Morgan Spurlock, famously of Super Size Me, wanted to make a documentary about advertising and product placement in today's movies. However, wanting to do it differently, he made the movie purely using money that he raised from sponsors and advertising within the film. Which he managed. The film itself is simply Spurlock trying to generate interest in potential advertisers to invest in his film, the product of which you are watching. Which is all a bit weird. Towards the end he is excited about the release of the film and how it’s all starting to come together, and then of course it ends, because that was the film!
The result is an interesting documentary about how powerful advertising is within the movie industry. There is the occasional interview with the likes of J. J. Abrams, Quentin Tarantino and Brett Ratner, but Spurlock spends most of the time discovering the techniques that the industry uses to target audiences. One company even does an MRI scan on him to see how he responds to various product images! I think perhaps I expected a little more from the film, such as a few case studies of specific films and how advertising influenced the production/direction. Of course perhaps he wanted to, but wasn’t allowed. A very interesting film, and a window into a business we don't really know much about, all told with Spurlock's enthusiastic, perceptive and amusing style. I for one will probably be more aware of product placement in movies now. But, well, you know, that’s just, like, er, my opinion, man.
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