In a world where movie marketers are the stars of the story, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops recounts Jim Fredrick's journey through the realm of movie marketing. Fredrick offers readers exclusive access to behind-the-scenes anecdotes and firsthand accounts of working with studio executives and navigating relationships with famous movie stars and directors. After starting his career in 1983 as a trailer editor and producer at famed advertising boutique Intralink, Jim Fredrick went on to serve as president of marketing at Castle Rock Entertainment; senior vice-president of creative advertising at Warner Bros.; and executive vice-president of marketing at Sony Screen Gems. In 2011, he founded his own company, Jim Fredrick Motion Picture Marketing. Across a span of thirty-five years, Fredrick's roles as a trailer maker and studio executive allowed him to craft advertising campaigns for a range of movies, from such iconic cinematic gems as The Shawshank Redemption to the widely beloved Harry Potter franchise, to commercial failures like The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Fired Up! Opening Weekend explores the intricacies of the lesser-known business of film distribution and marketing, unraveling the complex mechanisms through which movies are sold to discriminating audiences. Replete with triumphs, setbacks, and the relentless spirit that drives the creation and promotion of cinematic masterpieces, Opening Weekend promises an enthralling glimpse into the previously untold world of Hollywood movies.
Jim Fredrick is a trailer editor, studio marketing executive, and film professor. He was president of marketing at Castle Rock Entertainment (1990-1997); senior vice-president of creative advertising at Warner Bros. (1997-2008); and executive vice-president of marketing at Sony Screen Gems (2008-2010). He founded Jim Fredrick Motion Picture Marketing in 2011 and is a tenured professor of entertainment marketing at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University, the fourth-ranked film school in the country.
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." - Rob Reiner "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."- Alan Horn, former chairman of the Walt Disney Studios and president/COO of Warner Bros. "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." - Chuck Lorre, television producer
