Samrita's AS Media Blog: November 2010

Sunday 28 November 2010

The Soloist - Marketing

THE SOLOIST
Marketing

Failing to hold its own against more commercial offerings. 

Aimed at women 

releases that target mostly an upscale women audience in the spring

'The Soloist' Buys Into ABC's Oscar Show

One of the first film commercials for ABC's "Academy Awards" broadcast will come from Paramount Pictures' "The Soloist," according to executives close to the company.

Media executives say the pricing for a 30-second commercial in the show is now $1.4 million--lower than the initial $1.8 million ABC was asking from TV advertisers before the economy took a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter last year.

Target mostly an upscale women audience in the spring.

Although movies are now allowed to buy commercials in shows, there are a host of restrictions to prevent studios from appearing to capitalize on the award proceedings. For instance, studios can only advertise a movie that is released after the Oscar broadcast; no commercial can be for a sequel/prequel of a movie. Studios are only allowed to advertise one film and one spot in the broadcast.

An ABC spokeswoman had no comment. A Paramount spokesperson would not confirm the studio's plans. The Oscars will air on ABC on Feb. 22.

The Soloist - Production notes

THE SOLOIST

Production Notes

Director Joe Wright
Director of the Academy Award-nominated “Atonement,”
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Oscar nominee Robert
Journalist’s transformative odyssey through the hidden streets of Los Angeles, where he discovers and builds a most unlikely friendship with a man from those same streets, bonding through the redemptive power of music.
Universal Pictures Present in Association with StudioCanal and Participant Media A Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment Production In Association with Working Title Films “The Soloist” starring Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander and LisaGay Hamilton.
Screenplay by Susannah Grant based on the book by Steve Lopez.
The producers are Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff.
The executive producers are Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jeff Skoll and Patricia Whitcher.
The director of photography is Seamus McGarvey BSC.
The production designer is Sarah Greenwood.
The editor is Paul Tothill ACE.
The costume designer is Jacqueline Durran.
The music is by Dario Marianelli.
PG-13

‘I’ve read many scripts from Hollywood and this is the first one that moved me to consider making my first film in America.’ He saw this story as a way of bringing Hollywood and British realism together, which we were very excited about.”

“Joe went on a bit of his own emotional journey in exploring Skid Row to determine if he could commit to immersing himself in this film. Then, he thrilled us all by saying, ‘I’m in, but on the condition that I be able to make the film in and with the community in which the story is being told.’”

“Working with members of the Skid Row community was, without exaggeration, kind of life-changing really. It taught me a lot of humility and to never underestimate anyone, and also that it’s possible, even within the film industry, to bring about some good and to have a positive, practical effect on people’s lives. That was tremendously exciting.”

Music often inspired specific photographic sequences in “The Soloist.” McGarvey gves an example: “When Nathaniel is playing underground in the tunnel, we wanted to show how the music elevates him, and give a sense of him taking flight. We devised a shot that would lead us into a symphonic, lyrical sequence, a centerpiece scene in the film that required a 100-foot Strada crane to rise up above an aperture in the street overpass and reveal the city above.”

“Jamie has a heart the size of America and a very 

sensitive and gentle one at that. I believe he really loves Nathaniel, which was so 

important.”

 “Joe Wright had the beautiful insight to give the film the 

authentic quality of the people who live there. He took a risk and he made it work. 

Joe stuck to his guns and came out with his heart wide open and that opened us 

all up.”

Spooks

SPOOKS Representation of ethnicity

Representation of Ethnicity - Spooks

Tuesday 23 November 2010

The Soloist

THE SOLOIST

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Julliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Director: Joe Wright

Writers: Susannah Grant (screenplay) Steve Lopez (book)Stars: Jamie Foxx, Ribert Downey Jr. and Catherine KeenerRelease Date:25 September 2009 (UK)
Budget:$60,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend:$9,716,458 (USA) (26 April 2009) (2024 Screens) Gross:$31,670,931 (USA) (5 July 2009)
Based on a real life story

Media - The Soloist