ROB MARSHALL
Dec 20, 2014
ROB MARSHAL
L
ROB MARSHALL-AN AUTEURTo me its helpful when its a surreal space
or a slightly altered space so the audiences can digest the singing.
“There is something he does that combines choreography with costume, light characters ...he’s so great at piecing those things together.” Kate Hudson (American Fashion Designer in Nine)
NINE, CHICAGO & MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Memoirs of a Geisha
ABOUT MARSHALL Born October 1960, Madison. As young children him and his sister would
make home movies. Soon became a talented dancer but this
career was cut short due to a back injury.
DIRECTING Annie was his first small screen film. Directing was the further thing from his mind.
“ film was the further thing from my mind, and the first time I was supposed to call the word action I couldn’t even do it because it felt so unnatural…so I just mumbled OK go.”
CHICAGO
OPENING SEQUENCE
“ I’ve always imagined when I’m choreographing a number, or directing a number, what would it be
on film first. That’s my normal process for theatre. I’ve always done it via film and then I’ll create that for the stage. So now I don’t have to
do that!”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Close up of Roxie’s eyes
Extreme close up
Screen fills with ‘CHICAGO’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh6xbhsbC8I
LIGHTING
EDITING
Fade In
SOUND “ There is an energy and a pacing, and the
pacing exists in the scenes as well as the musical numbers.”
“He understands how to seamlessly integrate the elements of music, dance, storytelling, character, design and that’s part of what makes him so effective a director of musicals because he has that sense of when to really heighten something and when to pull it back in.”
OPENING SEQUENCEVelma Kelly Roxie Hart• She slaps her thigh.• Pulls in a man by his
shirt• Climbs Steps• Hands above head • Hands grab mans
arms
The police appear at the back of the room.
• Fred Casely slaps Roxie’s bum.
• Pulls in Fred by his tie.• Climbs stairs.• Hands above head on
door.• Hands grab bed frame
Skips time, start of downfall.
A year earlier Moulin Rouge was released and had a box office worldwide gross of $179,213,434 (Worldwide).
Chicago was helped by converted audiences which created an overall box office of $306,776,732 (Worldwide) (2004).
NINE Here is a sequence from Nine where the
protagonist, Guido, performs his first musical number. The main elements that I thought
created a sense of place and character were;
Sound Lighting Cinematography•Movie reel coming to a stop.•Diegetic
•Blue stage lights•Low key •Artificial
•Extreme long shot
CHARACTERS
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA“Transitions to me are very important in films because otherwise you feel the stop and starts of scenes and its important for me to at least try and attempt to find seamless ways of moving in and out of scenes.”
Marshall has shot through beads to create a sense of mystery.
Hand held camera.
“The word Geisha means artist”
CONCLUSION