Independent Case Study - SkyFall

MEST1 Section B: Independent Case Study

Case study research tasks

The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?


The name of the film is Skyfall. Its the most recent addition to the James Bond franchise. The director was Sam Mendes. Daniel Craig stars as James Bond and Judi Dench as M.

2) When was it released?

Its initial release was October 23, 2012 in London.


3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?

The film is of the Action/thriller genre. This is made evident by the constant explosions and fighting scenes with Bond. The montage editing of dramatic scenes also accentuates the atmosphere of tension and action.

4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?

The film, surprisingly, only got a 7.8 on IMDB. Despite this review however, the film won Oscars and Golden Globes.


Broadcast

1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.

Mis-en-scene: The costumes used in the  trailer are all suits and formal clothing, which enhances the super spy nature of the film. The lighting for most of the scenes is rather dim and dull, most llikely an attempt to make the trailer more edgy and dramatic and to build up to the reveal of the villain. The actors are mostly all British in order to retain the authenticity of the franchise; they are all well spoken and are dressed smartly. Main props of the trailer would  be the guns as James Bond is always idenitfied with a gun, as shown from the many film posters of him posing with a gun. Despite this being  a British film with British actors and such, the settings mostly shown are unknown locations or or locations in London that aren't tourist attractions; This puts more emphaisis on the characters and plot, rather than glammourising London.

Narrative: immediatley begins with a disequilibrium that has James Bond persuing a villain. The new equilibrium is never shown and we never see the villain defeated or the agents safe again.

Institution: -Columbia
                    - Sony Entertainment

Genre: action/thriller/drama


Representation:  John Bergers theory that men act (James Bond searching for the antagonsit and the villain being a man) and women appear (M being on the sidelines whilst Bond chases down the villain).

Audience: Due to the violence and action, I'd say the film is a 15. Most likely aimed at Mainstreamers.





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.

Sony is using James Bond's high tech brand to promote their products by saying their tech is just as good as Bond's. This also promotes the film as we see James Bond in action doing what he's notorious for. 

3) Does the broadcast promotion use stars to create interest in the film?

Yes it does as it uses Daniel Craig ,the actor who plays James Bond, to show off the action that fans of the brand like. This is shown in this advert which will entice people to watch the movie or buy the DVD. 

Print

1) Read at least THREE reviews of the film and provide a quote from each one.


"Skyfall is pretty much all you could want from a 21st Century Bond" Empire magaine


"For better or worse we live in the age of the superhero, and so Mendes’s film is less hardboiled spy saga than blistering comic-book escapade." Telegraph


"Sam Mendes brings Bond surging back with a smart, sexy, riveting action thriller that qualifies as one of the best 007 films to date" Rotton Tomatoes. 

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. 



 The gun in James Bond's hand siginifiys to to viewer that there will be shootings and action throughout. The suit and bowtie also makes the film stands out as the latter of thhe film posters has someone in casual or damaged clothing, whereas here James Bond has class. 

3) Choose ONE print advert and write a textual analysis of what it communicates to the audience.

Mis-en-scene: James Bond's suit shows off his prowess as a super spy. The lighting is fairly bright and shows off Bond's facial expression well enough. James Bond has that classic charm that would attract some female viewers. The gun in his hand shows the action that the audience will be treated to. In the bacground, the audience can see a part of London and the Union jack flag.     

4) How is the film’s brand constructed? What does the brand connote? Does it remind you of any other brands or similar films?

The brand of James Bond is all about action and shooting with finess, which makes it rather original; the only similar film would be The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 



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?

Adele tweeted that she was doing the soundtrack for Skyfall, thus creating a trend. This is an example of the two step flow model; Adele ,the opinion leader, is advertising the films to mainly her fans.

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?

It shows the classsic "007" logo at the top of the website to make it easily identifiable. It also shows off the awards its won. It also gives links to clips of the movie, which gives synergy between then website and the film. 

3) Did the film run any kind of e-media based campaign to generate interest in the film?

The film didn't have any special e-media campaign, but it received sufficient viewers through social networking sites. 

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? 

Adele tweeting that she did the soundtrack, which became a trend on twitter.



Audience

1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.

-15+
-Mainstreamers

2) How does the cross-media promotional campaign target this audience?

3) What audience pleasures does the film provide? Think about the BFI lecture on audience pleasures in British film.

British heritage film- makes British agents seem cooler than the rest. 

4) What similar films would the target audience enjoy? Justify your suggestions.

The man from U.N.C.L.E. is  a  good example as it is also about a spy who has a certain finess in their work. 

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?

 The company who produced Skyfall, EON, had also produced every James Bond movie, thus showing that they are experienced in producing the franchise and appease the audience.

2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed? 

Sony Entertainemnt and MGM were the distributors. MGM have distrubeted other action films like the hobbit and G.I Joe.

 3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?

Not so much; the movies they distribute are quite varied, movies from the Wizard of Oz to 21 Jump Street.

4)What was the budget for the film?

$200 milllion. 

5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?

It made $1 billion internationally. I think this is becasue it's such a renown franchise that most people would watch just because it's James Bond.

6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is? 

The film made £595.5 million in the UK, most likely because it's a British brand and the character James Bond is British himself. 

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, most likely due to the guns and violent fighting in the film, although there wasn't any gore and wasn't as bad as Ill Manors, which was rated 18.



Representation

1) What representations of people, places or groups can be found in this film?

The women in the film are portrayed as dependant, shown by the fact M is completely reliant on Bond. 

2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?

The representation shows that we as a nation have power through James Bond, as he has been shown to tackle any international crisis.  

3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors? 

This film glamorises Britain by showing off the high tech gadgets and famous landmarks. Ill Manors however presents Britain as a violent place with drugs, guns and prostitutes. 

4) What values and ideologies can you find in your chosen film? (E.g. The King’s Speech is extremely patriotic, pro-monarchy etc.) 

Their is a strong sense of patriotism in the film, as it glamorises Britain and Bond, thus making the audience appreciate their country.