Case study research tasks - Skyfall ($200m budget)
The basics
1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?
Skyfall, the director is Sam Mendes and the main star of the film is Daniel Craig
2) When was it released?
It was released 26th October 2012 in the UK
3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre? Action, thriller, crime/spy fiction and adventure - this because the film is centred around James Bond investigating an attack of M16 and the use of this narrative helps develop insight into the world of being an agent
4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?
IMDB - 7.8 rating, Rotten Tomatoes - 92%. The film scored of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 43 reviews. A number of critics, including Kate Muir, reviewing for The Times, Philip French, writing in The Observer, IGN's Daniel Krupa and the reviewers for the Irish Independent and the Daily Record, all asked whether Skyfall was the best Bond film produced.The Daily Telegraph 's film reviewer, Robbie Collin, considered Skyfall to be "often dazzling, always audacious", with excellent action sequences in a film that contained humour and emotion.Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter thought that Skyfall was "dramatically gripping while still brandishing a droll undercurrent of humour"
Broadcast
1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.
Media Language - codes and conventions: explosions and weapons -- fast paced and quick cuts (editing), conformity created because of the non-stop action.
Institution - Eon Productions -- synergy created because the company that produced this film also produced a collection of James Bonds games
- BRAND VALUES: Lines of Appeal - elite people, rich luxurious lifestyles and successful careers promoted
Genre - crime fiction, thriller, action, spy and adventure -- filmed in London, reinforces prosperity, wealth and upper classes in high-end professions
Representation - the femme fatale 'Severine' used as a source of 'male gaze' (Mulvey 1975) -- presented as passive and sexual e.g. shaking when she first meets Bond in the casino, this indicates fear and vulnerability. In addtion, Moneypenny used to reinforce same message - assists Bond, doesn't take part in missions and is a supporting role.
Audience - global audience, hard-core James Bond fans who have seen the rest of the movies and are action/thiller fans, familiar with 007, ABC1 - professional, located in affluent areas (towns/cities), middle/upper-class, can afford tickets to the cinema (luxury) and 70% males - James Bond idolized through his courage
Achievers:
These
consumers are the high-resource group of those who are motivated by
achievement. They are successful work-oriented people who get their
satisfaction from their jobs and families
Strivers:
These consumers are the low-resource group of those who are motivated by
achievements. Style is extremely important to them as they strive to emulate
people they admire.
Experiencers:
These consumers are the high-resource group of those who are motivated by
self-expression. They are the youngest of all the segments, with a median age
of 25. They have a lot of energy, which they pour into physical exercise and
social activities.
Psychogrphics - aspirers -- seek status, James Bond is that role model and succeeders -- seek control, same as aspirers but have a hard work ethic and this is reflected through James Bond's character qualities
Narrative - linear narrative, follows Todorov's equilibrium, James Bond is the protagonist and the "hero" , Moneypenny is the "dispatcher"
2) Find examples of television promotion on YouTube (adverts, chat shows, ‘red carpet’ interviews etc.) and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.
Red carpet interview - with Sam Mendes the producer, buzz created for the film
Adele on The Jonathan Ross Show: she drops a few hints, this creates excitement for the film's release
3) Does the broadcast promotion use stars to create interest in the film?
Yes, by getting insight into the films updates makes it interesting and develops discussions for fans to talk about on social media websites.
Print
1) Read at least THREE reviews of the film and provide a quote from each one.
The Daily Telegraph 's film reviewer, Robbie Collin, considered Skyfall to be "often dazzling, always audacious", Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter thought that Skyfall was "dramatically gripping while still brandishing a droll undercurrent of humor", and Manohla Dargis, reviewing for The New York Times, considered Skyfallto be "a superior follow-up to Casino Royale"[128] which is "opulent rather than outlandish and insistently, progressively low-key"
2) Find examples of print promotion (e.g. film poster, billboard adverts etc.) on Google images and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.
In this film poster, James Bond looks sophisticated, classy and serious through his choice of clothing -- the monotone colours promote that "upper-class" look and superiority and the use of using a gun as a prop highlights the traits of his job (agent)
Empire Mag is successful and promotes that nostalgia feel as well as hard-core action
3) Choose ONE print advert and write a textual analysis of what it communicates to the audience.
In this film poster, James Bond looks sophisticated, classy and serious through his choice of clothing -- the monotone colours promote that "upper-class" look and superiority and the use of using a gun as a prop highlights the traits of his job (agent) -- the fans can expect typical "James Bond" and brings back that nostalgia from his previous films
4) How is the film’s brand constructed? What does the brand connote? Does it remind you of any other brands or similar films?
007 - many things have been developed from this brand: clothing and perfumes in particular following the same colour scheme (black,grey and white) to promote class, sophistication and nostalgia
E-media
1) Research the film’s presence on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. How does the film’s social media presence help promote the film?
On Twitter and Facebook - the pages post the same items which is mainly behind-the-scenes footage from the film. This helps the audience become more excited and find out more exclusive details.
2) Analyse the official website for the film. How does it use the film’s brand? What examples of synergy can you find with the other platforms?
On the official website there are many similar things that link with other platforms, for instance the title on the website is "SKYFALL" and uses the same '007' phrases next to it so the audience are aware that Skyfall is part of the 007 brand. Also the colour scheme consists of blue, black and white - these are all sophisticated classy colours.
3) Did the film run any kind of e-media based campaign to generate interest in the film?
The hashtag #SKYFALL was trending on Twitter and was promoted by the James Bond brand itself so that audience awareness is increased.
4) Can you find any examples of the two-step flow theory online – did celebrities or journalists tweet or post about the film in order to promote it to their followers?
Sam Mendes (the director) tweeted multiple times and celebrities such as Adele also tweeted as she herself contributed to the film by singing the soundtrack. Adele's tweets managed to get 6000 retweets, viral marketing is essential as it raises awareness.
Audience
1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.
The target audience is possibly 70% male, 30% female because it's crime and action dominated which males anticipate more. Previous James Bonds fans who have seen the rest of the films in the sequel are definitely part of the target audience. ABC1 - many professionals who have high-end professional jobs (teachers, even possibly in jobs associated with crime (MI6). Many students (high school/uni) may possibly watch this film because of the high level of action, use of cars and weapons. In terms of demographics possibly explorers who seek adventure and the unexpected. In addition, I'd also say reformers are part of this target audience because they'd possibly want to see what it's like to work with crime. Moreover, succeeders are influenced because of the characterisation of James Bond - wealthy, usually a femme fatale, associated with high-end equipment, plays in casinos.
2) How does the cross-media promotional campaign target this audience?
The use of social media plays a huge role to entice the younger audience, such as students to become aware and generate an interest in the franchise. Facebook and Twitter are paid by the James Bond brand to display posts on everybody's timeline and this sets a reminder for people. In addition, TV adverts and YouTube ads are also a way to generate interest.
3) What audience pleasures does the film provide?
The film provides the theme of patriotism - pride for Britain and the characterisation of James Bond visualises this concept -- he wears professional clothes (suits), has a clear British accent. Through the characterisation of James Bond, British culture has been exposed all across the world.
4) What similar films would the target audience enjoy?
In Skyfall, the main character, James Bond, is seen as a stereotypical buff figure, which is appealing to women. Another similar film which uses the same appealing male character is Edward Cullen from ‘The Twilight Series/Saga’. Other examples which use a physical fit young male(s) include Daniel Craig ‘James Bond Skyfall’ as well as Vin Diesel and Paul Walker ‘Fast and Furious 6′. This is an important element to a film because it generates a wider appeal, expanding the audience which may want to watch the film.
Institution
1) Which film studio produced the film? What other films have they produced? Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
Eon productions have produced all of the bond films apart from one called 'Call Me Bwana'
2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed?
Columbia Pictures - they have also distributed films such as '22 Jump Street', 'The Equalizer' and 'The Interview'
3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
The Amazing Spider-Man, 21 Jump Street, Men in Black 3 - are the most successful films distributed by Columbia Pictures - all the films are directed mainly between the ages of 16 - 33 years -- people who have seen sequels to these films. ABC1 - professionals and also C2/D -- because they may have a high interest in staying updated with new releases.
4)What was the budget for the film?
$200 million dollars
5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?
It made $1108.6 million dollars at Box Office. The movie is filmed in many prime landmarks in London, foreigners tend to love London because of the historical value behind landmarks such as Parliament Square.
6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?
The film was more successful in the UK because it was premiered here a week early than the USA. The film carries British values, patriotism being the main one. Also, the MI6 is the biggest in the UK, especially security and the film promotes these concepts. Automatically, this attracts the British audience.
7) What certificate was the film given (12A, 18 etc.)? What was the reason for this certificate? Is the certification important for this film in terms of targeting its audience? Why? The film was a 12A, however Skyfall attracted some criticism from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center because Bond "abuses his power and authority" in a scene that suggests Bond initiates sexual intercourse with Sévérine, a former victim of sex trafficking.
Representation
1) What representations of people, places or groups can be found in this film?
Predominantly British, as the cast members are of the same nationality and region. This may be appealing to American female audiences as studies have found they enjoy listening to a British accent. lead character is a male, his main characteristics are; villainous, mischievous and chaotic. This character male appeal to women who enjoy a ‘bad boy’ figure but can also be appealing to men, in the fact they may idolise and wish to be like the character.
2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?
The film uses mainly British characters and is filmed in London. James Bond's characterisation presents diligence and determination. Therefore, British are portrayed as a highly sophisticated country which attracts many foreigners because of the values presented.
3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors?
Ill Manors was a low-budget film (£100,000) and presents more of the rural parts of Britain, also referred to the "ghetto" or "hood." Gang culture, sex, violence are all dominant themes in Ill Manors, Skyfall presents the more suave, sophisticated ideology of people in Britain.
4) What values and ideologies can you find in your chosen film? (E.g. The King’s Speech is extremely patriotic, pro-monarchy etc.)
Patriotic - fighting to save and protect your country -- MI6 victims the face of crime
Case Study Comparison
1) What similarities and differences can you find between Ill Manors, A Field In England and your chosen case study film?
James Bond is a high-budget film, unlike Ill Manors and A Field in England. Also, Skyfall is part of the James Bond franchise. Ill Manors and A Field in England have a much lower-budget and no main stars, although Ill Manors has a cameo appearance of Plan B at the end. A Field in England was released on multiple platforms on the same day, ultimately this created excitement as people could physically go to the theatre and watch it or simply stay at home and stream is online. Furthermore, Ill Manors and Skyfall are similar in terms of having a music video to their soundtrack. However, Skyfall has grammy- winner Adele singing the soundtrack and Ill Manors has British artist and Plan B singing the soundtrack. A.F.I.E doesn't have many broadcast aspects, such as radio/TV interviews. Ill Manors has a trailer, which was released on the internet and Plan B himself appeared on BBC Radio and The Jonathan Ross show to raise awareness for the film. Skyfall was essential by having many interviews with people associated with the making of the film. Adele, who sang the soundtrack, could be considered as an opinion leader because of the fact that she used e-media (Twitter) to promote the film and as a result many of her fans were drawn to the James Bond franchise.
