That is Not An Exit, by the way...
Update:
Jake was in a serious shoe shopping mood yesterday, after Brentwood he headed off to buy a bundle more at Recreational Equipment, Inc - probably the store in Santa Monica. And that means the hat and sunglasses were given a brief break.
I did say brief...
Thanks IHJ!
Direct Witness: A report from the PoP set
I am very grateful to Sara Andrea for sending over to me details of a feature from yesterday's edition of Chile's leading newspaper, El Mercurio. In it, Alexander Witt, Director of Photography and Director of the 2nd Unit, spoke about his experiences of working on Prince of Persia under the watchful scrutiny of Disney and the Bruckheimer producers. The producers' approach clearly put pressure on everyone, Jake Gyllenhaal included, but director Mike Newell especially. Thanks, Sara, for your translation, which follows here:
'Direct Witness: Alexander Witt reveals the controversy of the new Disney super production
The Chilean filmmaker worked in the Second Unit of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time", "Jake Gyllenhaal and the director even shouted to each other", he confesses from London where he is working in a new film with Russell Crowe.
His work is shooting the action scenes in Hollywood super productions, coordinating hundred of extras, stuntmen and even the stars themselves. It's a complex work, even dangerous. In Morocco, where he just finished shooting "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time", he was tied to safety harnesses more than once to supervise the sets (as seen in the photo).
But nothing, not even his 20-year experience in Hollywood, prepared him for the human problems he experienced in this Disney film, directed by Mike Newell and starring a muscular Jake Gyllenhaal, that will be released in 2010: "I really don't have the best memories of that movie", Witt confesses by phone from London.
"The biggest problem was that not even the director had an idea of how was the movie we were doing", says the 56-year-old Chilean about the $150 million dollar project that had him two month in the Sub-Saharian Africa at the end of 2008: "Mike Newell didn't have a good relationship with the producers and the script was re-written during the shooting which forced us to change [scenes and] even the scenes that I was directing", he remembers.
Witt shot intensely with Gyllenhaal. The Chilean [filmmaker] tells that the "Brokeback Mountain" actor lifted weights between takes to stay in shape and reveals that: "Sometimes Jake prefered to shoot with me. He and Mike didn't get along well and a couple of time they shouted at each other".
But what exhausted his patience was the producers that asked him changes that they hadn't discussed previously with the director: "It doesn't happen to me very often but at that point I said 'enough' and I kicked them out the set. Luckily my relationship with Mike was very good. He was very honest with me. He told me 'I don't know anything about action, so you will have to help me with this'. And so I did".'
Includes pictures from IHJ and a pdf of the El Mercurio article can be seen here.
8 comments:
I'm so sad to hear that things didn't go well for PoP shooting :( Hopefully things will look up when it's released...
Ouch! The POP shooting seems to have been rough. What does that mean for the possible sequels? Will some people refuse to work on them if it was so unpleasant? Unless the first one is hugely successful. I bet that would convince them to stay. Thanks for the interview, Sara Andrea.
I hope you are recuperating well from you BBM viewing, WDW. How was it to watch it with commercials? You are definitely not the only one who can't watch it without crying, even after 3 years, believe me. I have to plan my viewings carefuly because I often need some quiet time afterwards to recover. But I still consider myself lucky to have been affected so deeply by that movie. It was a gift.
Olympia
wow... certainly not something that Disney would like to hear from their cinematographer! I am not entirely surprised though, I think producers have final say in all Jerry B production, they have bigger control than the director. That's why the film is promoted as "Jerry B Production", instead of "A film by XXX".
It's sad for the director and frustrating for actors who has to work with a director who's not in control of his work. I feel sorry to Mike Newell, although I am sure if Jake and him argues, it's really over the film, nothing personal.
Watched part of BBM last night with hubby, the film could still take my breath away.
I think we need to read this with understanding and really put it in context. I don't think this was a "troubled shoot" at all. The author sexed it up a bit, I'd bet.
It sounds to me as if Mr. Witt is doing some self congratulatory back patting by saying how he "rescued" the production. This is told from the perspective of Alex Witt and whoever interviewed him in Chile.
Saying Jake "preferred to work with him" is a bit of a distortion. IMHO. If he was responsible for the action sequences, then of course Jake would work with him!
As for the shouting? Who knows. But Jake has generally very high marks from every single person he has worked with on every movie he's ever done, so I am taking this with a grain or two or three of salt.
The notion Witt would "throw the producers out" is ridiculous! If people were trying to confuse him in the midst of a comlpicated shooting sequence, with script changes or suggestions, I can see him insisting they go to the director with these, as they appropriately should have done.
Thanks for providing the translation.
Hi there everyone! Just got back from seeing Knowing with Nicholas Cage, thinking it was a lighthearted disaster movie - I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks... :/
I find this newspaper report and interview very revealing - but not surprising - about what it must be like to be involved in the creative side of a project like PoP, of which Bruckheimer is clearly in control, well above the director, his team and his actors.
I think that this would inevitably lead to frustration and I would see Jake's disagreements with Mike Newell, and Newell's disagreements with Witt, as symptoms of that, and not as anything personal. Witt speaks here of both Jake (working so hard) and Newell with respect.
Despite all this, I have no doubt this is a film we will all enjoy and I suspect that most of the time it was a fun shoot - the days when Bruckheimer stayed away perhaps!
Hi there Nezuko :D I'm sure we're going to get a good film and hopefully Newell will get over the experience!
Hey Olympia! I doubt it was all unpleasant but it was clearly stressful for the directors and cinematorgraphers. It'll be interesting to see if Newell will be back should there be a number 2.
It was a long night after BBM, Olympia. But I'm very glad I stayed up and just watched it as if with fresh eyes. I have been quiet after it - that's why I went to the pictures, to lift myself up again, and then I got scared out of my wits! But every viewing of BBM is so worth it and it is a gift indeed. One of the best gifts I've ever received.
Hi Winterbird :D Yes, I totally agree and I'm sure Jerry is upfront right from the start that he will be 'hands on' (bit of an understatement there!). I don't think Jerry would be too happy to read this though, I suspect there will be a different 2nd unit director for a sequel.
I'm glad you saw some of BBM too, and with hubby :)
I hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday - I was totally caught out by the clocks changing last night! But a long sunny evening (and I have tomorrow off :D).
Hi Suzzi the Sticky Wickett! Love the name :D We were posting at the same time.
As I mentioned in my last comment just now, I think artistic frustration is probably an inevitable consequence of working on a Jerry B production, but I also do agree that there could be an element of Witt 'sexing this up' as you say.
I completely agree that Witt would not have had the power to 'throw the producers out' - if Newell and Jake had to deal with them, then so did Witt, that's for sure.
I don't see shouting matches between Jake and Newell - both are professionals and very experienced. I do see that frustration might lead to little bursts such as we all might experience. But I don't see this as being in any way personal between Jake and Mike.
It's a very interesting article, and I love any glimpse we can get into this exotic world - sara Andrea you're a gem!
Thanks for commenting, Suzzi - it's an interesting discussion and I can't wait for the film itself!
Heyy WDW ive just been to see knowing too..although i was prepared for worse..i thoroughly enjoyed the first 2/3 then it sort of got a bit far-fetched, but i suppose that was the idea :)
Hi Erin! I thought that about the end too. I was a bit taken aback by some of the graphic CGI in it - I had to look at some of it through my fingers - I am a bit of a wuss :D But on the whole it was better than I thought it would be.
Post a Comment