MOVIE MAKING ON FINGERTIPS
“Movies are a form of modern literature”, says writer, director and producer, Ron Krauss. In his opinion, watching films has taken precedence over reading books. “People live in and believe in the movies they see. They want to become the characters. So, it is important to make films which inspire, entertain, and break new ground,” he points out.
A technology fan, Krauss has worked extensively with computer generated imagery (CGI) in his films to remarkable effect. He loves to experiment with the latest filmmaking tools and techniques: “Pushing my creativity to the edge gives me a creative high”.
An architecture and design student from New York, Krauss was drawn to films when one of his schoolteachers introduced him to the finer aspects of movie making. After his graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. His first serious brush with Hollywood was meeting Roger Corman and being hired to work in the art department of his legendary Venice beach studios. “Initially, I was asked to break down the sets. Then, I went on to building new ones. For two years, I worked at each and every department of the Corman studios to learn a rounded approach to movie-making, and eventually my number came up and I was given my first directing opportunity there,” he reminisces.
Thereafter, Krauss worked on more than 100 music videos and commercials from 1995 to the present. But it was his first short film, Puppies for Sale (1997) that got him critical and popular acclaim. The film, starring Academy Award winner Jack Lemmon, won in more than twenty film festivals worldwide, like the Berlin International, Aspen Film Festival, Palm Springs, and the Heartland Film Festival, to name a few.
Written, directed and produced by Krauss, the 10-minute long film was also one of the few to be given a theatrical release along the screenings of Walt Disney Studios’, The Little Mermaid. “The special effects, computer generated imagery (CGI) used in the film was unexpected. People didn’t believe that a beginner in the industry had made Puppies...” says Krauss. The movie, which is watched worldwide even today, leaves him inundated with letters about the film.
Puppies… was followed by his first feature film RAVE in 2000, which he also wrote, directed, and produced. The film showed the vision of a unique storyteller where the characters narrated their individual stories. “Though it was a new style of story telling in that time, it prophesized the format of reality shows today,” he points out. “Everyone kept telling me that I can’t break the narrative like that, and it wouldn’t be an accepted format. Clearly they were wrong.”
Krauss, who has juggled roles as a writer, director and producer for most of his projects, believes that the ability to balance these functions is what makes a good filmmaker. “A true filmmaker does whatever it takes to complete a film and not be thrown off course by people’s intervention. One has to be resourceful and hands on with everything, ready to improvise at any moment,” he opines.
For his sci-fi movie Alien Hunter (2003), which starred Emmy Award winning actor James Spader, Krauss was almost a one-man army, while shooting in Bulgaria. Krauss used his production experience and expertise with design, special effects and CGI techniques to create a visually beautiful film, withstanding budget and production constraints, while making Alien Hunter.
With cameras, technology and movie tools getting sharper by the day, Krauss anticipates quicker and accessible movie making in the future. “The camera resolutions are getting sharper. Shooting is faster, with smaller cameras being made by the day. We will soon have movies released in theatres and social networking places like Facebook made from cell phone type devices. It may be as soon as tomorrow.” he declares. But Krauss also cautions against the overuse of technology in a movie.
“Special effects should support the story telling in the movie and not override it,” he warns.
Though Krauss has worked on a variety of projects and subjects, those that depict human emotions and relationships are closest to his heart. “I am drawn towards the theme of looking at the world from an innocent point of view, usually a young child,” he offers.
His most recent film AMEXICA, echoes this thought strongly. The movie, which stars AnnaLynne McCord and Joseph Ferrante, deals with the subject of human trafficking. A story about a nine-year old boy who is trafficked to a couple running an insurance scam.
An innovative filmmaker, Krauss says he divides his time between working on big budget commercials and videos to movies that are close to his heart. After working on people stories, he is now looking forward to making an action film. “I create a balance between the intense artist who hopes to make a Terminator or Transformer one day and a sensitive and responsible person who wants his art to make a difference in the lives of others,” he says.
2009 is already a very busy year for Krauss with AMEXICA coming out, and two other films in the works. His new script SHOOT, described as Fight Club with guns has been heating up the town catching the eyes of many top executives and acclaimed actors.
As usual, Krauss is quiet when asked about the details. “I stay behind the scenes. That is how it has always been for me. How could you talk about the work before it’s complete. Even then, we will have just some of the answers.”
By Ipsita Basu Dasgupta
