Skyfall – UK Big Budget
Skyfall is
the 23rd James Bond film and is an example of a large budget British
film, it is an excellent example of a film franchise and is also useful
to discuss the role of stars, product placement and the role of
soundtracks to promote films.
Skyfall was produced by Eon Productions and distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2012. The film is the third Bond film that has starred Daniel Craig as James Bond and it was directed by Sam Mendes. For a film series to reach 23 and still be hugely popular is testament to the almost fail-safe formula that Bond films tend to follow. Including elements such as exotic locations, attractive actors, exciting action sequences, and adherence to a narrative structure that never truly threatens Bonds omnipotence.
Role of Stars
It is possible to argue that the true star of any Bond film is the character as opposed to the actor that plays him and essentially this is true. As spectators watching a Bond film we are watching the character as opposed to the actor, true spectators will often argue about who has been the best James Bond and once an actor has finished his run of films there is intense media speculation about who will play him next. Though Daniel Craig can now be considered a ‘star’ is that due to his role as Bond or was he a ‘star’ before?
Equally the choice of Director is always interesting as well respected director Sam Mendes was the director of Skyfall and his previous films have tended to be drama based, with the exception of Road to Perdition which featured a number of action set pieces. This could be seen as an attempt to add more elements of drama than the previous Bond formula allowed for, it may also be an attempt to widen the audience by using a director which would attract a different audience.
Product Placement
As Skyfall was distributed by Sony it may not be surprising to note that James Bond uses Sony electronic items such as a phone, laptop and other electrical devices. The cars used are all made by companies ultimately owned by Ford and his watch is an Omega Seamaster. Also in Skyfall he has swapped his Martini for a Heineken, for the character to make this swap cost the Dutch brewers £28.2 million. This type of product placement helps to fund the making of the film as well as provide the company with a captive market and a subtle way of promoting their product.
Soundtrack
Another element to the marketing and promotion of Skyfall was the use of a theme song, in this case one sung by Adele. The choice of Adele suited both parties as the Bond theme is often sung by an established and very popular artist and it provides a massive amount of exposure whilst it also allows the film to be associated with a younger and more current star. The music video will help to promote the film and build a buzz up surrounding the films release. The song was nominated for a range of awards which helped to keep the film in the press and therefore to continue to generate an audience for it and build up anticipation for the DVD release.
Overall a large budget film such as Skyfall needs to use a wide variety of marketing and promotional techniques to help try and recoup the cost of the production and try to generate as much revenue as possible.
Skyfall was produced by Eon Productions and distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2012. The film is the third Bond film that has starred Daniel Craig as James Bond and it was directed by Sam Mendes. For a film series to reach 23 and still be hugely popular is testament to the almost fail-safe formula that Bond films tend to follow. Including elements such as exotic locations, attractive actors, exciting action sequences, and adherence to a narrative structure that never truly threatens Bonds omnipotence.
Role of Stars
It is possible to argue that the true star of any Bond film is the character as opposed to the actor that plays him and essentially this is true. As spectators watching a Bond film we are watching the character as opposed to the actor, true spectators will often argue about who has been the best James Bond and once an actor has finished his run of films there is intense media speculation about who will play him next. Though Daniel Craig can now be considered a ‘star’ is that due to his role as Bond or was he a ‘star’ before?
Equally the choice of Director is always interesting as well respected director Sam Mendes was the director of Skyfall and his previous films have tended to be drama based, with the exception of Road to Perdition which featured a number of action set pieces. This could be seen as an attempt to add more elements of drama than the previous Bond formula allowed for, it may also be an attempt to widen the audience by using a director which would attract a different audience.
Product Placement
As Skyfall was distributed by Sony it may not be surprising to note that James Bond uses Sony electronic items such as a phone, laptop and other electrical devices. The cars used are all made by companies ultimately owned by Ford and his watch is an Omega Seamaster. Also in Skyfall he has swapped his Martini for a Heineken, for the character to make this swap cost the Dutch brewers £28.2 million. This type of product placement helps to fund the making of the film as well as provide the company with a captive market and a subtle way of promoting their product.
Soundtrack
Another element to the marketing and promotion of Skyfall was the use of a theme song, in this case one sung by Adele. The choice of Adele suited both parties as the Bond theme is often sung by an established and very popular artist and it provides a massive amount of exposure whilst it also allows the film to be associated with a younger and more current star. The music video will help to promote the film and build a buzz up surrounding the films release. The song was nominated for a range of awards which helped to keep the film in the press and therefore to continue to generate an audience for it and build up anticipation for the DVD release.
Overall a large budget film such as Skyfall needs to use a wide variety of marketing and promotional techniques to help try and recoup the cost of the production and try to generate as much revenue as possible.
Produced by Eon (a private & family corporation of the Broccoli family) and distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures
- Sony Pictures Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony; they are also responsible for TV shows as 'Sony Pictures Television'.
- MGM Interactive produces video games
No comments:
Post a Comment