The Press Kit

Fifth Element Press Kit

Press kits are distributed to major newspapers throughout the country by film makers. They are used by the reviewers to provide information away from the theater, and also contains pictures that the newspaper may publish in reviews of the film. This enables the paper to use high quality photographs and valid information without risk of copyright infringement. The Fifth Element press kit is a standard issue press kit, containing twelve photographs from the movie with suggested captions, two multi-page information sheets, including the full credits for the film, and of course the folder it is all contained in.

Presskit -- The folder for The Fifth Element's press kit does not have the logo or title of the movie anywhere on it. Where it says "The Fifth Element" under Columbia Pictures is a window with one of the info sheets under it. It looks very much like a folder you'd take into school (if you're still going to school). It's made of the kind of paper that shows fingerprints very readily, so be sure to handle it with clean hands. I've managed to keep mine free of prints so far, since much of the time it's in a protective plastic slipcover. Some wear on the folder is normal if the press kit has been used by a newspaper.

Production Information -- The information sheets appear to be simple Xerox copies, but are of good quality. The first bunch (that you can see through the folder window) contains the entire credits for the film. I mean, the complete credits. The second contains production information on the film, and information on certain actors. There are a lot of quotes in it too. I've noticed that some of the info I've seen on a couple other 5th sites seems very similar, in one case a direct copy, of the information contained in these sheets. It begins with a little intro to the movie, goes on with some credits (actors previous starring roles, etc), some things that Besson has said in explaining the movie to people, and then it goes on about the technical aspects (gee, the production information). It closes with more extensive information on the major actors in the movie, but nothing on Maïwenn Le Besco (oh well). Then it goes into detail about the previous accomplishments of other people, like Jean Paul Gaultier (costumes) and stuff like that. There's a lot of information in those 25 pages.

photographs -- Finally, and perhaps the coolest of all, are the photos. In the regular press kit there are twelve photographs from the movie. They are all black and white (as befits newspaper photos) and are press quality. These are no polaroid pictures. Many of the pictures that can be found on Gaumont's site (and others) are contained within the plastic slipcase. Listed beneath each photo is a suggested caption. A number of the photographs are split in half, so share space with another picture. They are printed on plastic, so I imagine they're pretty tough to damage...a necessity when dealing with reporters :-)



Where can I get one?

Well, you can call whatever newspaper is close to you, but I dunno how that will go. I called the AJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution), who is our paper, but they weren't willing to sell it for another two months and they wanted $50. But that's OK, I don't think I want to give money to a newspaper that employs a reviewer stupid enough to give the 5th a C- in its review!! Probably the best way to get them (and in the best condition) is through somebody who sells lots of movie memorabilia. I have all the sources I know of listed back on my merchandise page, if you can't find anyone in your area (as was the case for me). I got mine for $25, and it arrived in mint condition as near as I can tell...I'm a collecting novice.

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