A James Bond director on success in Hollywood | Martin Campbell | TEDxVitosha

About this video

Legendary director Martin Campbell reveals the cold, hard reality of cinema: you are either a hero with a hit or an "orphan" with a flop. Through the lens of Casino Royale and Zorro, he explains how he navigated the high-stakes pressure of an industry where your career is only as good as your last movie's earnings. What do Casino Royale, The Mask of Zorro and The Foreigner have in common? New Zealander Martin Campbell. Often described as an action director, he has more than 15 feature films to his name and 6 BAFTA Awards. Campbell knows how to captivate audiences. The Mask of Zorro (1998) earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations and launched the international careers of Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He also revitalized the James Bond franchise with GoldenEye (1995), Pierce Brosnan’s debut as 007, which grossed over $350 million worldwide. Martin began his career as a cameraman at BBC London and made his directorial debut with the series The Professionals (1977). Decades later, his creative drive remains strong. His latest film, Just Play Dead, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Green, was shot in 2025 in Spain in just 29 days. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx