The box office success of The Woman in Black was down mainly to its star, Daniel Radcliffe. The Woman in Black was Radcliffe's first film to be released after the Harry Potter franchise, so audiences were eager to see him in a different role.
The trailer for the film was shown before Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, so the aim was to target fans of Harry Potter to go and see The Woman in Black. Radcliffe had a legion of fans due to his work on the franchise, and due to this fact it meant they would most likely watch the film when it was released.
During promotion of the film, Daniel Radcliffe participated in the interviews and his face feature on almost every single poster promotion the film.
In addition, 6 seconds of footage was cut during post production to ensure that the film secured at 12A certificate. Therefore, a younger audience could go the cinema and see it.
Overall, the box office success of The Woman in Black relied heavily on Daniel Radcliffe and his status and fans due to his previous role as one of the most famous film and book characters of all time.
Before the film even entered the production phase, audiences were excited for its upcoming release. The reason audiences were eagerly awaiting this highly anticipating film was because of the enormous success and legacy of the James Bond franchise. The franchise had already established itself as one of the most renowned and respected film franchises ever, so audiences and fans of the James Bond series would go to watch the film regardless of the story, actors or other factors which could affect an audience's perception and views. In addition, the year Skyfall was released also marked the 50th anniversary of the release of the first James Bond film, Dr No. This made Skyfall even more monumentous. The Olympics also took place in London in 2012; just before the opening ceremony, a skit saw Daniel Craig (as James Bond) accompanying the Queen to the opening ceremony.
Although the Olympics Opening Ceremony took place in July, it was a prime advertising opportunity for Skyfall and also generated excitement among the public for its release.
Skyfall is the first James Bond to be shot in with IMAX cameras. IMAX cameras have the highest resolution and also use a 70 millimeter film which is twice as wide as what's used in ordinary cameras. For audiences to watch the film in an IMAX cinema, they would have to pay a lot more than if they wanted to watch the film in a standard cinema. This would enhance the film's box office success.
As Skyfall was produced by Sony (a conglomorate), they are able to use synergy effectively to boost profits. Sony own lots of different companies and they also own a record label which Adele is signed to. Adele wrote and sang the official theme song for Skyfall, also called Skyfall. This boosted awareness and excitement for the film as Adele achieved enormous success prior to Skyfall and is one of the world's best selling artists.This is an example of how media convergence is used to promote two different products.
Several marketing strategies were also used to help increase the chance of the film's box office success. For example, key members of the cast and crew took part in press junkets.
Skyfall also had tie ins with several other major brands such as Heineken and Coke Zero, both of which are products placed in the film. Although this could be considered not very synergetic as it benefitted the products more than the film.
Posters were also released; some were released individually with key characters on them, such as James Bond and Mrs Moneypenny.
In addition, during the opening weekend of Skyfall, Sony Mobile carried out a stunt to promote the waterproof smartphone Xperia acro S. Not only did this promote the smart phone but also the film; people in the audience during this stunt would tell their friends and family of the experience and more people would attend viewings of the film in the hope something similar would happen to them. Word of mouth is the most effective form of promotion.
Due to the collective effort of all of these forms of promotion and hype, plus more, the film was met with great success at the box office. On its opening weekend, it grossed $80.6 million from 25 markets and is the highest grossing film worldwide for Sony Pictures and also the highest grossing film of all time in the UK. Skyfall has earned $1.1 billion world wide.
Skyfall was released on the 26th October 2012 in the UK and on the 9th November 2012 in the US. It was the first of the James Bond franchise to be screened in IMAX venues, however it was not filmed using IMAX cameras. Although, for audiences to experience the film in IMAX it would cost them more.
Upon its release, Skyfall received positive reviews from critics and it performed well at the box office. Click here to read a review of Skyfall.
Skyfall was the recipient of many accolades, including; two Baftas, two Academy Awards and two Grammys.
Skyfall was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on 12 February 2013 and 19 February 2013 in the UK.
The Woman in Black was released was released on 3 February 2012 in the US and on 10 February 2012 in the UK. The film was briefly considered to be shot in 3D, but the idea was scrapped. The Woman in Black earned $20 million during its US opening weekend which is the biggest US opening for a Hammer film in Hammer history.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Click here to read a review of The Woman in Black.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 18 June 2012 in the United Kingdom, and was released in the United States on 22 May 2012.
The first trailer for The Woman in Black was shown at the Kapow! Comic Con in London. Those who attend Comic Con usually have a specific interest in things it specialises. This convention was specific to films so the trailer appealed to those interested in that certain genre of film.
A trailer for The Woman in Black also appeared before some showings of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in cinemas. As Daniel Radcliffe is both the star of the Harry Potter franchise and The Woman in Black, the trailer was targeted at an audience who like that particular actor.
Other marketing strategies included;
Official UK teaser posters. The poster did not feature any of the main cast and instead had two young children posted for a photo. However, their eyes were scratched out and it was accompanied by the sinister tagline, "What did they see?"
A re-release of the book with Daniel Radcliffe's character on the front cover. Not only did this promote the film but also generated interest in the book.
The official release of the UK trailer. Click here to watch the trailer.
In the UK, the film was distributed by Momentum Pictures and by CBS films in the US.
A part of the marketing strategy is film junkets; this is where key member of the cast and crew do a day of interviews and talking to the media in order to promote their film which is to be released. These can then be shown on TV, played on radio or uploaded onto the internet. Above is a video of an interview at a press junket.
Promotional posters were also released with different characters from the film on. For example, the film's villain Raoul Silver.
Daniel Craig also appeared in an advert for Sony, which not only promotes Sony but also Skyfall - Sony own half of E-on productions.
Four different TV spots were released; each spot was individual and different from each other.
Key cast and crew members also appeared on chat shows in order to promote and discuss the upcoming release. for example, Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench and Javier Bardem appeared on The Graham Norton Show.
Skyfall was distributed by MGM.
It was the first James Bond film to be screened in IMAX venues. However, it was not filmed with IMAX cameras. The film's release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series.
The budget of the film was $150-200 million and it made over $1 billion dollars at the box office. Its vast success made it the eight highest grossing film world wide as well as the highest grossing film in the UK and the highest grossing Bond film of the franchise.
The film had several partners which helped its promotion. Click here to see the full list of partners associated with Skyfall. Many of them are products which are placed into the film in order to promote them.
The production of Skyfall was halted by MGM's financial problems. The studio went bankrupt and production was suspended until late 2011 as it was originally meant to commence in 2010. The star of James Bond, Daniel Craig, admitted he would have removed himself from the process if production continued to be halted. Once production started, the film was shot in 128 days.
James Bond star, Daniel Craig
Filming for Skyfall took place in many different countries across the world. The countries included Scotland, London, Turkey, Japan and China and the film was shot in 40 locations altogether.
The production costs of Skyfall is between $150-200 million.
Judi Dench, Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes shooting a scene.
Skyfall is the twnty-third James Bond film to be produced by Eon Productions. It was directed by Sam Mendes and features Daniel Craig as James Bond, Javier Bardem as Raoul Silver, the film's antagonist.
Click here to read about the camera usage and other interesting information about Skyfall.
The Woman in Black: Production
The Woman in Black was produced by Hammer Film Productions, a production company based in the UK and which is mainly known for its series of Gothic films. During April 2011, it was confirmed that filming had been completed in December 2010.
The Woman in Black was filmed in eight different locations around England including; Essex, Northamptonshire and North Yorkshire.
The film's budget was significantly lower than the production cost of Skyfall; $15 million.
The Woman in Black was directed by James Watkins and starred Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe. The screenplay was written by Jane Goldman.
Here are some notes for those of you who may wish to find out a little more about how editing can affect representation.
As a technical code, editing is primarily related to narrative, and many students struggle to make connections between editing and representation. They see how camera-work such as close-ups and low angles conveys status and emotion to the audience. The use of costume, props and settings as functions of mise en scene are also pretty transparent to most students. But what does match-on-action have to do with character or representation? This list is designed to help you to start thinking about how editing can, if sometimes subtly, influence the audience’s reading of a character, and lead on to wider questions of representation. It is not an exhaustive list, and you should be wary of assuming these suggestions are either a) complete or b) foolproof in the same way that black and white don’t always represent good and evil (just ask a penguin). The role of editing in representation is open to interpretation, and is greatly dependent on context. So use your intelligence! Action match When following a single character (e.g. Billy Elliot dancing) this is a purely technical device. However, when an action match is used for intercutting, it can heighten the parallels/contrasts between two different characters in two different situations as an opportunity for juxtaposition. eg: in Skins, the young Russian woman's swinging of the axe as all sex and power is juxtaposed with the fat Russian dinnerlady’s heavy serving of congealed mashed potato. It draws attention to the contrasting ways in which Russian women are being represented. Eyeline match Eyeline match usually provides insight to a character's private thoughts. eg: In Doctor Who: Last of the Time Lords, Martha exchanges glances with all the people she loves, as though this may be the last chance she has to communicate with them before she dies. Similarly, as she confronts the Master, we keep cutting from her to the family and friends watching her, signifying that she, the woman, is the centre of the action. Final shot In any scene, which character or characters are shown in the final shot of the sequence? This is often the character with whom the audience is expected to identify. eg: In Primeval, although Abby saves the day, the last shot is on Cutter, signifying that the audience is intended to adopt the male, not female, point of view. See also every EastEnders cliffhanger ever. Intercutting: juxtaposition Although typically a narrative device, intercutting can set up juxtaposition between parallel storylines, exaggerating the impact or meaning of each by highlighting a point of difference. eg: in EastEnders: Wedding Night, the warmth, light and music of the happy pre-wedding feast is in stark contrast with the two unhappy families represented in the cold and dark whenever we cut away. This provides a more favourable representation of Asian family life over white Londoners. Intercutting: tension When intercutting is used to draw two storylines together, this can be structured to create tension, and therefore heighten the audience’s identification with a particular character. eg: in Primeval, intercutting between the tiger’s pursuit of Cutter and Abby’s running in with the rifle is action code and prompts the question: will she get there in time? In Hotel Babylon, intercutting offers both tension and juxtaposition:
just as Adam is saving his colleague’s life with a jar of jam, another Africanimmigrant, Ibrahim, is being lost. The tension and juxtaposition lead the audience to identify with both characters. Jump cuts These are rarely used in TV or film; when they are, they tend to suggest either a) chaos and disorder, b) self-conscious ellipsis (drawing attention to the rapid pace of the action) or c) a director who likes to break the rules! eg: In Primeval, two jump cuts accelerate Cutter’s preparation to slide down the zip-wire; this could be read as speedy and decisive. Motivation A motivated edit is any transition ‘forced’ on the editor by the development of the action, narrative or character. Whenever shot (a) refers to the existence of an event outside the frame, and we then cut to (b) which shows that event, that’s a motivated edit. We can sometimes judge a character’s worth or importance by the number of cuts they motivate. eg: In Primeval, Cutter runs away from the tiger, drawing it away from Abby. His constant motion motivates many of the cuts in this sequence, again reinforcing his status as the protagonist, if not the Proppian hero. Pace of editing This can imply character qualities, especially if only one or two characters are in the sequence. A fast pace might suggest energy or panic (depending on context) while infrequent cuts (long takes) might suggest calm, a casual attitude, or provide documentary-style realism (as in Cast Offs). Similar effects can be achieved with speed ramping and slow-motion. Prevalence How much screen time does a character get? The more time we see them on screen, the more important their role. This can develop during a scene to change characters’ status. eg: in Hotel Babylon, Adam is invisible just one of many refugees until he steps forward to treat the diabetic maid. Suddenly, the editing favours him, and we realise his importance and skill, despite his menial status in the hotel… Selection: to show or not to show As amateur film-makers yourselves, it can sometimes be interesting to ask what information has been included or omitted in an edit. eg: in Primeval, as Jenny comes under increased threat from West, at no point do we cut away to her colleagues approaching the barn. To do so might have reduced the tension in the scene; not doing so arguably increases Jenny’s apparent vulnerability. Narratively, it’s also a nice surprise when the team arrive in a single cut, which contrasts with the early tiger chase (see intercutting). Shot/reverse shot and reaction shots S/RS indicates the relationship between two characters: it signifies and sometime exaggerates their closeness, or their opposition (depending on the context). The amount of time given to a character’s reaction shots can convey their status in the scene. For example, if two character are in S/RS conversation, do they get equal screen time, or do we spend more time looking at one character, speaking and reacting? Equally (though this is also a function of camera, are the two characters framed equally? eg: in Doctor Who, the S/RS between Martha and the Master gives Martha CUs and the Master MCUs, conveying Martha’s greater status as a character, even if narratively she appears defeated.
