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[JustLurking]

4 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

So why are people here claiming it’s a conspiracy? 

because very much like their conservative counterparts some people can't simply accept that a film they would like to not do well is doing well and need to rationalise the situation instead of simply moving on

[WittyUsername]

1 minute ago, JustLurking said:

because very much like their conservative counterparts some people can't simply accept that a film they would like to not do well is doing well and need to rationalise the situation instead of simply moving on

This film is unquestionably doing well, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to point out that the strategy behind its success has been very unusual, even compared to successful right-wing films in the past like American Sniper. 
 

 

[JustLurking]

1 minute ago, WittyUsername said:

This film is unquestionably doing well, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to point out that the strategy behind its success has been very unusual, even compared to successful right-wing films in the past like American Sniper. 
 

 

It is very much unusual, but this theory that sold out halls are sitting there empty and the numbers are fake is just not reality, and has been debunked numerous times

 

I really encourage people to just ignore the film and move on if they don't like the ordeal (as I have, fwiw: no plans to even see it whenever it comes out in my country), the discussion surrounding it has been tiring and at this point, repetitive

[WittyUsername]

9 minutes ago, JustLurking said:

It is very much unusual, but this theory that sold out halls are sitting there empty and the numbers are fake is just not reality, and has been debunked numerous times

 

I really encourage people to just ignore the film and move on if they don't like the ordeal (as I have, fwiw: no plans to even see it whenever it comes out in my country), the discussion surrounding it has been tiring and at this point, repetitive

I’m sure there are plenty of people in America who are watching and loving this, but I’m not sure why the studio felt the need to come with this strategy in the first place. It’s weird. Maybe they weren’t able to market it in a more traditional way? 

Edited July 30, 2023 by WittyUsername

[Human]

17 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

I’m sure there are plenty of people in America who are watching and loving this, but I’m not sure why the studio felt the need to come with this strategy in the first place. It’s weird. Maybe they weren’t able to market it in a more traditional way? 

Because they tried a unique method, and it is working wonders for them.  

[von Kenni]

I've already argued on this thread in great length to bring hopefully some constructive perspectives on why for example the mainstream reactions to this film have been counterproductive against their own goals of shooting down extremism or how they also seem to be against the film due to the messengers and their affiliations, and not due to the film itself. So maybe my final perspective is about Jim Caviezel and especially Tim Ballard. I don't know much about the producer Eduardo Verástegui or the people at Angel Studios who became the distributors just some months ago. In context, the script development of the film started in 2015 and the principal shooting took place in the Summer of 2018.

 

I've watched some longer interviews from both Caviezel and Ballard regarding the film and generally the cause of fighting against child trafficking and read about reporting on them and the trafficking but am by no means an expert in the subject and have very limited knowledge but I feel comfortable enough to make the following profiling with a realistic or likely probability.

 

Tim Ballard was a former CIA and Department of Homeland (DHS) Security agent where he was part of a team capturing pedophiles and child trafficking perpetrators. His job included watching all the videos on these unimaginable acts and writing down reports about them for prosecution. We can only imagine what kind of toll that takes. He himself describes how he has dealt with PTSD and still is because of the job. He explained in an interview how horrific his first time doing that was with visibly suppressed emotions. He comes from a religious Mormon background and has nine children out of which two are adopted from Haiti from his trafficking operations.

 

I have three key takeaways to draw from Tim Ballard's background:

 

1) It seems highly likely if not almost certain that he does what he does because of truthful motivations to fight human trafficking and especially child trafficking and to make a concrete difference while he felt limited by the role in DHS especially regarding saving actual children outside the US.

 

2) The things that he has seen and endured can give a sense of powerlessness, frustration, anger, and the need to act to make a difference. That manifested through the Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) which he founded to train local law enforcement in these matters and to do actual sting operations abroad. I can see how their motivation to do good and something tangible overshadowed especially in the beginning things such as providing adequate aftercare to the victims or otherwise doing sometimes even amateurish mistakes regarding their work and how some of that is controversial.

 

3) Adding to his numbing experiences the cliche intelligent officer's basic paranoia, I can understand how he has extrapolated more fantastical claims or assumptions on child trafficking and drawn to some conspiracy theories. In that space, it is hard to recognize where reality lies. Even though part of my background is from the military intelligence side, healthy paranoia and the ability to imagine even fantastical scenarios of the enemy's intentions, plans, and movements is a key trait, but it can be a fine line when it goes overboard. That is a realistic or likely probability with Tim Ballard.

 

How much other personal motives such as self-elevation, money, and making a living count to all this is anybody's guess but as we all, I'm sure Ballard has that kind of side as well.

 

Regarding Jim Caviezel, he has been exposed to the real child trafficking video materials that Tim Ballard has worked with and is visibly fighting some demons whether because of that or something prior. He might have less of an analytical mind than Ballard with his prior work with CIA and DHS and knowledge of government and people in it and therefore is much more susceptible to those most extreme conspiracy theories and has gone all-in in QAnon. Caviezel has two adopted children from China who Ballard mentioned in one interview that based on Caviezel were saved from trafficking. Is that an extrapolation, exaggeration, or truth, I do not know.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

1 hour ago, WittyUsername said:

 

I was referring to this tweet. And no, I’m not suggesting it’s unquestionably true. Maybe they’re lying. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

Clickbait headline:

 

Quote

Angel Studios has instituted an unconventional “Pay It Forward” system, allowing people to donate money to the distribution banner so that the studio can purchase tickets for its own movie and distribute them for free. The company touts the initiative as a tool to raise awareness on child trafficking. Regardless of what fraction of those admissions end up redeemed, that’s all still money in the pocket for exhibitors.

 

 

 

 

The article is referring to all "Pay It Forward" purchases as "admissions", which is IMO misleading language at best. "Admissions" in box office reporting has a specific meaning, Variety knows that. The Pay It Forward donation site has disclaimers mentioning what will happen to funds not used for tickets to that specific movie, and how that will fund their creators and future studio endeavors.

 

So, yes, donations for unredeemed Pay It Forward will remain with the distributor, Angel Studios. Does that mean unredeemed Pay It Forward donations are being counted as part of Sound of Freedom’s box office? There is certainly an audience eager to hear that SoF's financial success has been faked somehow. The book world is pretty notorious for the bestseller lists being easy to manipulate. Domestic movie theater attendance, not so much, or other studios would never have flops. They've had a 100-year head start, after all.

 

Angel should have just made a deal for "discount codes" with leading ticket sites like the major studios, then the trades wouldn't be making these digs. Or does everyone really think Fandango just wakes up one morning and decides to offer "Buy One, Get One" tickets to The Flash out of the goodness of their hearts?

Edited July 30, 2023 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[von Kenni]

32 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

I’m sure there are plenty of people in America who are watching and loving this, but I’m not sure why the studio felt the need to come with this strategy in the first place. It’s weird. Maybe they weren’t able to market it in a more traditional way? 

 

There weren't many other plays to play. The film was made in 2018 and owned by FOX Latin America which then became part of Disney which shelved it. Producers bought the rights back and made a distribution deal with Angel Studios. They had offered the film to all big distributors before that including Netflix.

 

Angel Studio's crowdsourced $5M from its crowdfunding base. They leaned heavily toward the good cause of the film and utilized it to fire up their faith-based 100,000 people large crowdfunding base (no idea how successful that was), to get to right-leaning or right-wing podcasts and media, and to set up the pay-it-forward system.

 

A great start on the 4th of July beating the Indy 5 that day fueled it more and they got the snowball effect started. Producer Verastegui's, Ballard's, and lead actor Caviezel's affiliations to Trump and Trump's administration and Caviezel's QAnon connection made it practically impossible to get fair reception in the mainstream media unless they were right-leaning media.

 

If anyone here knows what other kind of play they could have made, please do share.

[PlatnumRoyce]

speaking of Sound of Freedom, here's what looks like a pretty bad/mediocre  poll by newsweek about it
Here's polling they provided in narrative form split into a table

 

	DEM	GOP	3rd Party	Non voters
Fav/very fav	59	65	73	49
Unfav/very unfav	10	??	??	??
Reasonably/very accurate depiction of child trafficking	54	74	??	??
Agree that movie Theaters are suppressing sound of freedom from being seen	21	37	??	??

 

Either didn't ask or didn't report about "pay it forward" straw buying allegations or QANON association style question despite those clearly attracting more coverage than the movie theaters AC conspiracy.
 

Edited August 1, 2023 by PlatnumRoyce

[Borobudur]

7 minutes ago, PlatnumRoyce said:

speaking of Sound of Freedom, here's what looks like a pretty bad/mediocre poll on poll by newsweek about it
Here's polling they provided in narrative form split into a table

 

	DEM	GOP	3rd Party	Non voters
Fav/very fav	59	65	73	49
Unfav/very unfav	10	??	??	??
Reasonably/very accurate depiction of child trafficking	54	74	??	??
Agree that movie Theaters are suppressing sound of freedom from being seen	21	37	??	??

 

Either didn't ask or didn't report about "pay it forward" straw ticket allegations (which, you know, are the aspect given most coverage) or have a QANON association style question.
 

Wow, an unusual positive reception from Democrats. 

[Human]

24 minutes ago, Borobudur said:

Wow, an unusual positive reception from Democrats. 

Democrats also care about child kidnappings.

[ChipDerby]

The amount of delusion people have fallen for regarding this movie and Tim Ballard and his just complete fabricated stories of "saving children" is just so frustrating to see.

[Boxx93]

Tickets for SOF will be on sale in Venezuela this Friday, 3 weeks in advance for all theaters in the country. The response on social media is getting is nuts. I think this movie will blow up in Latin American markets.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvcdQUjLju-/

Edited August 2, 2023 by Boxx93

[Mr Terrific]

Checking in to see how “awareness” of the problem is going. 
I know people really did their part by going to see a movie. Kinda still waiting over here in the actual realm of child abuse to see any ounce, morsel or iota of actual difference besides conservatives hugging themselves about how much they care. 
Anyone want to string some sentences together about awareness? I’m aware some popcorn was sold. 
That’s cool, I guess. 

[baumer]

On 7/30/2023 at 4:48 PM, WittyUsername said:

I’m sure there are plenty of people in America who are watching and loving this, but I’m not sure why the studio felt the need to come with this strategy in the first place. It’s weird. Maybe they weren’t able to market it in a more traditional way? 

 

There was no budget for marketing.

[baumer]

1 hour ago, Boxx93 said:

Tickets for SOF will be on sale in Venezuela this Friday, 3 weeks in advance for all theaters in the country. The response on social media is getting is nuts. I think this movie will blow up in Latin American markets.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvcdQUjLju-/

 

I would say 75% of the movie takes place in South / Latin america. If it gets a huge response in those markets it wouldn't surprise me at all.

[MrHardapple]

So SoF will pass Transformers in two days.

Might be a close race between SoF and Indy when all is said and done...

[LonePirate]

Here's some interesting news.

 

Fabian Marta, who helped acquire the film from Disney and is credited at the end of the film, was arrested for felony kidnapping of a child in St. Louis back in July. 

[dudalb]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:34 PM, WittyUsername said:

This film is unquestionably doing well, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to point out that the strategy behind its success has been very unusual, even compared to successful right-wing films in the past like American Sniper. 
 

 

American Sniper was not marketed at a right wing only audience, though.

[WittyUsername]

2 hours ago, LonePirate said:

Here's some interesting news.

 

Fabian Marta, who helped acquire the film from Disney and is credited at the end of the film, was arrested for felony kidnapping of a child in St. Louis back in July. 

Well, that’s ironic…