Sometimes, a promotional strategy backfires.

Welcome to another discussion piece here at Moviegoing with Bill, where fellow moviegoers are greatly encouraged to comment and engage with one another. A mini-forum and a virtual soapbox. Enjoy!

Dear Moviegoers,

As fulfilling as film criticism has been these past thirteen-plus years, I’ve decided to diversify my skillset a little: 1) I’m taking a Coursera digital marketing program with Google certification, 2) I’ve accepted a local/remote role as a lead generator, and 3) I now have books on movie marketing to give me a peek into that part of the industry.

Not to worry, as I’ll continue with my writing. Always. Maybe even more than before.

But I find it interesting that a particularly embarrassing news item has made the rounds in the movie reviewer circles that cross with my above efforts.

Lionsgate released and then removed a new trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming epic Megalopolis - a film that I’m wildly excited for, and y’all should be too. The video featured incorrect and poorly interpreted review blurbs of other Coppola films from famous critics of decades past, and has resulted in at least one marketer being fired for this “snafu.” It’s speculated and potentially confirmed that the consulting group involved with making the trailer used AI software to source the blurbs, and of course didn’t bother to double-check any original articles. Bleh.

With a possible main career path towards digital movie marketing, and as a film critic of small to modest recognition, this situation is hilarious and terrifying. Hilarious how much trust and how little research was applied to AI by the marketing team behind Coppola’s self-funded movie, and how this technology can cause someone, anyone, to lose their job. Watch your back, and check yourself before you wreck yourself.

So…what IS the future of digital movie marketing, and can AI be used intelligently? Also - do you think that Francis Ford Coppola personally approved the trailer?

I wouldn’t be surprised.

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Sincerely Yours in Moviegoing,

⚜️🍿