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Familiar content, marketing keys to luring moviegoers: Falcon
HB Naveen (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)Over the past several decades, Indonesia has experienced ups and downs in its movie industry
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HB Naveen (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Over the past several decades, Indonesia has experienced ups and downs in its movie industry. This year, the industry witnessed a new high after Falcon Pictures’ Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss Part 1, the remake of classic comedy hit Warkop, emerged as the most successful Indonesian movie with over 6.5 million viewers, and still counting. Other Falcon releases this year, My Stupid Boss and Comic 8 Casino Kings Part 2, also scored at the box-office. In a lively discussion at The Jakarta Post’s office, Falcon Pictures’ executive director HB Naveen enthusiastically shared the recipe behind the success of his latest productions with the Post’s Hasyim Widhiarto, Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Fachrul Sidiq. Here are excerpts from the discussion.
Question: What is your strategy for grabbing the audience?
Answer: First is by identifying the pattern. Like identifying the needs; something popular that is becoming a trend. For example, what makes [comedian] Radhitya Dika’s movies a success?
Friends told me that it’s driven by the boom in stand-up comedy shows. I then watched Kompas TV and Metro TV, which air stand-up comedy shows. I saw grass roots trends taking place here.
People are all laughing and we are talking about audiences of hundreds at the same time. So what we did was simple, we brought those TV shows to cinema.
Someone recommended My Stupid Boss to me, which was a very successful novel. I saw a pattern there. I couldn’t be the only one who thought my boss was stupid; my staff must also think the same, that I am a stupid boss.
People say that this movie is segmented, aimed at the executive class only. I disagree. There are millions of executive workers alone in Sudirman [business district], South Jakarta.
Take the stupid boss concept and give it to [popular actress] Bunga Citra Lestari and [actor] Reza Rahardian. With proper production and promotion, then something big happens.
Do you always spend a lot on promotion?
After ensuring the right content, then you create “remarkable marketing”. Giant billboards, for example, will entice people to take a look. The same goes with advertising on electric commuter trains.
Social media campaigns are also important. Everyone uses social media and now they prefer video to pictures. People take pictures with stand-up figures of Warkop characters and share them on their social media. In the future, we plan to develop an augmented-reality application, which enables users to create video instead of pictures.
When former president BJ Habibie or Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama watched our movies, we posted it on our social media accounts to give “life” to our brand.
We also paid attention to conventional marketing, particularly through television. Social media campaigns are important, but advertising in conventional media is a must.
We spent Rp 45 billion (US$3.45 million) to promote Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss Part 1, around 65 percent went into conventional marketing.
Do you think the recent removal of the film industry from the negative investment list (DNI) will harm local producers like you?
Like a half-full/half-empty glass perspective, it depends on how we see it. For me, it is an opportunity. Can foreign producers make 52 blockbuster movies throughout the year? I bet only 10 to 15 movies at most. This is where we can play our role to fill in the rest.
They will indeed increase the prestige of the Indonesian movie industry and help lift it into a whole new level. I would tell them, “come and put in your money. You learn from me and let me learn from you”.
Based on your experience, is it possible for Indonesian movies to penetrate further in the region?
A movie theme that is well received by global audiences is silat (martial arts), because this is a signature Indonesian theme. Movies like The Raid have performed well in the international market.
I tried to bring My Stupid Boss to Malaysia, but it was not really successful and made me realize that I have to learn more about local audience habits and their trends, before I go back.
Thus, our movies have to be kings in our land first before taking them to more advanced steps. Besides, we haven’t fully tapped our potential. We also have heard that recently, even Hollywood producers will now consider changing their movie release dates to adjust with ours [to avoid competition].
Your first several movies did not perform well in the market. How did you learn from that?
The road of filmmaking is very hard and harsh. Our first 10 movies booked losses.
My director Upi [Avianto] sat with me and I told her, “If other producers can do it, I must be able to do it too”. I will not leave this battle until I understand it and win it.
Along the way you will understand how much of a budget you need to make movie, what kind of promotions you need to give your movie.
We should be able to make a strategy and fight for another day. I know that film-making is all about passion, but at the end of the day it is still a business and we still need to live. I had the courage to spend big on Warkop DKI Reborn because I learned from my success in My Stupid Boss and Comic 8.
I’ll always try to push my bar even higher and higher.
