The Two Stars Go Here

Tony Sella, Last Century Fox’s co-president of marketing says, “Blame me, not Tom Cruise” in this LA Times article bemoaning the fragile world of movie marketers.

Apparently, among Knight And Day’s other problems, moviegoers were confused by a print campaign devoid of photos of Cruise and Diaz:

Sella contends that the silhouette-style representations of the film's stars weren't meant to hide the actors from view. "I was doing an homage to [fabled title designer] Saul Bass," he explained. "It was a way for us to signal that this was a different, adult kind of movie. The whole campaign was designed to evoke a film like 'North by Northwest.' It wasn't in any way us trying to hide anyone, simply to make the film look unique, so you didn't just look at the billboards as if they were designed to say, 'The Two Stars Go Here.' "

Comments

[Pierre Pressure]

Maybe it was the armless woman with a penis?

[Joe Sixpack]

I was going to say something about the poster, but all the really good comments have already been made on IMPAwards:
http://www.impawards.com/2010/knight_and_day.html

[Saul Bass]

"Homage" = RIP OFF!

[don deezy von weezy]

Saul Bass? There's nothing remotely Saul Bass about it!

[Neptune's Net]

Shockingly, put me in the column of one moviegoer who actually enjoyed this summer-fluff film. (Admittedly, my expectations walking in were subterranean.)

A Hitchcock-ian 'round the world breeze? No. More like Michael Bay wandering the Bermuda Triangle with an armada of competing screenwriters. (Still trying to figure out WTF "Day" in the title refers to. "Knight" I kinda get.)

This marketing message is equally muddled. All the 70's-era release poster is missing is an indication of the rubylith overlay and the callout "Cut out the type so Cruise's head overlaps."

An homage to Saul Bass? Spare me the Monday morning rationalization. Go back to school and check out the truly Bass-ian opening titles to "Catch Me If You Can."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVEgK3nCkao

Audiences stayed away because they don't want to dump $$$ in Tom Cruise's pseudo-religion collection plate. More importantly, you forgot to show Cameron Diaz's more than ample cleavage. My God, you even forgot to show her arms!

[Jiminy Kritic]

"The whole campaign was designed to evoke a film like 'North by Northwest." Really, Tony, really? http://tinyurl.com/22m9zad

[Art Sims]

Dude, rippin' of Bass is my job!
http://tinyurl.com/2bnm945

[Hired Hand]

Nothing wrong with the poster. It's the movie that's a failure.

[Mike No Last Name]

Agreed. The key art is solid.

Not sure I'd call it an homage to Saul Bass, but I like it.

And - hello? Does anyone really think showing Cruise and Diaz in the one sheet would saved this movie? Duh! People are staying away BECAUSE of Cruise and Diaz!

[ZZZZZZZZZ]

Some people love the key art.

Some people hate the key art.

Art directors whine when somebody else gets the finish.

Art directors whine when they get the finish and not everyone falls over praising their genius.

If an art director's lips are moving you know he's whining about something.

Ho hum. What else is new?

[Lady AD]

Hey, ZZZZZ - in case you haven't noticed, we women whine, too.

[whatshisname]

Its weird. in my office all the straight guys LOVE this poster. all the gay guys don't...

[Mistetr Magoo]

Who is Saul Bass?

[refinedthinker]

Tony Sella falling on his sword for something - has the world totally gone mad? This man never took the blame for the things he really did, so are we now to accept his taking the blame for something so trivial as a Tom Cruise movie not opening?

Let's not put Mr. Sella up for sainthood quite so soon. His motives may not be so saintly when all is said and done.

By the way, anyone out there ever hear of Tim Palen even commenting about one of his "marketing campaigns" after a movie failed to open? One can certainly hope that his reign as a 'marketing guru" will come to an end when lgf sorts itself out...

But back to K&D. Several comments above it was noted that people just don't want to add money to Tom Cruise's religious zealotry. Add to that the notion that Cameron Diaz is no longer a movie star, and the combo of the two of them together is about as thrilling as Ashton Kutcher & Katherine Heigl (which studio marketing team kept their collective mouths shut about that one?) trying to do whatever homage they were after.

But feel free to check out an unbiased opinion on what else might have gone wrong at: adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=144726

[Far out space nut]

The silhouettes look as if they were a mistake, like some idiot art director left his alpha channels on. Either way, the campaign is dreadful.

[Crass]

I was too busy playing Red Dead Redemption to spend my pennies on a movie.

[Saul Bass]

What's an alpha channel?

[Chet]

I I don't know who he thinks his mea culpa is likely to fool. At this point even Tom Cruise must know audiences are having second thoughts about Tom Cruise movies.

[don yankee von skankee]

couldn't even use different splatters? the ol' step and repeat. this shit reeks of laziness. i'm gonna go rub one out.

[john marston]

ok. let's switch gears here and talk about 'red dead redemption'. that's worth talking about.

[Hungry Hungry Hippo]

The background looks like a mustard, ketchup and relish stained napkin after a delicious Pinks hot dog.

[Bindar Dundat]

Hey Tony,
You don't know your Bass from your elbow.

[gainfully employed.]

you would all lick tony's butt crack if he even approached you for a project.

the magic of anonymity.

a bunch of losers who have to "freelance" around town cause you can't get a fucking job...

I get all your emails. "hi, i'm up this week, you need any help" LOL you all suck.

[Sir Freelancealot]

Wait til you loose that cushy job, a-hole, er temporarily "gainfully employed"

[Seth]

Hey gainfully, you are just bitter cause you are not in Mexico yet.

[Mercer]

Best thing about Red Dead Redemption is Sella had nothing to do with it, Tom Cruise isn't in it and the hookers are better looking than Diaz.

[john marston]

I shot the piano player in Armadillo last night. Didn't go over to well with the peeps in the saloon.

..anyone get the "Fightin' Around the World" achievement yet??

[Bitter Lemon]

Was he playing "the entertainer" if so then you are well within your legal rights.

[Edwina Trout]

Confidential to Production Artist/ Designer: We don’t doubt you when you claim, in regards to Knight And Day’s epic fail, that “a certain person who's the creative there (at Fox) will truly take the brunt of it… I won't mention his name but those in the know, know.”

And yes, we agree, these studio marketers are a bothersome lot.
However, we do ask that you click on our link to the original LA Times article and post your personal grievences on their website. They have all those big, downtown lawyers on retainer while we here at MonKeyArtAwards have only our accountant - who keeps reminding us that no one has ever made money with a blog.

[Production Artist/ Designer:]

Sorry Edwina. No personal grievance. I have nothing to gain nor lose with said comment. Sorry if it was taken that way.

[Nigel West Dickens]

I find it hard to believe that John Marston reads this blog -- let alone posts comments on it

[john marston]

eh. it's what I do when I'm not wrangling horses or helping you pedal your shwag tonics.

[Bonnie]

Nigel you work at the snakeoil studio don't ya?

[BoozeyFlapjack]

Campaign has nothing to do with a lack of desire to see Tom Cruise. The only thing he has to sell is Les Grossman.

[refinedthinker]

Boozey is right (as he/she so often is) - the campaign itself has nothing to do with a lack of desire to see Tom Cruise, i.e., Tom Cruise gets the prize for keeping people away because he is Tom Cruise and no marketing campaign, whether done by weenies like Tony Sella or nasty thieving tantrum throwing bitches like Tim Palen could prevent audiences from staying away in droves.
As for Les Grossman - less is more.

[B Marley]

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy.

[Senior Executive Vice President Creative Director/Print]

Production Artist? They still exist? One would have thought job title creep would have eliminated that appellation years ago. I assumed everybody's at least a Creative Director by now.

[jung]

ink splats are so 2001. it's like the automatic coolness element for a 1 sheet layout but ends up looking lame.

[Production Artist/Designer]

@Senior Executive Vice President Creative Director/Print...

Sorry but unlike your title, some LIKE to work. Once someone like you can do more than point or say "move that up two clicks," we will always have work. Some of us actually get to do the studio thing too. With your title, you must own your own business.

How's the postcard business?

[A Grown Up]

A lot of jealous babies commenting here.. except for the Red Dead Redemption crowd.

[RDR crowd]

"This ain't gonna end well, friend."

[what'sthatfishysmell]

homage to saul bass = bad idea.

combined with Tom Cruise' current image (scientology's loose cannon) = double bad idea.

combined with waffling mktg strategy = triple bad idea.

lots of bad ideas = bad B.O.

[S.E.V.P.C.D./P.]

Good luck with that "studio thing" PA/D. Enjoy it while it lasts, which it never does. As long as you enjoy taking it up the poop chute, you'll always have work.

[Mark B. Newbauer]

I think it's amazing!!! I think many movie posters today are overly homogenized, training an increase of starf*cking audiences that won't appreciate all aspects of what really goes into this.... Cruise and Diaz were both amazing in this refreshing, breezy, exciting film--- AND you're a complete dumbass if you don't know who's in this film with the aggressive tv and print marketing campaign they had going-- amazing poster dude-- I LOVE it!!!! I wish more movies would be more creative like this ala the 70's posters--- Tarantino still manages with his, and of course, he's an auteur so I'd expect nothing less...

[Production Artist/Designer]

S.E.V.P.C.D./P.

You seem to have a hard on these days. If someone is in the studio, we are taking up the poop shoot. "They still exist" is all that a production artist/designer is? I mean pot and kettle = you.

I was never speaking to you to begin with. Enjoy your super title, postcards and have a great 4th.

BTW, this was about Sella, Knight and Day and a film struggling...right?

[S.E.V.P.C.D./P.]

"Shoot" is spelled "chute", whippersnapper. Enjoy your career in the bull-pen.

[Production Artist/Designer]

Gee thanks. I now know you're a copywriter and publishing editor too. What next, are you going to say I'm a "hunt and peck" typer? Ooh, hard stuff there.

You need help.

[William Strunk, Jr]

I love it when someone who corrects somebody else's grammar, spelling and/or word usage makes similar mistakes in their own post (like not knowing where to put a comma or that "bull-pen" is "bullpen").

[E.B White]

Right-On!

[Peter S.]

So we're all done with Tony Sella then?

[RDR crowd]

No point in using a shotgun to kill a songbird. Nothing left to pick up. No profit in that.

[john marston]

yes, indeed. glad to see we are back on topic.

another helpful hint- wear the bandana when cracking safes.

[poopeepaah]

I know the AD + the finisher. This project was a nightmare from start to end (9+months later). Who's fault? Fox.