The AM Movie Fantasy League Returns on February 25 @ 11AM CT – [FULL]
Imagine that you are the head of a movie studio and you must pick upcoming films for your studio from a limited budget set by the market (ie. all the other participating movie execs). As the “season” unfolds, you will score points based upon how well those movies do at the box office, critically and awards-wise. Do you have what it takes to identify the next Bridesmaids or the next The Artist? Find out by registering now!
After a nail-biting finish to the first season of the AM Movie Fantasy League, we are bringing back the fun with an improved and even more compelling second season. Here are five major changes that will make the league much more interesting this year:
- The season will run from March 1, 2012 to February 28, 2013 to include awards season. You might be a bottom feeder all year but if you own the Best Picture Winner, you might just win it at the end!
- Scoring for limited release will be scaled to 2,500 theaters (from widest release). Pick the next Midnight in Paris, The Descendants or The Tree of Life and be rewarded for it!
- An improved auction-style draft that will allow better price exploration (no more turn-of-the-hour frenzy!)
- No more concurrent divisions
- Bigger, better prizes!
Sign Up!
If you are already familiar with how the AM Movie Fantasy League, you may skip down to the comments and register (although it wouldn’t hurt to read the details below). The draft is set for Saturday, February 25.
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The Basics
Joel Burman after finishing next to last in 2011
Most people are already familiar with Fantasy football or even our own Fantasy Hollywood Draft. Instead of being a “general manager” of a fantasy football team, you are the head of a Fantasy Movie Studio. Instead of drafting sports players, you pick movies. How well those movies do in real life categories such as the box office, rotten tomatoes score and end-of-year awards has a direct correlation on how well your fantasy movie studio does.
To win it all, you will need to analyze upcoming movies’ box office potential, their marketing, impact of release dates, how well they could do with critics, as well as how they could end up being received by the general public. The fun thing is that ultimately, no one really knows and uncovering that sleeper gem could be the difference between winning or losing!
- The league will have a maximum of 16 studios (Additional leagues will be created as needed)
- The studios will participate in an auction-style draft, bidding fantasy money to buy the rights to movies until each studio owns 8 movies
- Once a movie has been drafted in a league, it is no longer available. In other words, only one studio per league can own an individual movie.
- The studio with the most total points at the end of the season wins
- You may add/drop movies only a minimum of EIGHT (8) weeks prior to release of the added AND dropped movies [This will be strictly enforced]
- The season will run from March 1, 2012 to February 28, 2013
The Auction Draft
Each movie studio head will start with exactly $150 million which they can use as they see fit to finance 8 movies. Each participant will take turn nominating a movie for auction. The other studio heads will drive up the price until the highest bidder wins the right to that movie. As your budget dwindles and the options on the table are less than perfect, tough decisions will have to be made.
- A bid automatically starts at $1 million
- If you nominate a movie that no one else bids on, you become the owner at the cost of $1 million
- You can only nominate movies that will be released in the US between March 2, 2012 and February 28, 2013.
- NEW: Each auction will be closed only after 15 minutes of inactivity
- The auction draft will take place on Saturday, February 25 and run until the draft is completed
Scoring
To win the fantasy league, the goal will be to draft the movies that will have the best combination of box office appeal and critical acclaim. Over the course of the season, the scoreboard will be updated on a weekly basis. The total score is based on the following formula:
Total points = Total US Box Office x Rotten Tomatoes Score x Flixster Approval Rating
- US Box Office: You will get 1 point for every $1 million earned at the box office
- Rotten Tomatoes Score (%): It will reflect the film’s critical acclaim
- Flixster User Approval Score (%): It will reflect the film’s reception from the general public
Keanu was unable to join the 2011 league after it filled up
NEW: You will receive points for every major awards received by the films on your slate
- SAG/DGA/PGA/WGA Nomination: 5 pts
- SAG/DGA/PGA/WGA Win: 5 pts
- Golden Globes/BAFTA Best Pic Nomination: 5 pts
- Golden Globes/BAFTA Best Pic Win: 5 pts
- Non-Best Picture Oscar Nomination: 10 pts
- Non-Best Picture Oscar Win: 10 pts
- Best Picture Oscar nomination: 20 pts
- Best Picture Oscar Win: 20 pts
Sign Up
To register, simple leave a comment below with the name of your studio! This is on a first come, first serve basis so sign up now!
Signed up (20/20): Red Georges, Castor, Joel Burman, CS, Nicholas Robinson, Dylan Fields, Eric, Dan Fogarty, Brian, Nick, Ryan, Rodrigo, Dan Heaton, Niall, Neon Bodeaux, Bonjour Tristesse, Iba Dawson, Travis McCollum, Nicola, Scott
The league is full. You should definitely prepare for a 160 movie draft, meaning that you will draft at least a couple independent movies that might not have a release date yet.
Resources
- IMDb Coming Soon
- Box Office Mojo Calendar
- HSX
- 145 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012 [The Film Stage]
Any comment or suggestion? Let me know below!
56 Comments
Well count me in Castor! As can be seen in the picture above I need revenge since last season!!!
Ahaha I knew you would want to wash the bad taste of defeat out of your mouth!
We could use a little plug on the LAMB now that you are one of the head honcho there
Actually I doubt you need it especially if you want to limit the contestants. But if you are serious I’ll plug it if you send me a press release on it.
I’ll be way more serious this time and really try to pick films that will get a good overall score.
Count me in as well.
Like Joel, I need to avenge myself after last season’s debacle. The Big Year? Scream 4? I still have nightmares about those choices. LOL
LOL CS. Even though I had Conan The Barbarian, I can at least rejoice that I didn’t pick The Big Year! Glad to have you back
Count me in
If MI4 made more money I might have actually come second….. I was there screaming at the US to go watch it but it wasn’t enough *sigh* better luck this time
Yea you made a furious comeback in the last weeks but came up a bit short.
I know, this time I’m DEFINITELY going to win
Castor, could you post a link to a comprehensive release schedule for that period? thnx!
Here are a couple links:
- http://boxofficemojo.com/schedule/?view=bydate&release=all&date=2012-03-02&showweeks=5&p=.htm
- http://www.firstshowing.net/schedule2012/
I’m in. So close to the gold, I gotta take it this year. Stupid Happy Feet 2.
Those award nominations REALLY throw a monkey wrench into all of it. The highest point-scoring films will all be the top awards-getters. What would The Artist have right now, even before the Oscars are handed out – 8000 points?!?
True I’ve been thinking about it after posting this and I might halve all award points because they can definitely accumulate real fast and easily amount to 300 or 400 points and as we saw last season, scores don’t go past 600 or 700 even with a 10-movie slate.
I will update the scoring in a few to make it more balanced once I figure it out
Ok I cut the awards scoring down to much more reasonable levels of 5/10/20. In the case of The Artist this year, it would probably add up to something in the range of 150 pts which is consequential but not insurmountable.
This sounds pretty awesome! I would like to join in on this year’s festivities, if there’s still room.
Glad to finally have you on-board Eric
Tsssh. Look at this lineup. I gotta be in this thing.
I have no idea right now how this is different than that other one I’m gonna win, but yeah, ok, I’m in here too.
Woohoo, you will like this Dan
It’s even more fun!
I’m definitely in if there’s still space.
Good to have you this season Brian!
If you’re still taking, count me in. GopherBroke Productions.
Thankfully, there is no Harry Potter movie for you to “go for broke” this time around ahah
I’m in if there’s still room
You are in Ryan!
I might play this time. Let’s see how it goes.
Awesome! Always nice to get some new blood in the contest
I’m in! This sounds like a blast.
That’s because it is!
I’d be seriously up for this.
Great! Glad to have you aboard Niall.
Count me in for season 2!
Shit got real
Don’t forget to give me your studio’s name!
- Red Georges: Red Rum Productions
- Castor: Old Line Cinema
- Joel Burman: Zerkalo
- CS: ?
- Nicholas Robinson: Sputnik Studios
- Dylan Fields: Fletch Films
- Eric: Vandelay Industries
- Dan Fogarty: ?
- Brian: ?
- Nick: GopherBroke Productions
- Ryan: Green Sox Productions
- Rodrigo: ?
- Dan Heaton: ?
- Niall: ?
- Neon Bodeaux: Sunfish Studios in association with Spilt Milk Productions
- Bonjour Tristesse: Lost Sidewalk Productions
- Iba Dawson: Dottie Mae Productions
- Travis: ?
- Nicola-T: ?
- Scott: Big Hairy Bear Productions
Uh…same as the first time.
Sputnik Studios
Zerkalo
Red Rum Productions
Vandelay Industries. We will be branching out from our normal importing/exporting business to start up a movie studio.
Green Sox Productions
I’d actually not go with an additional league. I think its better if everyone is up against each other this time.
Is there still room?
Yes!
Cool, put me down as: Lost Sidewalk Productions
I love those photos you have selected…especially Keanu
have fun guys
Nov you of course need to be on it… There is no Indonesian super studio in the running now!!!
Oh can I join?
Glad to have you Iba!
Dottie Mae Productions
Ya know I’m actually really tempted to give this the old college try if you’ll have me.
You are in!
Hi Castor and all,
Glad to see this is happening again. If there’s still space I’d love to join in again this year, it’d be a shame to not try and defend my title.
Course, if it’s too late I understand, rules is rules!
Is there a time set for the auction/draft yet? Will still be in the midst of this film festival here so I guess I’ll have to sit up the back of the cinema, hope I get signal and that no-one sees the light of the phone! Disgraceful I know but this is serious business…
Course the time question is provided there is space… I don’t want to assume!
The defending champion must of course play!
Can I play please??
My studio will be called ‘Big Hairy Bear Productions’…..
You got the last spot!
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