Fans, Fans, Crazy Fans - Which Are The Best

There are fans, and than there are FANS. Hello Kitty Fans, Cosplay Fans, Comic Fans, Sports Fans - but which are the best fans. Well, it is hard to beat 'Star Wars' fans. At a time when obtaining, and harder still, controlling the fan community none does it better than the folks at LucasFilms.

Unlike most studios, LucasFilms (now owned by Disney) has a Fan Relations Department, which is responsible for, among other things, responding to hard-written notes and letters (yes, I said hand-written, the mailed kind - which come mostly from children), pumping out daily buzz on six social networks, and coordinating the fan based marketing efforts of the studio.

One of  the LucasFilms'  Fan Relations Department's major responsibilities is the coordination of a biennial get-together called the "Star Wars" Celebration - a four day event which was held in Anaheim last week.  Thousands attend the Celebration - the line to get into the convention started forming Wednesday afternoon, 28 hours before the doors were scheduled to open.  To help feed the  'faithful',  LucasFilm employees arrived Wednesday night and served up 200 pizzas.

This year, there will be over 30 hours of 'Star Wars' events, including a droid demolition derby, a sculptor who carves 'Star' characters out of vegetables, a Q&A session with Princess Leia (aka Carrie Fisher) and numerous events to enthrall the faithful.  Disney wants to prove to fans, many of which had mixed feelings about its purchase of LucasFilms, that their beloved 'Star Wars' is in good hands and went all out to demonstrate this. LucasFilms  even had a history of recruiting from its fan base and making them employees. Disney, kept up that tradition, when it hired fans to work in the 'creative department' building droids for use in  'The Force Awakens' - the next 'Star Wars' installment to be released at cinemas in December.

Lucas with Leia look-alikes at the 'Celebration'

LucasFilms' approach to fan relations may be impossible for other studios to copy, as George Lucas ran the studio as he wanted - if he wanted a vibrant fan department he simply allocated to funds for it. Most studios don't work like that, but Disney is trying, and in some respects has very good fan relations given their roster of animated characters which have fan bases.

The scene at this year's Celebration  (the tenth) was described as organized chaos, as thousands of, mostly adults, clad as Jedis, Empire Stormtroopers, Wookiees, droids, and many other 'Star Wars' characters clamored to get to the events.

Cinema operators should tap into the 'Star Wars' craze and prepare an event at their cinema for the upcoming December film - you have plenty of time to plan and market an event.

May the Force be with You
Jim