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Director, Producer & Writer of the Week: Robert Zemeckis – The Special Effects Wiz

Jess August 22, 2012 0
Director, Producer & Writer of the Week: Robert Zemeckis – The Special Effects Wiz

Here at RMN, some of our staff are returning to college this week and for that we wanted to bring you something different for the ‘Actor of the Week’. We chose, not an actor at all, but a director, writer, and producer extraordinaire.

Robert Zemeckis is known best for his zany comedies with even wilder special effects. His use of performance-capture techniques and state-of-the-art special effects has made Zemeckis a leader in the film industry, but hasn’t held him back. Although to many he’s known as an explosion-fiend, Zemeckis has a few other “tricks” up his sleeve and can also be found using special effects for more contemporary purposes.

From Chicago to California

Originally from the southside of Chicago, Zemeckis has noted that during his upbringing there was a gaping hole in his development. Art. Robert has been quoted in reference to his childhood as saying, “[...]I mean, there was no music, there were no books, there was no theater….The only thing I had that was inspirational, was television- and it actually was.” While many parents fight to pull their children away from the small screen, it must’ve struck something else in the Zemeckis household. In fact, Robert began using his parents 8mm camera to record family events and eventually stop-motion films with his friends.

Despite discouragement from his parents, Zemeckis eventually decided to go the Film School at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. It is here that the young director met Back to the Future co-writer Bob Gale, as both boys bonded over their interest in making Hollywood movies. Robert also earned the chance to meet movie mega-mogul Steven Spielberg after winning a Student Academy Award for a film he made at USC. Spielberg loved the film so much, he became Zemeckis’ mentor and actually helped co-produce several of Zemecki’s future films.

Dynamic Duo

Zemeckis was not an overnight sensation by any means. His first few films that he wrote and directed weren’t particular blockbusters. In the late ’70s, duo Robert Zemeckis and fellow USC grad Bob Gale co-wrote I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Used Cars. Despite the use of archived footage to simulate historical figures, both were flops. The writing pair soon gained a reputation of well-written scripts that simply didn’t translate well onscreen.

The ‘Back to the Future’ Days

Luckily, Zemeckis’ next endeavor would become a worldwide cult phenomenon, that, although produced in the mid ’80s, would be quoted for all eternity. Zemeckis is the mastermind behind the Back to the Future empire. Featuring a young Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson and Christopher Llyod, Back to the Future was originally turned down by every major studio. Luckily  Amblin Entertainment picked up the screenplay; they’re the same studio that brought us other quirky sci-fi comedies like E.T., Gremlins, Men in Black, and even Jurassic Park.

The film sparked several sequels, as well as video games and even amusement park rides. After winning several awards at the time of its release as well as earning #23 on Empire magazines ‘Best Movies Ever Made’ countdown and the 56th ‘Best Screenplay of All Time’ by the Writers Guild of America, Back to the Future has become one of the most continuously successful films of all time.

Sitting in the Director’s Chair

In between filming sequels for Back to the Future, Zemeckis directed the painstaking combination of live action with traditional animation in Disney’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The film won four Academy Awards as well as the Saturn awards for ‘Best Direction’ and a ‘Best Special Effects’ award.

Through the early ’90s Robert wrote for the Back to the Future TV series, but took a hiatus from writing until the mid 2000′s. Zemeckis focused mainly on directing until he began producing more frequently in the late ’90s. What is unarguably his most successful directorial endeavor is 1994′s Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Sally Field. Since most of you have quoted Forrest numerous time throughout your life, it’s important to note the success of Forrest Gump. The film earned nearly $700 worldwide during its theatrical run, and won several Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’, ‘Best Actor’ for Tom Hanks, and ‘Best Visual Effects.’

Zemeckis would go on to direct several other films in the 2000′s including Contact, What Lies Beneath, Castaway, Polar Express, and Beowulf but none would have the commercial success or staying power that Forest Gump had. As for writing, Zemeckis has taken it easy over the years, but worked on the screenplay for some of the films he directed like Polar Express. The importance of Polar Express is that it was the first film to use the eerily realistic computer animation technique known as performance capture, whereby the movements of the actors are captured digitally and used as the basis for the animated characters. Zemeckis’ love for all things special effects allows him to incorporate new technologies in the field, becoming a master, and using the same technique in Beowulf.

Switching to Producing

Robert has technically always been a producer, but didn’t seem to escalate in the field until the late ’90s. Since he produced the 1999 thriller, House on Haunted Hill, Zemeckis has been bouncing back and forth from projects often maintaining several different job titles and sometimes, several at once. Not surprisingly, Zemeckis usually produces films heavy in special effects, sticking by the sci-fi, thriller, and comedy genres. He not only produced his own films, The Polar Express and Beowulf, but also took part on projects that probably needed his expertise like House of Wax and Monster House.

Current Projects and Why You Could Never Be As Awesome as Robert Zemeckis

So what is Robert Zemeckis incapable of doing? If you’ve read any of this article, you know that the answer is nothing. Zemeckis not only proves that writing, directing, and producing go hand-in-hand, but also that technology doesn’t make to slow us down. As a child born from Baby-Boomer parents, I often see how people of a certain age stop learning new things, and instead stick with their old ways. But at over 60 years old, Zemeckis shows us that there’s no excuse for living in the past, but if you really want to go you can always watch Back to the Future. The Zemeckis directed and produced film Flight is currently in post-production. He is also directing Yellow Submarine,  3-D adaptation of the classic Beatles animated feature. Robert shows both fans and aspiring movie creators alike that making dreams a reality is indeed possible, and that’s the kind of guy whose movies I want to see.

Robert Zemeckis Filmography/Upcoming Films:

Producer:

Director:

Writer:

Interview with Zemeckis:

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    About the author: Jess View all posts by
    Jess is currently a senior at East Carolina University, double majoring in Animation/Interactive Design and Economics. She enjoys live music, sunshine, bacon and mustaches. To get in contact with this author email: jessicalewis@reelmovienation.com

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