Opening Weekend

Reviews

"The early days of Castle Rock were the most creatively fulfilling years of my life, and Jim Fredrick was a big part of that. He ran our marketing department and even made our stinker films look good. If you want to know what it takes to market a film, Opening Weekend is a must-read." "Few people in the world know as much about how to market a movie as Jim Fredrick, whose work has encompassed blockbusters from The Shawshank Redemption to Harry Potter. Here he takes us behind the scenes of the most influential pictures in the last twenty years. This is a book by a master of his craft and a must-read for any student of Hollywood." "Jim Fredrick’s Opening Weekend is just the book those starting out in the film business need to read—and those who have been in it a while will vastly enjoy. A bit like novelist Tom Wolfe, in person the nicest of guys, Jim writes with startling candor about key players in the film business of our era. While providing a solid course in film marketing and creative advertising (cutting trailers, designing posters), Opening Weekend is also insider truth telling of a most entertaining sort." "Opening Weekend is the preeminent book on film marketing and what it takes to persuade and beguile the moviegoing audience. This oral history of Jim’s adventures is an honest, entertaining account of his career creating advertising campaigns for a wide variety of films, including The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Happy Feet, and the Harry Potter franchise. It's a must-read for moviegoers of all ages, as well as film students and scholars." "I worked with Jim on the Kangaroo Jack campaign, which like most films was a challenging yet successful marketing experience. Who knew a rapping kangaroo could make such a difference!" "Opening Weekend is for anyone who ever wondered how they were convinced to see a terrible movie. Jim takes us behind the curtain revealing the inspiration, desperation, and pure fun of marketing movies. Insightful and full of juicy details—if you love movies, you must read Opening Weekend." "Long before reading his book, I told Jim to title it Putting Asses in the Seats. Wisely, he ignored me. Having now read it, I have to say Opening Weekend perfectly captures the anxiety, exaltation, and soul-crushing dread of film marketing. Whether it be the hair-pulling frustration of failing to sell a great movie, or the moral colonoscopy endured trying to sell a stinker, this book gives both the show biz pro and the civilian movie lover an inside look at the incredible, multimillion-dollar crap shoot that is big-time moviemaking. When I finished Opening Weekend, I said a quiet prayer, thanking God I work in television." Expand reviews