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Can You See It Now?

Illustration by Spencer Wilson

By Kenji Hall

Can You See It Now?

Movie marketers know word of mouth is crucial. That’s why, to build buzz in Japan for the April release of the Hollywood sci-fi flick Next, the film’s local distributors handpicked 50 digerati, among them bloggers and youngsters active on social-networking sites, to preview the film. But instead of handing out tickets to an old-fashioned screening, distributors Shochiku and Gaga Communications arranged to have the 96-minute film streamed onto invitees’ cell phones. Watching a movie beamed in real time ordinarily costs a lot, since the handset has to stay online the whole time. So Shochiku worked with wireless operator NTT DoCoMo to pick phone users who pay a flat fee for unlimited Net use. Because streaming video can quickly sap a phone’s battery, invitees were also directed to plug their phones into a wall socket. The distributors claim the stunt sparked the desired viral effect, at little cost. But 40% of the audience said they didn’t get through the entire pic. That may be yet another sign that feature-length movies may not be coming to a (very small) screen near you anytime soon.