1. Unit G322 – Section B – The Film
Industry
· The reason for choosing -BBC Films/the Film
London Microwave low budget scheme and
Sony for our case studies for this unit is
because they offer such a striking comparison.
Sony is everything that these companies are
not and vice versa.
· There may not be the requirement for you to
write about both in the exam – OR the exam
may ask you to specifically compare and
contrast the two.
· Either way, my advice is to compare the two
institutions as it will enable you to show off
what you have learnt about the film industry
better than just focusing on one of the
institutions.
· Although the institutions are clearly very
different there are some similarities between
the two films – even if they’re not necessarily
immediately obvious as well as many
differences.
FILMS

2. Ill Manors / Skyfall
Similarities between the two films in terms of genre and
narrative
· They’re both British films – Ill
Manors is more ‘British’ than Skyfall
(deals with social issues and
themes relating to British society).
Funded and filmed in Britain.
· They were both filmed
predominantly in Britain.
· Both enjoyed strong opening
weekends at the Box office
· Large British cast in both.
· They both have a high profile
musician linked with the film whose
music was released close to the
film’s release.
Ill Manors / Skyfall – Differences between the two films
in terms of genre and narrative
· Different genres – Skyfall is an
Action/Adventure and Ill Manors is
a gritty social realist drama.
· Bond is a part of long running (47
years and counting) franchise. Ill
Manors isn’t.

3. INSTITUTIONS
BBC Films & Film London Microwave /Sony –
Similarities
· Both involved in film production.
· Both are companies whose main
goal is to make profit – both are
driven by the bottom line.
· Both split production across
different companies “film is
fundamentally a collaborative
medium”.
BBC films & Microwave / Sony –
Differences
· Budget – Ill Manors £100,000
Million
· Skyfall $150-200M.
· BBC Films and Microwave are low
budget independent film making
companies – Sony is a major global
conglomerate with a diverse range
of interests.
· Sony work on lots of films each
year enabling them to spread their
risk; BBC Films and Microwave only
work on a few each year
· Cipher is UK urban specific.
· Sony are involved in production
(MGM), distribution (Columbia
Tristar and Sony Pictures
Entertainment) and exhibition (Sony
Blu-ray machines/ Sony DVD

4. Players/ Sony TVs / Sony phones.)
THIS IS CALLED VERTICAL
INTEGRATION.
BBC Films and Film London Microwave
are ONLY involved in film production.
Sony – well established. Microwave –
new company in its infancy.
Sony are better placed to withstand
losses. BBC Films and Film London
Microwave cannot sustain losses.
Sony make films with leading directors
– BBC Films and Film London
Microwave focus on new directors.
BBC Films and Film London Microwave
films will mainly be distributed in the
UK to a selection of cinemas
Sony – makes films distributed globally
and internationally
AUDIENCES
BBC Films and Film London Microwave
– AUDIENCE DIFFERENCES
· Skyfall was aimed at a huge
mainstream target audience:15 – 55
year olds. Core male target
audience with a wider secondary
female audience, straddling broad
cross sections of class, ethnicity
and sexuality.

5. · Ill Manors was aimed at a niche
audience – urban 16-24 year olds,
heavily pitched at a male audience.
· Skyfall is aimed at an international
audience so the dialogue/script is
less specific than Ill manors which
uses contemporary urban
colloquialisms.
PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION /
EXHIBITION
BBC Films and Film London Microwave
– PRODUCTION DIFFERENCES
· Skyfall had a huge budget – Ill
Manors didn’t.
· Skyfall used a host of well known
famous ‘stars’ – Daniel Craig, Judi
Dench etc – Most of the cast of Il
Manors were unknown or first time
actors (apart from the main star) so
cast were less recognizable.
· Skyfall used exotic and varied
locations round the world – Ill
Manor’s setting was much more
geographically specific, as exotic
locations weren’t called for in the
story.
· Skyfall used a lot of expensive
special effects. Ill Manors didn’t.

6. · Skyfall utilized product placement
within the film – Heinekein, Coke,
Aston Martin, Omega. Ill Manors
didn’t.
· Skyfall had expensive action
sequences – highly produced fight
and chase scenes. (writing off
various cars!) Ill Manors’s dramatic
scenes were less full of action.
Ill Manors / Skyfall – DISTRIBUTION DIFFERENCES
· Skyfall’s marketing campaign was
huge and extensive. Ill Manors’s
marketing was very specific and
highly targeted.
· Skyfall used synergy Eg Sony PS3,
phones, games, DVD, TV,
soundtrack and film were released
at the same time. Whereas Ill
Manors didn’t/couldn’t use synergy
to the same extent by releasing just
the DVD and soundtrack at the
same time as the film
· Skyfall had a series of huge
international premieres – all over
the world. Ill Manors didn’t.
· Skyfall used cross promotion
through a range of companies all
advertising Skyfall – Heinekein,
Omega, Sony TVs, Coca-cola, etc.
Product placement earned

7. $50Million plus ($44 M for just
Heinekein alone)
· Sony had blanket advertising with
tease trailors in cinemas, TV
adverts, newspaper and radio
adverts and interviews with main
stars
· Ill Manors had much smaller
advertising.
EXHIBITION DIFFERENCES
Skyfall opened in 580 cinemas – over 1000
screens in the UK and Ireland
Skyfall broke box office records and overtook the
highest grossing film of all time, Avatar in terms of
takings on opening night and opening weekend
and overall profits globally.
Will Skyfall land straight into number 1 spot on
UK DVD chart? Quantum of Solace did and hit
number 2 on Blu-ray chart and became the UKs
biggest selling DVD and Blu-ray release of 2009.
It would be expected Skyfall would do the same
in 2013.
A worldwide box office phenomenon, broke
countless records and now scores as the top
grossing film of all time.
Ill Manors didn’t break box office records, nor did
it get to top of the DVD or Blu-ray charts on day
of release.

8. It played in much fewer, selected and niche
cinemas.