Editor

Prolific Promo Agency Starts M3 Creative Film, Adding Second Feature as Its First Project, Magnet Releasing’s ‘John Dies at the End,’ Heads for TIFF’s Midnight Madness 

In a new business model for Hollywood, award-winning creative content agency M3 Creative has formed a vertically integrated, multi-platform marketing/promotion and film production company with the establishment of M3 Creative Film. The new division allows M3 to use its marketing expertise to focus on producing high-quality, demographically targeted specialty theatrical and made-for-TV films while keeping budgets in the $1 million-$10 million range.

M3 Creative Partners Andy Meyers and Brad Baruh are spearheading the operation, which is in development on a second feature that explores new ways of telling the classic 1970s and ‘80s horror narrative with the genre film “Apple Cart” (working title). Baruh serves as a co-writer on the project, which Meyers and he will produce.

“This represents a strategic repositioning for the agency that we believe is required in a marketing-centric world,” Meyers, who also serves as CEO of M3 Creative, said. “While our focus remains on our core business, we saw an opportunity to expand by applying our skills in an area that is complementary to our core strengths.”

Baurh added, “By serving as true partners rather than the last stop in the creative stream, we can be involved from the beginning. This gives us the ability to lend our branding, financing and technical expertise, ranging from our state-of-the-art digital motion picture cameras and infrastructure to demo targets, casting, script development and special effects, maximizing the chances of success for independent films vying in a highly competitive environment.”

M3’s first film partnership, “John Dies at the End,” is a highly anticipated phantasmagoric sci-fi/horror film starring by Paul Giamatti, who executive produced the movie with his producing partner, Dan Carey. Directed, produced and written by auteur and cult legend Don Coscarelli (“Bubba Ho-Tep,” the “Phantasm” series), the final cut of “John” has been selected to premiere as the closing night film of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness (following Sundance and SWSX appearances). Both of its Toronto screenings are sold out.  Meyers, Baruh and M3 Creative Partner Roman Perez served as producers on the film.

The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, is the distributor and will release the film through its Ultra VOD program and theatrically. “John” will debut on all VOD platforms in late December, with a theatrical release set to follow in early 2013.

M3 is waging a non-conventional marketing campaign for “John” that will employ “free form” viral, behind-the-scenes narrative and other innovative techniques. For each film it produces, the company will be involved in every aspect of the creative process, from concept and development through production, post-production, distribution and marketing.