Adrian Carr Interview
This is an official Adrian Carr interview done by Adele (you may know her from the message board). So without further ado, here's the interview:
<<1. Do you have any advice for actors that are starting out???>>
Ask yourself, do I want to be an actor or a star? If you chose the latter, one in a million make it as a star. Acting is a process that everyone works at in the own pace, becoming comfortable with who they are. Actors have to expose themselves to the world, physically as well as emotionally.
Then ask, how serious are you? Can you expose your deepest feelings? Can you remove all your clothes and stand naked in front of an audience and be proud of your body, your acting instrument?
Now ask, do I want to act on stage or in movies and/or television? After the fundamental training as actors there are different techniques for the various acting arenas. Theater, you learn the script sequentially and have plenty of rehearsal to fine tune the play. By contrast, in film and television you have little or no rehearsal, and in most cases you're constantly jumping from scene to scene out of story sequence and more importantly emotionally. You get a few takes and then the performance is recorded for all eternity...good or bad.
<<2. Is it easy to get Chris Jones to act at the high level he does???>>
Chris is a natural talent. He's intelligent and understands Tex which is half the battle. On occasion I would give him some acting tips and guide him as a director. On The Pandora Directive it was wonderful to watch Chris 'hit' an emotion, it would shock and surprise him. As CEO of Access he had to lay open his emotions for his employees to see, not easy for a boss to do, but Chris delivered 90% of the time. On Overseer he grew extensibly, he was much more prepared to let it all happen. If we get another crack at Tex in Trance and Polarity gamers will see a fully rounded Tex Murphy.
<<3. What was it like working on the Pandora Directive and Overseer?>>
It was like a family affair. Chris and the gang embraced me from day one and we all had an instant trust and emotional bond, an aloof quality these days. We worked with a crew of 6-10 people. The cast we had on both games was incredible. And working in a new medium, for me, and being on the cutting edge of technology was amazing and eye opening.
Working with Hollywood icons Kevin McCarthy and John Agar, to actors of the caliber of Michael York and Barry Corbin. Not to mention beauties like Tanya Roberts, Suzanne Barnes, Rebecca Broussard, Monique Lanier, Kris Conners. Then you have heroes like Henry Darrow and Roger Davis. A close buddy of mine is Richard Norton who plays Jim Slade, he and I go back 25 years, it was great to be working with Rich again. I got to meet a slew of actors I'd only heard about but had never met...Clint Howard, Bill Bradshaw, Joe Estevez, Silvana Gallardo and some newcomers for me...John Gavigan, Emmett Grennan, John Timmons, Regina Cronenweth, Aaron Conners, Nicole Tindall, Micaela Nelligan and Jim Cash and to mention Chris Jones the man himself. And I got to direct a bunch of the staff at Access, that was a blast too.
The music composers were phenomenal talents. Jeff and Matt produced the equivalent of a feature score for these games, and it doesn't sound synthetic, at times I'm convinced they got an orchestra from somewhere. The CD of Overseer is available from Microsoft/Access Software I believe. It also has a suite from The Pandora Directive.
Our days were pretty full; I won't go into the details suffice to say it was dark when I arrived and dark when I left the studio. See my attached interview with D.K. Heller for more techo stuff about the shooting. On Overseer the only difference was we scheduled the shoot more like a movie, with actors coming and going, overlapping and then assembling the material to see what pick-up shots we needed of Tex. I would often act 'off-camera' for Chris when actors were not available for his reverse shots.
I developed long term friendships with some of those I have worked closely with...Chris, of course and his wife Audree. Writer and co-creator Aaron Conners and his wife, Kris, Mark Hulka, Dave Brown, Jon Clarke, Les Brown and Nate Larsen.
<<4. In an interview with Rick Barba, Chris Jones mentioned some bloopers occurred while filming Overseer. Do you have some you could share on either game???>>
Bloopers never come off right when you write about them, it's all in the telling, the recreation of the moment, or actually seeing them, eg. On Pandora Kevin Jones (Chris' brother) had a case of the giggles for 3 minutes on camera...tears were literally streaming...it was infectiously funny, but see it doesn't transfer in writing. When we meet I act them out for you on tape nd you can run that on the site with stills from the games. Sorry I can't expand on the bloopers, I hope you understand?
<<5. Are there any plans for a Pandora Directive movie?? If so, will you be directing it???>>
Sadly I believe it is too late for a Pandora Directive movie; Roswell is passé. Had we made it three years ago I would have been the director. That doesn't mean there won't be a Tex Murphy PI movie, and if there is...I will be directing, you can bet on it.
<<6. What other projects are you working on and/ or considering???>>
I am currently making a feature documentary about Drew Struzan, Hollywood's premier movie poster artist. Check out is website www.drewstruzan.com He has had an amazing life and is an inspiration to anyone who dreams of being an artist.
I am also developing several movie projects, but for a better idea of what I've done you can post my filmography, biography and/or resumé.
<<7. Are you still an employee of Microsoft/Access???>>
I never was an employee of Access/Microsoft. I was hired as a freelance director/editor.
<<8. Is there a Mrs Carr???>>
Yes. Rosemary Marks-Carr. Rosemary is a film producer. She is currently U.S. production Coordinator on the new Crocdile Dundee III movie which starts shooting at the end of this July.
<<9. What American directors have most influenced your work???>>
John Frankenheimer (The Train/Seconds/Ronin/Grand Prix/Black Sunday), Steven Spielberg (E.T. the Extraterrestrial/Jaws/Sugarland Express/Duel/Raiders of the Lost Ark/Amistad/Schindler's List/Jurassic Park), Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange/Spartacus/Paths of Glory/Te Shining/2001 - A Space Odyssey/Dr. Strangelove, or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb/Full Metal Jacket) and Don Siegel (Dirty Harry/Kill Charley Varrick/Black Windmill/The Shootist)-- for their all round story telling techniques
Other non-American directors who have influenced me include: Ridley Scott's Alien and Blade Runner for their artistry --Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now and Inserts for editing and eroticism -- Alfred Hitchcock for his many suspense movies. Luc Besson's Le Femme Nikkita and The Professional -- Peter Yates for Bullitt, The House on Carroll Street and Breaking Away-- John Woo for poetry in motion with The Killers, Face Off, Mission Impossibe II -- Roland Emmerich's The Patriot, Stargate andIndependence Day. There are too many other directors to mention with a film or two that have also influenced or inspired me.
<<10. How do you feel about the independent film movement in American movies??? Do you anticipate participating in any future independent ventures???>>
To answer your second question first...my next directing endeavour is an independent film called Rough Trade. Think Carmen meets Fargo...a sexy, quirky, violent and darkly funny film.
The indie scene in America: I think this surge in indie films has introduced a number of talented filmmakers to the public, and to the major and mini studios. The danger being that the studios suddenly shove tons of money into the hands of first time directors without track records and hope they'll make lightning strike twice, three times or more.
Most indie directors' second or third productions seem to flop at the B.O. The budget jumps are too high, too fast, and all this 'expert advice' is impressed onto these newcomers. They lose what it was that got them there in the first place and as a result turn out inferior work.
If the filmmaker can weather the studios wrath and produce another hit all is forgiven and the cycle starts again. So, in closing, it's a blessing and curse...just like the internet with everyone who owns a camera can make a movie believing they are filmmakers. Get ready for a lot of time wasting trash!
ADRIAN CARR
Biography
What do -- John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Selleck, Christian Slater, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Archer, Alan Rickman, Kevin McCarthy, Michael York, Laura San Giacomo, Barry Corbin, John Agar, Cheryl Ladd, Lacey Chabert, Tatum O'Neal, Richard Norton, David Soul, Colin Friels, Anthony Andrews, David Hemmings, Tanya Roberts, Henry Darrow, Rebecca Broussard, David Warner, Robert Picardo, Amy Jo Johnson -- have in common? They've all been directed by Adrian Carr.
Adrian is another talented Australian filmmaker making Los Angeles his home and carving out a niche for himself in Hollywood. Inspired and influenced by television shows of the 50s and 60's, as a kid, he would often take his father's 8mm movie camera and use up the ends of wedding movies by shooting short action fights. In secondary school Adrian lobbied intensely (and won, with the aid of his art teacher) to have filmmaking included in the school arts curriculum.
This lead to his first job at the ABC where he was trained as an editor all the while making short films on weekends. During this period Adrian studied the Stanislavski technique of acting as well as photography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. As a parting gesture Adrian directed and edited a promotional clip for the top rating current affairs program This Day Tonight - it was designed to run one week - it ran six and then became the background against which the end credits ran.
Adrian joined prestigious Crawford Productions, producers of the most successful television dramas in Australia. While there he met actors and crew and assembled a small production team to shoot The Spiders a 40 minute drama over one weekend, with a total budget of AUS$1,500.00 and a 2:1 ratio. Adrian became the editor most requested by Crawford directors to edit their shows including a feature-length episode of the top rating drama – Homicide. American actor Michael Pate then invited Adrian to teach television techniques to local actors.
35mm finally lured Adrian to commercials and ultimately feature films. He edited commercials for Fred Schepisi's company Film House and was permitted time away to edit his first feature film Harlequin (aka The Magician) for which he received an AFI nomination for Best Editing. While at Film House Adrian edited one of Australia's most successful box office movies - The Man From Snowy River. Kirk Douglas was so impressed with Adrian's work he became his mentor and Adrian soon became one of Australia’s most prolific and successful editors adding The Lighthorsemen, D.A.R.Y.L. and Quigley Down Under to his resumé. Adrian won The Television Society of Australia's Award for Drama Editing for his work on The Far Country.
Adrian was asked to edit a US feature Now and Forever, starring Cheryl Ladd, but the director was fired and he agreed to take over, thus making his directorial debut. When the film opened in New York at #15, it took $5,700 per screen in its first week. In 1989 Adrian directed an action adventure film "The Sword of Bushido" shot on location in Thailand then returned to Australia and worked as second unit director and film editor on Quigley Down Under starring Tom Selleck. Adrian also directed the short film Permanent Stays which won the ACS Gold Award for Best Drama against MOW's and short films.
But America was calling so Adrian and his wife moved to Los Angeles. In the bigger arena Adrian finds his time is now divided time between writing and directing and between television, motion pictures and the burgeoning interactive arena.
He has directed five episodes of Warner Bros'. The New Adventures of Robin Hood and was the director of the pilot and first episodes of the most successful childrens' series in television history—The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
He directed and edited the CD-Rom interactive movie-game, The Pandora Directive, which won Adventure Game of the Year followed by Overseer, which was the first live action role playing game designed specifically for DVD-Rom.
He is directing a 3-D animation project for NASA - 2004 A Light Knight's Odysse, starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson and recently completed his first solo screenplay, an adaptation of the novel Play with Knives. He is making a feature length bio-pic of movie poster artist, Drew Struzan; George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Frank Oz and many other personalities have committed to appear in the project. He is also slated to direct Rough Trade, in the fall, making his U.S. feature debut.
<<1. Do you have any advice for actors that are starting out???>>
Ask yourself, do I want to be an actor or a star? If you chose the latter, one in a million make it as a star. Acting is a process that everyone works at in the own pace, becoming comfortable with who they are. Actors have to expose themselves to the world, physically as well as emotionally.
Then ask, how serious are you? Can you expose your deepest feelings? Can you remove all your clothes and stand naked in front of an audience and be proud of your body, your acting instrument?
Now ask, do I want to act on stage or in movies and/or television? After the fundamental training as actors there are different techniques for the various acting arenas. Theater, you learn the script sequentially and have plenty of rehearsal to fine tune the play. By contrast, in film and television you have little or no rehearsal, and in most cases you're constantly jumping from scene to scene out of story sequence and more importantly emotionally. You get a few takes and then the performance is recorded for all eternity...good or bad.
<<2. Is it easy to get Chris Jones to act at the high level he does???>>
Chris is a natural talent. He's intelligent and understands Tex which is half the battle. On occasion I would give him some acting tips and guide him as a director. On The Pandora Directive it was wonderful to watch Chris 'hit' an emotion, it would shock and surprise him. As CEO of Access he had to lay open his emotions for his employees to see, not easy for a boss to do, but Chris delivered 90% of the time. On Overseer he grew extensibly, he was much more prepared to let it all happen. If we get another crack at Tex in Trance and Polarity gamers will see a fully rounded Tex Murphy.
<<3. What was it like working on the Pandora Directive and Overseer?>>
It was like a family affair. Chris and the gang embraced me from day one and we all had an instant trust and emotional bond, an aloof quality these days. We worked with a crew of 6-10 people. The cast we had on both games was incredible. And working in a new medium, for me, and being on the cutting edge of technology was amazing and eye opening.
Working with Hollywood icons Kevin McCarthy and John Agar, to actors of the caliber of Michael York and Barry Corbin. Not to mention beauties like Tanya Roberts, Suzanne Barnes, Rebecca Broussard, Monique Lanier, Kris Conners. Then you have heroes like Henry Darrow and Roger Davis. A close buddy of mine is Richard Norton who plays Jim Slade, he and I go back 25 years, it was great to be working with Rich again. I got to meet a slew of actors I'd only heard about but had never met...Clint Howard, Bill Bradshaw, Joe Estevez, Silvana Gallardo and some newcomers for me...John Gavigan, Emmett Grennan, John Timmons, Regina Cronenweth, Aaron Conners, Nicole Tindall, Micaela Nelligan and Jim Cash and to mention Chris Jones the man himself. And I got to direct a bunch of the staff at Access, that was a blast too.
The music composers were phenomenal talents. Jeff and Matt produced the equivalent of a feature score for these games, and it doesn't sound synthetic, at times I'm convinced they got an orchestra from somewhere. The CD of Overseer is available from Microsoft/Access Software I believe. It also has a suite from The Pandora Directive.
Our days were pretty full; I won't go into the details suffice to say it was dark when I arrived and dark when I left the studio. See my attached interview with D.K. Heller for more techo stuff about the shooting. On Overseer the only difference was we scheduled the shoot more like a movie, with actors coming and going, overlapping and then assembling the material to see what pick-up shots we needed of Tex. I would often act 'off-camera' for Chris when actors were not available for his reverse shots.
I developed long term friendships with some of those I have worked closely with...Chris, of course and his wife Audree. Writer and co-creator Aaron Conners and his wife, Kris, Mark Hulka, Dave Brown, Jon Clarke, Les Brown and Nate Larsen.
<<4. In an interview with Rick Barba, Chris Jones mentioned some bloopers occurred while filming Overseer. Do you have some you could share on either game???>>
Bloopers never come off right when you write about them, it's all in the telling, the recreation of the moment, or actually seeing them, eg. On Pandora Kevin Jones (Chris' brother) had a case of the giggles for 3 minutes on camera...tears were literally streaming...it was infectiously funny, but see it doesn't transfer in writing. When we meet I act them out for you on tape nd you can run that on the site with stills from the games. Sorry I can't expand on the bloopers, I hope you understand?
<<5. Are there any plans for a Pandora Directive movie?? If so, will you be directing it???>>
Sadly I believe it is too late for a Pandora Directive movie; Roswell is passé. Had we made it three years ago I would have been the director. That doesn't mean there won't be a Tex Murphy PI movie, and if there is...I will be directing, you can bet on it.
<<6. What other projects are you working on and/ or considering???>>
I am currently making a feature documentary about Drew Struzan, Hollywood's premier movie poster artist. Check out is website www.drewstruzan.com He has had an amazing life and is an inspiration to anyone who dreams of being an artist.
I am also developing several movie projects, but for a better idea of what I've done you can post my filmography, biography and/or resumé.
<<7. Are you still an employee of Microsoft/Access???>>
I never was an employee of Access/Microsoft. I was hired as a freelance director/editor.
<<8. Is there a Mrs Carr???>>
Yes. Rosemary Marks-Carr. Rosemary is a film producer. She is currently U.S. production Coordinator on the new Crocdile Dundee III movie which starts shooting at the end of this July.
<<9. What American directors have most influenced your work???>>
John Frankenheimer (The Train/Seconds/Ronin/Grand Prix/Black Sunday), Steven Spielberg (E.T. the Extraterrestrial/Jaws/Sugarland Express/Duel/Raiders of the Lost Ark/Amistad/Schindler's List/Jurassic Park), Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange/Spartacus/Paths of Glory/Te Shining/2001 - A Space Odyssey/Dr. Strangelove, or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb/Full Metal Jacket) and Don Siegel (Dirty Harry/Kill Charley Varrick/Black Windmill/The Shootist)-- for their all round story telling techniques
Other non-American directors who have influenced me include: Ridley Scott's Alien and Blade Runner for their artistry --Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now and Inserts for editing and eroticism -- Alfred Hitchcock for his many suspense movies. Luc Besson's Le Femme Nikkita and The Professional -- Peter Yates for Bullitt, The House on Carroll Street and Breaking Away-- John Woo for poetry in motion with The Killers, Face Off, Mission Impossibe II -- Roland Emmerich's The Patriot, Stargate andIndependence Day. There are too many other directors to mention with a film or two that have also influenced or inspired me.
<<10. How do you feel about the independent film movement in American movies??? Do you anticipate participating in any future independent ventures???>>
To answer your second question first...my next directing endeavour is an independent film called Rough Trade. Think Carmen meets Fargo...a sexy, quirky, violent and darkly funny film.
The indie scene in America: I think this surge in indie films has introduced a number of talented filmmakers to the public, and to the major and mini studios. The danger being that the studios suddenly shove tons of money into the hands of first time directors without track records and hope they'll make lightning strike twice, three times or more.
Most indie directors' second or third productions seem to flop at the B.O. The budget jumps are too high, too fast, and all this 'expert advice' is impressed onto these newcomers. They lose what it was that got them there in the first place and as a result turn out inferior work.
If the filmmaker can weather the studios wrath and produce another hit all is forgiven and the cycle starts again. So, in closing, it's a blessing and curse...just like the internet with everyone who owns a camera can make a movie believing they are filmmakers. Get ready for a lot of time wasting trash!
ADRIAN CARR
Biography
What do -- John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Selleck, Christian Slater, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Archer, Alan Rickman, Kevin McCarthy, Michael York, Laura San Giacomo, Barry Corbin, John Agar, Cheryl Ladd, Lacey Chabert, Tatum O'Neal, Richard Norton, David Soul, Colin Friels, Anthony Andrews, David Hemmings, Tanya Roberts, Henry Darrow, Rebecca Broussard, David Warner, Robert Picardo, Amy Jo Johnson -- have in common? They've all been directed by Adrian Carr.
Adrian is another talented Australian filmmaker making Los Angeles his home and carving out a niche for himself in Hollywood. Inspired and influenced by television shows of the 50s and 60's, as a kid, he would often take his father's 8mm movie camera and use up the ends of wedding movies by shooting short action fights. In secondary school Adrian lobbied intensely (and won, with the aid of his art teacher) to have filmmaking included in the school arts curriculum.
This lead to his first job at the ABC where he was trained as an editor all the while making short films on weekends. During this period Adrian studied the Stanislavski technique of acting as well as photography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. As a parting gesture Adrian directed and edited a promotional clip for the top rating current affairs program This Day Tonight - it was designed to run one week - it ran six and then became the background against which the end credits ran.
Adrian joined prestigious Crawford Productions, producers of the most successful television dramas in Australia. While there he met actors and crew and assembled a small production team to shoot The Spiders a 40 minute drama over one weekend, with a total budget of AUS$1,500.00 and a 2:1 ratio. Adrian became the editor most requested by Crawford directors to edit their shows including a feature-length episode of the top rating drama – Homicide. American actor Michael Pate then invited Adrian to teach television techniques to local actors.
35mm finally lured Adrian to commercials and ultimately feature films. He edited commercials for Fred Schepisi's company Film House and was permitted time away to edit his first feature film Harlequin (aka The Magician) for which he received an AFI nomination for Best Editing. While at Film House Adrian edited one of Australia's most successful box office movies - The Man From Snowy River. Kirk Douglas was so impressed with Adrian's work he became his mentor and Adrian soon became one of Australia’s most prolific and successful editors adding The Lighthorsemen, D.A.R.Y.L. and Quigley Down Under to his resumé. Adrian won The Television Society of Australia's Award for Drama Editing for his work on The Far Country.
Adrian was asked to edit a US feature Now and Forever, starring Cheryl Ladd, but the director was fired and he agreed to take over, thus making his directorial debut. When the film opened in New York at #15, it took $5,700 per screen in its first week. In 1989 Adrian directed an action adventure film "The Sword of Bushido" shot on location in Thailand then returned to Australia and worked as second unit director and film editor on Quigley Down Under starring Tom Selleck. Adrian also directed the short film Permanent Stays which won the ACS Gold Award for Best Drama against MOW's and short films.
But America was calling so Adrian and his wife moved to Los Angeles. In the bigger arena Adrian finds his time is now divided time between writing and directing and between television, motion pictures and the burgeoning interactive arena.
He has directed five episodes of Warner Bros'. The New Adventures of Robin Hood and was the director of the pilot and first episodes of the most successful childrens' series in television history—The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
He directed and edited the CD-Rom interactive movie-game, The Pandora Directive, which won Adventure Game of the Year followed by Overseer, which was the first live action role playing game designed specifically for DVD-Rom.
He is directing a 3-D animation project for NASA - 2004 A Light Knight's Odysse, starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson and recently completed his first solo screenplay, an adaptation of the novel Play with Knives. He is making a feature length bio-pic of movie poster artist, Drew Struzan; George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Frank Oz and many other personalities have committed to appear in the project. He is also slated to direct Rough Trade, in the fall, making his U.S. feature debut.