Alex Proyas
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Alex" Proyas (born 23 September 1963) is a Australian film director
, screenwriter
, and producer
. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow
, Dark City, I, Robot
and Knowing
. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic setting. His first film, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
, is often looked upon as a notable achievement in Independent
Australian Cinema
. He is also known for directing short films such as Strange Residues and Book of Dreams: Welcome To Crateland.
parents in Egypt
and moved to Sydney
, Australia when he was 3. At 17 he attended the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School
, and began directing music videos shortly after. He moved to Los Angeles
in the United States
to further his career, working on MTV
music videos and TV commercials
.
science fiction
thriller Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
, which was nominated for two Australian Film Institute
awards in 1988, for costume design
and production design and which won a Special Prize at the 1990 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
. Next, Proyas directed the 1994 fantasy
thriller The Crow
starring Brandon Lee
. Lee was killed in an accident during filming, only eight days before the completion of the film in March 1993. After Lee's death, Proyas and his producers decided to complete the film, partially rewriting the script and using a stunt double and special effects to film the remaining scenes. The Crow was released in May 1994 and was a box office and critical success.
Proyas then wrote, directed and produced the 1998 science fiction thriller Dark City, which had disappointing box office results despite winning several awards. In 2004, he directed I, Robot
, a science fiction film suggested by the Isaac Asimov
short story
compilation I, Robot
that starred Will Smith
.
Proyas' most recent film, the thriller Knowing
, began production in Melbourne
in March 2008 and opened in North America in March 2009.
Proyas is currently working on Dracula: Year Zero. His next project will be an action-oriented adaptation of John Milton
's 17th century Christian epic poem Paradise Lost
, starring Bradley Cooper
.
Proyas also worked with John Foxx
on the creation of Parallel Lives, a joint project.
, Proyas was nominated for a Golden Palm award for his short film, Book of Dreams: 'Welcome to Crateland. For Dark City, he was nominated for several awards and won the Silver Scream Award at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, the Bram Stoker Award, the Film Critics Circle of Australia
Award and the Pegasus Audience Award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, Dark City, I, Robot
I, Robot (film)
I, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del...
and Knowing
Knowing (film)
Knowing is a 2009 American-British science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage. The project was originally attached to a number of directors under Columbia Pictures, but it was placed in turnaround and eventually picked up by Escape Artists. Production was financially...
. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic setting. His first film, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is a 1989 post-apocalyptic Australian film directed by Alex Proyas.The film was shot on location near Broken Hill, New South Wales and at Supreme Studios Sydney.-Cast:* Michael Lake as Felix Crabtree...
, is often looked upon as a notable achievement in Independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Australian Cinema
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
. He is also known for directing short films such as Strange Residues and Book of Dreams: Welcome To Crateland.
Early life
Proyas was born to GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
parents in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia when he was 3. At 17 he attended the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School
Australian Film Television and Radio School
The Australian Film, Television and Radio School is the Australian national centre for professional education and advanced training in film, television, radio and digital media. The School is an Australian Commonwealth government statutory authority...
, and began directing music videos shortly after. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to further his career, working on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
music videos and TV commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
.
Career
Proyas' first feature film was the independentIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
thriller Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is a 1989 post-apocalyptic Australian film directed by Alex Proyas.The film was shot on location near Broken Hill, New South Wales and at Supreme Studios Sydney.-Cast:* Michael Lake as Felix Crabtree...
, which was nominated for two Australian Film Institute
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
awards in 1988, for costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
and production design and which won a Special Prize at the 1990 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.-History:...
. Next, Proyas directed the 1994 fantasy
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
thriller The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
starring Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee
Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
. Lee was killed in an accident during filming, only eight days before the completion of the film in March 1993. After Lee's death, Proyas and his producers decided to complete the film, partially rewriting the script and using a stunt double and special effects to film the remaining scenes. The Crow was released in May 1994 and was a box office and critical success.
Proyas then wrote, directed and produced the 1998 science fiction thriller Dark City, which had disappointing box office results despite winning several awards. In 2004, he directed I, Robot
I, Robot (film)
I, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del...
, a science fiction film suggested by the Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
compilation I, Robot
I, Robot
I, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
that starred Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
.
Proyas' most recent film, the thriller Knowing
Knowing (film)
Knowing is a 2009 American-British science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage. The project was originally attached to a number of directors under Columbia Pictures, but it was placed in turnaround and eventually picked up by Escape Artists. Production was financially...
, began production in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in March 2008 and opened in North America in March 2009.
Proyas is currently working on Dracula: Year Zero. His next project will be an action-oriented adaptation of John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's 17th century Christian epic poem Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
, starring Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
.
Proyas also worked with John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
on the creation of Parallel Lives, a joint project.
Awards
At the 1994 Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, Proyas was nominated for a Golden Palm award for his short film, Book of Dreams: 'Welcome to Crateland. For Dark City, he was nominated for several awards and won the Silver Scream Award at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, the Bram Stoker Award, the Film Critics Circle of Australia
Film Critics Circle of Australia
The Film Critics Circle of Australia is a group of cinema critics that judge Australian films.-External links:**...
Award and the Pegasus Audience Award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival , previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film was created in 1983 as a venue for horror, thriller and science fiction films. It takes place in Brussels, every year in March...
.
Short films
- Neon (1980)
- Groping (1980)
- Strange Residues (1981)
- Spineless (1987)
- Book of Dreams: Welcome to Crateland (1994, short)
Feature films
| Year | Film | Credited as | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Screenwriter Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
||
| 1989 | Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is a 1989 post-apocalyptic Australian film directed by Alex Proyas.The film was shot on location near Broken Hill, New South Wales and at Supreme Studios Sydney.-Cast:* Michael Lake as Felix Crabtree... |
|||
| 1994 | The Crow The Crow (film) The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas... |
|||
| 1998 | Dark City | |||
| 2002 | Garage Days Garage Days Garage Days is a 2002 Australian film directed by Alex Proyas and written by Proyas, Dave Warner and Michael Udesky. The Garage Days soundtrack includes the song "Garage Days" featuring Katie Noonan, David McCormack and Andrew Lancaster.-Plot:... |
|||
| 2004 | I, Robot I, Robot (film) I, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del... |
|||
| 2009 | Knowing Knowing (film) Knowing is a 2009 American-British science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage. The project was originally attached to a number of directors under Columbia Pictures, but it was placed in turnaround and eventually picked up by Escape Artists. Production was financially... |
|||
| 2013 | Paradise Lost |
Music videos
- "Flicker" – Fetus Productions (1983)
- "In Your Eyes" – DropbearsDropbearsThe Dropbears were a popular part of the Australian music scene in the early 1980s. They had a couple of national chart hits and received national airplay. They had a minor charting hit with Shall We Go in 1984....
(1985) - "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)"Kiss the Dirt " is a song by the Australian alternative rock band INXS. It was written by Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence and included as the third track on the 1985 album Listen Like Thieves....
" – INXSINXSINXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
(1986) - "Magic Touch" – Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
- "Don't Dream It's OverDon't Dream It's Over-12": Capitol / 12CL 438 United Kingdom :* also available on CD and MC-Personnel:*Neil Finn: Vocals and guitar*Nick Seymour: Bass guitar*Paul Hester: Drums and backing vocals*Mitchell Froom: Keyboards-Release history:- Charts :...
" – Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
(1987) - "Holiday" – The Other OnesThe Other Ones (Australian-German band)The Other Ones was a band that consisted mainly of Australians, but was based in Berlin, Germany in the late 1980s. The band consisted of Alf Klimek , Jayney Klimek , Johnny Klimek , Andreas Schwarz-Ruszczynski , Stephan Gottwald and Uwe Hoffmann .-History:After traveling throughout the world in...
(1987) - "Rhythm of Love" – YesYes (band)Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
(1987) - "Better Be Home SoonBetter Be Home Soon"Better Be Home Soon" is a 1988 song written by Neil Finn and performed by New Zealand/Australian band Crowded House. The song was released as a single in July 1988 by Capitol Records. It performed modestly on both the American and British charts, but managed to peak at number two on the...
" – Crowded House (1988) - "Mysteries of Love (Songlines)" – AlphavilleAlphaville (band)Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
(1989) - "When We DanceFields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 is the first compilation issued by Sting. It features hit singles from his studio albums The Dream of the Blue Turtles, ...Nothing Like the Sun, The Soul Cages, and Ten Summoner's Tales. The album features two new songs, "When We Dance" and "This Cowboy...
" – Sting (1994)