1) Skyfall was produced by Eon Productions and distributed by MGM and Columbia Pictures. It had a budget of $150-200 million and was aimed at a global audience. 2) Key aspects of the film's production included filming in London and overseas locations to control costs, the use of digital filming techniques for the first time in the Bond franchise, and product placements to help finance the film. 3) The film was very successfully marketed through traditional and digital channels. An especially impactful marketing moment was James Bond participating in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

1. Case Study

2. Skyfall
Skyfall: What we need to know
Section A
Section B

3. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
• Section B: Institutions and Audiences
1. PRODUCTION – Big Budget ($150million +) – Problems with
production - produced by Eon Films (Independent UK/US
film company that finances all the Bond Films).
2. DISTRIBUTION – MGM & Columbia Pictures (both owned by
Sony)
3. AUDIENCE – UK/US film aimed at a global audience –
censorship in China.
4. MARKETING – Product placement, PR Stunts, Synergy.
5. EXHIBITION – IMAX release
6. DIGITAL – First use of HD-DV on a Bond film – easy CGI

4. Production
• It was produced by UK-based Eon Productions
and distributed by MGM (a US company) and
Columbia Pictures (A Sony Pictures company -
US-based subsidiary of Sony).
Case Study – Skyfall

5. Case Study – Skyfall
• PRODUCTION
• Production of Skyfall was suspended throughout 2010 because of
MGM's financial troubles.
• The film had a lower budget than its predecessor, largely thanks to
budget cuts at MGM (which filed for bankruptcy in 2010). Many
scenes were filmed in London (where the production is based) to
keep costs down (even some scenes pretending to be Shanghai).
• Pre-production resumed following MGM's exit from bankruptcy on
21 December 2010.
• MGM and Columbia Pictures announced that the UK release date
would be 26 October 2012, two weeks ahead of the US release
date, scheduled for 9 November 2012.

6. Production
• It was directed by Oscar-winning Sam Mendes (a British
director). This was an unusual move, as Bond films
were not usually helmed by critically acclaimed
directors.
• The film was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbra
Broccoli, who have produced numerous Bond films (and
who are related to Albert Broccoli, the previous Bond
producer) – all of these people are American.
• It was the first Bond film to cross the $1 billion mark in
worldwide revenue.
Case Study – Skyfall

7. Case Study - Skyfall
• PRODUCTION – Profits…
• “The windfall will benefit three players in the
Bond universe: producers MGM; producers
and rightsholders Barbara Broccoli (aged 52),
and Michael G. Wilson (aged 70); and
distributor Sony Pictures. In a complicated
deal that was heavily negotiated with Sony
after MGM emerged from bankruptcy in 2010,
MGM and Broccoli and Wilson will jointly
collect 75 per cent of the movie's profits.”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/daniel-craig-james-bond-skyfall-390090

8. Budget and costs
• Although a British film, the budget ($150 - $200
million) was financed by USA. The budget is required to
appeal to a global audience in order to afford the
special effects to produce spectacular scenes etc.
• A third of these costs were covered by a deal made
with Heineken, who paid £28 million for their product
placement in the film (and subsequent TV ad, which
featured many Bond characters).
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txTdiofEJwQ
• The promotional costs have been estimated at around
$100 million
Case Study – Skyfall

9. Case Study – Skyfall
Comparison
Skyfall, the 23rd instalment of the 50-year-old
James Bond franchise, has become a global
phenomenon. Its opening-weekend haul in the U.S.
was $88.4 million - almost $21 million more than
the previous Bond, 2008's Quantum of Solace.
• The Hollywood Reporter

10. Case Study – Skyfall
Comparison

11. “It can be argued that they are not really British at all, given that
they are backed by American dollars… [yet] the Britishness of Bond
films has been one of their main selling points, a factor which
differentiates them from all other action movies which have followed
in their wake”
What is British about Bond?
• Production base
• Most of the technical personnel
• Generic roots
• Ideology of national identity
James Chapman, 2009, p.13
A British Film?
Case Study – Skyfall

12. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
• PRODUCTION
• Filming was scheduled to take up 133 days (it
took 128).
• Filming began on 7 November 2011 in and
around London, including the National Gallery,
Smithfield, Vauxhall Bridge and foreign
locations including Istanbul, in Turkey and
Shanghai and Macau in China. Why is China
important?

13. “The latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has finally opened in China after a two-
month delay, with some key scenes removed by Chinese censors…”
Overall, the European market
was subdued in 2012 compared
with other major international
cinema markets, with reports of
box office gains of:
• 5.9% in the USA and
• 33% in China (making China
the world #2 territory after
the USA)…
Case Study – Skyfall in China
Global implications

14. • The film set part of the action in Shanghai, largely to appeal to the
Chinese market (an increasingly lucrative market). However,
because there were some politically and culturally controversial
narrative elements in Shanghai and Macau, some edits were made
to the film when it hit Chinese cinemas.
• China has a cap on the numbers of foreign films it shows, and
refuses to screen those that criticise the country or its government.
However, the size of audiences in China make it a lucrative market.
• To create a Chinese cut is becoming a common practice; other films
which have been amended for Chinese audiences include Mission:
Impossible3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Men In
Black 3 as well as Iron Man 3.
Global implications

15. The scene where Patrice shoots a Chinese security guard was cut.
The scene where Bond and Severine are at a Macau casino and he
enquires if her tattoo is the mark of an infamous prostitution ring
remains intact but the subtitles have been changed to refer to a
gang.
References to prostitution and corruption in China have either been
edited out or obscured in the subtitle translations.
Subtitles were also changed to hide references to torture by the
Chinese security forces when Silva makes reference to being
tortured by the Chinese government after working for MI6 in Hong
Kong. This had been softened in the Chinese cut, with all
references to China removed.
Case Study – Skyfall (2012) Global
implications – Chinese edits

16. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
Global implications
• The decision to locate a major stretch of
Skyfall's action in Shanghai is no accident.
• Industry journalist Ian Sandwell, who recently
studied the film's release strategy for trade
magazine Screen International, describes the
film's Shanghai-set sequences as the film's
"ace in the pack": given the vast Chinese
market's sympathy toward blockbusters with
local involvement.

17. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
Global implications
• Global implications of James Bond’s goofy skit
with the queen at the London 2012 Olympics
opening ceremony - a stunt that may not have
had Skyfall's enigmatic name anywhere on it,
but pointedly raised awareness of the agent's
return to a global audience of a billion.

18. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
Global achievements
• first Bond film to cross the $1 billion mark
worldwide
• the 15th highest-grossing film of all time

19. Boxofficestats

20. Case Study – Skyfall (2012)
Global achievements
• first Bond film to cross the $1 billion mark
worldwide
• the 15th highest-grossing film of all time
• the highest-grossing film in the UK
• the highest-grossing film worldwide for Both
Sony Pictures and MGM
• Second highest-grossing film of 2012

21. Highest-grossing films of 2012
Rank Title Studio Worldwide Gross
1. The Avengers Marvel Studios $1,518,594,910
2. Skyfall MGM / Columbia $1,108,561,013
3. The Dark Knight Rises
Warner Bros. /
Legendary
$1,084,439,099
4.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey
Warner Bros./
MGM/ New Line
$1,017,003,568
5. Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox / Blue Sky $877,244,782
6.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking
Dawn – Part 2
Lionsgate /
Summit
$829,685,377
7. The Amazing Spider-Man Columbia $757,930,663
8.
Madagascar 3: Europe's
Most Wanted
Paramount /
DreamWorks
$746,921,274
9. The Hunger Games Lionsgate $691,247,768
10. Men in Black 3 Columbia $624,026,776

22. Skyfall
Skyfall: What we need to know
Section B

23. Release Schedule for Skyfall 2011/12
2011 2012
2011 2012
Oct 23rd
Skyfall Premiere in
Royal Albert Hall
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep OctOct
May 21st
1st Skyfall trailer
released
Nov 3rd
Film name, cast and
director announced
Oct 1st
Adele confirmed as the
theme song artist
Jul 27th
Daniel Craig appears alongside
the Queen for Olympic Games
opening ceremony
Nov 7th
Production begins
Sep 17th
Official UK Skyfall
poster revealed
Oct 26-28th
Opening weekend
of Skyfall
Jul 31st
2nd Skyfall trailer
released

24. Case Study - Skyfall
• PRODUCTION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
• SKYFALL the first BOND movie to be shot
digitally, as well as Sam Mendes’ first digital
experience, it is the first production anywhere
to make use of ALEXA Studio cameras
http://www.arrimedia.com/news/view/33/skyfall

26. Case Study - Skyfall
• EXHIBITION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
• Distribution into cinemas: It was the first
James Bond film to be screened in IMAX
venues, although it was not filmed with IMAX
cameras. The film’s release coincided with the
50th anniversary of the James Bond series,
which began with Dr.No in 1962.

27. Case Study - Skyfall
• EXHIBITION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
• The decision to make SKYFALL the first in the
franchise to be released in IMAX has already
proved hugely successful - it took $3.5 million
in 79 locations over 15 territories, averaging
$45,000 per screen. That represents the best
international opening in IMAX history.

28. Case Study - Skyfall
• DISTRIBUTION
• The film was released in the UK on 18
February 2013 on DVD and Blu-Ray, and in
North America on 12 March 2013 by 20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment.
• Heineken is backing the marketing drive with
digital activity on Google and social media
marketing on Facebook.

29. • MARKETING
• Around $29,000,000 was spent on marketing
Skyfall.
Case Study - Skyfall

30. Trailers
Teaser trailer
International trailer
USA – TV spot aired on NBC during Olympic
Opening Ceremony

31. • MARKETING – SYNERGY
• “The new film raises the bar for onscreen product
placement, from 007's Tom Ford-tailored suits, Omega
Seamaster watch and Sony Xperia phone, as well as
off-screen alliances ranging from Coke Zero to perfume
retailers... His new tipple of choice, Heineken, has
proved an ongoing sticking point with fans, particularly
after a big-budget ad that actually roped Daniel Craig
into the action. However, with the Dutch beer having
stumped up over £28m for the privilege of seeing
Bond sip from a green bottle in an early scene – coolly
covering almost a quarter of the film's estimated
production budget in the process… ”
Case Study - Skyfall
http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/product/heineken

32. Marketing/distribution/exhibition
• Perhaps the most outstanding piece of
marketing, involved James Bond’s skit with the
queen at the London 2012 Olympics opening
ceremony - a stunt that may not have had
Skyfall's enigmatic name anywhere on it, but
pointedly raised awareness of the agent's
return to a global audience of a billion. This
was perhaps the best celebrity endorsement
the film could wish for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AS-
dCdYZbo

33. •Skyfall was marketed traditionally through posters on various Billboards
around the centre of London, on billboards in tube stations and posters on
buses. There were even complete trains covered with Skyfall ads. "To mark
its unprecedented success at the UK box office and its release on Blu-ray and
DVD, ‘SKYFALL’ has become the first film to lend its name to a train in the UK,
after the East Coast train was unveiled on Platform 007 at London King’s
Cross Station today. “

34. Case Study - Skyfall
Synergy – Ocean
Royale Aftershave

35. VisitBritain, the official tourism and destination partner of SKYFALL, has launched its first
film tourism ad. The Bond is GREAT Britain ad is out in cinemas around the world
reminding people that there is no better time for them to come to Britain and explore
the home of James Bond.
Synergy –
VisitBritian

38. Omega
Watch

39. Synergy

42. Brand Association
• In a tie-in, act of synergy, Heineken stumped up over £28m
for the privilege of seeing Bond sip from a green bottle in
an early scene. This was combined with a successful TV
advertising campaign used Heinekin to promote their beer,
using scenes from the film (and other Bond films, such as
Dr No). Craig himself has been a diplomatic spokesman on
the issue, acknowledging that their reliance on brand
associations is “unfortunate”.
• However, the use of brand association in the film has been
great, with product placement such as Tom Ford suits and
Sony Vaio laptops leading to additional promotion of the
film through product advertising on TV and in print ads.

43. Fans’ reaction
BBC News: Is Beer Damaging ‘Brand Bond’?

44. Publicity –
Coke Zero
Watch

45. Synergy–
Coke Zero Zero 7
Coke Zero Ad

46. Case Study - Skyfall
• SOUNDTRACK - SYNERGY
• The soundtrack album was released on 29
October 2012 in the UK and on 6 November
2012 in the US.
• In October 2012, British singer-songwriter
Adele confirmed that she had written and
recorded the film's theme song with her
regular songwriter, Paul Epworth.
• She posted the cover for the Skyfall sheet
music on Twitter.

47. Adele’s theme song ‘Skyfall’, another marketing coup, was
the series first chart hit in years. It won the Academy
Award for best original song, the first Bond theme to win
the award. The song also won the Brit Award for Best
British Single at the 2013 BRIT Awards.

48. http://www.007mosaic.com/

49. • .
Marketing - Posters

50. Clear Channel are the leading
advertisers in outdoor advertisement.
They own the famous billboards that
run up and down Cromwell road in
London. These billboards are known to
affect the box office dramatically with
the advertisement of new movies on
the billboards.

52. Skyfall
Skyfall: What we need to know
Section A
Section B

53. SKYFALL AUDIENCE & TWITTER
Who was talking about Skyfall?
• It’s interesting to note that even though the
conversation was male-driven throughout the
campaign (2/3 of all mentions) the female audience
had it’s most prominent appearance on the release
week.
6158
RT
3565
RT
2431
RT
1621
RT
1297
RT
3565
RT
3079
RT
2107
RT
1459
RT
1297
RT
Most retweeted Skyfall mentions:
• All the most retweeted tweets since November 2011
(right) were posted in October 2012. Adele took top spot
for most retweeted when she announced the release of
the official theme song.
• The official James Bond account (@007) also appears
in the top 10.
•Fake/parody accounts receive lots of attention on
Twitter – such as the Queen’s fake profile and Felix
Baumgartner (Red Bull space jumper).
• X factor boy band Union J appear twice, with Jedward
also featuring.
0
20
40
60
80
100
Title Trailer Adele Release
Male
Female

54. SKYFALL AUDIENCE & TWITTER
1,637,385 total ‘Skyfall’ mentions on Twitter globally over the 12 months before release, with volume
gradually building around each major announcement - peaking at 129,384 mentions on Friday 26th
October, when the film was released.
November 3rd 2011:
When the new title was announced as Skyfall, there were
3,298 mentions commenting on the ‘name’ or ‘title’ of the
film . There were mixed reviews on the title, with majority
positive sentiment overall.
Gender distribution: Male – 81%, Female – 19%
May 21st 2012
The release of the first Skyfall trailer generated 54,752 mentions
and positive buzz around the up coming film with. Most of the
conversation included references to how ‘amazing’ and
‘awesome’ the trailer looks.
Gender distribution: Male – 71%, Female – 29%
October 26-28th 2012
The record breaking opening weekend has generated the most
buzz so far - a huge 311,485 mentions (1/5 of all activity). Most
of the conversation referenced ‘excitement’ about seeing the
film and about how ‘great’ the movie is. Social activity peaked
on Friday 26th October with 129,384 mentions.
Gender distribution: Male – 63%, Female – 37%
October 5th 2012
The official release of Adele’s Skyfall theme song generated
the second highest peak within the last 12 months with
103,948 mentions about ‘Skyfall’. This shows she has a huge
international following, more so even than in the UK perhaps.
Gender distribution: Male – 62%, Female – 38%

55. Case Study – Skyfall
Audience targeting
• The film was targeted at a global audience, especially considering
the Olympic skit brought the film international attention. Plus the
film was edited for a Chinese audience.
• Aimed at a mainstream audience (and the James Bond franchise
fanbase) - as the narrative is constructed around action and drama
with an accessible plot, featuring heroes and villains. Film’s action
scenes appeal to a mass audience (certain scenes been edited to
additionally appeal to the Chinese audiences – this is because China
has become the world's second-biggest movie market)
• Narrative - Skyfall reveals information on Bond’s childhood which
other Bond movies have not focussed on. This offers an additional
pull to the conventional Bond narrative, which would appeal to
dedicated fans of the franchise. As this was a 50th anniversary film,
there were certain elements that were 'special'.
• 50th anniversary of the film - self-parody jokes throughout – Sam
Mendes plays with the generic conventions of the Bond franchise to
ensure Skyfall is contemporary and offers something different for
the mass target audience.

56. •Sam Mendes was brought in as the director, whose films are typically
associated with intense dramas, scripts and dialogues. This would appeal to
Mendes’ film fans who are familiar with his previous hits ‘American Beauty’
and ‘Revolutionary Road’
•Conventional chase sequences (Turkey - on the motorbikes and on the top
of the train) and action packed scenes are reinforced which would appeal to
the genre’s action and adventure/thriller fans.
•Severine’s (and arguably Eve Moneypenny’s) attractive appearance and role
of being served as an object of sexual gratification in the narrative provide
the ‘male gaze’ (Laura Mulvey, 1975) and work to satisfy the male
heterosexual target audience. Posters including Severine appear to focus
on her appearance.
•Daniel Craig’s muscular physique and body is evident in Skyfall, which
positions Bond also as a sexualised object for the pleasure of the ‘female
gaze’ (Gamman and Marshment, 1988) and works to satisfy the female
heterosexual target audience, who may not be a fans of the Bond franchise
but find Daniel Craig’s sexual allure appealing enough to watch the film.

57. Audience positioning
• There is an ethnocentric positioning in the film's opening.
Bond chases Patrice through the streets of Turkey, but appears
to act as if he in a position of authority there. No regard is
given to the safety (or sovereignty) of Turkish citizens in his
actions - it as if the UK's interests are of higher importance.
• The audience are further positioned to see the UK a force for
good in the world, through the use of stereotyping. The scene
in a Chinese casino makes heavy use of cultural stereotypes to
make Chinese culture seem almost illicit.
• In the Bond/Severine shower scene heterosexual male
audience are positioned through Bond’s viewpoint. We see
champagne and two glasses prepared on Severine’s boat in the
foreground of one shot, and Severine is wearing a seductive
dressing gown awaiting Bond’s arrival. Bond does not turn up.
This is positioning the audience to see Bond's advances on
Severine as invited, rather than predatory.

58. Bond suddenly walks uninvited into her shower room naked. Scopophilia is
evident through a POV shot, which positions the heterosexual male audiences
through Bond’s viewpoint. (Scopophilia = sexual pleasure derived from looking
at naked bodies (Freud). This also reinforces Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ theory).
The audience is further positioned to see characters such as Bond as a 'hero'
and characters like Silva as 'villainous'. For instance, Silva's soft voice is creepy
(as well as his callous disregard for human life, which is demonstrated when he
shoots Severine. Silva's villainy is also clearly displayed when he removes his
fake teeth, revealing that he had a physical deformity (a visual code that often
connotes villainy in James Bond films).
Bond, on the other hand, is shown working out, rescuing characters (e.g. M)
and defeating his foes - all obligatory hero traits/motifs.

59. Audience responses
• Some audiences could resist the ethnocentric positioning within
the film, and see Skyfall as a relic of supporting British imperialism.
British agents appear to be able to work over international
boundaries without the co-operation of local authorities. When
Silva is captured, British helicopters are seen hovering above him,
without any international or diplomatic issue being discussed. It is
as if British interests supersede any other nation's - which an
audience could oppose. As well as this, the key people in power in
the film all happen to be white.
• These issues have been discussed at length online - for instance, on
blogs - where the word "racist" has been repeatedly used to
describe Skyfall.
• Another criticism that has circulated has been the representation of
women. As we have said before, women are represented as almost
disposable. Women all seem to fall helpless to Bond's charm -
creating a sense of women being powerless and present to please
the male gaze.

60. This idea is furthered by Eve Moneypenny's lack of ability in the field
(she shoots Bond, instead of Patrice) - and M's demise and ultimate
replacement by Mallory. An audience could see this as being deeply
sexist.
Silva's resemblance of Julian Assange could also be read in an
oppositional way. We are positioned to view people who put secret
information online as cyber-criminals or terrorists, while the
audience could oppose this view and see the film as a piece of
blatant propaganda, which supports the government's view, without
acknowledging any debate of democracy of information (Assange is
seen as an enemy by many governments, while many journalists and
historians see the work of Wikileaks as invaluable).

61. Regulation
• SKYFALL
• Type of media Film
• Approved Running time 142m 58s
• Release date 26/10/2012
• BBFC Insight Contains moderate action violence and one use of
strong language
• Genre(s) Action
• Director(s) Sam Mendes
• Cast includes Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph
Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Ben
Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Ola Rapace, Helen McCrory, Nicholas
Woodeson
• Cut This work was passed uncut.

62. BBFC justification
• SKYFALL is the latest film in the James Bond series, starring Daniel
Craig as agent 007. This time Bond is called into action to prevent
the identities of secret agents around the world being made public.
The film is rated 12A for moderate action violence and one use of
strong language.
• The moderate action violence includes several fight scenes, shoot-
outs and chases. There are rapid exchanges of punches and other
blows, without any focus on injury, and when characters are shot
there is little clear detail of blood or injury. In some scenes, there is
sight of bloodied clothing and faces as a result of violence, but
there is no dwelling on either the injuries inflicted or the suffering
of the victims. In one scene, a man cuts into his own chest to
extract fragments of a bullet and then washes his bloody hands.

63. • SKYFALL contains a single use of strong language, which is uttered
when a character states they have "f**ked up". The use is resigned
rather than aggressive and is not directed at another person. There
is also some moderate and mild bad language, including uses of
'bitch', 'bloody', 'buggered', 'shit', 'hell', 'damned', 'Christ' and
'God'.
• There are some brief mild sex sequences. In one scene, a man and a
woman kiss passionately as they stand in a shower. However, there
is no sight of nudity. The opening title sequence includes the usual
implied nudity, involving stylised silhouette figures of naked
women.
• Smoking occurs shown in one scene, as a woman smokes a
cigarette whilst talking to a man in a club. However, Bond himself
does not smoke
• SKYFALL includes a sequence in which a villain triggers an explosion
underneath a London Underground line, which causes a tube train
to derail. The carriages of the train are empty and there is no
indication of any passengers. There is no sight of what happens to
the driver.

64. Skyfall
Skyfall: What we need to know