The Modern Blockbuster: Why It Takes More Than a Big Budget to Be Successful

Money, the root of all evil or the solution to all your problems. Generally speaking, the more funds, the better, as it is widely believed it can solve anything. Honestly, that is a strong argument these days. Student loans? Throw money at it. Don’t like the way you look? Throw money at it. Standing down the path from a charging grizzly bear? Throw money at it — a lot and quickly (please do not attempt).

Consider the film you just saw at the theater or on your go-to stream. While it may have been entertaining, the main purpose of that film is to turn a profit. Some major studio invested a ton of money in actors, visual effects, a soundtrack, writing, and much more in hopes of a lucrative return. Marketing and distribution usually equal the production budget, meaning a $100 million production needs another $100 million to sell. There may even be additional costs for showing the film in international markets and unforeseen setbacks. As the years go on and inflation rises, all these costs will continue to grow. It may seem that investing more money will result in a bigger return -- this strategy has certainly worked for The Avengers and Avatar. However, the following proves that is not always the case.

Cats vs. the Avengers

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Universal Pictures

If you were one of the poor souls to witness the atrocity known as Cats (2019), you then know firsthand that $100 million for production and marketing can go oh so very wrong. Low-quality, disturbingly Uncanny Valley-inducing CGI molded with James Corden are things you would never expect to see on the big screen. Despite having major A-listers attached like Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, and Les Misérables (2012) director Tom Hooper, Cats bombed and left Universal Studios with a $71 million deficit and a film that continues to anger millions of Americans to this day.

On the other end of the spectrum, the last two installments of the incredibly successful Avengers saga sported $500 million price tags in production costs, according to Director Joe Russo. This resulted in a combined box office grab of nearly $5 billion. More importantly, their immense success helps sell theme park tickets, video games, prequels, sequels, spinoffs, and more.

You may be asking yourself, what if Cats spent $500 million? Would there be a Cats: Endgame adaptation? Would we see a Mister Mistoffelees roller coaster at Universal Studios in Orlando? Perhaps a Jellicle Cat Fortnite skin? All these things may have been possible, but without a strong fan base and solid marketing like the Marvel Universe, they are investments incapable of any worthwhile return.

Accounting for Every Dime Spent

Sony Pictures Releasing

According to Forbes, Robert Downey Jr. was paid a $20 million salary, and his co-stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Scarlett Johansson were each paid $15 million. Now what exactly Disney spent the rest of the money on is unknown outside of estimation, as film studios do not share their budgets with the public.

However, hackers allegedly tied to the North Korean government leaked an immense amount of Sony Picture’s data, which is now immortalized across the internet. Among the data was the entire 210-page itemized $44 million budget for The Interview (2014), a controversial film that depicts the death of North Korean President Kim Jong-un at the hands of James Franco and Seth Rogen.

Like all major films, The Interview has two main budgeting categories: above-the-line and below-the-line. Above-the-line costs are for your essential components usually spent before production commences: writers, directors, main actors, and producers. Below-the-line costs are for the crew, minor actors, catering, transportation, sound, lighting, etc. It matters where it is filmed, too. Often you will see a film based in Europe filmed in the United States. This is mainly to avoid massive transportation costs and tax incentives. Certain areas of the United States and the world offer tax incentives for major productions as they generate jobs and interest at the filming location.

Of course, Rogen and Franco did not film on location in North Korea but instead opted for Vancouver, where they benefited from said generous tax incentives. The budget shows who was paid and for what. James Franco was paid a $6.5 million salary, and Randall Park, who played the dictator, was only paid a $100,000 salary. Perhaps more interesting, the livelihoods of everyone involved during the production are also included, from their accommodations to their food, transportation, storage for their equipment, repairs, and everything else. Even the chickens and the lizards used in background shots have their food and accommodations accounted for.

Furthermore, in one scene, real tigers were used, and because tigers are not known natural-born actors, two similar-looking tigers were hired to take the place of one another should the situation arise. The tigers have trainers and veterinarians, all of which need their own accommodations, transport, food and pay.

To make things more complicated, the tiger is killed in the movie via drone attack, and because you cannot just kill cast members (humans or otherwise), a stand-in was required. In this case, it was an animatronic tiger. That means an animatronic team was hired, and their accommodations, transport, food, and pay are now a part of the budget for a scene about 30 seconds long. This is the big reason why many companies opt for CGI, as it is considerably cheaper and less of a headache in a process already ripe with stress.

The Keys to a Successful Film

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Universal Pictures

Regardless of the amount of money put into a movie, factors like agency, timing, and keen marketing are what will dictate success. That is why Avengers: Endgame did so much better than Cats. Fans were frothing for Endgame, camping outside theaters for the release, and surely would do the same for another installment. No one, however, asked for Cats. So when you see another Marvel Universe or Jurassic Park movie in production, know that even if you are burnt out from seeing Chris Pratt in literally everything, those studios still make tons of cash.

Filmmaking is an art, and selling a film to consumers requires more than just throwing money at it, as there are indeed things money cannot buy. Being successful in today's film industry requires proper budgeting, but more importantly, it requires a team like the Avengers. A team that is wise, passionate, resourceful, creative, and resilient will have the highest chances of success. Without these, a production can be doomed, and their gross Thanos-snapped away on the first weekend at the box office.

The Modern Blockbuster: Why It Takes More Than a Big Budget to Be Successful 2022-08-01T05:20:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Fortnite Bux