Elemental (Pixar - June 2023)

[BlakeW39]

I thought there was no advertising for Elemental?

I don't know really what you mean— it feels like I've seen a good amount of marketing for it personally, at least compared to other recent Pixar films. Outside Lightyear maybe...but we know how that went

 

[MisterPenguin]

I don't know really what you mean— it feels like I've seen a good amount of marketing for it personally, at least compared to other recent Pixar films. Outside Lightyear maybe...but we know how that went

What marketing?

Like I said above. Elemental is in the Disney killing fields. Were is the marketing for this? One billboard near Disneyland that had Strange World on it won't cut it.

Where is all this media marketing for Elemental? It's all hands on deck for TLM while over at Pixar marketing went on vacation.

Elemental (6/16, which has had virtually no advertising yet and probably has terrible awareness), then ramp up for Indy 5 (6/30, and has already had a ton more marketing as compared to Elemental.

I've seen more for Wish than Elemental and it's five months later.

So the biggest media company in the world can't hire marketing people because of budget cuts? Disney is so doomed for a corporate takeover.

Yet no significant marketing still for Elemental.

I had high hopes that it could be fun after I heard it was Catherine O'Hara voicing the mom in a Pixar version of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?. Prior to learning that I didn't really care, and I still haven't seen any advertising for it.

 

[BlakeW39]

What marketing?

are you done?

a simple "you're wrong" would suffice, seeing as I'm a complete layman who doesn't keep up with the actual marketing specifics of films like this. I'm not seeing any of them, so why bother.?

personally it feels like I've seen a good deal of marketing for the film. anecdotally, I have seen multiple trailers and advertisements, on this website as well I believe. That isn't necessarily reflective of broader marketing strategies/investment though so I might just be unusual in that respect, or I might just be mistaken altogether.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well from what I hear the studio gets 60% of the profits the 1st week, 55% the 2nd week and then 50% for all weeks after the third week…most movies make most of their money in the first 2 weeks…

That is DOMESTIC only. Internationally, it's closer to 40% and China even less. The global average is close to 50%.

which is why they say 2.5 times the films costs roughly

No, that has nothing to do with why they say 2.5 times. They say 2.5 times the production budget because we usually don't know the marketing budget. In this case, we DO know the marketing budget.

2 * (Production + Marketing) or;
2.5 * (Production only) when Marketing is unknown

 

[doctornick]

There are people who want Disney to go back to what it was doing before and believe that rooting for it to fail will make that happen. They are fans of Disney the way it used to be - but not the way it is now.

But isn't Elemental characteristic of the "what it was doing before" that we want Disney to aspire for?

 

[Ghost93]

I wouldn't call myself a fan of modern Disney or Classic Disney. I'm a fan of good movies, and I think throughout the Disney company's 100-year history they've made several classics and several unwatchable pieces of garbage. I think people tend to only remember old Disney as producing classics because the bad movies tend to be swept under the rug and fade from memory.

In the past five years, I've enjoyed Encanto, Raya, Soul, Luca, Turning Red, Jungle Cruise and about half of the Marvel movies. Despite missing the entire point of the character, Cruella was also rather fun due to Emma Thompson and Emma Stone's acting.

But in the past five years, I've also disliked Rise of Skywalker (the worst Star Wars film of all time), about half of the Marvel movies/shows, most of the live-action remakes, Hocus Pocus 2, Disenchanted and Strange World. I have mixed feelings on Lightyear as I don't think it's a bad film from an artistic perspective, but I also think it totally misses the appeal of the original character and was a misfire in terms of giving fans what they want.

I'm rooting for Elemental because I feel Pixar's original movies are one of the areas I feel "modern Disney" has mostly succeeded. I understand others may feel differently.

 

[spacemt354]

are you done?

a simple "you're wrong" would suffice, seeing as I'm a complete layman who doesn't keep up with the actual marketing specifics of films like this. I'm not seeing any of them, so why bother.?

personally it feels like I've seen a good deal of marketing for the film. anecdotally, I have seen multiple trailers and advertisements, on this website as well I believe. That isn't necessarily reflective of broader marketing strategies/investment though so I might just be unusual in that respect, or I might just be mistaken altogether.

I saw plenty of Elemental marketing during the NBA finals. And even a few interstate billboards. This is a film I hope does well to bring life back to Pixar.

 

[BlakeW39]

I saw plenty of Elemental marketing during the NBA finals. And even a few interstate billboards. This is a film I hope does well to bring life back to Pixar.

I guess we'll see, but I have my doubts that any one movie can bring life back to the studio. Soul was good (so was Luca, apparently, although I haven't seen it) but it was directlly succeeded by films like Turning Red and Lightyear.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

This will be an interesting one to follow. The movie is getting a massive marketing blitz. The movie itself, I suspect is fairly conservative, not in a political sense just a simpler premise. It's reminiscent to Blue Sky Studios. Easy concept, likable characters.

Maybe that's the goal!? Keep it light with broad appeal. That is the newer mandate, right? One could read into the whole "get woke, go broke" politics with this being Disney's attempt at a "playing it safe" response. Ridiculous I guess... but this doesn't appear to have the same "edge" as other Pixar properties. And that's OK.

Is the blending of the studios nearing completion?

Look, I'll be watching it. It looks fun enough. Just make it a good popcorn flick. I think Disney has faith in it. It's not meant to be some cerebral experience. it's meant to entertain families and as a bonus push merch. Disney's due a win. This looks good enough to satisfy the masses.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I guess we'll see, but I have my doubts that any one movie can bring life back to the studio. Soul was good (so was Luca, apparently, although I haven't seen it) but it was directlly succeeded by films like Turning Red and Lightyear.

Are you implying that Turning Red didn't get reviews as good as Luca and Soul?

 

[BlakeW39]

Are you implying that Turning Red didn't get reviews as good as Luca and Soul?

yep. general audiences did not like the film as much as they did Luca or Soul.

 

[MisterPenguin]

yep. general audiences did not like the film as much as they did Luca or Soul.

Are you aware that "not as much" does not equal "not as good"?

Within 'good' there is a range: Very good, good, fairly good.

Being five points lower in audience rating does not bump one out of the 'good' category even if it's 'not as good.'

Consider this:

Wall*E was good but it was directly succeeded by a film like Up. ​

Wall*E audience score was 5 points above Up... so... Up wasn't good?

 

[BlakeW39]

Are you aware that "not as much" does not equal "not as good"?

Within 'good' there is a range: Very good, good, fairly good.

Being five points lower in audience rating does not bump one out of the 'good' category even if it's 'not as good.'

Consider this:

Wall*E was good but it was directly succeeded by a film like Up. ​

Wall*E audience score was 5 points above Up... so... Up wasn't good?

I'm aware, lol. Soul was better recieved than Luca, and Luca was better recieved than Turning Red. I never saw Turning Red, nor did I see Luca or Lightyear, so I'm not giving my opinions on those films. Just documenting the reality of the situation. Elemental getting good critical reviews won't significantly change Pixar's predicament. It didn't for Soul and it probably won't do it here either.

 

[TalkingHead]

Heard a non-Disney podcast’s review which was mildly positive. But the most interesting thing was the reviewer’s feeling that it felt like a tired Pixar formula, especially compared to the maximalist newness of Spider-verse. Food for thought.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Heard a non-Disney podcast’s review which was mildly positive. But the most interesting thing was the reviewer’s feeling that it felt like a tired Pixar formula, especially compared to the maximalist newness of Spider-verse. Food for thought.

After watching Spider-verse it's hard not to look at current Disney and Pixar and feel they are underwhelming in comparison.

And it's not just the visual freedom or exciting action in that movie, it had the emotion you'd expect out of top tier Pixar title and the diverse cast of characters Disney wants in their movies now too.

If anything it should be call to action for Disney to go back to their hand drawn roots to differentiate themselves.

 

[LittleBuford]

What if, and some folks here should sit down for this, Elemental does even worse than Lightyear? What then?

The silver lining would be that we could finally abandon the silly notion that a two-second gay kiss is what caused Lightyear to fail.

 

[TsWade2]

Heard a non-Disney podcast’s review which was mildly positive. But the most interesting thing was the reviewer’s feeling that it felt like a tired Pixar formula, especially compared to the maximalist newness of Spider-verse. Food for thought.

I’m worried for Pixar, but I think you made a very interesting point. I mean, after all, Disney is doing a hybrid film with their upcoming film, Wish. I just hope Pixar could step it up a little bit.

 

[Tha Realest]

After watching Spider-verse it's hard not to look at current Disney and Pixar and feel they are underwhelming in comparison.

And it's not just the visual freedom or exciting action in that movie, it had the emotion you'd expect out of top tier Pixar title and the diverse cast of characters Disney wants in their movies now too.

If anything it should be call to action for Disney to go back to their hand drawn roots to differentiate themselves.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse and its sequel were mesmerizing. How many times have you looked at concept or development art for a film (or attraction?) and thought, why couldn’t the movie look and feel more like THAT? So inventive and bold that it felt fully realized from an artistic sense in a way few films have.

(Mitchells vs the Machines had a similar feel)

 

[DKampy]

I'm aware, lol. Soul was better recieved than Luca, and Luca was better recieved than Turning Red. I never saw Turning Red, nor did I see Luca or Lightyear, so I'm not giving my opinions on those films. Just documenting the reality of the situation. Elemental getting good critical reviews won't significantly change Pixar's predicament. It didn't for Soul and it probably won't do it here either.

what predicament was Pixar in before Soul….Soul was the 1st movie to go straight to Disney plus instead of theatrical due to Covid

 

[BlakeW39]

what predicament was Pixar in before Soul….Soul was the 1st movie to go straight to Disney plus instead of theatrical due to Covid

in whatever predicament caused them to release Finding Dory, Cars 3, Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2, Onward and the Good Dinosaur all in a row, with Coco thrown in the middle as a rare throwback gem almost.