Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 14033 : A Serenity Collector's Edition DVD promotion.

I presume it's just a reprint of something... Joss has said that there aren't official Firefly novels because he doesn't have time to approve them, and I imagine comics would have the same problem. Also, the cover shown is Sean Phillips' original cover to Serenity #1, which was eventually dumped in favour of the three variants to each issue - lending me the impression that it's just a reprint.

daylight | August 19, 16:45 CET

Oh damn. I need that comic badly. Sean Phillips is probably my favorite artist. Damn you, Best Buy, for not being a worldwide shopping empire!

Niels | August 19, 18:48 CET

It's great to see this DVD getting some promotion from the big chains.

Now let's all do our part and bring in those sales!

Resolute | August 19, 20:25 CET

Aye this could be our last best chance for a sequel.

Simon | August 19, 20:28 CET

Huh - interesting - I just checked my order at Amazon and they've dropped the price by about $1 from when I ordered it ten days or so ago.

Also, I've seen ads for it on TV, on the SciFi network (while watching, blush, Flash Gordon - which is absolutely dreadful, but I have a Husband who grew up watching the original, so he's been curious - not sure how long he's going to want to stick with it). Anyway, I get ridiculously excited every time the ad runs...

Kirochka | August 19, 20:33 CET

I'm such a slacker, I still haven't read the setenity comic, despite having every Buffy comic and the last two arcs of Astonishing. I'm gonna have to go get this just so I'm not so outta the loop. Pulse crazy river tam extras are just too good to pass up.

Noclaf | August 19, 20:37 CET

Also, I've seen ads for it on TV, on the SciFi network (while watching, blush, Flash Gordon

Strangely enough I bought a Wildstorm comic book this week which has an ad page devoted to the Serenity Collector's Edition DVD and the Flash Gordon special edition DVD with the tag line "Sci-fi has never looked so good". I was like "hmmmm interesting combination".

Simon | August 19, 20:38 CET

Universal Home Video is SOLD OUT of Serenity Collector's Edition BUT NBC Universal still has some! Serenity Collector's Edition is on BACKORDER at Universal Home Video! Whoo-hoo!

Universal Home Video Serenity page

But you can still order from Universal from their NBC Universal store NBC Universal Store Serenity page

In my opinion, every Browncoat should order at least one direct from Universal as a Thank you and More Please!

Tuesday! Almost here! Wish I had the day off so I could go to Best Buy for the comic book. And also shop/check out the other retailers. Fond memories of December 20, 2006.

Anonymous1 | August 19, 21:52 CET

I believe there is no particular reason to order direct from Universal, because the vendor that operates the Universal store is just another vendor whose terms may be no better for Universal than, say, Amazon. It is not as if Universal executives are stuffing DVDs into envelopes, it's a company called Delivery Agent, Inc., based in Bolingbrook, IL that also runs the ABC television store, the USA Network store, the Pussycat Dolls store, etc. The question comes down to whether Universal has a higher profit margin with Delivery Agent, Inc. than it does with, say Amazon.com. But we have no way of knowing if it does.

I like DeepDiscount.com, myself. Though I price check on DVDPriceSearch.com first.

I'll definitely be buying the Serenity Collector's Edition.

willbueche | August 19, 22:28 CET

Universal Home Video is SOLD OUT of Serenity Collector's Edition

They aren't sold out. As of two days ago they didn't even have their stock in yet, which is why I've cancelled my order with them.

ETA: Or, at least, I've told them to cancel it. There's no automated or quick-response system on their end. It all comes down to whether or not they see my cancellation email before they run off and try to charge my card, which they really had better not do.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-08-19 19:44 ]

The One True b!X | August 19, 22:31 CET

Well, I'm do the "go to Best Buy" route. It's cheaper than Suncoast Video and they throw in a comic book. Can't beat that. I also suspect they they've printed at least 6400 issues of the special comic book. May be closer to 20 thousand, maybe

impalergeneral | August 19, 22:38 CET

Just placed an order. I want to watch the full session 416.

Madhatter | August 19, 22:44 CET

I want to watch the full session 416.

Full?

The One True b!X | August 19, 23:18 CET

Amazon is saying something like 4 September for estimated arrival... I don't get that at all (unless they have an overwhelmingly huge number to ship out, and that's why they say it won't ship until 27 August. Which would be a very cool reason).

Kirochka | August 20, 00:00 CET

Well, the pieces of which.

Good catch!

Madhatter | August 20, 00:07 CET

I'm keeping my order from Universal Home video. I'll post back b!x on fff.net when I get it. Might even place an order with NBC Universal Store. Depends on how many I can pick up in a store on Tuesday. I've got 3 on order to a store. 1 FYE, 1 Borders, 1 Barnes and Noble. Only one I can drive by on Tuesday is FYE. So they better have it set aside.

I'm actually hoping Best Buy will totally be SOLD OUT when I get there on Tuesday. Either way, sure I won't get a comic book on Tuesday night.

We don't even know what stores besides Best Buy are going to carry the SCE and we don't know how many those stores ordered.

I expect there will be some retailers who ordered two per store and are a little shocked that the two SOLD OUT.

Anonymous1 | August 20, 03:54 CET

Stoweaway over on fff.net posted

It's being advertised too. Saw two 10-second commercials for it last night on the CW network. That'll help.

The CW! Whoo-hoo! A network that NBC/Unviersal doesn't own!

Anonymous1 | August 20, 04:54 CET

Got an email from Amazon, that they just shipped my package (which with standard international shipping, will take at least 2 weeks for it to really arrive), as for fun I bought a copy of the original 1992 BtVS movie, which I never owned, and there's no local R4 version.

Numfar PTB | August 20, 05:17 CET

It probably cost a lot less for Universal Home Video to place a commercial on CW than it would to place one on NBC. The companies keep separate books. Why is this so difficult for people to understand?

TamaraC | August 20, 05:35 CET

I think of it as like giving money to the competition. Advertising on Sci-Fi is at least in the family. And don't you think an ad on the CW costs more than an ad on the Sci-Fi cable channel. Although 10 seconds is pretty short.

Anonymous1 | August 20, 05:59 CET

Of course a scifi ad is cheaper. That is why there have been tons of ads on Scifi and USA this last week.

I imagine that Uni Home video has an advertising budget for the CE which includes TV time. They can spend these limited funds wherever they think they will get the most bang for the buck. They have to pay the same price to SciFi that Fox has to pay to Scifi.

I don't know if there have been ads on other cable stations because I haven't been watching them.

I am sure there is an overall corporate mandate to encourage cross division synergy, but that doesn't mean that Uni Home video gets any sort of discount at Uni owned networks. It just doesn't work that way. They pay the same as anyone else.

TamaraC | August 20, 06:05 CET

TamaraC,

You've seen or heard about ads on USA! Whoo-hoo! That is almost like main stream marketing!

Anybody want to put up some of their own ads? 11THHOUR has made up some shiny ones! 11THHOUR Banners to help promote the Serenity DVD Collector's Edition! Whoops, lots of ! marks. Getting too excited. Have to go to bed soon.

Anonymous1 | August 20, 07:43 CET

Anonymous1, it is mainstream summer marketing. Just like I imagined they would do. Still don't understand the panicky silliness over it all.

TamaraC | August 20, 08:48 CET

I'm pleased to see it advertised on tv, in comic books and on websites and in promotional things like this. All good things and helps get the word out.
I've been really gratified to see the excellent reviews it's getting as well. :)

FollowMal | August 20, 09:12 CET

I'm with TamaraC on being a bit befuddled as to some of the "OMG!!!"-esque reactions to this kind of marketing. They're not doing anything I didn't expect.

Which is not to say that were I to see an ad on TV, I wouldn't get excited (I went absolutely batshit crazy every time an ad came on for the theatrical run). Because I would. I just don't watch a lot of TV.

I will definitely be at Best Buy Tuesday evening to pick it up. It's cheaper there than at Wal-Mart, which really surprises me. Plus, free comic!

UnpluggedCrazy | August 20, 09:35 CET

I seem to remember the same keenness by fans when the movie was being advertised back in 2005 and when the first DVD came out as well. I see it as the newer fans going through the same excitement as we did a couple years back.

The Browncoat community did phenomenal work in promoting the movie and the first DVD. I was highly impressed by some of the efforts.But and this is a big but for me I am noticing that there seems to be less of a cohesive effort this time round in regards to the Special Edition. This time round, individuals are going great guns to push it but there doesn't seem to be much of an overall fan campaign to try and promote it. Given Joss' recent remarks over the franchise, I'm puzzled and disturbed as to why this is. I may be a grumpy old cynic when it comes to fandom but if there's the slightest chance a sequel can happen as a result of the sales of the CE then the fandom should go all out. And unfortunately I'm not just seeing this.

Simon | August 20, 10:39 CET

I've lost any faith, Simon. I can't speak for the rest of us that have knocked ourselves out on Serenifly since 2002, but I just don't see it ever happening and if it does it won't be because of "the fans", it'll be because of the $$.

TamaraC | August 20, 10:47 CET

Joss' recent remarks were, I thought, the quick wit of a master humorist, and were not to be taken literally. The humor was that he was for just that moment playing the character of a more greedy writer/director than he actually is, one who would take fans' love and enthusiasm and suggest, in a purely capitalistic fashion, that they need to take that love and turn it into cold hard cash. Which has an element of very real truth to it, but because it is a cynical truth it was presented as a joke.

Of course good sales would be good for everyone, but pinning a sequel on the sales was just a joke about how for some, it would be all about the money.

An older, wiser (?), Serenity crew may fly again someday, but at this point I'd like to imagine that Mal and Inara finally settled on some frontier planet, together ('cept for a season each year when Inara goes away to tend to business -- someone's got to earn a living!).

willbueche | August 20, 12:56 CET

Simon said:

The Browncoat community did phenomenal work in promoting the movie and the first DVD. I was highly impressed by some of the efforts.But and this is a big but for me I am noticing that there seems to be less of a cohesive effort this time round in regards to the Special Edition. This time round, individuals are going great guns to push it but there doesn't seem to be much of an overall fan campaign to try and promote it. Given Joss' recent remarks over the franchise, I'm puzzled and disturbed as to why this is. I may be a grumpy old cynic when it comes to fandom but if there's the slightest chance a sequel can happen as a result of the sales of the CE then the fandom should go all out. And unfortunately I'm not just seeing this.

I have noticed this too, Simon and I'm saddened by it.
Not just because of the sequel possibility which realistically everyone knows is slim. But because of that cynical feeling folks have described above. I first joined the fandom right before the movie came out. There was a sense of "family" back then which I was amazed to discover and feel a part of!
That is very rare in real life.
I'm going to do my bit for a chance at a sequel ( whatever form it may take )-- no matter how small the chances are.

FollowMal | August 20, 16:19 CET

I seem to remember the same keenness by fans when the movie was being advertised back in 2005 and when the first DVD came out as well. I see it as the newer fans going through the same excitement as we did a couple years back.

This describes me - I was totally uninvolved in the Whedonverse until I started reading about Serenity coming out and finally saw it when it came out on DVD. I'm not sure why it seems to be bothering people that some of us are excited to see ads for it... whatever, I'm still excited to see them.

Kirochka | August 20, 16:42 CET

... but I just don't see it ever happening and if it does it won't be because of "the fans", it'll be because of the $$.

True and i'm similarly doubtful about the prospects TamaraC but it's gotta be said that fans = $$. Just making a noise at Universal isn't going to do anything but buying the DVD at least has an outside chance.

(personally though, I find this a bit of a harder sell to non-fans. I persuaded a few friends and relatives to check out the original DVD but i'd struggle to justify buying it again to them, much as we might find the new extras worthwhile, I doubt the majority of casual viewers will - which is fine, it's a collector's edition, it's meant for the hard-core devotees)

Saje | August 20, 16:45 CET

Saje, exactly! I will be buying several copies, but the unitiated don't purchase collectors' editions. Why would we expect advertising directed at them? Fans already know about it and will purchase it.

TamaraC | August 20, 20:35 CET

I do agree with Tamara C
Doesn't the term "Collector's Edition" already come biased?
As in, not so much for general public, and much more geared for who's a fan, so it'll in some ways scare the unitiated away.

I do follow a lot DVD news out there, just like the recent announced release for Ridley's Scott Final Cut of Blade Runner, in a super collector Briefcase package dvd set. I don't see a non-fan, that wants to purchase a copy from this movie, spending almost 80 bucks, for this collector's edition. So you won't see this being advertised for the non-fanatics.

Numfar PTB | August 20, 21:09 CET

In the case of Blade Runner, I find myself totally confused by the various editions out there - I saw the movie years (decades!) ago but haven't seen it since... now that I want to see it again, I have no idea any more which version I saw and which I should see now. Maybe I'm just easily confused...

I don't think Serenity should present that problem, given that it's not a new cut of the film, but it does make me think about what this all might look like from outside the fandom.

Kirochka | August 20, 23:27 CET

Simon, I think the difference this time is that we've been through the experience of promoting the Serenity movie the first time round, and we feel burned because Universal didn't hold up their side of the bargain by promoting it sufficiently themselves.

Ultimately we are promoting their product to make money purely for them and it seems unrealistic that we're going to reap any benefits from it this time.

I mean, when you have Universal marketing executives going on record blaming the fans for the poor box office, how exactly are we supposed to motivate ourselves to do this for them?

daylight | August 22, 22:37 CET

August 19 2007