After 20 years of naming and branding for businesses and brands, naming for movies is a natural yet revolutionary evolution in the movie making process. We have adopted our tried and tested methods for the movie industry and have worked closely with nearly every major motion picture studio to develop the most marketable and alluring movie titles since launching in 2007.
Client must provide a copy of the most complete and current movie script. TitleDoctors will read and meticulously review the script taking note of key phrases and overarching movie themes.
Based on notes derived from Phase 1 combined with the stated objectives of studio executives, TitleDoctors will develop a naming criteria document to guide name development and serve as a basis for evaluation. The document will specify considerations to be addressed throughout the name exploration and will help to determine the final name candidates in the most objective manner possible. As this can become a very subjective process, this step is very important. Typically, we ask more detailed questions regarding the marketing of the film to ensure the exploration is as narrow and deep as possible. This step has also proven to help executives get the buy in of other stakeholders including directors, producers, and talent. The client must approve the final naming criteria before the creative process starts. Names for foreign films requiring translation and other language considerations will require expert language consultants and linguists. This phase will help to determine the right experts to be involved in the project.
Once the client has approved the naming criteria, we will be in a position to develop the movie title. The title will be appropriate to the project, specified audiences and the client’s objectives and will also be proprietary to the extent necessary. This process includes a minimum of 3-cycle of creative exploration, logical filtration, and legal elimination over the 3-week timeframe needed to create the very strongest options possible. Using Baseline Studio Systems, IMDB Pro, and MPAA, a preliminary search of the top 10 recommended titles will be conducted for ownership/trademark-ability and appropriateness. After the initial presentation, the client may select other titles from the complete deck to be searched.
Prior to presentation a full title deck of anywhere from 60-100 options will be presented to an exclusive TitleDoctors board of advisors that include Ph.D. Linguists, notable editors, and other noted industry experts who do not present a conflict of interest and remain under NDA. Final Phase 3 Deliverables include: Full title deck of all titles explored titles and a presentation of top 10.
TitleDoctors offers leading industry market research using state-of-the-art quantitative research to help select the final title candidates. The final 3 title candidates (working title plus 2 more) will be tested with at least 250 moviegoers each to narrow the field, looking for statistically different results between titles. Special attention will focus on the demographic appeal of each title, as well as responses from early attendees (moviegoers who tend to watch movies within two weeks of theatrical release) to determine which titles would draw the most moviegoers to the box office. A comprehensive analytical report will summarize results for each title. The cost for this phase is based on amount of titles tested. Allow 2 weeks for testing. Phase 4 Deliverables include: Full documented report of research findings.
