FEC ban on F9/11 ads abuse of power, YES, but will not hurt movie. . .

[wndycty]

For those of you who have heard about the FEC seeking to ban "Fahrenheit 9/11" ads on TV and radio after July 30, please be advised that while this is a serious abuse of power that should be investigated, it will not hurt the movie. It is very rare for a movie studio to spend any money on broacast advertising past the 2nd week or 3rd week of the movie. Since no one knows how long a movie will be in theaters studios almost always plan their broadcast advertising budgets through the first couple weeks, in most cases ending after opening weekend. In some cases a studio will invest in a modest broadcast campaign in the later weeks, but that is very rare. Also most public relations (interviews, TV/Radio appearances) activities cease on opening weekend as well, but I am sure Michael Moore will be doing interviews throughout.

The only marketing that is a certainty throughout a movie's first run life is the newspaper advertising, again though in most cases after the first few weeks that budget is often slashed with display (co-op) ads not running 7 days a week but just Fridays or Fri-Sun. Understand that after the first few weeks (after the studios make their money back) the majority of films are driven by word of mouth. Also in later weeks (however F9/11 may be an exception) the number of theaters carrying the film would not justify an ambitious broadcast campaign.

Given the subject matter and timeliness of the film it is highly probably that the studio would seek to run broadcast ads during the conventions and leading up to the elections, so the FEC's ban should still concern the studio but it is not going to kill the film by any stretch of the imagination.


‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ ban?
Ads for Moore’s movie could be stopped on July 30
By Alexander Bolton

Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.

At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore’s film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law.
-snip-

http://www.thehill.com/news/062404/moore.aspx

Background: I am an entertainment publicist and spent my first 6 years working exclusively in the film industry.

[ClassWarrior]

1. And if Mike feels the need...

...he can re-edit to eliminate any mention of Bush*.

[cheezus]

2. What about the DVD push?

my understanding was the DVD would be out right before the election. How will this affect those ads?

[wndycty]

5. Thats a different story. . .

. . .but I would assume by the time the movie would have its own identity and I am sure the spots could be cut not to have political overtones. Also remember most DVD's do not have a broadcast campaign behind them. I think F9/11 could but I am also sure there are ways around the FEC.

[evil_orange_cat]

3. despite my objections, they seem to be following campaign finance law...

and I'd like to think they'd do it for an anti-Kerry movie (because let's be honest, F9-11 is an anti-Bush movie)...

Plus, July 30 is a long ways away. It probably won't affect the movie as it comes out in most areas tomorrow.

[MadHound]

4. No, sorry friend, but this is NOT following campaign finance law

This is trying to do back door censorship on anything that is hurtful to Bush. F911 is a MOVIE, it doesn't ask you to vote for anything or anybody, it does not try to sway people to vote for or against anybody, it is a documentary that is presenting FACTS.

If this ban is allowed to happen, then we are on a slippery slope to severe censorship of anything critical of any candidate. Think about it, no more op-eds, no more damning newspaper reports, television reporting scrubbed, the list of probable abuses under the rubrick of campaign reform is endless. Why don't we just leave it at the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, and let the chips fall where they may. If a candidate has nothing to hide, then he has nothing to fear from the exercise of our First Amendment rights. If he does have something to hide, then I damn sure want to know it, whether the candidate is Democrat or Republican.

Don't give away our rights friend, they're being stripped away too quickly as is.

[wndycty]

6. I agree with you MadHound. . .

. . .my original post was more about movie marketing that campaign finance law.

[Beetwasher]

7. Then Fox News Should Be Off The Air After July 30th As Well

and Rush Limbaugh etc..End of story...

[evil_orange_cat]

16. I would agree to that!

;)

[Skip Intro]

8. They are not banning all ads for F911, just ones that feature bush

At least that's the way I read it, after re-reading the story last night. (Originally I thought it meant all ads, because of the misleading title)

---
In a draft advisory opinion placed on the FEC’s agenda for today’s meeting, the agency’s general counsel states that political documentary filmmakers may not air television or radio ads referring to federal candidates within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.
---

If that's the case, MM can just advertise the film, especially for the dvd/video release, in some creative way, maybe using "CENSORED" or something. (I still think they should just replace all images of bush with a cimp in a suit.)

This could be used to advantage to create buzz anew for the release to video, imho.

Unless I'm reading this entirely wrong, all ads for F911 would not be banned.

[wndycty]

10. I think you are right, however. . .

. . .if Moore is not going to be required to edit the ads until July 30 its much ado about nothing because the movie will have paid for itself and under normal circumstance it would not be running broadcast spots that late. If they do choose to run broadcast spots due to the conventions and the election they, as you said, could just drop the Bush references.

[Stuckinthebush]

9. Moore is salivating at the prospect of a ban on advertising...

bet on it.

He knows that if the FEC bans the advertising of this movie it immediately looks like foul political play. All Moore has to do is create commercials that say:



"My name is Michael Moore. I have a new movie out but the Republican controlled FEC has decreed that I can't tell you about it. I can't advertise it, I can't tell you the name of it, I can't tell you what it about.

Are you curious as to what simple movie would cause this kind of censorship from the Republican Party?

Come find out at a theater near you."



Marketing gold......

[Beetwasher]

11. Indeed! The Movie That Republicans Don't Want You To See!!

Hee Hee...These people are so stupid...

[wndycty]

12. And like I said. . .

. . .by the time the ban would take effect it would too late anyway.

[Beetwasher]

15. Yup!

I had actually made that point in another thread as well!

Whoever is behind this FEC action (and I'm sure I could make a good guess!) is friggin' stupid beyond belief! It will have absolutely NO negative effect on the movie because it will be too late and actually will ramp up the controversy and in fact will HELP the film!

[apnu]

13. I think they have a rather thin case here.

They have to prove this film is a political ad against Bush. Then they have to prove that there is a connection between the film and the legit political groups arrayed against Bush.

All the arguments I've heard against F 9/11 are stretching very hard to say this film is propaganda (with out actually seeing the film) Outside of opinion of only a few, there's nothing to prove that this is propaganda. Or that its making an endorsement of Bush.

I haven't seen the film yet (of course) and until I do, I don't think I can draw a conclusion that this film is, indeed, a voter influencing tool. However, from what I've heard of the people who have seen it, they agree that there's a case against Bush's actions on 9/11 but there isn't a message about voting one way or another on Bush.

[Pachamama]

14. Is there any precedent in movie history that the FEC has sought such?

This is unbelievable...the fascists are running everything aren't they? Wonder what the Creative Coalition thinks about that?

[wndycty]

17. Not that I know of. . .

:kick: