The director of Snow White and the Huntsman never did a movie before!

I was amazed when I read that, and shocked that the company would turn over their millions of dollars to a man who has never directed a film before. Anyone else think this is rather shocking?
 
Well, yes, but bear in mind that he worked in advertising, directing commercials:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sanders
Some of which have won MAJOR awards. Top of his game, and has connections in the industry. He didn't just show up out of nowhere. He has a Vimeo channel here: http://vimeo.com/user5381930/videos Can't watch it here at work, but interested in seeing his short based on Charles Burns' "Black Hole" graphic novel. The source is pretty good (though not NEARLY as weird as people make it out to be...but still weird. Kinda like the animated film Paprika in that regard).

Not dissimilarly, Tarsem came out of music videos before getting 33 million to do the Cell in 2000: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarsem_Singh Both directors established themselves in a related media where they were able to make connections, and were at the TOP of their respective games. The old addage of "it's not what you know but WHO you know" certainly applies.
 
There are dozens of stories like that. Directors who build a reputation
directing commercials and music videos are a safe bet for studios.

Michael Bay, Spike Jonze, David Fincher, Anton Corbijn, Marc Webb,
Michel Gondry, Gore Verbinski, Antoine Fuqua, McG, F. Gary Gray,
Simon West
 
...came out of music videos...

This seems to happen a lot.

How about Samuel Bayer. Debut feature film was the remake of "A Nightmare On Elm Street", made on a budget of $35 million. Before that, he directed music videos - most notably his debut music video was direct the video for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". He then went on to direct for the likes of The Strokes, Green Day and Marilyn Manson. Shame 'Nightmare...' was so poor....
 
I guess. But music videos require a very different style of directing usually than a movie.

Why do you say that like it's a statement of fact? Did you not read directorik's list? Those dudes have made quite a few really good movies.

All of them except for McG. Damn you, McG!!!
 
I guess. But music videos require a very different style of directing usually than a movie.
And some directors are versatile. They can work in different styles depending
on the needs of the production. In most cases a good director is a good director.
 
Well the difference is is that music videos require very different shots, and they are much more style over substance usually. I mean for example let's say you were the producer of the remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, you might consider getting someone else to direct other than say, The Farrelly Brothers, for example. They could do a superb job but it's hard to tell since they have never dived into that territory before.
 
Yes, you're right, H44. A music video director could never do a good job with the remake of Dragon Tattoo. Perfect example.

For the record, the remake is on my top-10 of last years' movies. Good thing it wasn't directed by a music video director.
 
Well the difference is is that music videos require very different shots, and they are much more style over substance usually. I mean for example let's say you were the producer of the remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, you might consider getting someone else to direct other than say, The Farrelly Brothers, for example. They could do a superb job but it's hard to tell since they have never dived into that territory before.

Why? Why do that to yourself?

In any case, directing films is the same as directing music videos. It requires one (or two, seeing as you mentioned the Farrelly Brothers) vision and then a bunch of talented individuals come together to make that vision a reality. You can see basic story structure in music videos. Sure, some are designed as just purely shot pieces, but they still need a competent director.

The same goes for adverts.
 
I mean for example let's say you were the producer of the remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, you might consider getting someone else to direct other than say, The Farrelly Brothers, for example.
Excellent point. But you would consider a director who started in
music videos, say, David Fincher for example.

You just love to put directors in a little box and assume they can
only do one thing, don't you? Is that because you, as a director,
can only direct one thing?
 
And what about Ridley Scott, a filmmaker who has shaped cinema, truly left his mark upon it, and whose work has been often imitated?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34B9CAYONdw&feature=related

But I think, the first time, um...this is the first...my second film, and um...And because I came from a background...Remember I'd done about two-thousand commercials before this [Before The Dualists and Alien. This is a man who paid is dues, by golly!]. But that's essentially montage...And um...so whilst I was used to the process of a...a putting images together...easily, really. Um, the first real, you know, different experience came with The Dualists and uh, The Dualists was really a learning process about...

Heheh, I'd love to quote the rest of it, but it gets a little more challenging. But I think that's enough.

Kinda makes me want to get into making commercials.

And isn't Steven Spielberg's story not so far different? I don't know that Steven worked so hard as to make two-thousand commercials. But, didn't he start in television before he got to make blockbuster features?

So, no...no surprise someone gave Rupert Sanders a chance. And, it's not a great film, but it's an okay film, and certainly looks gorgeous. I don't think any studio should have any problem giving him another movie.
 
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...The Farrelly Brothers, for example. They could do a superb job but it's hard to tell since they have never dived into that territory before.

Why do you say it's hard to tell? They could just go onto a forum and start threads that ask step-by-step instructions on the entire process...
 
Why do you say it's hard to tell? They could just go onto a forum and start threads that ask step-by-step instructions on the entire process...

:lol:


Personally, I think it depends on the music video. Yep, Joe Blow down the street who recently shot your friend Karen's music video at the local pub on a Sony Z1 for $200 cash probably couldn't direct the Dragon Tattoo remake.
But, the person who directed Gaga's Telephone (for example) probably could. I personally know of a DP/Director team who make amazing short films (shot on 35mm) but commercially their success comes from major music videos that they're now shooting for major artists here (all on 35mm too).

Ridley Scott, David Fincher, and Wes Anderson (to name a few) have all shot a lot of commercials. Yet, they're still great film Directors, are they not?

A similar assumption to make would be to say that no television DP could shoot a feature film. Why not? There's a proven track record there, even if it is a different type of work than narrative film, but why does that mean they can't shoot narrative?
 
harmonica will make a great studio exec.: put directors (and
maybe writers and actors) in a box and keep them there. "You
direct commercials and music videos? You can't direct a feature."
"You made several comedies? You can't make a thriller."
 
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