What The Godfather has in common with a McDonald’s ad

AUCKLAND, Sunday: “Watching The Offer at TVNZ OnDemand, I was struck by how similar the process and the problems that the filmmakers faced were to the way that TV commercials are made, albeit on a different scale,” writes Herald on Sunday business columnist Paul Catmur in his latest weekend offering.

“I know what you’re thinking – that the making of one of the finest films of all time has little in common with a 30-second commercial that insists you try McDonald’s new Chicken Burger – but believe me the processes are closer than you might think.

“Every live-action commercial is a mini-movie and the film crews are often the same people.”

“OK, so I’ve never been threatened by the mafia, but overall the background issues are remarkably consistent, just the scale of talent and the sums involved are different.

“Every live-action commercial made is a mini-movie and the film crews are often the same people whether it’s The Lord of The Rings or a new flavour of instant porridge (available for a limited time).

“Every now and again you produce a tvc that’s really good and you make people smile for a couple of seconds. When this happens, advertising is a lot of fun.”

• Read Catmur’s column in full here