Name: John Burgess
Age: 31
College & Degree/s: University of Southern California: School of Cinema Television – Masters Degree; Illinois State University – Bachelors Degree
Background: I grew up an only child and during my first semester of film school at USC, my father passed away from a heart attack at the age of 54. Death is a part of life that we all have to deal with eventually, and it’s most certainly never easy, but when death comes to a loved one too soon or unexpectedly, it’s much harder. Most of my friends and family thought I wouldn’t go back to school at all, or at least not right away. I came back the very next semester because it was the last thing my father knew I was doing, and I was afraid if I didn’t come back right away, I might never come back at all. I pushed forward through the next few years by staying busy filmmaking. My USC graduate thesis film has a special dedication in the credits: “In loving memory of Robert M. Burgess… A John Burgess Film.” Special dates like the holidays and Father’s Day get easier each year, but it never gets easy. Perhaps one day when I have kids of my own even Father’s Day will take on new meaning, but for now it just reminds me of how I lost my own father. What keeps me going and drives my passion is my mother, who is my hero, the light of my life, and the reason I have strived to achieve so much in life. All I have ever done scholastically or otherwise has always been to make her proud of me.
Current Job Title/Employment: Job titles always throw me for a loop, I still consider myself a recent college graduate, but my good friend and business partner that I met while attending USC have now taken all necessary steps and set up a small corporate entity to produce entertainment related projects out of called CinemaFactory, Inc. DBA: The CinemaFactory. My official title as listed on our articles of incorporation is Chief Creative Officer (CCO). The last few months I have been in development my first feature film, a romantic comedy called ONE SMALL HITCH. We are currently seeking studio backing or independent financing in the 3.5 to 5 million to go into production in 2007.
Favorite Film: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Favorite Filmmaker: Cameron Crowe
Your Web site:
www.cinemafactory.comTitle of Film: “The Powder Puff Principle”
Type of Film: Comedy
Brief Synopsis:
When Principal Richard Skelter (Clint Howard), the vengeful ruler of Franklin High, slashes the school’s fine arts program, single-handedly redesigns the school’s logo, dissolves the student council, and then cancels the school’s beloved annual Powder Puff football game at a pep rally out of spite… the students take revenge by painting a giant, unflattering mural of the principal wearing a cheerleader’s uniform and holding fistfuls of cash. Frothing mad, Skelter brings in a detective, Andy (Richard Gilliland), to ferret out the wrongdoers. As Andy uncovers the motives behind the prank, EVERYONE at the school becomes a suspect, including the art teacher (Kevin Kilner) and the football coach (Art LaFleur). When the investigation leads to an interrogation of the principal himself, the detective exposes a host of personal grudges that stretch back 30 years, when the teenaged Skelter was an unsuccessful candidate for senior class president of Franklin High. Linda Blair (The Exorsist) co-stars as the School Board President adding to the laughs when she tells Principal Richard Skelter… “You’re fired, Dick.”
Which director do you most admire?
Cameron Crowe I respect the strong character development, comedic timing, use of music, and overall creativity in his writing and storytelling. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Crowe on the eve of my graduation from USC’s School of Cinema Television. My mother and grandmother flew in from Chicago, IL for the ceremony at The Shrine Auditorium the day before, so to give them an entertaining glimpse of what it is I went to school for, I took them on a back lot tour of Universal Studios. While on the tour I recognized Cameron Crowe putting some things into his car parked outside of a sound stage. I nonchalantly tried to let my mom know who he was and Mr. Crowe noticed us trying to communicate nonverbally using only our eyes and some awkward facial expressions. When the tour guide finished his explanation of what goes on inside the sound stages, Mr. Crowe walked over to me and invited my tour group into his sound mix for “Elizabethtown.” He could have easily turned around and walked right back into the building when he realized that I recognized him, but instead he chose to walk over and introduce himself to the entire group. Throughout my schooling and educational experiences I have had the great fortune to meet and interact with many of the filmmakers that I admire. While all were positive experiences, no other filmmaker was more true and gracious of a person as Cameron Crowe. I admire the man not only as a director, but also as a human being.
What’s your directing style?
For me 75% of directing a film is done during the preproduction and casting process, then the other 25% is done on set and in the editing room with my editor after everything is in the can. When I write or develop a screenplay, I immediately start putting together a list of potential actors that are ideally suited to tell the story and bring these characters to life on screen. Not that all the elements of the filmmaking process are not equallly important to the production, but you can have the best cinematographer, production designer, costumes, special effects, etc., but if you don’t have the right cast to bring it all together… than in my opinion you haven’t got anything. So, I spend more time on casting than anything, starting with finding a great casting director who I can work with to attract and suggest the best available talent to the project. Then on set it is all about communicating with the cast and the crew that I carefully selected during the preproduction process to tell the story. I prepare by breaking down the scenes into beats and actions, and then communicate those beats/actions with active verbage to the actors, thereby molding their performace in front of the camera. I love working with actors and truly understand the actor’s process. I also value skilled communication with the cast and crew as a director’s greatest weapon or weakness. Possessing the skills and the vocabulary necessary to convey what I want, aided by being prepared with a broken down script, manageable shot lists, detailed storyboards, extensive research on the subject material, and if the shoot schedule allows for it, some rehearsal time with my actors… makes my process of directing much easier, as preparation is the key to good communication. Once casting is under way, the next most important thing is to get a handle on locations, sets, and production design. Picking the right production designer, art director, and location scout for a project is imperative. These are the people most responsible for creating the look and feel of everything that goes in front of the camera. Every dollar spent needs to maximize the creation of the world in which the audience will see through the director‘s and cinematographer’s frame. The cinematographer is the person on the crew I work most closely with to capture on film the performances, locations, sets, costumes, make-up, etc. all rolled into one. There are several factors I consider when selecting the right director of photography for a project: (1) how well do they control light and move the camera, (2) speed and efficiency (3) set demeanor. I spend more time working closely in preproduction and on the set with this person than any other crew member, so picking someone I can work well with is very important. We will shot list and storyboard each scene in the film together long before we ever make it to the set, so we already have an idea as to where we are going to put the camera. This saves both time and money during principal photography where every second counts. After the rest of the key positions have been filled: costumes, make-up, special visual effects, sound, etc., my job as the director becomes that of a creative manager. Now that everyone is in place to make a film, it‘s my job to keep everyone working toward the same destination. They are not just making a film, but all working to tell the same story with one consistent look, feel, and tone controlled by me, the director. At this stage staying in constant contact with everyone, and having regular discussions and production meetings is of the utmost importance. Directing is answering an endless stream of questions from actors, to department heads, to production assistants. Once again, communication is the key, and having spent countless hours on preparation allows me to change my mind and try new things when necessary once shooting begins
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
My education is my greatest accomplishment. I believe any truly great accomplishment takes direction, dedication, tenacity, talent, hard work, and most of all patience. These are the principles that I applied to my academic career, and are the same principles that I will use to pursue my filmmaking career in Hollywood. I graduated in 1998 from Illinois State University with University Honors overall and Departmental Honors in Public Relations and Marketing. I also completed minors in Business Administration, Mass Communication, Philosophy, and Cinema Studies. Upon graduation, I was awarded an internship at Lucasfilm Ltd. (ranked by the Princeton Review as ”one of the top ten internships in America.”). I worked on the Skywalker Ranch for six months helping to prepare for the release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Upon completion, I went back to Chicago to study acting at The Audition Studio, and a year later started graduate school USC’s School of Cinema-Television where I earned my MFA in film production with an emphasis in producing and directing. While attending USC, I had the great opportuinty to produce a variety of projects from multiple genres on the advanced level: a documentary, a drama, an action movie, a horror film, several comedies, a series of commercials, and a music video. With each new project I was presented with a new set of challenges. My graduate thesis film, The Powder Puff Principle, is the capstone of this academic achievement starring Clint Howard, Richard Gilliland, Art LaFleur, Kevin Kilner, and Linda Blair.
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
Five years from now I would like to look back and have at least 2 to 3 feature films under my belt. I’m also trying to get a steady on the lot assignment based deal from one of the various studios near where I live in Hollywood like Paramount Pictures or Nickelodeon. Those jobs are usually staffed on a project-to-project basis based on the material choosing directors that the studio uses over and over until they move upward and on ward in their careers leaving a spot open on the list for a new up-and-comer. They are tuff to get, but sometimes when a now seasoned director is moving on studio heads will hire young directors recently out of the high profile film programs and pair them up with a more seasoned producer who’s been there for a while to handle lower level directing assignments. Lots of pre-teenage to early 20s styled programming and kids stuff that is lower risk to take when hiring a new director. It’s also a great way to make some money, pay off school loans, and really cut your teeth as a young director in Hollywood. I’m really hopeful that my lead into Nickelodeon on Sunset will somehow pan out for me. It’s so close to my apartment, I could actually walk to work while living in Los Angeles, earning a steady paycheck working as a director in Hollywood no less… yeah, I’d be quite content with that kind of an arrangement for the next five years.
What else do we need to know about John Burgess?
While being a filmmaker is a big part of who I am, it doesn’t define me as a human being. I am a student of life, not just of film. Like a sponge I try to soak in everything around me to make me a better storyteller. I am somewhat gregarious, and I would say I have a good sense of humor. I absolutely love to laugh and always have a smile on my face. I love to travel and I recently celebrated my 31st birthday with a group of friends on a scuba trip to Belize. I live in Hollywood now, and I really love the LA nightlife: martinis, club hopping, and dancing or the casual side of the LA scene: hanging at a local bar drinking beer, singing karaoke, and playing some pool or darts. Either way, I'm happy and I just want to enjoy life to the fullest and have fun with the people I care about. I can also be a witty brat at times, so I prefer to mingle with well rounded individuals who can get along with just about anybody. I enjoy most sports, and having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago it goes without saying that I am a die hard Cubs and Bears fan. I love to play chess, and I have studied martial arts for most of my life. Studying the game of chess and practicing martial arts has taught me a great deal about strategy and discipline, as well as affording me great spiritual, physical and mental strength. I also like to play poker, and have a weekly game with a group of friends from film school. I love music and going to concerts at The Hollywood Bowl, or out in the Palm Spring’s desert at The Coachella Valley Music Festival. Since moving out to Los Angeles I have gotten a bit into style and fashion. I like to wear clothes that are casual but still somewhat trendy by Hollywood standards that accent my personality. I’m often wearing vintage t-shirts from one of my favorite movies. I’m also an artist, and secretly I still like to watch old cartoons or read a comic book from time to time. When I’m not watching a film or writing, I like to read. My favorite authors are J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Homer. I am an absolute nut for fantasy and mythology. I plan on writing my own great trilogy that draws inspiration from these great writers as well as stories in the bible sometime in the next decade, and then making the films. I’m just a kid at heart, still seeing the world through the eyes of a 10 year old whenever possible. A film set is like a giant sand box to me where I get to play and be creative. I’m going approach the rest of my life and career in Hollywood with the same kind of attitude. To have fun every minute of the experience, soak up the learning, tell good stories, and make great films.
Labels: film festivals, view films
