Titles That Tell a Whole Story

Titles That Tell a Whole Story

Reader Comments (28)

  1. I liked the trailers of this film. Very unpretentious. They didn’t try to present the movie as a must see, or the greatest ever, but simply advertised what Snakes on a Plane is: simply a movie about Snakes on a Plane.

    Maybe we can also learn from that. Sometimes you don’t need to hype your product. Just simply tell it like it is.

  2. Well, Rico, keep in mind that this is the rare exception to the rule.

    More commonly, small business people put something out there and just expect people to “get” how good they are and beat a path to their door.

    And then it doesn’t happen…

    Hence, the emphasis on good stories. More powerful than hype, and potentially explosive (in a good way).

  3. Very well said, Brian. One thing I’d add to your points, though, is that the title is just plain funny, which is a big part of the appeal of this movie (even if the film itself isn’t supposed to be funny). So not only does the title tell the story, but it’s hard to utter the phrase without laughing or cracking a smile – at least for me.

    My wife and I bought our tickets for tonight’s show a few days ago. I’m convinced it will be sold out.

  4. Gabe, it *is* funny… and even funnier when Samuel L. is The Man on the job.

    Thanks Jon, and you’re right, I just couldn’t resist…

  5. Leaving it up to the customers sense of wonder to see how good you are is a losing proposition.

    Tell ’em how good you are, why you’re that good, how you got to be this dang good and what you’re going to do to get better and make their life better.

    THEN you’ll have all the prospects you want.

  6. Absolutely. That’s why the “moral” stories are such a hit among the kids. In two or three words they convey the entire essence of the story.

  7. OK Brian. Here’s a question to ponder.

    How long will it take for the creators of movies to come out with movie titles that follow your methods?

    Ex.’s
    Top 5 ways to avoid a Terminator 4.

    How not to be Sleepless in Seattle Ever Again.

    100 Tips for Wedding Crashers

    Can’t wait for these!
    Regards

  8. Heh. Those types of headlines have been around for 100 years, and Hollywood has only gone there sparingly.

    As in renaming Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” to “Ten Things I Hate About You.” 🙂

  9. Wow, great point. Making the pop culture to work for you is the best thing to do if you want to create a lot of hype in a short period of time.
    The princile is simple, putting it to work is a bit tricky…

  10. I have written a humanity story. I’ve gotten completely blank when i came to naming it… I need help.

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