Gilbert placed great importance on online promotional platforms, fully aware of the influence online publicity had over young moviegoers.
With the development of the internet industry and the increasing number of personal computer users, the audience reached by online promotion had begun to possess a power no less than that of traditional media.
When it came to speed, online media was even better.
Traditional media could only publish reports the day after a premiere ended, but online media could release reports that very day, even providing on-site live text updates.
If it were not for current video transmission speeds being somewhat unsatisfactory, they would already be able to livestream directly.
To traditional media, this was an emerging media field with devastating and subversive potential.
Suppressing it was unrealistic, because it was backed by those internet tycoons who were pushing the development of the online media industry. No matter how rich traditional media were, how could they compete with those internet magnates whose wealth was simply uncountable?
In fact, whether intentionally or unintentionally, online media did possess advantages traditional media did not have.
As someone from the future, Gilbert had started arranging his layout in the online media industry very early on, and the role of social networking sites lay precisely in this.
And in order to do what he wanted and say what he wished without suffering backlash, the future internet was going to be a very important battleground.
Recently, Watermelon Social Company just launched a new product named Twitter, whose features were still slightly inferior compared with the Twitter of the previous life.
Mainly because there was no mobile version yet, Twitter's competitiveness was still not obvious.
However, once Twitter migrated to the mobile terminal in the future, its advantages of being able to share messages anytime and anywhere, upload pictures, and express personal thoughts would naturally be displayed.
Gilbert was also confident that the Twitter he controlled would not run into trouble. Even those scandal-ridden lords in Washington would not be able to do anything to him.
After all, he was part of the ruling class. If someone took him out, wouldn't that mean taking out the ruling class itself?
Whichever BOSS dared to do such a thing would likely end up like that person who rode in a convertible car — dead.
By the way, he heard there was currently a certain lax person still serving as a senator who also really liked to ride in a convertible.
No need to even arrange anything — how convenient.
This was the first time several online media outlets had been invited to attend a movie premiere, and the speed at which these online media published their reports was quickly noticed.
No one had expected online media to play such a huge role in movie publicity, possessing advantages traditional media simply did not have.
Smart people all saw this, yet only a very few could realize the revolutionary, disruptive impact online media would have on the media industry — they were digging up the foundations of mass media.
Apart from Weekly Film Report, Hollywood Frontline also brought fresh coverage: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a film suitable for both young and old, combining light-hearted family-friendly humor with just a bit of thrilling scariness.
With its mysterious treasure, skeletal pirates, bizarre gold coin curse, exciting sea chases and battles, and dashing English-style sword duels...
The affectionate and handsome Will, the beautiful and determined Elizabeth, and the legendary and humorous pirate Jack — all the elements that attract are here to be found."
Meanwhile, the Hollywood Industry website paid more attention to the special effects displayed in the film: "The most noteworthy aspect is the CGI effects of this movie.
Some pirates, cursed, become skeletons, but it is only under moonlight that their true skeletal forms can be seen.
Thus, all the fight scenes were arranged at night, and the fleeting moonlight made the pirates sometimes appear human, sometimes ghostly.
Especially when the moonlight illuminated only a part of a pirate's body — during movement under that beam, switching back and forth between half-man and half-ghost became all the more eerie and terrifying.
This film represents the current level of Hollywood's special effects industry and has progressed greatly compared to a few years ago."
Besides these online media, professional film critics were also publishing reviews on rating-collecting sites such as IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.
Via online media platforms, posting reviews was far faster than before.
However, the only issue was that professional critics could post reviews — but ordinary movie fans could do the same, so everyone became a film critic.
And to put it plainly, these professional reviewers who pointed fingers at the entire film industry while sucking its blood were not necessarily more professional than some veteran fans.
Due to the appearance of online platforms, the very first to suffer were the professional critics. Their authority started to be increasingly questioned, and by this summer season, audiences were no longer really listening to them.
Perhaps the only time they could still play a role would be awards season.
Although a few critics like Roger Ebert were still doing relatively well and remained fairly popular, most critics were already declining — good days wouldn't last long.
Roger Ebert was special. By being shameless and flattering Gilbert, he had gained attention and popularity among young moviegoers.
There was even a specialized term in the previous life for such people — internet celebrity.
It could be said that on the eve of the internet era, Roger Ebert was the earliest kind of internet celebrity. Only, he did actually possess some real talent, unlike most internet celebrities in the previous life who had no skills at all.
Roger Ebert also attended the premiere and upon returning immediately posted a review:
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl brings a seventeenth-century magical traditional story to the screen and delivers a satisfying ending.
Although the plot isn't much different from the usual Hollywood blockbuster, the audience is happy and entertained after watching it and that is precisely where this film succeeds.
It goes to show that filmmaking is not just superficial tricks: the subtle influence of advanced technology and the mysterious element of 'the audience simply likes it without knowing why' both play their parts.
The skeleton characters in the moonlight evoke no fear at all — instead what you feel is purity. That, I believe, is the film's greatest success."
He also gave his usual praise to Gilbert: "To take such a clichéd story and make it so brilliant, with such deeply memorable characters — the director Gilbert deserves tremendous credit.
Although rumors are spreading that after The Lord of the Rings series Gilbert is now on a decline, I consider that to be utter nonsense.
Gilbert is still in the golden phase of his directing career. He is nowhere near going downhill."
Roger Ebert had mastered the traffic code. His comments were swiftly embraced by Gilbert's many fans. To diehard fans, talk of Gilbert's decline was absolutely unacceptable.
The midnight screenings began, signaling the official start of the summer season.
Zoe and Doug hadn't been able to get premiere tickets, but that was fine — they managed to grab midnight screening seats.
After dropping their child off at the grandmother's house, they dressed themselves up as if heading to a high–end gala and went to the theater.
To the married couple, seeing a movie in the theater was no longer ordinary entertainment, it had become a summertime ritual that simply had to be upheld each year, so they had to look their best.
After leaving the theater, Zoe and Doug were quite satisfied with the movie. "It was really good — especially Captain Jack, I think he's so enchanting."
"Yes," Doug agreed, "I've always liked Johnny Depp as an actor, and he's finally found a role that truly suits him."
"So, what do you think this film will make at the box office?" Zoe asked.
With his many years of movie–watching experience, Doug gave his estimation: "I'd say six to seven hundred million dollars worldwide won't be a problem. The merchandise will be another highlight.
For this kind of film, if they don't release things like skull merchandise or pirate hats it would be a real shame."
Even as he spoke, Zoe and Doug noticed a few young people walking past excitedly with pirate hats and skull necklaces. They were still talking about the film and planning on watching it again the next day.
Doug shrugged, nodded toward those clearly younger fans, and said, "See, there's no need at all to worry about Gilbert becoming irrelevant — so many young people love his movies."
"True! Let's go look around too!" Zoe's attention was already drawn to the merchandise shop. She pulled Doug inside.
At the moment, that small store had more than thirty people browsing merchandise — all of them fans who had just seen the midnight screening.
When Zoe and Doug entered, they saw that the most eye–catching shelves were filled with merchandise related to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Captain Jack's hat, the swords used by Jack and Will Turner, Jack's compass, Elizabeth's fan...
There were also dolls of the main characters, plush toys of that cheeky little monkey from the movie, even models of the Black Pearl, and so on.
So many kinds of merchandise, dazzling and piled across the racks.
With Zoe's permission, Doug lugged home a Black Pearl model, while Zoe bought a Will Turner doll, a Captain Jack hat, and a skull necklace.
Those few items alone cost the couple $869 — mainly because that Black Pearl model was rather expensive.
No wonder so many people were buying Mexican knock–offs,the official merch was indeed pretty pricey.
What outsiders didn't know was that most of these products were actually produced in factories located in China, with extremely low production costs — in other words, sheer profiteering.
Over the past two years, quite a few major Hollywood companies had flocked to China as well, working with merchandise manufacturers that were springing up like bamboo shoots after the rain.
Capital always chases lower costs and higher profits. As for the fate of North American factories and workers — capitalists simply don't care.
.....
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