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However, our distributor, Brandon Purdie, having watched the development of the Witnesses theatrical film for some time now, feels that our wonderful and dedicated filmmakers have created an exceptionally significant movie, and that we may be limiting the success that it will achieve and the impact that it will have if we don’t spend additional money on advertising.

A couple of months ago, he gave a lengthy, simply stunning, and, to me, entirely convincing presentation to our producer and director and to me on the need for an expanded advertising budget for Witnesses. Theater owners simply won’t take the risk of turning screens in their theaters over to films that, in their judgment, are unlikely to draw significant ticket-buying audiences. He gave us specific examples of LDS-oriented films that, in his expert judgment, had fallen short of the market that they could have achieved because their producers’ investment in advertising was incommensurate with the investment in the films themselves. He recommended a substantial additional investment–roughly $200K. If we want to get beyond the “Mormon corridor” at all, we’re going to need something like that amount. And fairly soon.

But, thus far, we don’t have that additional money. And I agonize over that. If Brandon Purdie is right — and he is, by universal consent, the expert on the distribution of LDS-oriented theatrical films — we may underachieve even with a very good film. And the thing we want most, once the film is done, is for it to have as wide a positive impact as it can possibly have.

That’s why I’m posting this. I haven’t discussed writing this blog entry with anybody. Not with my wife, not with the producer or the director, not with Ed Snow, not with Brandon Purdie, not with my board.

I worry. It’s my (unpaid) job to worry.

So I’m making a frank public appeal:

haven’t discussed writing this blog entry with anybody. Not with my wife, not with the producer or the director, not with Ed Snow, not with Brandon Purdie, not with my board.

Dr Moore wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 10, 2020 10:37 pm

I don't know, that $200k might go a lot farther than was believed 2-3 mos ago. Now that Universal and Disney have forced the exclusive theatrical window down to zero, theaters will be more willing to get creative in order to draw audiences, even with the impressive delayed slate of blockbuster tentpoles pushed into 2021.

If it were me, I would work with Utah/Idaho/Arizona theater owners to get Witnesses added to the slate of "Private Watch Party" options for private viewing parties up to 20 people at $149/screen. Zero marketing cost, just the usual theater split if/when Witnesses is selected from the range of watch party options.

If they can sell Witnesses private watch parties on 30 screens per day in those 3 states, then a 50% take rate (I believe 50/50 that is the going split) is 30 * $75, or $2,250 per day. Over the course of 6 months, it's $410,625 in ticket revenue.

Doctor Scratch wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:00 am

Yikes. They would need more than triple that amount just to break even, and even more than that if they sink 200K's worth of their supporters' money into this.