Universal Gets Out Of The Paper Pushing Business

From Universal Pictures...

Dear Friend,

We are pleased to tell you about a change we are making in order to make a wider selection of publicity material available to you faster. Effective immediately, we will no longer be mailing to you printed press kits for our films. An expanded selection of our publicity materials will be available online for viewing or downloading at www.xxxxx.net.

Replacing traditional hard copy delivery of our content with digital delivery not only allows us to expand our materials, but to make them available much faster by eliminating the time it takes for duplication, assembling and shipping. As soon as new materials are available, you will be notified by email, with a link to the newly posted content.

If you haven't already registered for access to image.net, the process is very easy. Just go to www.xxxxx.net and follow the simple registrations instructions using the following referral code: XXXX.

Please note that the press kit for The Wedding Date is the last printed press kit you will receive from us.

If you have any questions please call xxxxx.net customer service at (888) xxx-1500 or email at customer-services@xxxxx.net.

Sincerely,

Universal Pictures Publicity Dept.

Comments

[Dan R%]

So someone inform me, the uneducated outsider what the plus and minus of this would be?
I'd think it'd be more useful for people who live off of their comp for everything...but that's just me.

[Chester]

It just makes it a hell of a lot more inconvenient for those who do their best reading on the toilet.

[jeffrey boam's doctor]

everyone knows its IMAGE.net.. why the secrecy? Personally I've been a fan of image.net since day one. A fantastic resource. Print is dead. Join up now and get some decent pics asap. Stop trawling in Lions Gates epk centre for those sneak advance photos from SAW 2...

[David Poland]

Just being respectful of the studio...

[Gnosis]

So what's the deal with registering at image.net as just an interested person - from reading the terms and conditions I had the feeling I might suddenly get a bill for 10K or is it all protected without the magic access code anyhow?

[Josh Massey]

And it makes everything a hell of a lot harder for those that sell press kits on eBay. Not that I've ever done that... (cough, cough)

[the interpreter]

This is a pure dollars and cents play for any studio. These mailings cost a small fortune every year, and the savings in duplication, shipping, and processing of art (the color slides, or dvds) is huge! Over time, the savings will yield millions of dollars. Not to mention, whenever positioning of a movie changes, it's much easier to make the change immediately and without fuss. Same is true in correcting film credits which change frequently up to the last minute of a film's release. All in all, this is optimal for the PR department, although it will be an interesting transition for the old guard, who like having a press kit they can thumb thru at leisure instead of download.. Most studios are leaning digital - some more than others. It makes sense, it saves money, is more efficient.. is much more adaptable for the PR teams... and who can argue with saving trees...