Chapter 376 Targeted Promotion

Chapter 376: Chapter 376 Targeted Promotion

After chatting for a few moments about Nordic customs and recent developments in Hollywood, Irene saw that the time was right and took the initiative to get to the point.

"Ang Lee, Kevin, I assume you have both finished reading the original work of Brokeback Mountain. I wonder what you think of this story?"

Hearing this question, Ang Lee put down his coffee cup, his expression becoming serious.

"To be honest, Brokeback Mountain is really to my taste. Annie Proulx’s writing is so powerful; that repressed emotion, the silent love, and the characters’ inner struggles and pain are all depicted vividly. This is exactly the kind of story I have wanted to film—using small details to reflect the big picture and moving the audience with delicate emotions."

He said sincerely, "I have worked in the film industry for so many years and have always preferred subjects that spotlight human nature and emotion.

Although the story of Brokeback Mountain is short, the emotional depth is enough to support a film. I have already conceived many shots in my mind, such as the scene where Ennis and Jack are herding sheep on the grasslands of Brokeback Mountain, the embrace when they reunite years later, and the final moment when Ennis cries over the shirt. These images give me a strong creative impulse."

"However, I also have concerns. You must be aware of the sensitivity of this subject matter. In today’s Hollywood, LGBT themes are still on the margins. Although there is a certain audience, it is very difficult to release it widely and gain mainstream market recognition.

I worry that after this film is made, it will have its screening range limited due to the subject matter, or even face boycotts, which would not only fail to realize its artistic value but also cause losses for you and your company."

Kevin also added, "That is right, Irene. We do not doubt your vision and ability, but the risk of this subject matter is just too high. Ang Lee’s current situation is quite delicate. After The Hulk, he needs a work that can be accepted by the mainstream market to prove himself, not a controversial film that might trigger boycotts. We must be cautious."

Irene listened quietly without refuting immediately.

Instead, she took a thick project proposal from her drawer and pushed it toward the two men.

"Director Ang Lee, Mr. Kevin, I completely understand your concerns. In fact, after acquiring the film adaptation rights to Brokeback Mountain, I have been considering these issues and have formulated a detailed contingency plan.

This film will not only be released widely in North America, but I also intend to send it to the Oscars. This will be an art film project that our company will focus on in the near future."

"Send it to the Oscars?" Ang Lee and Kevin revealed expressions of surprise at the same time and said in unison.

"Yes." Irene nodded, her tone firm. "I know this is difficult, but it is not impossible. The story of Brokeback Mountain has enough emotional depth and artistic value. As long as we produce it with care and promote it precisely, we will definitely gain recognition."

Ang Lee picked up the project proposal and flipped through it impatiently.

Kevin also leaned over, and the two of them read it carefully together.

The project proposal detailed the promotion strategy for Brokeback Mountain.

The core content was "phased tiered release plus dual-audience precision marketing," with every aspect considered in minute detail.

First is the tiered staggered release strategy.

The project proposal clearly stated that the film would first be screened in art house theaters in cities with open cultural atmospheres and high acceptance of diverse subjects, such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, for small-scale preview screenings.

The selection of cities for preview screenings was precisely screened.

For example, in New York, it would select art house theater clusters in lower Manhattan, which gathers a large number of art film lovers and young audiences, making it easier to generate word-of-mouth.

During the preview screenings, Echo Pictures would invite film critics, media professionals, and core fans to watch the film, and through their word-of-mouth dissemination, create topic heat on social platforms and film forums.

After the ratings on various platforms stabilized in the high range and market attention continued to rise, it would then be gradually expanded to mainstream theaters in major core cities across the United States to achieve a full release.

Secondly, dual-audience precision marketing.

For the mass market, the film would be promoted as "a universal romantic love story spanning twenty years," focusing on the tragic beauty of the "love that cannot be" between Ennis and Jack, deliberately downplaying the "gay theme" label to reduce the resistance of conservative audiences.

The project proposal mentioned that Echo Pictures would produce two different trailers.

One would be aimed at the mass market, focusing on the meeting, separation, and reunion of the two on Brokeback Mountain, emphasizing the sincerity and regret of the emotion, allowing the audience to feel the universality of love.

The other would be aimed at the gay community, highlighting the film’s attention and respect for minority groups, triggering resonance among the core audience.

At the same time, the project proposal also planned specific promotional channels.

In mass media, film review articles would be placed in mainstream newspapers such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and promoted in entertainment programs on television stations such as NBC and ABC.

In social media, it would utilize the platform advantages of Facebook to launch topic discussions such as "#EternalLove," encouraging audiences to share their own love stories and expand the film’s influence.

Also, for the gay community, special press conferences would be held in gay gathering places in New York and Los Angeles, inviting opinion leaders in the LGBT field to watch the film, while placing special reports in gay magazines such as Out and Advocate to ensure the attention of the core audience.

The most important point is the build-up at international film festivals.

The project proposal clearly pointed out that the film would prioritize registration for top international film festivals such as the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, striving to obtain nominations for the main competition section.

Through the exposure of film festivals, it could not only enhance the film’s artistic reputation but also attract the attention of global media, creating momentum for the official North American release.

If it could win awards at film festivals, it would be more conducive to the film’s distribution and the Oscar sprint.

Ang Lee and Kevin were more and more surprised and impressed as they read.

They did not expect that Irene would have already formulated such a detailed and precise promotion strategy even before the film script was fully completed, and even considered the Oscar sprint.

Especially when thinking of the huge influence of Facebook in the global network market, as well as the resources and connections accumulated by Future World Pictures in the field of commercial films, they suddenly felt that Irene’s plans were not just empty talk.

"Irene, you are truly a master of the film market." Ang Lee closed the project proposal, his tone full of admiration.

"These strategies are so precise. They not only consider the artistic value of the film but also take into account market acceptance, perfectly balancing risk and return. With such a promotion plan, my confidence in this film has greatly increased."

Kevin also nodded. "That is right, Irene. Before, what we were most worried about was the controversy of the subject matter and the limitations of the screening range, but your strategy has solved these problems very well.

A phased release can allow the film to be accepted by the market step by step, dual-audience marketing can broaden the audience while taking into account the core group, and combined with the build-up of international film festivals, it seems that the probability of success for this film is indeed very high."