The press on this doc is astounding. A case study for anyone going into public relations or marketing.
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Showing posts with label Bully. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bully. Show all posts
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Watch 'Bully' Q&A with Director Lee Hirsch Live from Town Hall NYC Today at 3pm EST
Also participating will be Ellen McHugh from Parents to Parents USA (P2P USA), and Sheldon Horowitz from NCLD.
Watch below or here
Watch below or here
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Harvey Weinstein Scores Another Pass for 'Bully' -- Kids can get in with a Note From Their Parents
This is doubly noteworthy as TWC will release 'Bully' as an unrated film, which theaters treat as if the movie carried an NC-17 rating, which means no one under 17 is allowed with or without an (accompanying) adult.
From Variety:
Theater chains are taking sides in the "Bully"-rating showdown: Second-largest exhib AMC will allow minors into theaters with parental permission, while No. 3 chain Cinemark says it won't show the unrated pic unless the Weinstein Co. submits an R-rated version.
AMC is essentially treating "Bully" as an R-rated film, but with one key difference: Under-17 moviegoers need a written note, though it will also accept verbal permission (mom on the other end of a teen's cell phone, for example). Exhib also will provide permission slips on its web site and at the box office.
It'll be interesting to see who blinks re: the Cinemark dictate. Right now, though, the MPAA looks like chumps.
Weinstein is a maestro.
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Harvey Weinstein Scores Free Ad Space for 'Bully'
This from the press release:
NEW YORK, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The MPAA's decision to give the highly-anticipated documentary film "Bully" (in select theaters March 30, 2012) an R rating sparked a national movement with support from major film stars, legal counsel, students, theater owners, Members of Congress, activists, journalists and corporations. Beginning March 27th, a number of publications will donate prime advertising space to "Bully," lending their valued real estate to the cause. These pro bono advertisements, lasting until April 15th, will exceed 100 million impressions.
Social Vibe, AOL, Entertainment Weekly, Fandango, HitFix, The Huffington Post, IMDb, Maker Studios, Mediaite, Movie Tickets, MSN, New York Magazine, Rotten Tomatoes, Queerty, SocialTyze, Vulture, and WeeWorld and have all signed on to volunteer advertising space promoting the film and its social action campaign.
"As the leader in engagement marketing, SocialVibe is proud to provide free media to draw attention to Bully," said Alex Van Camp of SocialVibe. "SocialVibe's engagement model creates a meaningful impact, and we hope that positive actions to stop bullying will result from this film."
"The outpouring of support for this film is unlike anything I have seen before," said Bladimiar Norman, Senior Vice President of Marketing at The Weinstein Company. "'Bully' and the social action campaign, The Bully Project, are very personal to The Weinstein Company and I am incredibly honored by the generosity of these websites. We faced challenges from the MPAA to restrict the audience of a documentary that has the ability to change lives. These influential sites will help to promote this film simply because they know the urgency of the issue and, like us, they care deeply about the lives impacted by bullying."
Obviously, the material has struck a nerve. However, you can't help wonder how hot this doc would be if it had eased into a PG-13 rating in the first place.
Way to go Harvey. Hats off. Brilliant campaign.
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Monday, March 12, 2012
'Bully' R-Rating War with MPAA
Harvey Weinstein may get his way. The MPAA is getting it from all sides. There's Katy Butler's petition which, to date, has 284,000 signatures. If you haven't read it, here's a clip:
I just heard that the Motion Picture Association of America has given an “R” rating to “Bully” -- a new film coming out soon that documents the epidemic of bullying in American schools. Because of the R rating, most kids won’t get to see this film. No one under 17 will be allowed to see the movie, and the film won’t be allowed to be screened in American middle schools or high schools.
I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change -- and, in some cases, save -- their lives. According to the film’s website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year alone. Think of how many of these kids could benefit from seeing this film, especially if it is shown in schools?
Yesterday, representative Mike Honda (D-CA) posted an open letter to the association. Here's a bit:
We are writing to express our sincere disappointment in the Motion Picture Association of America’s decision to issue an R-rating for the soon-to-be-released documentary Bully. This important project shows the real life anguish of many teenagers in this country who are tormented, harassed, and bullied by their peers. This truth should be shared with as wide an audience as is appropriate and possible. We believe an R-rating excludes the very audience for whom this film is desperately important.
In regard to the numerous f-bombs cited by the MPAA as basis for the R-rating:
The language in the film is a reflection of reality in our schools, on our buses, and online – something these kids experience every single day. It’s not sensationalized “adult content” as your rating suggests and is oftentimes an active part of bullying itself. This depiction is honest, and although striking at times, we should not censor reality. The educational benefit of this documentary, possibly life-saving, appears to clearly outweigh the utterances of profanity.
Can't argue with that. It's not like f-bombs were included for dramatic impact by a screenwriter.
Here's coverage from MSNBC featuring an interview with director Lee Hirsch.
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