Sunday, October 28, 2012

Just Enter through the Gun Barrel







Bathing suits worn by Daniel Craig and Sean Connery in James Bond films. (photo by Jan Siebold)

     I recently attended the opening of "Designing 007", an exhibit of James Bond movie props, costumes and sets in the Toronto International Film Festival's Bell Lightbox space.  "Just enter through the gun barrel'" the museum attendant directed us, pointing to a large cylindrical opening in the wall.  Among the exhibit  highlights were the montage of opening James Bond movie clips/theme songs, a room dedicated to Bond villains, a tour of Q's department (where 007's supply of life-saving gadgets were created and tested) and a gallery dedicated to the inevitable casino scenes featured in the films.
    In one room we saw props such as James Bond's passport and a complete medical report describing his broken collarbone.  I was amazed at the amount of care and detail that went into the creation of these props.  Surely a movie viewer wouldn't even be able to read the print on these items when seen in the final product.
     It occurred to me that such painstaking care could be attributed to the film makers' desire to create a completely authentic experience for all involved in the process.  Such attention to detail serves us well in any type of work that is important to us.  The difference that details can make is like night and day, or even like a martini shaken, not stirred.