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Flixster: A popular site for movie reviews
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Steve Polsky, COO and President of Flixster, answered the questions below, so readers can learn more about what is Flixster.
#1: What is the role of Flixster in the movie industry?
Flixster is the number one movie community on the web, and isn’t just the leading movie site for younger audiences — for 18- to 34-year-olds, but it’s also the leading mobile movies app. Our mission is a simple one: We want to be THE place people come to for converation about movies, to spread the word on what they’re seeing, to be where movie lovers rate, review, share and discover movies. We’re about information, and we’re about socializing, and I think it’s that unique blend that has made us so popular.
#2: What do you think of Blu-Ray, High Definition TV, and NetFlix and of their impact on the movie theater industry?
There is no doubt that the way people see movies is changing. It wasn’t all that long ago, just 25 years or so, that you saw movies in a theater — or you didn’t see them at all. Today, movies live on, which is great for the industry and great for us at Flixster, because the discussion continues. It’s why we have 75,000 movies in our database and trailers for 19,000 films. You mention a lot of new developments in HOME entertainment, and even as box-office levels off, people still are watching movies, just doing it in different ways. They want their friends to tell them what to see, and to recommend their favorites in return, and that’s exactly what Flixster helps them do.
#3: Is Flixster only available on palm pilots or also online?
Actually, Flixster reaches over 20 million unique visitors a month on the web through our destination site at Flixster.com, and our presence on Facebook and MySpace. We have also recently launched with iGoogle, so you can have the Flixster experience right on your homescreen.
And added to all of that, Flixster is installed on over 6 million iPhones and is available on Blackberry, Andriod and the Palm Pre. We want to be where people are, no matter the platform, because people love talking about movies and sharing their thoughts.
#4: How did Flixster get so big on the Internet?
Flixster is all about connecting with friends and rating, reviewing and discovering films. Flixster has grown completely by word of mouth with members inviting and sharing movies with their friends.
#5: How does Flixster use Facebook/MySpace/Twitter for social networking for its online movie community?
We’re the number one movies application on Facebook, and over 25 million Facebook members use us to share information on movies. Through our Facebook and MySpace presence, people can write reviews, rate movies and then share their thought with friends instantaneously. It’s never been this easy for people to communicate with a large number of their friends, and Flixster lets them do that about a subject they love.
#6: Are the people in the movie industry aware about Flixster and how they feel about it?
We work with all of the major studios to help them promote their theatrical releases and home entertainment releases. Word of mouth is very powerful in the movies industry, and Flixster helps studios get the word out on their films. We’ve become a new tool for the movie industry, and the response has been very positive.
#7: How did Joe Greenstein discover and create Flixster?
It’s the classic case of taking a good idea and doing it well — Joe loves movies and realized there was no way for him to share his enthusiasm. Just a few years ago, you needed to be a journalist or have a blog to communicate with lots of people. So, Flixster was born as a way to talk about a subject everyone loves, and it has grown into a full-fledged entertainment destination onine.
#8: Would Flixster rate movies made on the web?
Currently we cover professionally made feature films. User-generated content is great, and it’s a growing phenomenon, but for the foreseeable future, we’re going to focus on movies that play in theaters or are available on DVD.
#9: How do professional movie critics feel about Flixster and its impact on their comments in professional media like in the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, the LA Times, etc.?
That’s hard to say. Certainly Flixster shows that “regular” moviegoers have a voice — and one that matters.
9A: Would you feel users of Flixster would trust the opinion of the public more compared to critics?
We think what matters to moviegoers is what do their friends think about a movie, what do people like them think about a movie. Yes, movie critics are relevant, but it’s perhaps even more important to know what your friends think.
#10: Where does Flixster advertise itself to movie lovers throughout the nation and even overseas?
We actually don’t advertise — like a good movie, we’ve grown and become popular through word of mouth.
#11: Why is Flixster based in San Francisco, not in the movie making capital of Hollywood?
We have offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles AND New York — we’re definitely growing.
#13: Can anyone submit a movie review on Flixster.com and how?
Yes, all you have to do is create an account, and you’re off and running. You can choose just to rate movies you’ve seen — users have submitted nearly 2 BILLION movie ratings! Or, you can write a lengthy review that really gets into detail. It just depends on your own preferences!
#14: What made Flixster so successful online since 2006? Through promotions or luck?
Everyone loves movies and we all love to talk about them. They are part of our culture. I think we’ve got a great concept, and people have really responded well to it!
The link for this website is: www.flixster.com/
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