On August 19th 2012, Tony Scott leapt to his death off the Vincent Thomas bridge.
I got the text that night from a friend and still could not believe what had happened.
A year and a half ago, I'd been standing next to him in a line waiting for the buffet table at my job. He flirted with the girls there. Told off-colored jokes. And seemed so filled with life. He'd completed "Unstoppable" and seemed immensely light-hearted. I remember his pre-requisit two bottles of Grey Goose in the freezer. His red cap. And a love for cigars (to which I gravitated towards due to him).
I'm not about to even theorize what he may have been thinking, only to say that he was my hero in the film world. So many times during film school, I'd reference his work. He was punk rock artist at the finest. A collage of melodrama and slick salesman. His loud rock, shameless music video style was ground breaking and I longed to emulate it every chance I had. It took all the willpower in my body not to break down and gush my admiration for his talent. He was film God to me.
And it ended a hot day in San Pedro.
Most people complain today that the filmmakers of late, have zero signature to them. When you saw a Tony Scott movie, you knew it was a Tony Scott movie. His fingerprints were all over it. The lighting. The buzz. The energy. That was quintessential. I hear his voice now through commentaries, and wish on that Sunday afternoon, there was something that could've talked him down from that ledge. But with his movies, as much as himself, the legacy was about resolve. That you may struggle to do the right thing and you will not delineate from the set plan. It was the kid in me growing up in suburban Cincinnati going over to a neighbor's house and watching "Top Gun" till the tracking lines were too much to get a picture. It was trying to purchase a film print of "The Last Boy Scout" off the first generation of EBay, when you could do illegal things like that. It was trying to convert my film camera into a crank camera like he did with "Man On Fire" and countless commercials. His uncompromising style spoke volumes to the anyone who loved the medium of film. And I thank him for being alive long enough to make an impact.
DIRECTORS
If you've never worked in movies or been around movie productions, I'd like to share a few thoughts on what the Director of any movie actually does. I'm talking feature films.
While it's true, I am NOT a director by trade, I have been around a few to get the gist of their everyday life. I've met many in my day. And they come in different flavors. And different temperaments. One of the ones I whole heartedly respect once said, that directing isn't what most people think it is. Directing is having a list of 30 shots and having two hours to shoot it, so you have to cut your list down to 3 before the sun sets.
That's so great for a few reasons. First, directing isn't that guy who sits in his comfy director's chair and yells "action" and "cut". In fact, most of the time the assistant director does that. He is the guy who has to steer the ship to get to the destination. He is the guy who lives and dies by the product. A babysitter for moody actors. A sounding board for out of control drama laden weirdos. A visionary. A task master. A brother. A father. A mother. And a drinking buddy. He is the person everyone turns for as a barometer of the project. In short, he's the movie itself.
Recently, Kristen Stewart was lambasted in the press for having an affair with her director. ANYONE who has been around an established creative person as a director, knows the responsibility and power that goes with this position. And most would fold under its pressure. A lot of directors do have that mystique to their actors. A person whose strength and grace under pressure and singular thought is absolutely attractive. Why most of us poor unfortunate lads with no social skills can live out our love story with a leading lady of our choice.
Yes, with great power comes great responsibility. I think Spider Man said that once. Speaking of which, Peter Parker is a boy, what is the "Man" part in "Spider Man".
Anyway, I think directing is very misunderstood. A lot of the times, on a big budgeted project, there is an army following the general to either glory or doom. But there is also a contingent that enjoys acting like a director without actually having to direct. Most of these phonies are very obvious in that they contradict themselves in trying to coach an actor while babbling mindlessly in hopes they'd get to a point. I've been there on a lesser scale with my student films. Can't imagine losing a $100k day doing the same thing. But it's happened.
A very well known director I've met once has this babbling thing to a science. He answers questions like he's lecturing a film class. But most of him speaking consists of just tangental junk. Like talking about a parking spot on some studio lot. Or which cafe in town has the best omelet. Just jibberish. Meant to confuse others to think what he says is profound. When they're just in their own heads.
The other part of the quote about directing is that it is nothing but of practical nature to get into post-production. That is where most directors can relax and have the grueling days of being on set behind them. I've dealt with directors in post that will come to meetings with a handle of vodka to view their material. My guess is to suppress all the nightmare scenarios of each day. To the best of my knowledge, they've only come with great stories of drama off camera.
The very few I've had the privilege of observing that truly care about their projects do present themselves. You can tell they were made to make movies. A certain wonder and love for the medium of story telling. In my experience Gore Verbinski & J.J. Abrams are the quintessential movie lovers/makers. Anyone who's spent time around a film set know immediately these two are NOT new to the scene. And most, having experienced their vision of directing, would move mountains to get their ideas across on film. They are well-versed in every aspect of filmmaking. Understanding how each department runs and how each one is vital to the finished product. They know people by name. Remember the favors people do for them, and pay them back a hundred fold. And...here's the best part...
...they are constantly grateful. They know this job can be bought with just a few connections and the right money. They are grateful that people share in their exuberance to make movies. That they were given an opportunity to share their stories. And they value the audiences they want to entertain. They know, NOT because they have to know, but because they wanted to know. Nothing was handed to them. So, where there was their will, they found a way. If it sounds like I'm kissing their tuckuses, it's because it is a refreshing to know that there are successful people out here that got where they are with a LOT of hardwork. Meritocracy lives...in some form. And gives us hope.
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