A unique type of product reveal meeting takes place when motion picture studios ask us to develop events to help them promote upcoming films. Potential licensees, promotional partners, theater owners, and retail representatives are invited to learn about a new film and the opportunities it presents. Oftentimes the financial success of a franchise hinges upon the studio's ability to close these promotional and licensing deals and to ensure that films and home video releases will be successful. The initial event takes place eighteen months prior to the release of the film, before the first reel has been shot. The bottom line? We have no film footage to show, but we need to get everyone excited nonetheless.

New Line Cinema held an event to herald the upcoming release of The Lord of the Rings on video and DVD, just days after the Academy Awards. The press captured some wonderful interviews of stars on the red carpet as they arrived at the Steven J. Ross Theater on the Warner Bros. lot. The event opened with a dynamic sound and light show, reminding the audience of the many dramatic moments in the film.

Executives representing all aspects of the film’s production reminisced about the highs and lows of the past few years, with entertaining insider stories about how the deals and the development came together. Since Peter Jackson was deep into production on the Two Towers, a videotaped message was screened, allowing Peter to elaborate on the wonderful extras available on the DVD. The event proved to be history in the making, as New Line Cinema rose to a new level of success from The Lord of the Rings, both in theaters and in the Home Video release. •

      For Sony Pictures' eagerly anticipated Spider-Man movie, we constructed a five story high web of steel that was dramatically placed center stage.

A black spider dangled from a single web strand, slowly descending from above as an eerie soundtrack played. As the spider landed on the web and quickly crept from side to side the intensity of the music increased, and the spider became agitated. Suddenly an explosion burst forth and the spider gracefully dropped from the apex of the web, disappearing in the blink of an eye through a trap door in the stage floor. After this intense mood-setter, the director of Spider-Man, Sam Raimi, described his vision for the film and its main characters.

Executives from Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Marvel Comics detailed their business plans for the film, as 3D web-filled on screen imagery supported their comments. A finale reprised the on-stage Spider-Man on his web of steel, providing a beautiful closing tableau with a live singer singing about the heroes in our midst. •

      We've also been asked to stage many licensee events for Warner Bros., including the launch of one of the most successful franchises in history: Harry Potter.

Since this was an update meeting and licensees were already on board for the film, we had a lot of production footage to rely on and developed an elegantly simple event. In addition to 15 minutes of never before seen film footage and production stills, we made the most of what Director™ can do with speaker support media.

The overall design relied upon the dramatic interior environments of the film, deliberately tying it in to the look of the film itself. Within the speaker support images large banners gently wafted in the breezy halls of Hogwarts, and wall sconces seemed to flicker.

Top executives from Warner Bros. described the remarkable efforts being brought to bear behind the film from throughout the WB organization, including the CFO and head of theatrical production. As a result the studio made a strong statement to their business partners, and took a strong leadership role in anticipation of the November 2001 release. •

      Once a year, the studios preview upcoming films for theater owners at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas. After years of intense competition, the one-upmanship that takes place is remarkable. We help several studios put their best foot forward at this all-important event, staging presentations where studio execs, movie producers, directors and stars all discuss the upcoming slate of films.

In recent years, several studios have elected to also hold private preview events on the studio lot to “own” the message and the media. We have also been the production company of choice for these high profile projects, designing the presentation, media, and strategizing to maximize impact.

We have also staged major presentations and promotional galas at other industry events, ranging from ComiCon and LA RoadShow to Licensing Show and MIPCOM. •