“This Man” Dream Viral to Become Feature Film Dan Koelsch, May 6, 2010 If you are an avid fan of ARGs and other viral marketing, you may have already heard of ThisMan.org, a website that claims hundreds of people have seen the same unknown man in their dreams. The website is designed as sort of a case study, with descriptions of dreams, theories, subjects’ drawings, and more. It’s created quite a stir with many on the Internet, and it has gotten the attention of Hollywood. See how one horror director is looking to turn a hoax into a hit. The website feels very authentic, and many believed for a time that this phenomenon was real. The man depicted is generic enough that those who come to the site might make a connection, and the international postings of the “Ever Dream This Man?” flyers seemed to imply those behind the site were really looking for an answer. However, it turned out to be a viral marketing attempt by Andrea Natella, an Italian sociologist and marketing guru, discovered on Unfiction via a WHOis search. On the site’s guestbook, someone even linked to a website where you can make a facial sketch that pretty much matches This Man. Still, it’s a great idea, and eventually someone was bound to notice. Ever Dream This Man? As Slashfilm reports, the movie This Man will be written and directed by Bryan Bertino, who last directed The Strangers for Rogue Pictures. The film is being made by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, and the plot is a nice twist on the viral premise, as the company’s press release describes below.Based on real life accounts, THIS MAN follows an ordinary guy who discovers that people he has never met are seeing him in their dreams. Now he must find out why he is the source of nightmares for strangers all over the world.The “based on real life accounts” part seems a bit iffy, since the only evidence of people dreaming about This Man is from those who have seen the website. Either way, this looks to go beyond your standard horror fare, so I’ll be interested to see how it does. Have you ever dreamed of THIS MAN? Viral Marketing ARGBryan BertinoGhost House PicturesSam RaimiThis Man
New Repo Men Director’s Cut Trailer March 10, 2010The Repo Men official website now has a Director’s Cut Red Band trailer. While Director’s Cuts are common in DVD releases of films, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of one for a trailer. You can definitely tell the difference between director Miguel Sapochnik’s take verses a marketing… Read More
“The Hunger Games” Viral Review: Pretty Standard Fun April 6, 2012April 6, 2012The Hunger Games may have gotten positive ratings across the board, but what of its viral campaign. Yes The Hunger Games had a subtle viral campaign that helped appease fans before the movie’s release, and now that the movie has already been released, the viral sites are officially inactive. From… Read More
Chris Klein Parodies His Leaked Audition Tape May 27, 2010May 27, 2010Talk about a good sport. Chris Klein has made a video for Funny or Die that parodies a video of his unflattering audition that leaked last week. It’s actually really funny, and seems to prove the original was real, as it looks like he’s trying to make the best of… Read More