cameron diaz movies
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 Chapter 5 - Music Was an Integral Part to Crowe's Directing Style
Not surprisingly, music was an integral part to Crowe's directorial style. With the help of associate producer Scott Martin, who served as the set's unofficial DJ, Crowe used an eclectic array of music throughout the shoot. Signaling Martin to play a key piece of a certain song right before various takes and sometimes during them, Crowe set the mood for the actors and provided them with a new avenue of inspiration.
He used the same technique while shooting Almost Famous (2000), with equally good results. On that film, however, he veered toward classic rock, and while he did use some Beatles tunes on the set of "Vanilla Sky," Crowe usually turned to edgier fare, such as imported dance music and techno beats.
The actors loved this musical influence. In fact, during a weeklong party scene on the set of David's apartment, the music played nonstop during takes and while the crew set up shots. The whole shoot was very festive, and the grips, camera operators and electric crew practically danced as they rigged equipment.
"Music is very important to me, and often it is the jumping off point for a movie," says Crowe. "A lot of times it begins with a song, and in the case of "Vanilla Sky," this great, little-known artist named Julie Miller had a song called 'By Way of Sorrow' that started everything rolling. So we play it all the time on the set, and it changes the way everyone works. It even changes the way the actors act. "
This musical approach was no surprise to Jason Lee, who plays Brian Shelby, David Aames' best friend. Lee is an alumnus of Cameron Crowe's films, having played lead singer Jeff Bebe in Almost Famous (2000). " A gifted musician himself, with an impressive recording studio in his apartment, Lee says that music on the set helps clue him into the attitude of the scene and of the characters.
"The characters and their relationships are important to Cameron," Lee says. "For example, 'jerry maguire (1996)' is a film about the journey of one particular sports agent. But it was so much more than that because it was Cameron directing. He finds moments and touches that elevate the characters beyond the obvious and make them real. On 'Almost Famous (2000),' the word he used more than any other word was 'real. ' This has to be real. The relationships have to be real. The situations have to be real. The stage presence of the band has to be real. This isn't a movie about the '70s clichs. It is a movie about people relating and having similar experiences. It happens to take place in '73. '"
Lee explains that Crowe always puts the characters first, and in "Vanilla Sky" it's especially true when fantasy and reality blend together.
"We always played the fantasy as reality, and that could be tricky with another director," Lee notes. "With Cameron, however, you feel safe right from the get-go. You know he is going to put the character first. "
Because of that, Lee adds, his part has become much more than just that of the standard "sidekick. "
"Brian Shelby is a good, honest friend to David Aames. They've been friends for 20-something years, and David is paying Brian to write his first novel. I tend to play 'The Best Friend' in a lot of movies. I'm the character who is always affected by something or someone. That could get old. But Cameron wants substance, and he never goes for the obvious. Brian changes subtly throughout the film, and in general, he has an integrity and dignity about him. So, while David Aames is the guy who has all the popularity, the women and the money, Brian is very cool about it and finds the humor in it, even when David does despicable things. In fact, Brian respects and admires David, even at his worst. Basically, Brian is big enough to let David have his world. "
Cruise adds that not only does his character, David Aames, believe in Brian, but also he, Tom Cruise, believed in Jason Lee as an actor to pull off such an integral character in the film.
"Jason's character is, as always, incredible," says Cruise.
"This is my second movie with Jason, and it's a gift to work with people who know your idiosyncrasies," says Crowe. "I've always admired the directors who have regular actors appearing as different characters in their movies. Billy Wilder often used the same stable of actors. They swirled through his films and gave his movies continuity that's fun to follow as a fan. "
Kurt Russell plays psychiatrist Curtis McCabe. Although technically Russell was not an Almost Famous (2000) veteran, his stepdaughter Kate Hudson played the luminous Penny Lane in the film. It was on the Almost Famous (2000) set where Russell got his first taste of what it might be like to work on "Vanilla Sky. "
"I'd visited the Almost Famous (2000) set a couple of times, and I was very impressed with the way Cameron worked," Russell recalls. "Tom and I were friends already, and we had talked over the last ten years or so about the possibility of working together, but the right ingredients hadn't come together for that to happen. I was at the point where I was wondering what path I wanted to take, in terms of the business, and what I really looked forward to was working with great people. In fact, I didn't even read the script. That was not the point. I wanted to have the opportunity to work with people like Cameron Crowe and Tom Cruise, and I thought it would be a blast. I was really thankful that the opportunity finally presented itself, and that they wanted me to do it. "
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