Vottle.com

The market in the gap

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sun, 27 May 2012 08:32:00 +0000

We often hear of people who see the gap in the market, but seeing the market in the gap is something else altogether.

The Material movie enjoyed a very long theatrical run in South Africa, and the DVD is coming out next month, as well as the Box Office offering on DSTV. Looking at the numbers now it sounds impressive, but, when you convert the Rands into Dollars, etc. then we are just a pimple on the international radar. If you get into the top 20 for the year in India or Russia, for example, then those numbers stack up. But being in the top 20 films in SA just doesn't excite anyone unfortunately.

As my one friend pointed out to me recently: If you pay for a poker lesson then you get the lesson, but if you don't pay, then you don't get the lesson.

The writing is certainly on the wall here. We have learned this important lesson too many times. There simply is no market in SA for this kind of thing. I love Material, and I am inspired about where it is taking us as a team ... and that is all that matters - the journey continues, and it is about to get way more exciting.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Two tough questions

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:46:00 +0000

A friend sent this to me - it is a smart piece of text:

Question 1:

If you knew a woman who was pregnant,

Who had 8 kids already,

Three who were deaf,

Two who were blind,

One mentally retarded,

And she had syphilis,

Would you recommend that she have an abortion?

Read the next question before looking at the response for this one.

Question 2:

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts...

Here are the facts about the three candidates.

Candidate A:

Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists.
He's had two mistresses.
He also chain smokes.
And drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B:

He was kicked out of office twice.

Sleeps until noon.

Used opium in college.

And drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.

Candidate C:

He is a decorated war hero.

He's a vegetarian.

Doesn't smoke.

Drinks an occasional beer.

And never committed adultery.

Which of these candidates would be our choice?

Decide first ... No peeking, and then scroll down for the response.

Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Candidate B is Winston Churchill.

Candidate C is Adolph Hitler.

And, by the way, on your answer to the abortion question:

If you said YES, you just killed Beethoven.

Pretty interesting isn't it?

Makes a person think before judging someone.

Remember:

Amateurs ... Built the ark.

Professionals ... Built the Titanic

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Health food in Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:29:00 +0000

A friend sent this to me - it was too good not to share:

There was a couple, 85 years old, who had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies. They were both in very good health, largely due to the wife's insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade. One day they went on a rare vacation and their plane crashed, sending them off to Heaven. They reached the pearly gates, and St. Peter escorted them inside. He took them to a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and a waterfall in the master bath. A maid could be seen hanging their favorite clothes in the closet. They gasped in astonishment when he said, "Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home now."

The old man asked St. Peter how much all this was going to cost. "Why, nothing," Peter replied, "remember, this is your reward in Heaven." The old man looked out the window and right there he saw a championship golf course, finer and more beautiful than any ever built on earth. "What are the greens fees?" grumbled the old man. "This is heaven," St. Peter replied. "You can play for free, every day." Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch, with every imaginable cuisine laid out before them, from seafood to steaks to exotic deserts, free flowing beverages.

"Don't even ask," said St. Peter to the man. "This is Heaven, it is all free for you to enjoy." The old man looked around and glanced nervously at his wife. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods, and the decaffeinated tea?" he asked. "That's the best part," St. Peter replied. "You can eat and drink as much as you like of whatever you like, and you will never get fat or sick. This IS Heaven!" The old man pushed, "No gym to work out at?"

"Not unless you want to," was the answer. "No testing my sugar or blood pressure or..." "Never again. All you do here is enjoy yourself."

The old man glared at his wife and said, "You and your stupid bran muffins. We could have been here ten years ago!"

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The Material run

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:52:00 +0000

We are coming to the end of the Material theatrical run here in SA. We are hoping we will see more theatres again in the future in far away lands.

Yup, today is the last day in SA ... it has been a long and good run - we are all amazed.

Next month we will see the film released here on DVD - it is packed with cool new stuff and we are excited about this next chapter. We will also be seeing the film on the Box Office service from DSTV.

On other movie news, the Black-South Easter film shoot has 2 days left to go in Cape Town, and the teaser trailer for Sleeper's Wake is almost ready to go live on YouTube.

If you have not yet voted for Material then please do so at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899240/

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The difference between grannies and granddads

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:06:00 +0000

A friend sent this to me - I had to share it:

Ever wondered what the difference between grannies and granddads is?

So, a 5 year old granddaughter is usually taken to school, daily, by her grandfather.

When he had a bad cold his wife drove the grandchild to school.

That night she told her parents that the ride to school with granny was very different!!

"What made it different?" asked her parents.

"Gran and I didn't see a single poephol, blind bastard, rubbish, bliksem or dom donner anywhere on the way to school today!'

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Ag pleez, Deddy, won't you take us to the drive-in?

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:22:00 +0000

The Material movie is still on circuit on a small numbers of screens. And, it is on at the Velskoen drive-in.

I used to love going to the drive-in when I was in high school. My mate Sasha used to take us in his folks car. Yes, he would drive us without a license, but we all did it. Those were the days.

I read in the newspaper recently that the Velskoen will be closing down soon. This is the last drive-in still operating in South Africa. It is the end of an era.

If you have not yet seen Material then here is your chance to go to the drive-in one last time, and to catch the magic of Material.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

You gotta love Abe

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:18:00 +0000

This was too good - I also had to share it:

Abe sat in a doctor’s reception room and kept muttering ad nauseam: “I hope I’m sick, I hope I’m sick”

Another waiting patient asks him: “Why do you want to be sick?”

Abe replies: “ I would hate to be well and feel like this”.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Careful when you write!

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:13:00 +0000

A friend sent this to me - I had to share it:

My secretary got a pen as birthday gift from me, yesterday.

She sent me a "thank you" message this morning, via SMS.

My wife read the text and angrily shows me the message:
"Your penis wonderful, I enjoyed using it last night. Thanks :-)"

Moral: Space is essential in every successful married life.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Material milestone

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:36:00 +0000

The Material movie is coming to the end of its theatrical run. As of this weekend we are now on just over 15 screens, and next weekend we imagine we will be down to around 6 or 7 screens. It has been a long, good run, with over 250,000 people going to see the film.

Thank you to all of you who did go and see this magical movie - the response continues to overwhelm us.

We are busy creating the deliverables for the DVD, and we are also busy with film festival applications and couriering stuff all around the globe.

We did get the news in, as per the last blog posting, and it is very good news - we are just not allowed to talk about it yet ... soon soon. It is very exciting news, and we are all super chuffed.

Viva Material viva!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

More Material !

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:56:00 +0000

The Material movie is still out there doing some business on the cinema circuit, which is always good.

The screens for this present weekend remain key, because of the Eatster break and the school holidays etc. - this will be the last chance to get some solid bums on seats. We do imagine that we will still be playing through the rest of April on a few keys sites, but we take it one weekend at a time.

The DVD should be out at the end of June – we are busy finalizing this over the coming month. It will also be out on the Box Office offering from DSTV around the same time.

We are waiting for one exciting bit of news. I would say it is has a 50% + chance of happening ... but we can’t talk about it just yet.

I hope to be able to share an amazing tale here soon.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

A whale of a tale

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:17:00 +0000

A friend sent this to me - it was too good not to share:

Two Welsh girls in a pub

I was in a pub on Saturday night. Had a few ... I noticed two large women by the bar.

They both had strong accents so I asked, ”Hey, are you two ladies from Scotland?"

One of them chirped: "It's WALES you idiot!"

So, I immediately apologized and said, ”Sorry, are you two whales from Scotland?”

After that, the lights went out ...

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Material plans

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:33:00 +0000

The Material madness is still on the go!

In terms of our next steps, we are going to be applying in May to TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) - that is the 1st prize for this kind of film. If we get into Toronto then our international efforts will begin. TIFF is in September, and after that, the next most appropriate festival for Material would be the London Film Festival, which is in October. We are hoping we get into either of these, and if we are very lucky, maybe even both. We have some compelling data at this point, and a bunch of solid reviews, so, yes, with a bit of luck we may just get this right.

Anant Singh is our international partner on the film and we will start our offshore efforts with Anant in the second half of the year. A lot depends on getting into a major international film festival. Toronto, for example, is a commercially oriented film event, and if we get into Toronto then our efforts on the international front will have a built-in launch pad and we will officially start then. If we don’t get into any of the leading film festivals this year, then we will move onto professional industry screenings in London and Mumbai – the challenge here is that this requires further investment etc.

We imagine that we are going to lose half our current screens this weekend because of the recent drop-off from the past weekend gone by. We are hoping and praying that we have at least a dozen sites in play by the Easter weekend. That will be our last key time to try get bums on seats in a bigger way. After that, we anticipate still playing on about 6 to 9 key sites through until May.

Anant starts shooting the Long Walk to Freedom in the last part of May. This is going to be one of the world's most anticipated films. Some serious adventures ahead! Anant is going to be in a very exciting position with the world's leading film distributors, which is going to bode well for Material.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Material moves

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 08:06:00 +0000

Here are some of the new sites that started this weekend - please help spread the word - the Material movie is on the move:

Northridge – Bloemfontein
Wonderpark – Pretoria
North Park – Johannesburg

And, this is what this is what starts next week Friday on the 30th:

Mimosa – Bloemfontein
Vincent Park – East London
Garden Route – Cape Town
Blue Route – Cape Town

Also, Material will be in Botswana and Swaziland form next weekend too.

Viva Material viva!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Material momentum

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:22:00 +0000

This past weekend we dropped off a bit more than we hoped for from last weekend.

Our guess is that this coming weekend we are going to have some prints taken off circuit. We will only find out later this week what the cinemas plan to do. We are number 6 in the rankings which makes us a bit vulnerable but we are doing all we can to try keep the footprint to a maximum.

We are still doing very well on all the cosmopolitan sites, so we reckon that at those sites we will continue to enjoy a long run.

If we look at the drop offs of all the films on circuit, we are still shaping up better than most, and also, on our smaller footprint, our screen average is still the highest for the year, which remains the key measure for cinemas.

All is on track, and we are excited about the journey here – it really is only just beginning.

PS – check this out : http://greenash.net.au/thoughts/2011/07/world-domination-by-box-office-cinema-admissions/

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

More material

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:25:00 +0000

We did good last weekend on the Material theatrical run. We had only a small drop-off and we actually even moved up a notch to position no. 4. We still have the full 41 prints in play which is very good (with double screens still in place at Rosebank Zone, Sandton and Gateway in Durban).

There is some very BIG Hollywood product coming out this weekend, and the following weekend, so the competition is gonna be hectic!

Riaad and I recently attended a gathering of the FCA (Foreign Correspondence Ass.) and CNN and Al Jazeera, as prime examples, want to do a story on a Riaad and the film – this is very exciting, and very very important in terms of our potential offshore journey ... lots of work to do, but it is all good.

Check this out – it went live this week – from one of the FCA members : http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/safrica-film-material-idINDEE8280F920120309

We estimate over 200,000 people have now seen the film, which is a big number - the longer we stay on circuit the better our chances of getting to that magical 400,000 number (which is not a necessity, but it helps to be in the top 10 for the year, in terms of positioning abroad with potential international distributors).

And with that, back to the material it is. Yes, we are writing another story ... 4 years in actually – but now in high energy mode. More material is coming; just can’t say when ... this takes time.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The long tail

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:07:00 +0000

Last weekend the Material movie did good. We didn’t make it to no. 1 though but the number is solid. Our screen average is still the highest by far, which is the most important measure for the cinema chains (we are on 41 sites and the films ahead of us, only very slightly ahead of us I must add, have much bigger footprints).

Today Ster Kinekor are moving their 3 least performing Material sites they have and from this weekend we will have double prints (ie, 2 cinemas) playing at The Zone, Sandton and Gateway in Durban - this is going to be an interesting experiment, and very exciting.

We will still have the full 41 prints in play as we go on to weekend # 4. In weekend # 5 there are some serious big Hollywood films coming out so it is gonna be a real challenge the following weekend.

The supply and demand dynamics of the cinema industry are very clear cut – each Monday the cinema chains (it works like this all around the world) sit down and analyze the data from the weekend gone by – if a site has 10 cinemas, and there are 5 new movies coming that weekend, then the best performing 5 stay on, and the worst 5 get taken off (to make way for the new films). This is the anxiety we have been going through for the past few weeks ... not easy on the nerves, but so far we are doing good. On all the cosmopolitan sites the film is in the top 3 - the challenge is that the cosmopolitan sites are not the majority.

In short, a lot of people have been using the term “the long tail” when analyzing the data thus far – it may just be that this film plays in the dozen or so cosmopolitan sites for a long, long time.

There is only one way to find out ...

Back to work it is ... there is material to get out there !

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Closing the gap

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:47:00 +0000

We did good on our 2nd weekend: we came in no. 3 and overtook the 2 films that were ahead of us last week. Also, our drop off rate was 13% which is very positive (we needed it to be more like 10% but 13% is pretty close).

The most interesting thing is that for the new weekend, starting today, the 5 new Hollywood movies being released are not heavyweights, so, we actually have a chance to take the no. 1 spot in our 3rd weekend, which would be quite rare. If we don’t get the no. 1 spot I will bet that Material will be a very close 2nd. Remember you can win a ticket.

If we do get the no. 1 position in weekend number 3 then it means the word of mouth is incredibly strong, and the film will be classified a “sleeper”.

The cinema chains are moving the film to the bigger houses this weekend so we finally have a chance to try get the numbers up.

The numbers are good, but not good enough - they need to be about 20% higher and part of the challenge was due to the smaller cinema houses we were in, so, now we got a better chance this weekend. It is a bit of a gamble, but a calculated one - if we do fill up this weekend then we will be winning, and if not, well, then we ain't gonna make the numbers we need and it will land up being just a small niche film.

We will know very soon.

Please help spread the word !!!

And check this out : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doBgiFFxIaY&feature=g-all&context=G2f1dc83FAAAAAAAAAAA

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Material numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:45:00 +0000

This weekend is the most important milestone for the Material movie. We had a solid opening weekend last weekend and now we have to see what the drop off will be. Last night we had only a 12% drop off from the previous Friday, which is fantastic.

It is raining in Johannesburg – this gets people into the cinemas.

Now we ponder … tonight’s cinema goers are going to get entertained - what film will they choose?

Are the numbers for Saturday going to be material?

We will know very very very soon!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The opening weekend ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:12:00 +0000

The Material movie did around 45,000 tickets on the opening weekend, with a box office of just over R 1.3 mil. The leader, at about 10% higher, was Safe House, and it did just over R 1.4 mil. Material is on 41 screens and Safe House is on 70 (and in the biggest houses). So, we did stack up pretty good.

We achieved a very high per screen average (certainly on par with the top 10 for the year) - we just need to maintain this scenario now, which is nail biting, and challenging, to say the least.

The next key milestone to watch is the "drop off" rate - the average performing film drops off around 30% a week - if a film drops off 50% from week 1 to week 2, then it is a real dog, but, if the drop off is only around 10% to 15% then it is a diamond and, if the film doesn't drop off at all (or hardly anything) from week 1 to week 2 then it is often labeled a "sleeper" - Bend it like Beckham is a prime example.

So, for now, we are carrying on with the marketing and publicity effort, and we hope that next weekend's numbers yield a minimal drop off.

Proper nail biting !!!

If you have seen the film then please go and vote on IMDB : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899240/

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The opening weekend !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:11:00 +0000

I don’t know who reads this blog, but if you do, please go and see Material this opening weekend (ie, tomorrow).

If you are not inspired by the film I will give you your money back.

And, if you are excited by the magic that has been created here then please post a comment on www.facebook.com/riaadmoosamovie.Don't forget you can win a car.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

One week to go

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:12:00 +0000

By this time next week the Material movie will be out there in full swing !!!

Until then, the pacing continues ...

This week gone by saw the Johannesburg premier come and go - what a blur. There were 650 people there, and the positive response continues to overwhelm us.

For the week ahead, leading up to the opening day, there are over a dozen sneak previews across the land. We are confident that the word of mouth on this film is going to be very strong, which is not the norm when it comes to local movies - this preview exercise is about mobilizing a first wave of supporters. Let's hope it bears fruit.

A week from Sunday, on the evening of the 19th, we will have the opening weekend figures - they will come with a drum roll - the numbers never lie.

Start your engines ...

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Cape Town here we come ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:28:00 +0000

There has always been that old joke that goes "What is the best thing to come out of Cape Town?" Answer: the N1.

I was born and raised in Cape Town so I am allowed to make this kind of joke. But jokes aside, one of the best things to come out of Cape Town is Dr. Riaad Moosa. And tonight the Material movie will be having its premier there.

This is our next acid test. We passed the one in Durban last Wednesday night, and this evening we have another full audience coming experience the magic of Material. Bring it on!

I better get moving ... we have a lot to organize still today before the big night.

Before I go, if you have not seen this stunt that the good doctor pulled off recently, then check this out : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnr_3NKt7Yg&feature=related

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Durban here we come ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

On the 1st of February (yeah, tomorrow) we all go down to Durban for the premier of the film. This is just around the corner ... wow!

My personal view is that everyone is going to be in for a big surprise. And speaking of surprises, if you didn't see the Barry Ronge clip on TV then click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cavD3-ED8Ik

We had a sneak preview of the Material film on Thursday last week for EO and the response was once again overwhelming. Check out some of the feedback on: www.facebook.com/riaadmoosamovie

Just over 2 weeks to go and the movie will be released.

Durban, Material is coming!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The reel work

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

No, it is not a typo. We are working on the reels. We got to get people to buy tickets. How do we inspire them to go and see this little local movie?! That is where the real work is being done. Yes yes, a bit cheesy, but please just go with it ... the material for Material is what this is all about.

We are very confident in the product. It has been tested with over 300 people and the response has been overwhelming. We know that whoever goes to see the film will be delighted - the thing is: why will they take a chance and buy a ticket?

All the ticket prices are the same. So why would someone want to spend 40 bucks on a local movie when they can go and see a big budget Hollywood blockbuster for the same price?

This is not an easy question to answer. The truth is, I have no idea. Perhaps it will be the relentless marketing campaign that motivates them, or perhaps Riaad's fans will mobilize, or perhaps we will just have some luck on our side. Or, all of the above. One thing is for sure, we know that the film is going to have strong word of mouth - we just need that initial wave of people to go support Material on the opening weekend. It is that initial wave that keeps us up at night. We need people to go on the opening weekend and that is the bottom line.

It is good thing we now have the Gautrain in JHB - at least there is somewhere I can go and busk if we don't do the numbers.

The past few weeks have been the most intense I have experienced in years. The reels are coming, to a cinema near you!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Cultural Differences Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Ronnie) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:13:00 +0000

A friend sent me this - it is an oldie, but it made me laugh all over again - it had to be shared:

On a chain of beautiful deserted islands in the middle of the South Pacific, the following people are stranded:

* Two Italian men and one Italian woman.

* Two French men and one French woman.

* Two German men and one German woman.

* Two Greek men and one Greek woman.

* Two British men and one British woman.

* Two Bulgarian men and one Bulgarian woman.

* Two Japanese men and one Japanese woman.

* Two Chinese men and one Chinese woman.

* Two Irish men and one Irish woman.

* Two American men and one American woman.

One month later, on these absolutely stunning deserted islands in the middle of nowhere, the following things have occurred:

* One Italian man killed the other Italian man for the Italian woman.

* The two French men and the French woman are living happily together in a ménage a' trios.

* The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of alternating visits with the German woman.

* The two Greek men are sleeping together and the Greek woman is cooking and cleaning for them.

* The two British men are waiting for someone to introduce them to the British woman.

* The two Bulgarian men took one look at the Bulgarian woman and started swimming to another island.

* The two Japanese have faxed Tokyo and are awaiting instructions.

* The two Chinese men have set up a pharmacy, liquor store, restaurant, and laundry, and have gotten the woman pregnant in order to supply more employees for their stores.

* The two Irish men divided the island into north and south and set up a distillery. They do not remember if sex is in the picture because it gets somewhat foggy after a few pints of coconut whiskey. However, they are satisfied because the British are not having any fun.

* The two American men are contemplating suicide, because the American woman will not shut up and complains relentlessly about her body, the true nature of feminism, what the sun is doing to her skin, how she can do anything they can do, the necessity of fulfillment, the equal division of household chores, how sand and palm trees make her look fat, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated her nicer than they do, and how her relationship with her mother is the root cause of all her problems, and why didn't they bring a damn cell phone so they could call 911 and get them all rescued off this forsaken deserted island in the middle of freaking nowhere so she can get her nails done and go shopping?

Posted by Ronnie Apteker