Director Lynne Ramsey was a no show for the first day of shooting on Jane Got A Gun, an independent drama produced by its star, Natalie Portman. I'm sure the majority of everyone in the mainstream audience has no idea who Lynne Ramsey is, nor would I expect you too. She's a 1995 film graduate from UK's National Film and Television School. She's made several short films but gained critical acclaim from an independent film starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly called We Need To Talk About Kevin.
Now typically I wouldn't write about someone like Lynne Ramsey. Word around the street is, she's a egotistical director whose very difficult to work with. I don't normally write things like that because it sounds a lot like gossip, but when it comes from several different sources it tends to be true. Why I am writing this you ask? Well for a couple reasons. One! I'm someone who graduated from film school a year and a half ago whose aspiring to be a director. Someone who leaves their crew high and dry on the first day of filming after everyone spent months planning on making a film, is just plain wrong. No matter how stressed, angry, mad, bitter, or even stubborn you are, you just don't walk away. Its like if Christopher Columbus decided to jump ship in the middle of searching for the new world, leaving the first mate in charge with no charts, compass, or any kind of navigation to find their way as he paddles back home. You just don't do that. Two! As someone wanting to be in the business, it angers me when someone is given an opportunity and they flush it down the toilet. I would love someone to call me and tell me, Hey, you wanna shot? I would give it my all. Lynne Ramsey took that and basically walked away. I know there are two sides to every story and her side hasn't been told yet. But whatever her side of it is, I seriously don't think it will be a valid reason to bail on everyone working on the film.
After she didn't show, Jude Law left the role he took over after Michael Fassbender left due to a conflicting schedule from another film.
Scott Steindorff, a producer on the film, had this to say about Lynne to Deadline:
“I have millions of dollars invested, we’re ready to shoot, we have a
great script, crew and cast. I’m shocked and
so disappointed someone would do this to 150 crew members who devoted
so much time, energy, commitment and loyalty to a project, and then have
the director not show up. It is insane somebody would do this to other
people. I feel more for the crew and their families, but we are keeping
the show going on, directors are flying in, and a replacement is
imminent.”
Gavin O'Conner, director of Warrior and Miracle, has stepped in to fill Ramsey's position and will begin as early as tomorrow.
In all honesty I hope that Lynne Ramsey gets no shot at doing another film in Hollywood. At the moment, I'm in the process of doing my first feature. It's not an easy task to create a film, it does take a lot of planning and dedication. It also takes a crew of people to help you and a cast to bring it all to life. I wish I did get a hand out to help in my project, but life isn't always so giving. Hopefully I'll make it, but until then I'll just have to watch as others kill the opportunities given to them.
If anyone is interested in my project, please go to www.facebook.com/solitudefeaturefilm.
No comments:
Post a Comment