Negative bloggers vs Hollywood movie releases
I wanted to share this with you looking back at Comic Con and the recent news about Warner Bros limiting their 48fps release of 'The Hobbit.
Something dawned on me, and it goes back to July when Peter Jackson spoke with the LA Times about how they chose to screen a 2D version at Comic-Con. This was done to avoid the technical arguments that would ensue and for the focus to remain on the film.
It's interesting that Jackson said that the "..negative bloggers are the ones the mainstream press runs with and quotes from." That statement surely indirectly reflects Warner Bros decision to downplay the 3D version in 48fps because of the negative feedback from bloggers, and techies who felt that it was "uncinematic" and a bad format. It's never going to be easy to change the format of a film that has been the fabric of our industry since the 1930s, but that fear of change, and the idea that the film doesn't look good, is not necessarily the viewpoint of a wide majority.
This brings me to my second point: Is it really the case, that a Hollywood studio is going to change the course of its entire release strategy because the press are likely to quote the negative comments of a few highly connected bloggers?
Bloggers have an advantage over mainstream media in that they are far more flexible to say what's on their mind. There's no real 'editorial strategy' for most indie bloggers, and opinion goes any way, but perhaps what Jackson meant actually highlighted the fact that studios had to be aware that these extremely negative responses to the new format were going to be widely re-hashed and re-discussed. The wider media does rely to a certain degree on first-hand reporting, and the bloggers who have that special niche, and respect can really put that message out to the fan bases of these movies. These are the people that attend the events and see the films in question.
Will 'The Hobbit' be the first major release to be influenced by the opinions of film bloggers? It's a major milestone and a significant statement if it is the case.
