Film Marketing Academy Podcast

In this extract from ‘Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast’ Pascal Fintoni and co-host Roger Edwards relive their favourite moments from this 1993 action comedy written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. They do find some time to talk about the marketing too! 'True Romance' is one of those movies praised for creating that unique ripple effect amongst film fans and film critics ali...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards cannot quite believe their luck, they get to talk about role-playing games, fantasy stories and film marketing at the same time! We plunge and delve into the immersive marketing campaign of 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves' the long awaited fantasy epic with an interesting challenge: there are two audiences. Can the marketing campaign (and indeed the fil...

"His crime wasn't stealing time. He was giving it away." This great sci-fi thriller by Andrew Niccol and starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy is often over-looked, and wrongly so. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards take an in-depth look at two versions of the trailer for this time twisting film and wonder whether the original trailer may have left audiences confused and underw...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards continue their extensive study of the marketing campaign for the most anticipated (and expensive) TV series. In part 1, we looked at the many elements of the brilliant teaser campaign and we are now discussing how the producers and marketers kept building the anticipation, dealt with naysayers and engaged with the fan base. This conversation was recorded on the 1st...

"The search for our beginning could lead to our end." This is what sci-fi movies are meant to be! We're transported into a completely different world, and we praise the work of the costume designers, sets and vehicles, creature effects, sound effects engineers and that amazing soundtrack. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards also spend time reporting back on the incredible marketing campaign which cre...

In this extract from 'Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast' we celebrate the 25th anniversary of 'The Fifth Element' directed by Luc Besson. This is a fun, family science fiction film incorporating the feel of Blade Runner and Metropolis with the offbeat humour and visuals of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards share stories about the making and the marketing campai...

"There is a reason they woke up." This 2016 sci-fi and psychological thriller directer by Morten Tyldum and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt and Michael Sheen is a spectacular looking film with incredible design and a thought provoking storyline led by two popular bankable stars. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards look at the marketing and influencer campaign, discover hidden messages in the...

"A grand journey is defined by its travelers." Amazon bought the television rights for The Lord of the Rings for US$250 million in November 2017, making a five-season production commitment worth at least US$1 billion. This would make it the most expensive television series ever made.  Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards study the first six months of the extensive, worldwide marketing campaign fo...

"Everybody Runs" What an absolutely captivating movie – now over 20 years old – this is a masterclass in near-future storytelling by director Steven Spielberg. It shows how intrusive surveillance could become, how personalised ads could be used and paints a scary picture about privacy. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards discuss how many of the film's predictions have come true and some of the market...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards celebrate #20YearsOfMovieMagic by reviewing the first Harry Potter film and take a close look at the marketing campaign which successfully used scarcity (partially due to the need to protect the young actors) to increase interest in the movie. This conversation was originally recorded for episode 61 of 'Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast'. -- About the Film Marketin...

In a first for Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards, they talk about a film that was yet to be released and before the marketing campaign had even started.  This was prompted by two key events: A trailer shown at CinemaCon in August 2021 caused global debate on forums and countless speculation videos about Matrix 4.  The official trailer dropped the day before we recorded this episode, and w...

This is a great addition to the time-travel sub-genre, a stunning alien invasion summer action movie released straight onto Amazon Prime in 2021. Arguably the marketing campaign was rather US-centric, however the ingenuity of the social media posts, the partnership with media and consumer goods brands, and the PR stunts were very creative and generated much buzz and anticipation. Pascal Fintoni an...

This is a trip down memory lane for Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards as they explore the marketing of the ninth version of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' based on the book series by Douglas Adams. From screen releases to DVD boxsets, we look at the extended universe created by the producers and fans alike including an award winning trailer, audio guides on iTunes, official website, soundtr...

Was this really the first Marvel movie? 10 years before Iron Man and 20 years before Black Panther?  Released in 1998 'Blade' is an exhilarating mix of vampires, science fiction and martial arts starring Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff, N’Bushe Wright and a horde blood sucking immortals. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards recount the making and marketing of this thrill a minute...

This film was quite simply a cinematic triumph in 1999 as the world entered the new Millennium.  'The Matrix' won 4 Oscars, grossed over $463 million on a budget of $63 million, and was the first DVD to sell over 3 million copies. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards look back at their experience of seeing 'The Matrix' for the first time, the unforgettable slow motion fight sequences, the outfits...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards go for a deep-dive into the marketing assets and tactics used to promote Harrison Ford return to the role of Deckard. This sequel to the 1982 Sci-Fi classic was directed by Denis Villeneuve and released in 2017. 'Blade Runner 2049' is just as visually stunning as the first movie (set in 2019) and some of the marketing assets are outstanding and simple. But does the...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards have great fun talking about the making and marketing of the sequel we never knew we needed! 'Mad Max: Fury Road' has a fascinating development history dated back to 1997 and the marketing campaign is just as intriguing, from impactful teasers to PR stunts such as a drive-in screening, dusty car-wash competition and Warboys surprise concerts, it is all a bit mad! T...

We return to the Star Wars universe to reflect on the UK launch of 'The Mandalorian' Season 1 on Disney+ in Spring 2020. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards ask whether a TV series is succeeding where the third trilogy failed, to re-engage the original fans whilst appealing to new audiences.  It is fascinating to listen back to this episode originally recorded for episode 22 of 'Two Geeks And A...

Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards explore the making and marketing of 'The Martian' directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon with an incredible ensemble cast. Highlights include attention grabbing PR tactics in collaboration with NASA, a VR experience and an immersive pre-launch marketing phase which included video logs created by each actor – completely in character! This discussion was re...

Join us to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the iconic movie Flash Gordon as well as the release of the 4K Blu-Ray 5 Discs Box set, in this extract from ‘Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast’. Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards look back at their favourite moments, the sometimes wacky set design, the songs from Queen and the challenge of marketing to a global audience a movie that is quintessentially...

At the time heralded as the movie that will get audiences back to the theatres, Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards review the marketing of the time travel film ‘Tenet’ released in the Summer of 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic. It is fascinating to look back and ask the question: how did audiences respond? This conversation was recorded for episode 7 of 'Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast' as...

“ONCE YOU GO DOWN A ROAD, YOU TAKE IT THROUGH TO THE END.”  – Peter Jackson And to the end that road was taken, all the way to the 76th Academy Awards where Peter Jackson and the cast and crew won all eleven awards for which The Return Of The King was nominated, including Best Picture. Some 20 years later, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy remains a captivating lesson in filmmaking as well a...

"They say there’s nothing new under the sun. But under the ground... " Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards have a lot of fun talking about the making and marketing of the most beloved horror comedy of the 1990's. We celebrate the hard-work and dedication of the cast and crew and in particular how they held their ground when distributors seemingly struggled to understand how to market 'Tremors'....

"Wonderful surprises await you all." Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards dissect the marketing campaign for this gripping and unique thriller from teaser posters to quirky social media posts. Did 'The Menu' deserve more promotion somehow? Did the trailers give too much away or not enough? Could there have been more links with other food brands?  Answers to these questions and more in this conver...

"This is Laurie Strode’s last stand." In this extract from 'Two Geeks And A Marketing Podcast', Pascal Fintoni and Roger Edwards take an extensive look at the character driven marketing campaign for the last Halloween Movie. This is a bitter-sweet film marketing review as we say good-bye to Laurie Strode first introduced to a worldwide audience in 1978. The sense of nostalgia is palpable in all el...