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Show The Salt Lake Tribune CALENDARFriday, June13,1997 _ Music-Video Directors Segue to the Big Screen BY ELAINE DUTKA LOS ANGELES TIMES HOLLYWOOD — The film in- dustry, asserts Simon West, is five years behind the rest of American pop culture. Even so, MTV has been around long enough for mu- ger studio executives were MTV kids, he explains. And those who their girlfriends to see a film,” ‘our years ago, there was a SimonWest says West, whose debut feature, dencethat wetalk their language, since that’s the music-video market, as well.” The trickle of music-video directors making the leapinto feature films has turned into a wave, accelerated by the track record of David Fincher(“Ali Bay their first shot. “The studios are now thinking this is the way to go. In the end, though, it's less about formulas than abouttalent — and getting noticed. Like screenwriting and editing, music videos have becomea wayin. As the door has opened, several first-timers have walked through. Brett Ratner was handedthe $23 million “Money Talks New Line release set for August, and plans to shoot a Jackie Chan moy- observers say. All of their films ie in October. Gore Verbinski is wereprofitable, and Hollywoodis directing ‘Mouse Hunt,” a holi- eager to duplicate that success. day film from DreamWorks. Lionel Martin's ‘How To Be a Player’’ will be distributed by “Everyone's looking for safety nets, reasons to justify decisions in case of failure," says Jerry Bruckheimer,a visually oriented Gramercy Pictures on Aug. 15, Paul Hunter, currently talking producer who threw his weight with 20th Century Fox about tak- son Tide") before giving West and make QuincyJones’ “‘Jook Joint” on HBO. Rap-video director Tamra Da- behind directors of commercials such as Adrian Lyne (‘Flashdance”) and Tony Scott (‘‘Crim- tricks,” says Bay, who has worked with Aerosmith, Tina Turner and Meatloaf. “Though I had two fare. ‘music-videodirectors can’t deliver’ stench I had to fight my way ing on a feature, has signed on to through,” says Gray, 27, “Things are easier now.” Though the stigma has not entirely diminished, music videos are considered an excellent training ground — film school with a paycheck, so to speak. Even novicedirectors are provided with the latest equipment — and budgets not always of the shoestring variety. Labels fork out between $200,000 and $600,000 for major artists and story,” says the executive, whose company was responsible for in 500 days on videos and com- bigger budget, more mainstream great actors, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, the studio was convinced that black stars wouldn't sell, On top of that, the crew didn't believe a video guy could cutit. . they were waiting for me to put the camera on a skateboard.” The film, as it happened, took in a hefty $142 million worldwide andbrought 12 movieoffersin its wake, But evenafter ‘The Rock” grossed $348 million worldwide, Baysays, hestill gets limited respect. “I despise it when peoplecall mea ‘just a video director,’ ” says Bay. “There’s such snobbery in well into the seven-figure range for superstars such as Madonna or Michael Jackson, Because the stakes are lower, the freedom is greater. And since the directors walk off with dazzling showeases, this business. Though the car chasein ‘The Rock’ was rooted in videos, I see myself as a ‘new generation’ kind of filmmaker with the ability to cross over into different media.” they no longer have to be taken on faith, Narrative is more prevalent in “The great unknown is how they deal with actors, pace and ing 1995's “Bad Boys.” Though mercials — the equivalent of 10 feature films. “Because I was working with a $17 million budget — and no support from Columbia — I was forcedto usea lot of music-video el L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey — Luca concedes, But the skills, while transferable, aren't exactly the same. —a skill that camein handy maksome viewed him as first-time director, he says, he'd already put chael Douglas and Sean Penn, is dustry's bottom line. the $75 million ‘Con Air,"’ 32, calls it “guerrilla filmmaking” values, too, are on the rise. Bay, plunging into New Regency’s “The Negotiator,” starring Samu- “The largest part of the moviegoing audience is 14- to 24-yearolds, primarily males dragging openedlast week. “It's nocoinci- videosthese days and production due out in the fall. And Gray is eo directors as a bridge to the youth market so central tothe in- production president Mike De and went on to direct “CB4” (1993) and ‘Billy Madison’’ (1995), both of which opened at No. 1. Bay is making it three in a row with Bruckheimer, whose cameras this summer; Fincher's $70 million “The Game,” with Mi- weren't have come to regard vid- “$6 million directors,” New Line vis made her move to the big screen with 1992's “Gun Crazy’ “Armageddon” goes before the sie-video directors such as himself to be considered cool. Youn- a great way of sidestepping the “Friday,” “Set It Off” and “Sevn,” which ssed more than $300 million worldwide. “Musicvideo directors get tremendous amounts of moneyto shootthree minutes... but film requires more discipline.” Staying poweris the challenge, the directors agree, Films are a marathon and videos a sprint. Andsince videos are about "visual” rather than “story,”style over substance is the primary trap. “Music videos are less linear, more montage-based, so you need to take that hat off and put on another,” said Verbinski, 33. ‘‘Ninety minutes of high-concept imagery are an onslaught, a disaster restraint, I've discovered, is a learned tool. Directors coming from T'V and theater have the opposite challenge: Thoughthey get fascinating performances, their says. “In features, you can’t throw in a close-up of a musician stomping on a guitar — you haveto film a scene.” “Hollywood views video directors as free spirits — shootinglike crazy and stringing images together,”says Hunter, whose work for R&B/pop singer Erykah Badu was just selected the Music Video Association's best R&B video of the year. ‘And becauserock stars rarely get up in the morning, they assume that we don’teither.” After years in commercials, West may be “dusting off the leather jacket and putting on shades,” doing a video for a song in “Con Air.” Hunter,in contrast, would like to move on. ‘“‘Though I'd like to stop making videos, the studios keep asking to see your ‘latest,’ " he says. “They want to be sure that you're hot.” Though Gray segued successfully from “hip hop" to mainstream, Hunter is holding out. Whenit comesto quality and marketing, he says, these low-budget offerings aimed primarily at black audiences don’t measure up. “It’s interesting that they chose Michael Bay to do ‘Bad Boys’ star- work tends to be claustrophobic and uncinematic. The trick is finding the balance,” ring two black comedians,” he says. “I'm waiting for the day that Videos can be salvaged in the editing room, the directors note. In movies, however, there’s no safety valve.‘There's no continuity in videos . . . you can jump Hunter to do a cop movie with Brad Pitt and Christian Slater. Still, when I see Gary [Gray] directing Kevin Spacey and Samuél Jackson,I know something's hap- around all overthe place,” Davis pening.” they choose a Gary Gray or a Paul Hiring music-video directorsis ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT, FamousFor Nothing (CHILL OuT!, [ with « prozen on iceo onink Ff DOWNTOWN ! 45 £, 200 $0. | 537-7707 SO. 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