Meta-Movies Here to Stay?

 

While many have justly pegged a good deal of Cloverfield‘s success is taken straight from the Blair Witch marketing handbook, the fact remains that Web 2.0 helped matters accelerate more so than the first time around. What this translates into is that while there were multiple sites and Facebook entries, nobody was trying to blur the line between fiction and reality the way that Blair Witch did. Everyone was in on the fact that this was a movie and readily jumped through Internet hoops in hopes of uncovering more about it. The producers used this to their advantage by creating their own parallel universe to unleash a mythos and tell the story from many viewpoints, both leading up to and including the events of the film. It gave the film extra depth (especially concerning the characters) and explained some of the things that may have been confusing (intentionally or unintentionally) due to the filming style. (My favorite is the updated Facebook profile of one of the characters that ends up being partially eaten by the monster. His height has been revised to 2ft., 6in.)This totally works with the audience demographic for this kind of film. They are Internet-savy and eager to participate, perhaps hoping to somewhat shape the vision of the film in the process. (Not sure if I’m crazy about that really. It’s like instant audience surveys and you haven’t even had a chance to finish the film yet.)

The really interesting thing is that this kind of marketing strategy is not just being used to try to pump up numbers on a low-budget, high-concept film. The Dark Knight is employing the same sort of marketing intelligence to engage their targets early on. Again, it’s amazing to see willing consumer interaction with the ongoing marketing of a filmed product. The only drawback is that Heath Ledger’s Joker was at the center of this particular marketing experience. His untimely death certainly puts the WB in a bind. (But not a terrible one. The Crow had a similar problem and used it to their distinct advantage.)

Is this a trend you see continuing? Does it engage you personally? Is this value-added entertainment, or just a shill to get you into the theatre and perhaps to buy some peripheral products?