Avatar has been exhibited to attract the UK audience in many different ways, by showing the film in many different places and different ways, for example general release, re-release, DVD, blu-ray, and 3D. 20th Century Fox - the distributors of Avatar - have planned everything accordingly to reach it's largest audience and target it's widest reach.
Avatar targets people of all ages, from '8-80' according to Cameron, with a core audience of teenagers and young men and women. So by Fox releasing the films - both release and re-release - during the holiday seasons, this meant that many people could watch the films, especially with friends or with families.
The fact that Fox decided to release the film within December 16th-18th meant that not only everyone could go see it during the Christmas holidays, but also that a lot of hype could be produced during these three short days all over the world. The height of the hype for the film had also been created the week before, with it's premiere in Leicester Square, London, on the 10th, (which was later followed by it's premiere in Los Angeles on the 16th.)
Fox also ensured a saturated release, with Avatar showing in 503 cinemas in the first week and 485 in the second in the UK, meaning that many people could go watch the film. And as the film was released in Decemeber, and not in May which it was originally scheduled for, this meant that these 503 cinemas could install 3D projectors. So by releasing the film later, this was mutually beneficial, as Avatar could get more viewings and box office sales, and cinemas could sell more tickets. In fact, Cineworld had said that after Avatar and other 3D movies released, box office takings went up by 14.6%.
As Avatar was released on Thursday 17th December 2009, this meant that many people could watch the film as soon as possible, in that opening weekend. The opening weekend box office sales were a massive £8,509,050, beating out films such as St. Trinians 2, A Christmas Carol and Nativity, showing that the release strategy was well done and well thought out. Even the next weekend, Avatar was still at the top of the box office, generating £5,904, 479, and beating out films such as Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks 2.
However, it was not only the general release of the film which helped to reach and target the audience, but the re-release too. Avatar: Special Edition again took in quite a lot of gross profit due to many people wanting to rewatch the film and experience the 8 extra minutes of Pandora, and by Fox releasing this during the end of the summer holidays, many people could do so.
New technologies such as DVD and blu-ray discs also helped to reach and target more of the audience too, with the release of the DVD itself, and special collector's editions too. With extra bonus features, different cuts of the films and documentaries, this helped to target the audience, especially large fans of the film. This is because fans of the film are keen to find out about the production and behind the scenes of the film, meaning that they will buy the DVD/blu-ray edition, meaning more reach and profits for Fox and Lightstorm.
And due to vertical integration, the DVDs/blu-ray discs were distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, who have a large experience in when to distribute films out to the audience.
The DVD was released on April 22, 2010, coinciding with Earth Day. This was to raise awareness of environmental issues, and this in turn helped to promote and further advertise the film, as Earth Day is a positive cause which links with the film, and is something Cameron cared a lot about.
And the even newer technology of 3D TVs and 3D DVDs/Blu-Rays will also help to reach more of the target audience, when Avatar comes out in 3D DVD. This will help to reach more people as the audience enjoy watching films from the comfort of their own homes, and they can get the 3D immersive experience like in the cinemas. However, the 3D editions have not been released yet, and this is because Fox are waiting for more 3D TVs to be sold in the market, meaning more people are likely to buy the 3D DVD/Blu-Ray disc. Plus, the fact that it's still not released yet meant that people were forced to go back to the cinemas to watch the special edition if they still wanted that 3D immersive experience.
This profileration in hardware of 3D technology also meant that piracy was harder, as it's really difficult to film 3D films. However, although Avatar is 3D, it still managed to be the most downloaded film of 2010. But still, although it was downloaded illegally by many people, many people still went to watch it in the cinema as they actually wanted to experience the wonder of the specacular 3D, meaning that Avatar still remains the top grossing film ever.
The DVD was released on April 22, 2010, coinciding with Earth Day. This was to raise awareness of environmental issues, and this in turn helped to promote and further advertise the film, as Earth Day is a positive cause which links with the film, and is something Cameron cared a lot about.
And the even newer technology of 3D TVs and 3D DVDs/Blu-Rays will also help to reach more of the target audience, when Avatar comes out in 3D DVD. This will help to reach more people as the audience enjoy watching films from the comfort of their own homes, and they can get the 3D immersive experience like in the cinemas. However, the 3D editions have not been released yet, and this is because Fox are waiting for more 3D TVs to be sold in the market, meaning more people are likely to buy the 3D DVD/Blu-Ray disc. Plus, the fact that it's still not released yet meant that people were forced to go back to the cinemas to watch the special edition if they still wanted that 3D immersive experience.
This profileration in hardware of 3D technology also meant that piracy was harder, as it's really difficult to film 3D films. However, although Avatar is 3D, it still managed to be the most downloaded film of 2010. But still, although it was downloaded illegally by many people, many people still went to watch it in the cinema as they actually wanted to experience the wonder of the specacular 3D, meaning that Avatar still remains the top grossing film ever.
Finally, technologically convereged media such as Sky Plus is now allowing us to watch the film. On Christmas Eve this year, Sky Movies and Sky 3D are going to be premiering the film on TV for the first time, in both 2D and 3D. This is again allowing for a larger reach, and the fact that it is being released on Christmas Eve means that many people will watch it - after all, Christmas is usually a time where family comes together, and many families tend to watch films together from the comfort of their own homes.
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