Finding Nemo was created by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios as the most recent in a string of successful films created by this partnership (Catch the funà, 2003). The film follows the comedic and adventurous journeys of two fish û Marlin and his son, Nemo û who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Along with a companion named Dory (who is friendly, helpful and forgetful), Marlin sets out on a dangerous trek to find his son, becoming a hero in the process. In this report, Finding Nemo will be analyzed with respect to its box office appeal and success.
The report will drawn upon concepts and criteria advanced by Olen J. Earnest (1985), who has suggested that some huge box office filmsû i.e., audience and financial success stories û are not easily visualized from the written word as potential blockbusters, a combination of marketing, advertising, and promotional activities conducted before and during release of the film can foster critical and financial success alike.
Judging box office success for any film requires an understanding of the conditions that must be met to claim such success. Earnest (1985, p. 3) noted that "A motion picture is a rather unique product confronted with unique marketing problems." Motion pictures are essentially luxury products rather than necessities; consequently, audiences must be motivated to spend their funds on viewing a film (and, later, on purchasing a video copy for a home library). Luxury products must be marketed successfully, which requires identification of audience tastes and the audience segments most likely to respond to a film. As an impulse buy, a film most be positioned via advertising and marketing mixes to appeal to a potential moviegoer more than alternative offerings available at competitive price points and with similar ease of access (Earnest, 1985).
Additionally, most films have a relatively short "shelf life," averaging about six weeks ...