Super Sell Me: Spurlock Keen To Expose Brands

Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock has spoken to Sky News about why he made a film about product placement and marketing - which has been funded entirely by advertisements.

The filmmaker said he wanted to expose the brands he thinks are taking over our lives in his latest docu-film, called the Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

"I didn't come in saying product placement was evil or advertisement is the biggest evil in the world," Mr Spurlock said.

"But the bigger question people should walk out of this movie asking is how much is too much? Where do we draw the line?

"Where are the places we should all be able to go that are free from advertising?"

Some 650 companies were approached to sponsor the film, but only 15 brands got involved.

"It took a long time, it took a lot of convincing, from the moment we first started calling brands to the first one saying, 'Yes' took nine months," the acclaimed director said.

"Nine months of rejection, nine months of cold-calling till the first company signed on.

"And, once the first company signed on, it was like a domino effect."

Michael Moore set the bar for political documentary makers with hits such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine. Spurlock told Sky News that he paved the way for his career.

"I think documentaries are one of the last bastions of true investigative journalism," he said.

"The thing about Michael is that he made it possible for someone like me to even make movies. He made films that got a tremendous amount of attention that become headlines.

"For every movie that he makes that grosses \$50-60m (£32-38m), he makes it all the more possible for someone like me and 10 other film makers to make a movie."

Spurlock was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary for his 2004 film Super Size Me, which looked at the influence of the fast-food industry.

It grossed more than £12m worldwide, making it the 12th most successful documentary film of all time.

Despite his success, Spurlock said it is still hard to make films.

"The fact is that anyone with a camera and a good idea can make a movie," he said.

"At the same time, there is a lot of fodder that comes out and gets put into the market place, but the cream will always rise to the top."