Producers Awarded BFI Fellowship

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Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli were honoured with BFI Fellowships at the BFI Chairman, Tim Richards’ dinner held in London’s Claridge’s Hotel last night. 

Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris presented the producers with their awards. Fiennes praised both as ‘exemplars of film producers and filmmakers’ and stated that as they had killed Bond in No Time To Die that he and Harris were now the people to fix it. ‘You find him and we’ll train him’, he joked.

“We’re very touched by this extraordinary honour and humbled to be in the presence of all these other great Fellows. Seventy years ago, when our father Cubby Broccoli came to the UK to produce his first film, it became a love affair with our family and the British film industry. Sixty years ago, when Connery first uttered those words, ‘Bond, James Bond’, right up through the 25th Bond, No Time To Die, we’ve continued to make films here in the UK. We’re incredibly proud of those films and we would not be here today without the thousands of talented cast, crew, directors and writers who work here and make it possible,” said Wilson and Broccoli. 

Recorded messages of congratulations came from Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux and Sam Mendes, whilst composer David Arnold performed ‘You Only Live Twice’.

Michael and Barbara join an eminent list of BFI Fellows including Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker, Tilda Swinton, Sir David Lean, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Nicholas Roeg CBE, Orson Welles, Sir Ridley Scott, Dame Judi Dench, Ousmane Sembène, Sir Christopher Lee, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sir Steve McQueen and Ralph Fiennes.

The BFI will be marking Bond’s 60th anniversary with a celebration weekend of screenings and events in London at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX on October 1st and 2nd 2022.

 

CBEs For Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli

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Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli had their investiture at Buckingham Palace today where they were awarded with their Commander of the Order of the British Empire medals. The medals were presented to them by the Duke of Cambridge, after they were included in the 2022 New Year Honours List for their services to film, drama, philanthropy and skills. 

Michael and Barbara were previously honoured with Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008.

Capturing Bond With Photographer Nicola Dove

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Over the last 18 years New Zealand-based photographer Nicola Dove has worked on some of the world’s most successful films, including No Time To Die. Here she tells us about her career and her time on Daniel Craig’s final 007 production. 

How did you get started in photography? 

When I left school, I took up photography because a flatmate in New Zealand had a camera, loved photography and I too immediately got a passion for it. I think there’s something about the instantaneous thing of making art, as opposed to painting, which is wonderful, but at a different pace. I ended up selling photography and fell in love with documentary photography. I love that ticket into the different worlds. I ended up working for magazines, doing editorial and portraiture. I also worked for charities and aid agencies and I traveled a lot shooting for them. Then I moved from New Zealand to London and met a producer who introduced me to the idea of film stills. That producer saw the documentary storytelling capability that I had developed and said ‘why don’t you think about going on set?’ I ended up doing short films for free for a year or two and then worked with him on a film production.

So what was your first feature film?

My first feature film was a film by director Sally Potter. She’s a very avant garde filmmaker who attracts an amazing cast. It was a case of someone on that crew putting me forward for the next job. My second film was Enduring Love with Daniel Craig, who was pre-Bond then. The film industry is about networking and making those contacts because a lot of it is based on trust and working in a lot of high pressure situations. 

How did you end up on a Bond film?

I was put forward by a contact and interviewed and it went from there. I start my work with the script. I like to get really involved in the story so that I really understand it and its characters and what their journey is. As a photographer I’m trying to find and create images that really tell a story in one single image. On a James Bond film, you have a headstart on knowing some of that background on the characters, but this was a completely new story. The filmmakers know what they’re doing and it’s about trying to align with it. I know the filmmakers had a particular set of hopes, in terms of showing Bond as an emotional character who is more than just an action figure. That was something I wanted to capture on set.

Is a Bond film set different from other movie sets?

Absolutely. On the surface, everything looks the same, there’s cameras and sound guys and girls and lots of equipment and lighting gear and it’s all the same, but it is different. There’s another vibe going on, which is very exciting. Everyone brings their A game. It stays like that the whole way through, every day. When we started on No Time To Die I started filming in Jamaica. The first day was filming on a busy street scene with Bond going round a roundabout. It was fast and chaotic and it was really like jumping straight in. It was great fun. We spend a lot of time at Pinewood Studios and that’s different again because every time you walk in, you park your car and you walk down that alleyway and all you see is that massive 007 stage and sign. Every morning when you arrive there, it’s just like ‘Oh my God, I’m on a 007 film!’ That really makes a difference. 

What was it like being on location and capturing Bond?

I love traveling and being in different locations around the world. One day we’re in Scotland and then in southern Italy. I travel with my family and my husband homeschooled the kids on the road. They came up to Scotland and they were in a motorhome instead of a hotel because we were filming out in the Highlands. At the end of each day I would just call my husband and say give me your coordinates of where they had gone exploring that day. I’d go and rendezvous in some paddock on the edge of an amazing loch. They came to Matera and stayed there for a month – Matera is an extraordinary place with all the caves, the steps and its whole history. Walking down to set every morning with the sun coming up over the cobblestoned streets and ancient buildings was fantastic. That was pretty special and it became a family adventure. The whole Bond family ethos comes from the producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli as they create this wonderful atmosphere. I know people say that, and it sounds like a cliché, but it really is true. They’re loyal to people and they care about people and their families. It’s really special. 

How did you go about working with the cast and crew?

In terms of building a relationship with actors, you just have to be really good at your job. There’s this sort of high level energy going on and you’re part of it. You’ve got to get some images. You’re going to help sell a film with them but you also don’t want to be in people’s faces all day long. They’ve got another job to do as actors and it’s very much about being in harmony with everything that’s going on around you on set. Once you can get into that flow with the cast and the crew, then everyone can relax. 

How do you balance the candid shots showing behind the scenes moments with knowing the images to capture to showcase 007 in the moment?

You’re thinking all the time about the different layers that you’re trying to achieve. All those behind the scenes images become historical documents in the long run. Certainly when you look back on some of the early Bond films, those photographs capture a moment in film history. Then you’ve got to also tell the story of the film itself. Is this good for telling the story of No Time To Die? The likes of Daniel Craig and the main cast, they’re all such pros and Daniel, obviously, is vastly experienced so it becomes a bit of an unspoken collaboration going on there too. He knows what works. The shot of him that we released in his suit walking down the London street, the Aston Martin car behind, everyone knew this looked cool and it was a bit of an unspoken collaboration there. Daniel did a few extra steps for me during a retake. The camera had already gone off but I needed a few extra steps and I was walking backwards, staying out of the way of everything and he just did it every time. He might not even remember that as it’s sort of an instinct. 

How do you find the right spot to be in to capture these big moments on set? 

There’s many things you mustn’t do and then what’s left is where you discover what your options are. Mostly, it’s really about finding that place to capture images and finding a way through.The second unit did a lot of the big stunts. They have another photographer, Jason Boland, who’s renowned for his stunt work and action films. Greg Williams also comes in and takes pictures as well. 

You mentioned working with other photographers. What did you capture?

I shot all the gallery posters for all the crew except for Daniel, who prefers to do his shoot when filming has finished. All the other cast members, I think that there were 16,  we shot over a number of days. I bring in a team of assistants, then we bring in lights and there are concepts that get drawn up and we aim to deliver some of those concepts. We had two different lighting set-ups for the Bond poster shoots. Whenever the cast is scheduled to have a break in the day they get brought over to the mini photo studio and we put on some music and get them into their character. Sometimes you have 10 minutes, sometimes you get an hour. We work it into an actual filming day. It’s all part of the production day and all those involved in the marketing get involved. There’s a whole team ready to make it happen on the logistics side of it. 

How does it feel seeing those images go into the world to promote the film?

It’s always really rewarding when you see the initial posters come out. It’s really fun to see it come together and see it in the real world. I’ve got no chance of seeing Bond posters where I live in New Zealand on the side of buses, but people send them to me. The thing about being a stills photographer is generally no one even knows who you are but we are probably some of the most widely published photographers on the planet with the reach of our images. It’s such a strange thing. I’m happy to go under the radar. That’s kind of my job to be under the radar. I think the first time I was a bit wowed by my work on Bond was when they were just starting to warm up for the launch of the film, which obviously got pushed back but they had some images up on billboards at Times Square which were really cool to see. Some of the marketing team were there and they sent pictures to me and it was really amazing.

You mentioned the need to go under the radar, do you not have to carry a lot of equipment?

Day to day I carry two camera bodies and a couple of lenses. Getting to know the gear you have really well and not falling into that trap of thinking, ‘I’m only a good photographer if I’ve got hundreds of lenses and this, that and the other’. You make images with your understanding of the story and being in the right place at the right time with an understanding of light. I do have a backup system in the car, which I never pull out but that’s my old cameras. We now use silent mirrorless cameras. But back in the day we obviously used the DSLRs and I still have that as backup. Just in case. 

Which of your No Time To Die images do you think is most definitive?

Well, I guess there’s the London shot mentioned, but there is another image that we got in Jamaica, on day two or day three, and it was the first time we were filming 007’s return to his house. It was a beautiful set on the side of the sea with a secluded beach. Bond gets his gun out and he walks through the house and he walks into some sunlight and it was suddenly very Bond-esque. A lot of shadows and he’s got his white shirt on but the gun is black. There is a light and shadow thing going on. Having a digital camera meant I could see that straight away. Daniel walked through that light quickly, less than a second. That’s a split second moment where that light is like that, and Daniel is in place, as Bond. You’ve just got to hope that in that split second, Daniel’s not blinking or looking the other way. He wasn’t thankfully and that was the first time I saw something where I thought ‘I’ve got a Bond shot. This is James Bond’.

Nicola Dove @filmstillsacademy

What It Takes To Make A Bond Suitcase

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Planes, trains, subs and speedboats: James Bond knows how to travel, switching from black tie to tactical kit with ease. Accompanying him in recent years is his Globe-Trotter luggage. Here we take a closer look at what it takes to make bags for a licensed troubleshooter.

Globe-Trotter has been producing luxury cases, bags and accessories since it was founded in 1897. Each piece is handmade at its Hertfordshire workshop using methods and machinery that date back to the Victorian era. The company has a long history of creating bespoke pieces for clients; Scott reached the Antarctic with his vented vulcanised fibreboard luggage. Sir Edmund Hilary set off to scale Mount Everest with his trusted Globe-Trotter case and Sir Winston Churchill was also a fan. Queen Elizabeth II was given a Globe-Trotter case for her honeymoon which she still uses today.

Globe-Trotter first started its relationship with 007 on 2012’s Skyfall. During production, the design team was asked to collaborate with the film’s armoury department to create a specialised case for the assassin Patrice. After putting a bullet in Bond’s shoulder in Morocco, Patrice arrives in Shanghai with what appears to be a sleek black attaché. On the 67th floor of a Shanghai skyscraper, he deconstructs the case and from it methodically assembles a sniper rifle and glass cutter. Taking inspiration from Scaramanga’s untraceable weapon in The Man From The Golden Gun, the bag that was created is made up of functional elements. Its handle is the rifle’s telescopic sight and each part of the construction fits together to make the gun. 

The relationship continued in Spectre when Bond and Madeleine Swann travel to visit Blofeld in the Moroccan desert with a Globe-Trotter Original suitcase. This traditional style is a remake of one of the company’s early designs, and was made for the film in brown vulcanised fibreboard with black corners – a colourway intended to harmonise with the scene’s desert setting. 

Globe-Trotter cases are again seen on screen in Bond’s latest mission. In No Time To Die, James and Madeleine arrive at their hotel in Matera with a set of Globe-Trotter suitcases and a holdall stashed in the boot of the DB5. Their luggage is then carried to their room by porters. One of the pieces is a pinstripe carbon fibre case with graphite leather details; the other two are classic green vulcanised fibreboard cases with black leather straps and corners. 

You’ll find vulcanised fibreboard in every Globe-Trotter range. As strong as leather and as light as aluminum, this unique material was invented in Britain in the 1850s and patented by Globe-Trotter in 1901. The Bond suitcase is made with an eight point process. A state of the art CNC machine cuts out the perimeter and drills the holes for the rivets out of the vulcanised fibreboard. Each panel is expertly moulded into shape using a method patented by Globe-Trotter in 1901. Then components are attached by hand using the traditional hammer and nail technique for handles, and a foot pedal riveting machine for locks and attaching both side panels and corners. The signature Globe-Trotter leather corners are moulded on Victorian press machines over a period of five days to ensure optimum strength and form.

Handles are made entirely by hand to include the core materials that are bonded and pressed for 48 hours before construction can begin. Next a fabric lining is cut to size, glued and inserted by hand for a seamless finish. Steel lipping is cut, formed and attached by hand to the suitcases for optimum strength and form. To finish, each Globe-Trotter case is examined closely and quality-checked before packaging and leaving the factory.

Find 007 x Globe-Trotter pieces inspired by their film counterparts at 007Store.com. For the 60th Anniversary, the company has created new designs in navy vulcanised fibreboard and pieces decorated with Maurice Binder’s iconic Dr. No dots here.

New To See At Bond In Motion – No Time To Die

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New archive items have been unveiled to Bond in Motion – No Time To Die, Beaulieu’s exhibition at the National Motor Museum. Joining the collection of vehicles, gadgets and costumes curated by Bond Archivist Meg Simmonds, is Madeleine Swann’s chase-damaged Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J90, complete with child seat. This is the family SUV that Bond uses to drive Mathilde and Madeleine to the forest hideout, fending off a fleet of 4x4s, bikes and a helicopter on route. 

New No Time To Die gadgets on show include Cuban CIA agent Paloma’s handbag and spy-enhanced lipstick case which hides the listening devices she and Bond use at the SPECTRE gathering. Q’s state-of-the-art QDar tracking device, is another new arrival to Beaulieu, used by 007 agent Nomi to map out Safin’s island bunker in 3D. 

Safin’s toxin vial, used by actor Rami Malek on the island set at Pinewood Studios, also joins the exhibition. When the vial breaks in the movie’s climatic moments, Bond is permanently infected with the potentially lethal toxin.

Visitors to the display can take a look at a range of film pieces including Bond’s machine gun-damaged Aston Martin DB5, complete with spinning mini-guns, scraped sides, mini mines, LED numberplate and cracked windows. 

Other vehicles include Bond’s retirement Land Rover Series III, the Land Rover Defender 110, Cuban Chevy Bel Air, the iconic Aston Martin V8 and Nomi’s Aston Martin Superleggera DBS. Fans of two wheels will enjoy seeing Nomi’s undercover Royal Alloy scooter from Jamaica and Primo’s Triumph Scrambler. Q’s ‘Stealthy Bird’ submersible glider is suspended high above the collection. 

The exhibition also holds two full costume looks. Bond’s tactical outfit from the Safin island mission and OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M watch are on display, alongside Primo’s Matera costume.

Bond in Motion – No Time To Die opened in 2021 and runs until October 2022 at Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.  Find out more here.

007 Celebrates The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

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007 celebrated The Queen and 70 years of exceptional service to her country by taking part in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 5th June. Ten iconic Bond vehicles joined Act II of the People’s Pageant in a once-in-a-lifetime procession.

The vehicles appeared amidst a collection of 500 vintage cars and motorbikes which covered a 3km route taking in the Mall and Buckingham Palace to echo the Coronation journey 70 years ago.   

The beloved Aston Martin DB5 which starred in eight films: Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die was driven by special effects supremo Chris Corbould OBE. The Triumph Scrambler motorbike seen recently in No Time To Die was driven by world champion bike rider Paul Edmonson who completed the film’s spectacular stunt jump. Moneypenny’s Land Rover Defender from Skyfall was driven by one of the world’s leading female stunt drivers Jess Hawkins and the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from A View To A Kill was driven by Academy Award winning director Vic Armstrong.

Other vehicles featured included the Aston Martin DB10 as featured in Spectre with three-time British World Rally Champion Mark Higgins behind the wheel, and the Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day driven by Stunt Coordinator Gary Powell. 

Completing the array of iconic cars in the 007 line-up was the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish from Die Another Day, a Land Rover Series III from No Time To Die, the Rolls Royce Phantom III from Goldfinger, a Lotus Esprit S1 seen in The Spy Who Loved Me and the Aston Martin V8 from both The Living Daylights and, more recently, No Time To Die. 

The 007 Father’s Day Gift Guide

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For Father’s Day 2022, we’ve put together an overview of some of the best new James Bond gifts for men, as well as a few of our perennial favourites.

Personalised. Make it individual with luxury accessories you can engrave or emboss. Take a look at the new SPECTRE symbol personalised notebook and card wallet in black leather. Sky blue and red options have just been added to the 007 notebook and wallet range, while the new leather accessories case is a perfect place to store your cufflinks and watch. Mix it up with the new monogrammed martini shaker, or have fun with a personalised ID card, complete with their picture and name.  

Cufflinks. It’s all about the details. What about a set of the new Bond family crest cufflinks, handmade in silver. Or go for the target with gold-plated mini golden guns or gold bullets. Scaramanga would approve.  

Golf. Hit the fairway with a hole in one gift. Penfold’s 60th anniversary golf tools are boxed and ready to give, while the new grey 007 Chilly’s bottle and “licensed troubleshooter” hip flask are ready to fill. Or what about a 007 polo shirt?

Socks. The Commander, The Baron or The Shaken? Put your best foot forward with a set of James Bond socks. Available individually or in gift sets of six or three pairs, choose designs from the 007 universe, created by The London Sock Exchange.

Cars. Liven up the fridge with the new set of DB5 magnets; leaf through a Bond car coffee table book or celebrate the design genius of Ken Adam with a Goldfinger gadgets art print. A gift boxed 007 car keyring by Aston Martin, Land Rover, Jaguar or Lotus is always popular.

Accessories. Be inspired by Maurice Binder’s Dr. No title design with the Globe-Trotter dot attaché case or a colourful dot silk pocket square for the jacket pocket. Sunglasses are a year-round essential and there’s a frame to suit all styles in Barton Perreira’s 007 legacy range. The new 007 leather tidy tray is the place for cufflinks, coins and keys. Or opt for a very special hat. Auric’s flat cap and Oddjob’s bowler are handmade by royal hatters, Lock & Co.  

Mugs. Quote, heat-change, poster art or 9ct gold: update the coffee break with a new mug. The James Bond bone china collection features classic lines from 007 and Q, while Bella Freud’s are a little more villainous.   

All at 007Store now.

Under The Bonnet Of The DB5 In Matera

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When 007 first picked up the keys to the DB5 in Goldfinger, a new partnership was born. Here we take a look at how Daniel Craig’s final movie is a love letter to the iconic car, with writer Will Lawrence.

“The DB5 is a massive character,” Craig says, speaking to Lawrence a few months after production has wrapped. “Aston Martins are characters in the movie as a whole, but the DB5 is the one that people are emotionally connected to because of its history and because of the gadgets.” He smiles. “We use them all.”

For the Matera piazza scenes, Daniel Craig spent time with the film’s Stunt Co-ordinator, Lee Morrison and Lead Stunt Driver Mark Higgins, learning how to spin the car through a 360-degree circle. Both Craig and director Cary Joji Fukunaga were delighted with the scene. “Audiences know when something is done for real,” says Fukanaga during filming. “Doing stunts for real with the actors is always going to feel that much more exciting. With Daniel doing the car work and having the confidence of Lee Morrison there to guide him through it, it’s also going to look spectacular.”

The DB5 showcases a host of gadgets during the film’s car chase through the labyrinthine streets of Matera. When designing the gadgetry for the sequence, Corbould first met with Fukunaga and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to work out what they wanted to include in the film. “Cary wanted the sequence to be gritty, but he didn’t want it to be over the top,” Corbould explains. “The sequence has been evolving right up to us shooting the scenes on location in Matera. There are so many things that make it exciting. First, you’ve got the beautiful location, a city with such a rich history that looks amazing. Then throw the car into the equation, which is doing more than it’s done since Goldfinger. We had a fleeting glimpse of it in Skyfall and a few other films, but Goldfinger was its last big sequence. And now it’s back in all its glory, with a spectacular sequence again – the audience will love it.”

To shoot the Matera sequence, the film-makers used two classic DB5s with an identical finish, designated the hero cars, one of which belongs to EON Productions and the other to a private owner. All the stunt work was filmed using eight bespoke DB5 replicas built specifically for the production by Aston Martin’s Q Advanced Operations department, headed up by Senior Programme Manager, Ben Strong.

Two of the replicas were designed as gadget cars, housing the smoke screen, mine dispenser and machine guns. Two were also fitted with “pods” that allowed the stunt drivers to control the cars while sitting on the roof. This ensured that the actors could be filmed inside the car while driving at high speed.

To carry the mine dispenser, the two gadget cars had a small shelf fitted just behind their rear bumpers which, when tilted, spilled the explosive cargo all over the road. Around 20 mines were deployed, with the special effects team using pyrotechnics to replicate the explosions. To capture the moment when the SPECTRE agents unleash their hail of bullets, the team used hard pellets that shatter on impact. These damage the windscreen, sending a crazing pattern splintering across it, with a safety screen to protect the actors from harm.

The gadget cars’ miniguns operate via the same methodology as those used in Skyfall. Each gun follows a reciprocating motion as a flickering gas flame sits at the front to make it look as though it is firing, while a pneumatic ram moves the headlamps and allows the guns to protrude. The guns and mechanisms are mounted in the wings, hardwired into the controls inside the car, and operated by the driver. During the doughnut sequence, however, the guns are engaged via remote control.

As the guns are fired, a cascade of shells ejects through the apertures behind the DB5’s side strakes. This was achieved by a pressurised circular tube filled with empty shells and mounted on the car. The special effects team remotely released a solenoid, which allowed the air to escape and, in turn, ejected the shells at high velocity. A smokescreen effect was achieved by injecting smoke oil straight into the exhaust manifold, which allowed smoke to be released – the car fills the entire square with smoke in just one revolution.

As well as the bolstered metal structure and modular carbon fibre bodywork, each of the eight bespoke DB5 replicas also features an integrated roll-cage, side door bars and brace bars along the top of the turrets, as well as a race-calibre fuel cell and hydraulic handbrake. With the exception of the automatic transmissions in the two pod cars, Aston Martin used a modern powertrain solution for each vehicle. The engineers then modified certain elements to create a unique driveline. Each car features bespoke suspension with World Rallycross-spec dampers to allow it to be driven down steep steps. The cars also have classic 15in Crossbow wheels, although these are fitted with modern Avon tyres designed to cope with the different surfaces that the DB5 encounters – polished granite, cobbles, tarmac and asphalt. There is also a racing pedal box and specially tuned brakes to help the car run from a slippery surface to one that grips well, and also to help it transition from wet surfaces to dry.

This is an extract from Will Lawrence’s article for Aston Martin magazine.

Full Circle – The Dr. No Dots

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The white circles across the screen, the famous gun barrel sequence and the iconic Dr. No dots – these design elements remain staples of the 007 films to this day. Created by Maurice Binder, they set the tone and tempo for the entire James Bond franchise.

Binder worked on the main titles for the 1960 film, The Grass is Greener, starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons. Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were in the audience at the premiere and afterwards “They asked me if I’d like to do the titles and the trailer for a little film called Dr. No. I said ‘sure’, even though I didn’t know what it was,” it was reported Binder said.

Binder famously worked to tight deadlines – sometimes pushing them so far that it later prompted Roger Moore to quip, “I often said the titles were still wet when they left Maurice’s studio – usually the night before the premiere. But Maurice would never let anyone interfere, and I think that’s why he always delivered at the last minute – so nobody had the time to.”

20 minutes before his first Broccoli and Saltzman meeting, Binder found inspiration. “I just happened to have little white price tag stickers and I thought I’d use them as gun shots across the screen,” he said. His idea was that the gun barrel sequence showed 007 as a wanted man: hunted every day, always in somebody’s sight. “That was about a 20 minute storyboard I did, and they said, ‘This looks great!’”

Binder’s treatment for Dr. No was abstract and captured the ’60s pop revolution on screen. The producers were keen to secure an accessible rating for the film, so he needed to be creative. Binder’s response was to suggest themes through silhouettes and animations. “The dots are the gunfire animated across the front of the screen” he explained. It took a couple of hours to film it at Pinewood. I did all of that against a white background and added in the colour.

Audiences loved Binder’s work on Dr. No. The bright colours of the film – from the bold red of Quarrel’s shirt to the pale baby blue of Connery’s rolled up trousers – are reflected. The coloured dots change shape, move position and form patterns, while the high tempo score by Monty Norman and John Barry guides viewers through the sequence.

Cubby Broccoli described the opening saying, “It works perfectly. It was a tremendous mood-setter. By then, the audience’s pulse rate is up a couple of beats. The title sequence that follows is no more than two and half minutes, but it has the kind of visual clout, and humour that Bond movies are all about.”

The dots have stayed with the Bond franchise throughout its 60 year history. Main Titles Director on No Time To Die, Daniel Kleinman explains, “There are the Dr. No style dots at the beginning as a nod to the past, even though my dots are a little more sophisticated now than the original dots made by Maurice Binder. Technology allows me to make them fly around, then blow away and do stuff which Maurice could not do at that time, but they still purposely look like those dots. It was nice to repeat those.”

Maurice Binder’s design for Dr. No changed the future of film. Universally recognised as a modernist vision, his abstract approach is an instantly recognisable part of cinematic culture.

Discover a range of Dr. No dot inspired pieces from Globe Trotter and more at 007 Store.

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Oddjob’s Bowler & Vesper’s Trilby

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Academy Award-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming has designed five 007 films, from GoldenEye to Casino Royale. She shaped the debuts of Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig and helped reinvent the style of 007 for modern audiences. Here Lindy shares her experiences and tells us about the unique role that hats have played through the years.

Tell us how you start the design process on a 007 film?
For every character, the costume design draws inspiration from the writing and the story the director wants to tell. This is the same process working with the actors who play and create the characters. Our work is to imagine what the finished, costumed person will look like and to facilitate everything involved in bringing that look about. Whether it be tailoring, dressmaking, shoemaking, hat-making, knitting, fabric printing, anything that helps to create the finished look – which can be for a Wonder Woman, Peter Pan or a Bond villainess, the process is the same.

How was it working on two James Bond debuts?
Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig developed the character of Bond in different ways, with their own ideas of who he is and how he behaves. It is the work of the costume designer to help rethink the character and their clothes, and come to a look which tells us about the personality of this new version of James Bond.

How did Bond’s relationship with hats begin?
Of course everyone remembers the Lock & Co hat that many James Bond actors have tossed onto the office hat stand with varying degrees of bravura or nonchalance. I feel most of the surface appearance and lifestyle choices came from Ian Fleming’s stories, and then it was up to a long line of costume designers such as myself to interpret that information into the character as played by the different actors. Regarding the original decision to dress Bond in a hat, I imagine that it was because both pre and post war men of his class – and especially those like him of ex-naval/military status – almost always wore a hat when outdoors and would be undressed without one.

We know that Sean Connery’s 007 introduced the trilby hat – why do you think that style was chosen?
The trilby had become fashionable for the younger trendier 60’s man. It was produced in many different fabrics including straw for sporty occasions and summery situations so it was the ideal versatile design for James Bond’s first adventure.

Tell us about some of the hats you have created for Bond.
In the 1990s, when I started designing for Bond, hats were not very popular with younger actors, or for that matter cinematographers. Most designs were either military, naval or for sport. I have designed and commissioned quite a few hats for the series… my favourite I think is Eva Green’s Casino Royale trilby, worn on the train to Montenegro – a nod to Bond films of the past and a reminder of movie stars of the 40s and 50s. It was in keeping with Vesper’s style generally. Another great costume opportunity was for Sophie Marceau as Elektra King, the rich daughter of an oil billionaire. Sophie’s character had so many interesting costumes and a beautiful fur hat in the ski sequence with Bond made by the great Phillip Sommerville. I also love Famke Janssen’s hats in GoldenEye. She was my first Bond villainess and had lots of fun costume moments which allowed for hats. The Montecarlo sequence with the huge black hat made by Phillip Sommerville; and a very chic tall black Astrakhan style, reminding us that she was in the Russian military. It also gave a nod to Grace Jones as May Day in A View To A Kill.

What have been your standout Bond hat moments?
When I look back over the Bond films past and present, I first have a really strong visual memory of Sean Connery’s golf sequence with Auric Goldfinger and Oddjob. It has to be The James Bond Hat Moment. There we see the two characters defined by their clothing and their choice of headwear. Bond, physical and on trend for the 1960s, in his slim slacks and straw trilby, referencing the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sam Snead, the famous American golf champion. Then there is Goldfinger wearing his classic and staid golfing attire, with tweed and wool, putting him at an obvious fashion disadvantage. Now add in Oddjob, seemingly a caddy and gentleman’s gentleman, in his black bowler hat. What a triple whammy of men’s hats. Only a little later do we discover the hidden potential of this bowler hat, possibly the most famous movie hat ever.

Lock & Co. have released a 60th Anniversary collection of hats – find them here at 007store.com.

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Reunited On Broadway For Macbeth

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Macbeth has had its pink carpet opening night at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the play stars Daniel Craig in his first post-Bond acting assignment.

This fun new production of Shakespeare’s drama stars Ruth Negga in her Broadway debut as Lady Macbeth and is directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold. Costumes are designed by Suttirat Larlarb, creator of No Time To Die’s costumes. A tale of malice, matrimony and murder, Macbeth tells the story of one couple’s obsession with power – and their guilt after doing the unthinkable. The production captures the passion and ferocity of Shakespeare’s most haunting text like never before and runs for a limited season until 10th July.

“Daniel is not only a great film actor but a magnificent theatre actor as well,” Broccoli said in a statement. “I am thrilled that he will be supporting the return of Broadway playing this iconic role with the exquisitely talented Ruth Negga making her Broadway debut and under the expert direction of Sam Gold.”

Book seats at www.Telecharge.com