4) Where and how is the film being exhibited in the UK?

Avatar was released on 17th December in the UK and on the 18th worldwide.

The film is currently being shown in 471 cinemas out of 650. Being screened in so any cinemas nationwide ensures that Fox are able to broadcast Avatar and reach the most people that they can.


Avatar was made to be a 3D film, but as always with 3D films , they must be also be made to watch in 2D. This means that young children who find 3D films too full on can still watch Avatar. 90% of advance ticket sales for Avatar were in 3D- 3D films are more expensive to watch than in 2D, which means that much more revenue will be brought in for Avatar.. At Vue Cinemas, 3D ticket prices are extra:

James Berardinelli, film critic for ReelViews, praised the film and its story, giving it 4 out of 4 stars he wrote, "In 3D, it's immersive - but the traditional film elements - story, character, editing, theme, emotional resonance, etc. - are presented with sufficient expertise to make even the 2D version an engrossing 2 1/2-hour experience."

I work at Vue in Finchley and on the opening weekend of Avatar, 4 out of the 8 screens were showing the film. All shows from 3pm to around 11:30pm were fully booked, showing how successful it was. As Avatar was released when most schools in the UK had broken up for Christmas, so families and the younger audience would be more likely to watch it.

The IMAX has been the most popular place to watch Avatar. Cameron wanted the film to be a landmark in 3D filming...which it has been. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems. The IMAX experience is so popular that showings of Avatar are already pre-booked for February!

3)How has the film been marketed to ensure it successfully reaches it's target audience?

POSTERS:

• This poster was released in February 2008; very early so that it could gain audience interest. It works to generate hype and secure audience appeal to the film.



• The skin, colours and stars suggest a fantasy/sci-fi genre.



• Lightstorm and 20th Century Fox logos are on the bottom as credits.



• 'From the director of Titanic' also creates interest as most people know Cameron for that film.



• The website is included which will give fans more info on the film and eventually lead to word of mouth.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

http://www.avatarmovie.com/ is the official website for Avatar. 20th Century Fox are able to harness the internet, along with other websites to create a viral campaign for Avatar.

The first page is filled with positive reviews which automatically makes the film look inviting.

The main page has a 'Pandora' theme with a running colour scheme and lots of interactive features. The trailer automatically begins so you are forced to engage with the film.

You can enter the official site, www.avatarmovie.com/air/, download the interactive trailer and purchase tickets.

PUBLICITY:

Below the line promotion such as reviews, news stories, features etc. have been extremely useful for the film. Those who hadn't seen adverts on TV or online are able to see info about Avatar in their favourite newspapers. The Times and The Metro, for example ran features on Avatar after the premier.

Publicists for Avatar have compiled press kits for journalists, containing cast and crew lists, biographies, notable facts about the production and a synopsis. This above the line promotion includes TV, web and Internet banner ads.

YOUTUBE:

http://www.youtube.com/user/officialavatar enables fans to watch trailers, teasers, feaurettesm, comment on the film and subscribe to the film. Fans from around the world can be a part of the action, as there are even many trailers in foreign languages, to appeal to a wide audience.

FACEBOOK + TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/officialAVATAR

http://www.facebook.com/officialavatar

20th Century Fox worked used Twitter and Facebook as platforms to promote Avatar. The two companies work in synergy with Fox as they both gain coverage, but this is also a technological convergence which means that Fox will be able to cast a wider net and reach more people. The younger generation who have iPhones, Blackberry's and use the internet daily will access these sites and be more likely to go to the cinema to watch the film in 3D if they see other people

SPONSORS:

COKE: http://avtr.com/

>>This website treats viewers like they are part of the 'Avatar World'. This interactive and engaging programme has many features, giving extensive information on the world of Pandora as if it is not a film, but real life.
>>You can watch commericals, view photos, join the Twitter and Facebook sites and register your details. Like the Eventful page for Paranormal Activity, this makes fans feel as if they are in control when really, Fox are getting details on who likes the film to narrowcast in the future.

LG: http://www.lgexpo.com/

>>The aesthetics of the website link to the film itself, with a 'two worlds' theme. Half the page has the Avatar side, while the other half advertised the LG phone.

>>This isn't as interactive as the Coke site and doesn't do much for the film, it merely advertises both products, again working in synergy.

MCDONALD'S (USA):

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=697134834147&ref=mf

U.S. customers who buy a Big Mac will get packaging with one of 8 different Avatar "Thrill Cards" attached. When these cards are held up to a Web cam, participants can use McD Vision augmented reality software to interact with the lush jungle landscapes generated for the movie.

A related interactive game, PandoraQuest, lets global players find hidden objects in three Pandoran landscapes, winning a membership in the "RDA Research Team" featured in the movie for locating all the items. U.S. players who scavenge successfully will get more than just the honor of joining the team: They'll also unlock bonus features in the form of scenes from the movie.

JAMES CAMERON"S AVATAR: THE GAME

On the official game website, http://avatargame.us.ubi.com/, you must enter details, which again gives Fox info on their target audience. The game is a prime example of cross media convergence as Fox and Ubisoft have created a game that can run on different platforms; iPhone, Playstation3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii + DS, PSP and PCs. This means that even those who may not have the newest Xbox or PS can still play the game on their PCs.

Players have the option to play in 3D, but glasses are not given. The easiest way of obtaining glasses is at the cinema, which fans will most likely have done anyway.

BOOKS:

Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional setting of the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on November 24, 2009. It is presented as a compilation of data collected by the humans about Pandora and the life on it. HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook for children.The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure was released on November 30, 2009 by Abrams Books. The book features detailed production artwork from the film, including production sketches, illustrations by Lisa Fitzpatrick, and film stills. Producer John Landau wrote the foreword, Cameron wrote the epilogue, and director Peter Jackson wrote the preface.

JAMES CAMERON:

Avatar has been promoted as Cameron's greatest project. The game title features his name and the trailers focus on his previous films as well. This means that fans of Cameron's other films will want to watch Avatar, even if they are not sci-fi or action fans.

Theme Song

“I See You” (Theme from Avatar) by Leona Lewis in HD

Trailer Park MySpace Video

Leona Lewis sings the theme song for Avatar. "I See You" is nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Original Song category for the 67th Golden Globes, which will be held in 2010 for films released in 2009. The score is also nominated for Best Original Score.

Reception

Critics on sites such as the popular Rotten Tomatoes have given Avatar positive reviews.

STAR POWER

James Cameron (Director): He has worked on huge films such as Titanic, The Terminator and Aliens that he has huge status in Hollywood and across the Atlantic.

Sam Worthington (Jake Sully): After his performance in Terminator Salvation he has propelled into the spotlight and after critical acclaim in Avatar he will be even more well known.

Zoe Saldana (Neytiri): Like Worthington, she is a rising star. In 2009 she appeared in Star Trek, The Skeptic and now Avatar.

Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine): Two decades after appearing in Cameron's Aliens, Weaver is reunited with the director in Avatar.

Avatar Timeline

Development

1994: director James Cameron wrote a 80-page scriptment for Avatar. Cameron said his inspiration was "every single science fiction book I read as a kid"

August 1996: Cameron announced that after completing Titanic, he would film Avatar, which would make use of "synthetic", or computer generated, actors. The project would cost $100 million and involve at least six actors in leading roles "who appear to be real but do not exist in the physical world". Visual effects house Digital Domain, with whom Cameron has a partnership, joined the project, which was supposed to begin production in the summer of 1997 for a 1999 release.

June 2005: Cameron was announced to be working on a project tentatively titled "Project 880"

February 2006: He indicated that the release of Project 880 would possibly be delayed until 2008. Later that February, Cameron revealed that Project 880 was "a retooled version of Avatar", a film that he had tried to make years earlier, citing the technological advances in the creation of the computer-generated characters such as Gollum and King Kong.

January to April 2006: Cameron worked on the script. Working with Dr. Paul Frommer linguist and Director of the Center for Management Communication at USC, he developed a Na'vi launguage and culture, the indigenous race on Pandora.

July 2006: Cameron announced that he would film Avatar for a summer 2008 release and planned to begin principal photography with an established cast by February 2007. The following August, the visual effects studio Weta Digital signed on to help Cameron produce Avatar.

September 2006: Cameron was announced to be using his own Reality Camera System to film in 3-D. The system would use two high-definition cameras in a single camera body to create depth perception.

December 2006: Cameron described Avatar as "a futuristic tale set on a planet 200 years hence [...] an old-fashioned jungle adventure with an environmental conscience [that] aspires to a mythic level of storytelling".

January 2007: the press release described the film: "Avatar is also an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. It is the story of a wounded former Marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival," and "We're creating an entire world, a complete ecosystem of phantasmogorical plants and creatures, and a native people with a rich culture and language."

December 2009: AVATAR IS RELEASED