Outdoor posters, materials, and labor—$30,000."

"Outdoor billboard rental and printing—$20,000."

"Website and online promotion—$10,000."

"Promotional events, press releases, and screenings—$30,000."

"Miscellaneous expenses—$20,000."

The total was $260,000.

These didn't include the costs of producing and shipping film copies.

After reading these, Murphy frowned. He hadn't expected a million-dollar promotional budget from Fox Searchlight, but $500,000 wasn't unreasonable. This was too low.

What could $260,000 achieve?

He picked up the phone and called Tony Guzman.

"Tony," Murphy suppressed a bit of impatience and said calmly, "I just saw the marketing budget for 'Saw.' Isn't it a bit low?"

"Low?" Tony's voice was puzzled. "How could it be low? This budget was meticulously calculated based on market estimates."

Understanding Murphy's concerns, Tony quickly added, "Murphy, you should know that every company's budget has strict regulations and reviews to ensure the project's success. This is a company policy."

"This is just an initial budget." Tony's voice continued from the receiver, "If the film's test screening results exceed expectations, the company will certainly increase the budget."

After a brief exchange with Tony, Murphy hung up the phone. This short conversation had calmed him down. This was typical, wasn't it? Distributing an independent film came with inherent risks. This way, Fox Searchlight could minimize their risk. Even though they were optimistic about "Saw," countless films that companies believed in had failed.

Initially investing a modest amount in promotional marketing to test the waters made sense. As Tony said, if the response was positive, they could increase the promotional efforts. If not, Fox Searchlight wouldn't lose much.

These distribution companies weren't run by fools. Risk management was a cornerstone of their survival.

Murphy glanced at the $260,000 figure again and understood. Fox Searchlight's marketing budget indeed reflected the industry norm for distributing independent films. $260,000 was about one-tenth of Fox Searchlight's expected revenue from the film.

This budget was the most reasonable scenario from the company's perspective, but Murphy had a different view. He reviewed the specific expenses again. Everything else was fine, but $10,000 for online promotion seemed too low.

He didn't know the exact promotional investment and methods used by Lionsgate in the past, but it couldn't have been this low. Marketing was crucial to a film's success. Murphy leaned back in his chair, staring at the budget, deep in thought.

"Saw" carried many of his hopes. He didn't expect it to achieve the same box office numbers as before, but it needed to generate more revenue than Miramax's offer. According to Bill Rossi, Harvey Weinstein was quite displeased when he learned about the deal with Fox Searchlight, even berating Bill for his lack of sincerity.

His connection with Miramax was likely severed.

For his future endeavors to go smoothly, "Saw" had to succeed, preferably surpassing Fox Searchlight's expectations.

Lightly tapping the chair's armrest, Murphy couldn't help but lament why none of the film company executives he encountered in Hollywood were foolish enough to not fight for their interests. Why didn't Hollywood work like he had seen online, where a good film automatically attracted box office success and acclaim, leading to a smooth journey for the creators?

Shaking off these thoughts, he continued to ponder "Saw's" potential challenges. Insufficient promotion could bring unexpected difficulties, directly affecting the film's performance.

Ultimately, it was a matter of money. If he had more funds, he could hire his own promotional marketing team.

Especially for online marketing, North America's internet development was far ahead of the same period across the Pacific, with a massive user base.

Thinking of the internet, Murphy called Bill Rossi to arrange a meeting at Century City.

After hanging up, he left the studio and quickly arrived at Century City. In the agreed coffee shop, he met Bill Rossi. After ordering a coffee, he shared his thoughts on Fox Searchlight's marketing budget.

"Low-budget marketing plans focus on TV and print media ads in different regions," Bill Rossi considered the budget normal. "Increasing the number of media outlets directly increases the budget."

"They're ignoring the internet!" Murphy emphasized, tapping the table. "Online media has grown significantly and is crucial for film promotion. 'The Blair Witch Project' is the best example."

Bill Rossi nodded slightly.

Murphy already had an idea before coming. He suddenly changed the topic, "Bill, do you know any companies specializing in online information?"

Bill Rossi first shook his head, then thought for a moment and said, "I have some PR friends who might know."

"Can you contact them?" Murphy asked after a brief hesitation. "It would be great to find out what specific services they offer."

Taking out his phone, Bill Rossi made a call, noted down a number, and then called it. After a few minutes of conversation, he hung up.

"This is a company specializing in online public opinion. Is that what you're looking for?"

Fearing Murphy might not understand, Bill Rossi explained, "This company collaborates with several Hollywood PR firms, mainly to delete negative comments about celebrities online or post positive responses after celebrity events. Essentially, they help maintain the client's image."

Murphy nodded slightly. Wasn't this just like the water army, or its precursor?

Given the rapid development of the internet in North America, the water army wasn't a secret profession or high-skill job and would have appeared earlier than across the Pacific. The viral marketing for "The Blair Witch Project" could be considered a type of water army activity.

"What are you planning?" Bill Rossi asked, concerned. "You aren't targeting Lionsgate and Miramax, are you?"

"Relax, Bill," Murphy made a downward gesture. "I have enough on my plate without worrying about them."

He organized his thoughts and said, "I want to hire some online specialists to post information about 'Saw' on major film-related websites. We don't need to praise the movie; we can post large-scale images of the death traps, attracting attention from film fans. We could also create topics like a collection of death traps to generate interest."

"Hmm... maybe titles like 'Statistics of Perverse Death Traps,'" Murphy continued, "or 'Unforgettable Stories of Serial Killers and Their Traps,' linking these to the film to pique the target audience's interest."

While such content might repel some viewers, it would attract horror fans. These elaborate death traps could spark curiosity, a powerful motivator for ticket purchases.

These explicit elements couldn't be used in public channels like TV and print media but were suitable for the internet. Though not the film's main selling point, they offered a fresh appeal compared to traditional gore films.

"This could work," Bill Rossi agreed, though frowning. "But convincing Fox Searchlight might be difficult. Film companies rigorously review every budget."

"We won't go through Fox Searchlight." Murphy shook his head. "I have some funds left. Stanton Studio can cover this expense."

"Bill," he said, "please arrange a meeting with the head of that company for me."

Involving a significant expense, Murphy remained cautious. A detailed discussion would determine if they were suitable.

With "Saw's" release imminent, both Bill Rossi and Murphy had high hopes. Working efficiently, Bill arranged for Murphy to meet the head of the public opinion company the next day. They weren't exactly a company but a group of freelancers working in the field.

After a lengthy discussion, Murphy finalized a $40,000 cooperation agreement with them.

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