At the May premiere of MacGillivray Freeman Films’ latest IMAX theatre movie, “Adventures in Wild California,” a team of tuxedo-clad air-surfers/cinematographers dropped from the sky, climbers scaled a banner featuring a life-like sequoia tree and world champion skateboarders performed tricks on a custom half-pipe ramp.
It’s been a wild, adventurous year for MacGillivray Freeman Films, OC’s only producer of full-length feature films.
The Laguna Beach-based large-format filmmaker released two IMAX movies this year: “Dolphins” in March, which has grossed $34 million, and “Wild California,” which has grossed $3.5 million (during its limited release) and is being supported by the most extensive promotional campaign in the company’s history.
But MacGillivray Freeman doesn’t plan to rest on its 85-pound cameras.
The filming of the third in its Great Adventure series, “Journey Into Amazing Caves,” recently culminated with a spectacular shoot 700 feet above the Little Colorado River Canyon near the Grand Canyon. To shoot the film’s precarious shots, a crew of 30 people and 3.5 tons of equipment were flown in and out of the canyon by helicopter every day.
The company’s executives recently held a private sneak preview of a rough cut of the cave film during the Giant Screen Theater Association’s annual conference in Germany.
“The film recieved an overwhelmingly positive response,” said Lori Rick, director of marketing and public relations.
A fourth adventure film, “Coral Reef Adventure,” began production this summer for a March 2002 release.
MacGillivray Freeman was nominated in 1995 for an Academy Award in the best documentary category for its first underwater film, “The Living Sea,” which received a gold award as best of show at the U.S. International Film and Video Festival.
So it’s no wonder that in its first 20 weeks, “Dolphins” reported box office gross receipts of $22.8 million, compared with the $28.7 million that MacGillivray’s top-grossing “Everest” generated in its first 20 weeks. (“Everest” which has played in roughly 185 theaters, remains the company’s No. 1 in box office, with gross receipts of more than $106 million.) “Dolphins” grossed $34 million through Sept. 14 and has played in 70 theaters.
“Dolphins,” which cost $7 million to make, did not have a corporate sponsor, but its marketing included a partnership with Eastman Kodak and the National Wildlife Federation and the publication of two companion books with National Geographic Books supported by a 10-city tour by the author, Tim Cahill.
Since his first IMAX theatre movie, “To Fly” in 1976, Greg MacGillivray’s company has produced more than 30 movies out of his OC headquarters,25 of them in the IMAX format,and its staff has grown to 23 full-time employees. The company stepped up production in recent years and now produces a film roughly every 12 months.
This week, “Wild California” opens in Munich and Berlin, and it’s heading for Boston and Toronto as it makes its way around the world. The $5.5 million film, which now is in about 23 theaters, is being released in a staggered rollout unlike the launch of “Everest” or “Dolphins,” Rick said.
“Adventures in Wild California” is presented by Wells Fargo Bank and executive produced by K2 Communications and was four years in the making.
“We worked with MacGillivray Freeman on ‘Everest’ and they are brilliant with nature and they were able to bring together a very complex wealth of ideas and possibilities and make a real good film,” said Jan Baird of K2 Communications.
Greg MacGillivray, president of the Laguna Beach-based film company, calls it his labor of love.
The film takes viewers on extreme adventures such as surfing, snowboarding, scuba diving and even straps a camera onto a sky-surfer leaping out of a helicopter.
The 45-minute film also is being supported by the most extensive promotional push in MacGillivray Freeman’s history. K2 Communications, Los Angeles, headed up a statewide marketing and promotions effort that included extensive billboard and TV advertising. And the multifaceted marketing firm stretched a $1 million budget into a campaign valued at roughly $30 million.
The film’s sponsorships and promotional partners,such as Wells Fargo, American Express, Marriott Hotels, Samsonite Corporation and Ralphs,kicked off a year-long effort to publicize the film in April.
Discovery Communications’ Travel Channel plans to air three one-hour TV specials including behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the film. The “Wild California” specials will air locally in November and syndication are expected to reach as many as 125 countries.
American Express sent special fliers promoting the film to its 3.5 million California card members featuring theater locators and online savings offers. Wells Fargo Bank sent promotional materials to more than 3 million California customers and advertised the film on more than 300 ATMs in the state. Southern California Edison sent statement stuffers with ticket coupons to more than 4.5 million California customers. Ralphs Grocery Company has printed 36 million shopping bags with film ticket discounts, for a promotion that runs from September to December.
United Airlines passengers on flights longer than three hours are treated to a two-minute feature promoting the film on its in-flight TVs. The airline also kicked in $500,000 to cross-promote the film upon its release in Japan.
Samsonite launched a promotional line of “Wild California” luggage in September including special signage in some 200 retail stores and special offers.
Sunset Magazine published a special 12-page family travel section “Experience Wild California” in its April 2000 edition.
Finally, the film is being translated to the Hispanic community. Narrator Jimmy Smits of “NYPD Blue” fame is working on a Spanish-language translation, but the launch of the Spanish-language version depends on theaters’ ability to outfit their systems to provide earphones to viewers. n
