Read this great article about film marketing that appeared a few years back in The New Yorker. Writing and filmmaking I understand; the selling of a project, however, remains foreign to me. This shed a lot of light on a process that seems at times part luck and part alchemy.
And check out this epic prop auction held tomorrow in Los Angeles. Movie memorabilia from special effects guru Rick Baker’s entire career. You want to bid on Hellboy’s Right Hand of Doom? Go for it. How about a twelve-foot-tall animatronic alien from Men in Black? If you’ve got an extra forty grand to blow, this too can be yours. Or what if you prefer taking home a full-size Eddie Murphy fat suit from The Nutty Professor? Whatever, I don’t judge.
Take time to peruse the entire auction catalog. It spans Baker’s whole career, from An American Werewolf in London to Gremlins and Planet of the Apes. No doubt Hollywood collectors have waited decades for a treasure trove like this to go on sale to the public.