“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
Director Starts Viral Campaign for Film, “The Garlock Incident” June 7, 2012June 7, 2012Evan J. Cholfin and his wife, Ariana Farina, have started a viral campaign for their film, The Garlock Incident. The film takes cues from The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, telling the story of a group of students who went out to make a film, but disappeared when they… Read More
Potential Outbreak: James Cameron’s AVATAR June 16, 2009June 16, 2009Potential Outbreak is a weekly article of MovieViral concerning “possible” viral marketing of upcoming future films and what these films can use so they can be successful. Avatar is set to release in late December of this year (2009) but this film still has time to compose a timely and… Read More
Viral Review: Funny People August 9, 2009April 3, 2010It’s now been a week since the film Funny People has been released, so it’s time to review their viral campaign. In case you missed it, be sure to check out Nick’s review of the film itself. Funny People follows established comedian and actor George Simmons (Adam Sandler) as he… Read More