DIRECTIONS: Director Presentation

Who is he?

Chris Weitz

Chris was born on the 30th November 1969 in New York City and is an American film producer and director, screenwriter, author and an occasional actor, he is also the brother of filmmaker Paul Weitz. Chris is the son of actress Susan Kohler and Berlin-born novelist/menswear designer John Weitz, and is the grandson of Czech-born agent and producer Paul Kohler. 

When he was 14 years old, Chris went to the boarding school, St Paul's School, in London, which his father had attended. He graduated with a degree in English from Trinity College at Cambridge University. Chris' early career involved making many films with his brother, of which some have been credited and some uncredited.

List of main directing work

• 2002: About A Boy - screenplay with Peter Hedges and Paul Weitz; co-director with his brother, Paul Weitz
• 2007: The Golden Compass – director, screenplay
• 2009: The Twilight Saga: New Moon – director
• 2011: A Better Life – producer, director
• 2015: Cinderella - directed by Kenneth Branagh, screenplay by Chris Weitz

Directing trademarks

The main thing which most of Chris's films have in common are that they can be seen as 'mystical' with the fantasy aspect to them, by this I mean that his films are not about our type of 'real-life' but include animals coming to life and interacting with the humans. This is something which makes Chris's films fun to watch as you can get yourself into the world he has created. His films are good to look at in terms of aesthetics with the extraordinary costumes, makeup and the colours he uses. 

Even the films Chris is involved with are mystical such as the Cinderella adaption in 2015, where he wrote the screenplay. Although he doesn't have many distinct directing trademarks unlike Spielberg or Scorsese, these aesthetic qualities are brilliant to watch. 

Cinderella (2015 adaption)

Cinderella (2015 adaption)

Twilight: New Moon

Twilight: New Moon

The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass

My chosen scenes

I have chosen a couple of scenes from New Moon where Bella and Edward have split up and Chris makes the time pass in a clever way of making the seasons change. He does this by having the camera spin around Bella sitting at the window and when the camera hits the window the weather has changed outside meaning the time is passing. The month we're in is also written up on the screen. My aim is to re-direct this and show my own way of time passing. This part can be a bit boring and it isn't a part which shows the distinct style of Chris with the aesthetics and costumes/makeup, but I feel like it is brilliant storytelling of the time passing over the months. The fact that the scenes are slightly boring shows how slow and dull Bella's year has been without Edward in her life. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gEFZ0TJ8o - 2 minute clip of the time passing

Screenshots of the whole 6 minutes

Beginning of the scene, Bella looking out the window.

As the camera turns round her, each time we
see a different month.

All her friends are asking where she is
and they haven't heard from her since Edward left.

Bella's dad, Charlie, is worried about her and says
she should go and live with her mum to get
her mind off thing, Bella doesn't want to go.

To make her dad gets off her back she tells
him she's going out with a friend, shopping.

They come out of the cinema, and walk home,
on the way they bump into a bad group of people.

Throughout the scene showing the seasons changing there is a voiceover of Bella reading out the email she sends to her mum about the Cullens. There is also music playing over the top when she's reading the email to add to the sadness Bella feels, which helps us to feel the same way so we can get more involved.

Script - http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Twilight-New-Moon.html

Scenes no. 26 - 32