3. A New Brand of Moviemaking

Available for over a year

Director Sir Christopher Nolan and cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling continue their story of an under-celebrated group of British film directors - five men who came to the movies via an entirely new route, advertising. Hugh Hudson, Adrian Lyne, Alan Parker, Ridley and Tony Scott started their careers working side by side in London’s Soho, making highly memorable, highly rewatchable television commericals. They arrived in Hollywood in the late 1970s and early 1980s - during a time of corporate takeover and the collapse of the studio system. It was a new world, where marketing and market research were of the utmost importance. Given their backgrounds, it was also a world in which these filmmakers would thrive, creating hit after box office hit. In this episode, Christopher Nolan and Christopher Frayling look at the role played by market research - and music - in the movies of the Adland Five. And they talk about two erotically-charged dramas made by Adrian Lyne - Flashdance and Fatal Attraction - which had a tone, pace and style unlike anything seen from British directors before. Producer - Jane Long Executive Producer - Freya Hellier Additional research - Edward Charles, Heather Dempsey and Queenie Qureshi-Wales Sound mix - Jon Calver A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4