Alex Proyas's BiographyThe Crow' (1994)
September 23, 1963(Egypt)
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Alex Proyas is an innovative and versatile filmmaker, with a penchant for
large-scale science fiction productions. Maintaining prolific careers in both
commercials and feature films, Proyas often uses the smaller venue as a testing
ground for his big screen imagination, an inspired move that has rendered him a
master of visual imagery.
Born in Egypt to Greek parents, Proyas moved to Sydney, Australia, when he was
three years old. By 18, he was a distinguished freshman at the Australian Film
and Television School, and a classmate of Jane Campion, for whom he composed the
score to A Girl's Own Story. During his first year at school, Proyas wrote and
directed Groping, the 1982 Best Short Film winner at both the Sydney and London
Film Festivals. In his second year, he formed a production company along with
two peers, called Meaningful Eye Contact. Dissatisfaction with school led Proyas
to drop out in 1984, as he began directing music videos through the firm. The
success of his video for the Crowded House single "Don't Dream It's Over" gained
Proyas several video awards and brought the director to the U.S. in 1987. The
next few years saw him directing videos for American artists, such as Fleetwood
Mac and Yes, and returning to Australia to work with Crowded House and INXS.
In 1989, INXS' management and Meaningful Eye Contact produced Proyas' first
feature, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds. The low-budget science
fiction thriller (which he co-wrote and directed) attracted very little positive
attention; its shortcomings were the result of Proyas' inexperience rather than
his lack of talent. As Meaningful Eye Contact folded, Proyas quickly began
directing television commercials. Throughout the early '90s, he helmed
international ad campaigns for Nike, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and American Express,
among many others.
Proyas returned to feature film with 1994's sinister comic book adaptation The
Crow. Unfortunately, the movie is mostly remembered for the tragic on-set death
of its star, Brandon Lee, a misfortune that overshadows its craft. As a
commercial director, Proyas had become notorious for creating supernatural city
environments through elaborate cinematography and special effects. He commanded
The Crow's urban landscapes and architecture, pulling mystery out of the
brightest window and sentiment out of the darkest alley. The effort established
him as a feature director.
After The Crow, Proyas continued cultivating a script he had begun in 1990, a
paranoid thriller (soon to be called Dark City) based on both science fiction
literature and hard-boiled detective stories. Released in 1998, Dark City was
heralded by critic Roger Ebert as the Best Film of the Year and won the
Australian Film Circle Award for Best Screenplay.
Despite his success in features, Proyas has not abandoned other modes of
filmmaking. In 1994, the same year as The Crow's release, Proyas was the
cinematographer for the award-winning animated short Secrets of the City. His
own short film, Book of Dreams: Welcome to Crateland was nominated for the
Golden Palm at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. In 1999, after signing a
first-look feature film deal with New Line Cinemas, he also signed with
Bicoastal Chelsea Pictures to direct commercials.
Proyas' future looks to hold the same eclectic mix of filmmaking. Bicoastal
Chelsea Pictures has opened a Sydney branch to accommodate Proyas as a
commercial director. The firm is located downstairs from Proyas' own production
company, Mystery Clock Cinema. Besides launching a groundbreaking filmmaking
website, Mystery Clock has several feature projects in development for Proyas,
among them are a remake of the Italian film 10th Victim, a science fiction
murder mystery called Hardwired, and a film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's
Masque of the Red Death. Proyas will also direct and executive produce the
television series Riverworld (based on the book collection), for the Sci-Fi
Channel. Among these science fiction and mystery ventures is also Proyas' pet
project, a very small, realistic film about a garage band in Sydney -- a comedy.
Source:
movies.msn.com
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