Idris Elba, James Corden and Gok Wan all appeared at Advertising Week Europe at BAFTA this month, speaking on various panels about the advertising and creative industries.
Victoria Pendleton, Freddie Flintoff, Morgan Spurlock, Sir Trevor McDonald, Natasha Kaplinsky, Caitlin Moran Steve McManaman, Ashley Roberts, and Steve Coogan all also attended. It was pretty star-studded and we have some pictures.
Follow international pop sensation One Direction from their humble hometown beginnings to the global phenomenon in ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US, arriving in an “Ultimate Fan Edition” coming to Blu-ray3D, Blu-rayand DVD with UltraViolet™ December 19th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Also available in 3D format, the special edition Blu-ray release features both original theatrical and extended fan cuts of the feature film. The extended cut includes 20 minutes of new footage and four additional songs for fans to treasure.
As MTV’s 2012 Artist of the Year, Academy Award nominated director Morgan Spurlock (Best Documentary, Super Size Me, 2004) and producer Simon Cowell (TV’s “The X Factor”) give fans a captivating and intimate, all-access look at the journey of One Direction, chronicling the group’s almost immediate rise to superstardom. Never-before-seen footage from the “Ultimate Fan Edition” includes three exclusive featurettes with behind-the-scenes footage of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis having fun at a radio station in Japan and paying a visit to Madame Tussauds™ wax museum to experience their own sculptures being created. This edition will also feature “Up All Night” – two mini movies previously only seen at the live concert. ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US comes with extended scenes and seven featurettes where fans will have the opportunity to go backstage with the group as they prepare for one of their biggest performances of the year and follow them on visits back to their hometowns with the cameras rolling. Also included is the Music Video for fan-favourite “Best Song Ever”, the lead single from the group’s new album Midnight Memories, released globally on November 25th.
ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US will also be available on single-disc DVD featuring the original theatrical version of the film along with select featurettes from the “Ultimate Fan Edition.”
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold directed by Morgan Spurlock.
Where and When: Thursday 29th September at BFI Southbank
On Thursday I saw Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary about branding, advertising and product placement, which is entirely funded by branding, advertising and product placement.
Afterward, a panel of experts from film and advertising discussed how producers can create new synergies and forms of production finance without losing their artistic integrity. The panel included; Pippa Cross, Producer of Chalet Girl, Duncan Forrester, Head of Public Affairs, Volvo, Darryl Collis, Director of Seesaw Media, Pete Buckingham, Head of Distribution and Exhibition at the BFI
“Nothing like a cold call to let you know how little power you have.” Morgan Spurlock.
What I learned:
1) The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was the first film to be in profit before it hit theatres
2) Spurlock ‘didn’t negotiate for success’ so the brands didn’t have to pay him any more money when the movie became a runaway success.
3) In the first few months, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold had over 900 million media impressions.
4) Spurlock called over 100 ad agencies and 650 companies to contribute to the documentary, only 15 companies said yes. A success rate of only 2%.
5) Pom juice is 40% as effective as Viagra for helping a man sustain an erection.
6) Volvo did not pay to be in Twilight, the filmmakers stayed true to the fact that Edward drives a Volvo in the book. But they have people come in and buy the car Edward drives after seeing the movies, even though it’s a £35-50,000 investment.
7) A big champagne company turned down the opportunity to be in The King’s Speech because they ‘didn’t do period films’.
8) Morgan Spurlock could not legally disparage the entire country of Germany in or around the Mini that he was given for the film. Most of the contracts had a non-disparagement clause.
9) Spurlock said all of the brands asked for ROI (return on investment) but not of them got it.
10) Ditto for the final cut, Spurlock says: ‘Retain final cut or it’s not your film”. However, if your film costs more than $40-50 million, you will not get final cut.
11) Spurlock’s advice to filmmakers when negotiating with brands and advertisers is: Always know what you are willing to give up. Integrity is valuable.
12) Fed ex did not pay to be in Castaway.
13) The film uses all of the things it criticise in the beginning to sell the film to you later
14) Old Navy gave Spurlock a cheque for £200,000 after seeing the documentary at the Sundance Premiere.
15) The brands have bigger lawyer than you.
16) Pippa Cross had to spend 2K on CGI to get ride of a beer bottle on Shooting Dogs because the beer brand did not want to be associated with the genocide.
17) The Social Network has Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the cast using Sony laptops, but, factually, the real people the film is based on would have been using Apple Macs.
18) Pippa Cross got Tesco vouchers for Chalet Girl, and the best Ski brands on board.
19) Morgan Spurlock made a deal with a tri-state pet discount store; you could get a goldfish and after the first one died, use a voucher to get another one. Like Spurlock does in the film.
20) Spurlock tried to get a gun company onboard, but they all said no.
21) The lawyer Morgan interviews in his documentary tells of of the term ‘Faction’. Where fact and fiction meet, and what advertisers use to confuse you and integrate their products into your favourite TV shows and Films.
The documentary is essential viewing for anyone interested in film, or raising finance.