5 crucial keys a movie blockbuster
Reveals about creating “happening” audio products
I don’t know if you follow the weekly movie box office. Because I live in LA, its an obligation. (If you don’t, they kick you out . . . just kidding).
Anyway, I was absolutely stunned with the recent record take of the new release “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” -- almost $170 million in less than a week.
But what it goes to show us as product creators is deep down, you never know what’s going to take off. Because I didn’t see this one coming. (And I'm not alone).Look at everything Pirates did NOT have going for it:
- Didn’t star Tom Cruise
- Wasn’t directed by Stephen Spielberg
- Wasn’t a science fiction epic
- Wasn’t based on a comic book or video game
- Wasn’t a visual effects extravaganza
- No car chase scenes
- Was released right on the heals of the Superman Returns the most hyped film of the summer.
- Was released immediately AFTER the busy July 4 weekend
And yet it still set a record. Even though it didn’t comply with a lot of the formulas. Sure, as a sequel to a popular movie, it was going to make money . . . but the biggest opening of all time? (I’m not the only one scratching my head on this one).
However, if you’re looking to create a successful audio product – and if you’re reading this, I bet that’s true -- you should be sitting forward in your chair. You’re probably not going to make $170 million. But here are a few things you can learn from “Pirates” success that are just as important:
- Make audio a habit
The more you create, the more chances you have of creating a hit. The studio that produced Pirates has a lot of other irons in the fire. Some hit. Some don’t. But they’ve always got something coming out. Something that just might succeed in a huge way.
If you want to create success, make your audio products a habit. Continually improve existing products. Continually develop new ones. Learn from you successes and your failures so you can create more of the former and less of the latter. - Treat everything like its got a chance
When something does take off, the worst thing you can do is be unprepared. The only thing more painful than a failure is the profits you miss out on when you don’t capitalize on a surprise success. I’m sure Pirates had a lot of side deals in place . . . merchandizing, books, promotional tie-ins . . . and of course, yet another sequel.
Be able to channel the success from one product, into future success. Capture email addresses, offer upsells and cross-sells to other products you offer. But be prepared. Or you’ll never live it down. - Realize the misses don’t mean you did everything wrong
Many audio product creators give up after their first product doesn’t land them on Oprah. But misses are part of the game. The best career batting average in the history of baseball comes with a 65% failure rate. Disappointing results are part of the game. If you’re willing to accept that, you can also accept when your own version of “Pirates” strikes gold. - Realize the hits don’t mean you did everything right
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is getting lost in the fantasy of success. Even after it happens. Just as you shouldn’t take failures to heart, you shouldn’t let success inflate your ego. Because you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Even megastars have flops. George Lucas followed his Star Wars extravaganza with “Howard the Duck”. Need I say more?
Resolve to make every product better than the last. Learn from success and apply its lessons to everything you do. - Get in the game
You can’t win if you’re not playing. There is never a ‘right time’. There are no guarantees. And it always seems to take longer than you’d like. Be thankful for all these because they're the excuses that keep 98% of your competitors from ever creating a product.
Start simply, and make product creation a habit, regardless of the success or failure of your first effort. Once you begin creating products, always have new projects in development, just like a movie studio. When you keep churning out great products consistently, and combine them with a sound, targeted marketing strategy, you’re bound to have enough success to make it well worth your while.
