in all (Earnest, 1985). The market for films is characterized by quick entry and equally rapid exit and the majority of the box office gross must be made early given that box office take drops off 15 to 20 percent after the first week of release (even for a great film). A film made at a cost of $15 million must make at least $37.5 million at the box office to break even.
Filmmakers must also time release of a picture appropriately to generate maximum market penetration and sales. Earnest (1985) noted that seasons for release are associated with specific market demographics. For example, summer months represent the period when the greatest segment of the movie-going public, teens and college students, are out of school and likely to attend a film; films released during this three-month window enjoy the greatest opportunity for maximization of box office potential.
Another important characteristic shaping box office success, according to Earnest (1985), is genre. Movies are not like established consumer and industrial products in that there are no cinematic "brand leaders." One might argue that established serials, like the Star Wars films, may constitute a sort of cinematic "brand." One can also speculate that certain films, such as Disney's and its partners' animated films, also represent popular "brands" that are greeted with a somewhat predictable level of enthusiasm by audiences.
However, Earnest (1985) emphasized the fact that the very concept of a "branded" product does not seem suitable for the film industry, in which marketing and advertising must be done anew for each and every film produced and released for general audiences. Consequently, contemporary filmmakers "must plan a release schedule, arrange media buys to impact against a defined target audienceàand finalize an advertising and marketing strategy that will maximize awareness and attract moviegoers." It is this set of criteria that will be discussed ...