Scream (Blu-ray SteelBook) (Zavvi Exclusive) [UK]

[snooloui]

Release date: July 28th, 2014
Purchase link: Scream
Notes: Limited to 2,000 copies
Price: £17.99
Group Buy: Click HERE (Hosted by NM)

Spoiler

 

[paulboland]

If Zavvi are getting an exclusive which isn't world wide I find it hard to believe they don't get SOME say in the design.

I understand if it's something which is world wide like for example the Frozen Steelbook, basically the odd one out of the collection in terms of it's design but that's because it was a world wide release, the art was all the same.

Sometimes there suggestion is agreed on but majority the design and content is only decided by the studio who have final say on all details


Zavvi have passed on feedback and sometime they suggest what customers want but end of the day its the studio who decide and the studios don't always listen or care
Zavvi have rejected an exclusive release sometimes and it ends up on general release or not released

There is no difference between Amazon Zavvi HMV your local video or record shop
That's what Zavvi are a online retail shop

 

[jackanape]

Sometimes there suggestion is agreed on but majority the design and content is only decided by the studio who have final say on all details


Zavvi have passed on feedback and sometime they suggest what customers want but end of the day its the studio who decide and the studios don't always listen or care

There is no difference between Amazon Zavvi HMV your local video or record shop
That's what Zavvi are a online retail shop

I'm sorry but that is just nonsense.

If Zavvi get an exclusive they don't just get HANDED the artwork by the studio. It is on them to find a design (likely that already exists or via a third party) and then ask the relevant studio to authorise it. The final decision may well be with the studio but the people choosing the design to send to them ARE Zavvi or the people they hire to acquire/design their exclusive steelbooks.

Your argument is 100% accurate when you are talking about regular amarays etc that are just sent out by distributors for retailers (like amazon, HMV and Zavvi) as retailers in that case just have to sell them. In the case where a retailer approaches a studio to sell an exclusive product then it is on that RETAILER to come up with something.

Zavvi clearly have some say in product design as they have produced some steels and artwork that is available NOWHERE else. Plus thèy have taken feedback to change designs or have HDN choose artwork (Weeck it Ralph, Wickerman, Seven Samurai etc) so are clearly not just selling these at the behest if a studio - they are actively involved in the process. Heck you only have to look at THIS artwork to know it didn't come from the studio as it looks nothing like any other release of this film to date.

 

[ringmav]

Id rather get the australian blu ray set with all four movies instead of this thing. The title arranged like that makes it seem like a comedy film... Its just awful. Pass.

 

[blurayfan17]

I still pee myself a little when I see that face, but I'm going to get in on this one. Like the art!

 

[Flip]

Id rather get the australian blu ray set with all four movies instead of this thing. The title arranged like that makes it seem like a comedy film... Its just awful. Pass.

agree would look so much better with the title fixed

here's a few mock ups i made with title fixed

Spoiler

 

[Apinamakina]

Have members here suddenly become spoiled or something? I think that artwork is a good choise and fits nicely for the movie. Title having the letters like that also looks unique and different and isn't like all the rest of steelbooks like you see in Flip's mock ups.

Only bad thing I can come up with this artwork is the inside with disc covering the image and left side being nothing but black.

 

[paulboland]

I'm sorry but that is just nonsense.

If Zavvi get an exclusive they don't just get HANDED the artwork by the studio. It is on them to find a design (likely that already exists or via a third party) and then ask the relevant studio to authorise it. The final decision may well be with the studio but the people choosing the design to send to them ARE Zavvi or the people they hire to acquire/design their exclusive steelbooks.

Your argument is 100% accurate when you are talking about regular amarays etc that are just sent out by distributors for retailers (like amazon, HMV and Zavvi) as retailers in that case just have to sell them. In the case where a retailer approaches a studio to sell an exclusive product then it is on that RETAILER to come up with something.

Zavvi clearly have some say in product design as they have produced some steels and artwork that is available NOWHERE else. Plus thèy have taken feedback to change designs or have HDN choose artwork (Weeck it Ralph, Wickerman, Seven Samurai etc) so are clearly not just selling these at the behest if a studio - they are actively involved in the process. Heck you only have to look at THIS artwork to know it didn't come from the studio as it looks nothing like any other release of this film to date.

I worked in the Business for over 11 Years as a buyer and was involved in lot of exclusive releases

Sometime it was me asking for an exclusive and this was in a few occasions agreed and other time you got a no to an exclusive as they want to sell to all retailers meaning a bigger stock level
The majority of times its the studio approaching you with an offer of an exclusive
All exclusives the main part is you agreeing to taking a set amount of stock at an agreed price which if your a good buyer you get it at the cheapest and its then the shop to decide the profit margin

The artwork is rarely decided by the retailer the marketing is sometimes a joint decision and again as a buyer you get the studio to pay for most of any advertising
I refused some exclusives as the sales would not have happened with the minimum amount of stock you had to agree to
The exclusive part in most cases is you agree to take a quantity of stock


I have in the past requested certain content in a release and sometimes this was agreed on but the majority of time you did not have any choice on the content
Content involves the artwork the extras etc

Zavvi have in a few occasions approached a studio with a choice of artwork and have used this site for a poll in regards to that but this has only been a very small amount of times this has happened

There would have been lot of time zavvi yes would have asked if this artwork could be used and is rejected by the studio for a number of reasons as in rights and actor approval


Zavvi are the ones who are agreeing to these releases with some been them suggesting a title while the rest of the time is the studio who ask if there interested

AmazonUK would be approached and say no as this is not an area they like to get into as it means agreeing to a set quantity of stock and if you look at the times they have done very rare its been a big release


In Germany Amazon do lot of exclusives its the same for them the studio approach them with a release and they either agree or don't


Its still good that we get all these release from Zavvi as I can tell you lot of the other retailers would not agree to take a set amount of stock as it can be a big risk if it does not sell well and you end up selling at a loss and this has happened to zavvi on a number of releases and is one of the main reasons why you are seeing limited runs of 2000 or 2500 instead of the usual 4000

 

[LGrima]

Id rather get the australian blu ray set with all four movies instead of this thing. The title arranged like that makes it seem like a comedy film... Its just awful. Pass.

Whats special with the Aus box set?

 

[PKAVFC]

I worked in the Business for over 11 Years as a buyer and was involved in lot of exclusive releases



Sometime it was me asking for an exclusive and this was in a few occasions agreed and other time you got a no to an exclusive as they want to sell to all retailers meaning a bigger stock level

The majority of times its the studio approaching you with an offer of an exclusive

All exclusives the main part is you agreeing to taking a set amount of stock at an agreed price which if your a good buyer you get it at the cheapest and its then the shop to decide the profit margin



The artwork is rarely decided by the retailer the marketing is sometimes a joint decision and again as a buyer you get the studio to pay for most of any advertising

I refused some exclusives as the sales would not have happened with the minimum amount of stock you had to agree to

The exclusive part in most cases is you agree to take a quantity of stock





I have in the past requested certain content in a release and sometimes this was agreed on but the majority of time you did not have any choice on the content

Content involves the artwork the extras etc



Zavvi have in a few occasions approached a studio with a choice of artwork and have used this site for a poll in regards to that but this has only been a very small amount of times this has happened



There would have been lot of time zavvi yes would have asked if this artwork could be used and is rejected by the studio for a number of reasons as in rights and actor approval





Zavvi are the ones who are agreeing to these releases with some been them suggesting a title while the rest of the time is the studio who ask if there interested



AmazonUK would be approached and say no as this is not an area they like to get into as it means agreeing to a set quantity of stock and if you look at the times they have done very rare its been a big release





In Germany Amazon do lot of exclusives its the same for them the studio approach them with a release and they either agree or don't





Its still good that we get all these release from Zavvi as I can tell you lot of the other retailers would not agree to take a set amount of stock as it can be a big risk if it does not sell well and you end up selling at a loss and this has happened to zavvi on a number of releases and is one of the main reasons why you are seeing limited runs of 2000 or 2500 instead of the usual 4000

Good post.

However, if that's the case and Zavvi had no say in the design, why did they accept this steaming pile of horse dung? What not say, this is shite, no thanks.

Not as if we were "screaming" out for this release.

You would hope a Zavvi steelbook buyer would be able to spot a turd of a design.

I've said it before, as long as these ultra limited runs sell out, Zavvi will always say yes to what ever the studio puts in front of them.

It's now about quantity, not quality.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[paulboland]

Good post.

However, if that's the case and Zavvi had no say in the design, why did they accept this steaming pile of horse dung? What not say, this is shite, no thanks.

Not as if we were "screaming" out for this release.

You would hope a Zavvi steelbook buyer would be able to spot a turd of a design.

I've said it before, as long as these ultra limited runs sell out, Zavvi will always say yes to what ever the studio puts in front of them.

It's now about quantity, not quality.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's how the Business works if your offered something you know will sell you go with it and they know there onto a winner with these limited runs of 2000 or 2500 as we as steelbook customers go with it

I myself buy if its a film I like and want and sometimes the artwork is the reason but most of the time its because I like the film itself and it has extras I want
I don't buy because it limited to 2000 or 2500 or even 4000 it just sometimes is a limited release
Some people do and don't even watch the film or open the steelbook but that's there choice and we have to respect there reasons

I expect we will see lot more releases that are limited to 1000/2000/2500/3000
All they want is to sell out a release and make money some of us will say that's a rubbish film but you still get people buying it just because it limited

Scream Artwork is crap in my opinion but it will still sell out due to its limited run of 2000
Lionsgate or Zavvi wont care when it sells out and they see people complaining about the artwork as they will have achieved there objective sell out at a profit

 

[gimpli]

agree would look so much better with the title fixed

here's a few mock ups i made with title fixed

Spoiler

If the title on retail was like the top mock up, i would purchase 100% title on the retail ruins it completely in my opinion

 

[PKAVFC]

I'm exactly the same Paul, I buy films I enjoy, or films that are ok, but have really nice artwork.

I understand people's frustrations, but it's obvious Zavvi don't give two hoots. They sell, they get their money, so they are happy.

Why consult the collector about designs on these limited print runs, as they will sell out regardless.

That's how the Business works if your offered something you know will sell you go with it and they know there onto a winner with these limited runs of 2000 or 2500 as we as steelbook customers go with it

I myself buy if its a film I like and want and sometimes the artwork is the reason but most of the time its because I like the film itself
I don't buy because it limited to 2000 or 2500 or even 4000 it just sometimes is a limited release
Some people do and don't even watch the film or open the steelbook but that's there choice and we have to respect there reasons

I expect we will see lot more releases that are limited to 1000/2000/2500/3000
All they want is to sell out a release and make money some of us will say that's a rubbish film but you still get people buying it just because it limited

 

[hatredhorror]

I'm exactly the same Paul, I buy films I enjoy, or films that are ok, but have really nice artwork.

I understand people's frustrations, but it's obvious Zavvi don't give two hoots. They sell, they get their money, so they are happy.

Why consult the collector about designs on these limited print runs, as they will sell out regardless.

Apparently they have no choice in most cases, so maybe its better to release a steelbook with THIS artwork then no steelbook at all

They have proven many times that they do care about what collectors think (by letting them choose outside/inside artwork, by hearing them out whether they're interested in a certain line of steelbooks (disney, kubrick, etc.)

as paulboland said, we collect those steelbooks for various reasons.. and by releasing this steelbook at all, those ppl who are mainly interested in having this movie in steelbook form are happy and by releasing it in a limited quantity those who buy it mainly for resale purposes or for the fantasy of having something super valuable some day.. unfortunately those who collect steelbooks primarily for their artwork have been left out, because zavvi had no chance in convincing the studios to change this s*** artwork

of course the incentive for zavvi to go fight with the studios might be low as long as these releases sell out.. but thats hardly zavvis fault as from their perspective the products are apparently good enough as they sell out constantly

 

[levi]

you have to wonder who's hiring the artists who design these things. This looks a bit too beginners photo shop to me.

it happens a lot too. it cant be professional designers, just cant be, too many design rules are broken. stuff you would learn at high school level.

it says it all when users make superior art in their free time (probably in an hour or two). and even people who probably arent even creative can come up with better ideas for art and can tell right away its no good.

embarrassing really.

no passion, enthusiasm or talent is shown. literally, from the inside out. bare bones, banal art and finished with no pizzazz lol

£20 please

 

[PKAVFC]

Apparently they have no choice in most cases, so maybe its better to release a steelbook with THIS artwork then no steelbook at all

This is the problem. It will sell out, as it's a 2000 print run. However, the majority of feedback agrees this is a terrible, lazy and boring design.

There is nothing good about it, other than the 2000 print run.

Had this been a 4000 print run, this would struggle to sell out. It's nothing more than a 12 Monkeys design and that was selling recently at £6.99.

 

[Steelselecta]

I worked in the Business for over 11 Years as a buyer and was involved in lot of exclusive releases



Sometime it was me asking for an exclusive and this was in a few occasions agreed and other time you got a no to an exclusive as they want to sell to all retailers meaning a bigger stock level

The majority of times its the studio approaching you with an offer of an exclusive

All exclusives the main part is you agreeing to taking a set amount of stock at an agreed price which if your a good buyer you get it at the cheapest and its then the shop to decide the profit margin



The artwork is rarely decided by the retailer the marketing is sometimes a joint decision and again as a buyer you get the studio to pay for most of any advertising

I refused some exclusives as the sales would not have happened with the minimum amount of stock you had to agree to

The exclusive part in most cases is you agree to take a quantity of stock





I have in the past requested certain content in a release and sometimes this was agreed on but the majority of time you did not have any choice on the content

Content involves the artwork the extras etc



Zavvi have in a few occasions approached a studio with a choice of artwork and have used this site for a poll in regards to that but this has only been a very small amount of times this has happened



There would have been lot of time zavvi yes would have asked if this artwork could be used and is rejected by the studio for a number of reasons as in rights and actor approval





Zavvi are the ones who are agreeing to these releases with some been them suggesting a title while the rest of the time is the studio who ask if there interested



AmazonUK would be approached and say no as this is not an area they like to get into as it means agreeing to a set quantity of stock and if you look at the times they have done very rare its been a big release





In Germany Amazon do lot of exclusives its the same for them the studio approach them with a release and they either agree or don't





Its still good that we get all these release from Zavvi as I can tell you lot of the other retailers would not agree to take a set amount of stock as it can be a big risk if it does not sell well and you end up selling at a loss and this has happened to zavvi on a number of releases and is one of the main reasons why you are seeing limited runs of 2000 or 2500 instead of the usual 4000

I have to say, I do see your point in your argument. However I have been in business for nearly 15 years, and have to disagree with part of what you have said. Bearing in mind that you have before had a similar discussion in a thread with myself, all be it an abrupt one, pointing out an interview with a Zavvi rep on their policies for the exclusives they sell.

Like the guy you responded to, I believe that Zavvi have more of a say then you would make people believe.

Yes the studios will always have the final say, they own the rights to the product, but if they produce a product that the retailer thinks they can not move forward with, the retailer will not buy the stock of that particular item. Common business sense. The customer is king and you do what ever you can, with the supplier to get a product that you are willing to sell, in order to make a profit.

Zavvi have obviously seen an increase in demand for the steelbook market and have capitalised upon that. Again good business sense. They have been extremely successful with it, probably the number 1 retailer currently at the moment. Just look at all the exclusives they have been pumping out.

Which leads me to my point. Due to the success they have had with the steelbook market, they WILL have some influence in the product. They have to. If any industry dictates to retailers to a "like it or lump it" attitude, chances are the retailer will look elsewhere for a more viable product.

So, in a nut shell, they have agreed to taking this artwork on, and have not really seen the bad opinions thus far. They could influence the artwork if they had been more on the ball beforehand, but likely contracts have been signed and it's too late now. Which shows Zavvi still does not get it right all the time, and that is why people are getting fed up with them, because, like a business should, to some degree, they are thinking about the money and not the consumer first and foremost, which in turn, it's the consumer that will buy the correct product and will therefore generate better profits.

 

[levi]

i think its about building a relationship with the studio.

i mean, how do kimchi, blufans, plain archive get these amazing collectors sets?

in comparison, why do zavvi put out nothing but bog standard, bare bones conveyor-belt steels which seem to be drained of passion?

it cant be a case of 'you sell what we offer' ... it has to work both ways, right? nobody is forcing zavvi to sell these steels, they could simply up the ante and request higher quality. request more content. request full slips, request lenticulars etc

if its all about profit, then what is not profitable about offering a superior product to the competition?

if its all about profit, why dont they make more of an effort? you know, like kimchi and the like do.

 

[hatredhorror]

if its all about profit, then what is not profitable about offering a superior product to the competition?

if its all about profit, why dont they make more of an effort? you know, like kimchi and the like do.

Because they dont have to. More effort = higher cost = lower profit.

kimchi has to, because they can only offer them for a high price+very high shipping costs internationally and nobody would bother if it wasnt for their very high quality

 

[snooloui]

i think its about building a relationship with the studio.

i mean, how do kimchi, blufans, plain archive get these amazing collectors sets?

in comparison, why do zavvi put out nothing but bog standard, bare bones conveyor-belt steels which seem to be drained of passion?

it cant be a case of 'you sell what we offer' ... it has to work both ways, right? nobody is forcing zavvi to sell these steels, they could simply up the ante and request higher quality. request more content. request full slips, request lenticulars etc

if its all about profit, then what is not profitable about offering a superior product to the competition?

if its all about profit, why dont they make more of an effort? you know, like kimchi and the like do.

I think it's pretty obvious that Asian retailers operate under a different set of rules to other retailers, probably because the companies they deal with aren't huge multinationals like most UK studios. That is why they were able to secure print runs smaller than 4000 long before Zavvi and have a bigger say in regards to artwork and content. I think the biggest problem though is that UK studios seem to see Steelbooks as a way to boost sales of old discs (Fox are the prime example) rather than as a true collectors item. Why spend extra money on something they see purely as a cheap way to incentivise old stock?

 

[jackanape]

That's how the Business works if your offered something you know will sell you go with it and they know there onto a winner with these limited runs of 2000 or 2500 as we as steelbook customers go with it

I myself buy if its a film I like and want and sometimes the artwork is the reason but most of the time its because I like the film itself and it has extras I want
I don't buy because it limited to 2000 or 2500 or even 4000 it just sometimes is a limited release
Some people do and don't even watch the film or open the steelbook but that's there choice and we have to respect there reasons

I expect we will see lot more releases that are limited to 1000/2000/2500/3000
All they want is to sell out a release and make money some of us will say that's a rubbish film but you still get people buying it just because it limited

Scream Artwork is crap in my opinion but it will still sell out due to its limited run of 2000
Lionsgate or Zavvi wont care when it sells out and they see people complaining about the artwork as they will have achieved there objective sell out at a profit

Even if you have worked in the industry, unless you have done so specifically for Zavvi or one if the other steelbook retailers then it's entirely speculation. Saying that Zavvi HAVE to take certain art seems unlikely when we can all see that the same film gets released in multiple countries with different art, extra discs, lenticular sleeves, postcards etc. I'm not going to debate the merits of those things as I know they are worthless to some people - but Zavvi could choose to add these things if they wanted to.

Likewise if they are given a take it or leave it policy to steels then how are much smaller companies able to get the same studios to sign off on unique releases? Kimchi is basically a one man band (not holding them up as a perfect retailer here - just an example) and yet they produce good products with different art and sleeves etc. you're saying they have more sway than Zavvi? Seems unlikely.

Plus the stock levels of the product is less up for negotiation with steelbooks. As it's common knowledge that a 4k print run is the minimum, and when companies sell less than that the same copies seem to turn up at another retailer abroad. If anything the shift by Zavvi to these 2k runs shows that they must have some sway - as a lot of the 4k runs weren't shifting until heavily discounted so now they offer lower quantities at a higher price to drive demand. That would have been Zavvis call (based on how their steels to date have performed) rather than the studios. Would every studio simultaineously tell Zavvi to only stock 2k copies (which is what has happened recently) seems unlikely.

It's also interesting that Zavvi have tried different things in the past to bump sales. Like numbering City of God, or the art cards with Fast and Furious 6. Another sign that they can tinker with products to try and make them more desirable. They just rarely choose to do so, as it's another cost and didn't pay off in those cases.

I suspect that Zavvi could argue against the art choices more often than they do, but I've no doubt their hands are tied in some cases, but they still have the final say about whether to sell any product - as it's not like they have much uk based competition when it comes to steelbooks.