M. David Lee III
Encyclopedia
M. David Lee III is an award-winning American film director
, producer
, writer
, editor
and director of photography. Lee is noted for his use of a version of the Dogme95 principals originally developed by Lars Von Trier
and Thomas Vinterberg
in his films. His production company, Triple Sticks Productions, has produced four feature films since 1997 and several short films dating back to the late ‘70s. Triple Sticks Productions is also distributing their film, Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!. Lee has also spent time as a sports anchor with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
, SNY
, WHBQ
, KNTV
, KDOC
, and KCOY.
In 2009, "Dog Me: Potluck," was selected for distribution on Netflix
.
.
Lee moved with his family to Philadelphia, then to Watertown, Massachusetts
, before settling in Brookline, Massachusetts
. As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Scooter." In Brookline, Lee attended Pierce Elementary School and Brookline High School
. Lee enrolled in the University of Massachusetts
where he graduated in three years with a B.A. degree in Filmmaking, Japanese and Advertising. At the age of 21, Lee enrolled in Humboldt State University
, but left after one semester . He then moved to Los Angeles
where he worked for Love Connection
as a production assistant and Larry Flynt Publications
in the research department.
In 1988, Lee returned to Humboldt County
, Arcata, California
, and worked for KREQ television, now KAEF as a salesman, and eventually as production manager. It was in this capacity he won a Telly Award for a 1989 commercial entitled “In the Mood.” In 1990 Lee moved to Santa Maria, CA, and worked KCOY television, first as a promotions producer and then as weekend sports anchor—in addition to producing commercials and promotions. In 1991 Lee won his second Telly Award for a promotional spot called “Safe and Sound.” He also wrote, directed and starred in a short film, My Law/ Your Order in 1991. That same year, Lee moved to Anaheim, California
, to work for KDOC
. He started as a promotional producer and fill -in sports anchor then became the promotional director. During his time at KDOC, Lee shot a film featuring Regan Burns
entitled Black and White Makes: Grey.
In 1993, Lee moved to San Jose, CA, and became the weekend sports anchor at KNTV
. He was promoted three years later to Sports Director and stayed in that position until December 1998. While at KNTV
, Lee made six films, including two features, 1-900 and 3 Days… 3 Hours… 3 Minutes… 3 Seconds….
Lee then taught drama and radio at Leland High School in San Jose. In 2001, he co-directed with Johnny DePalma and produced Enamored for Picture Show Productions in Los Gatos, CA.
The following year, Lee moved to Memphis
, to serve as sports director at WHBQ-TV
Fox-13. In Memphis, Lee made two films, Dog Me: Potluck and Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!
Dog Me: Potluck followed the Dogme95 Principals laid out by Lars Von Trier
and Thomas Vinterberg
. In his one violation of those rules, Lee used music by such artists as Sofia Sunseri and Aron Ford Lee of House of Echo.
With Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast! Lee used a modified version of the Dogme95 principals. Lee’s company, Triple Sticks Productions, currently is distributing the completed film, with extras. In 2008, "Slow Down... You're Dating Too Fast" screened at the Washougal International Film Festival.
1991 Telly Award, Safe and Sound
1991 Santa Maria Arts Council Award for best film, My Law/ Your Order
2004 Dog Me: Potluck, was selected as the “2004 Bare Bones Script-2-Screen Independent Film Festival” Best Feature Film. In addition to the Grand Jury selection as the festivals top film, Lee was presented with the "Oscar Micheaux Spirit Award" for his work on Dog Me: Potluck. The Oscar Micheaux Spirit Award is not given annually, but only when the Grand Jury identifies and chooses to honor an exceptional filmmaker.
2009 "Dog Me: Potluck", was included in a collection of dogma films at the Department of Film and Media Studies at University of Copenhagen
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...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, editor
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
and director of photography. Lee is noted for his use of a version of the Dogme95 principals originally developed by Lars Von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
and Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production....
in his films. His production company, Triple Sticks Productions, has produced four feature films since 1997 and several short films dating back to the late ‘70s. Triple Sticks Productions is also distributing their film, Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!. Lee has also spent time as a sports anchor with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
, SNY
SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal...
, WHBQ
WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its studios and transmitter are located in Memphis.-Under RKO General:...
, KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
, KDOC
KDOC-TV
KDOC-TV is an independent television station based in Orange County, California . The station's transmitter is located on Mount Wilson, California...
, and KCOY.
In 2009, "Dog Me: Potluck," was selected for distribution on Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
.
Early life and film career
Lee is the son of E. Ann Whittington, owner of Ambience Custom Flora design, and M. David Lee, FAIA, principal architect and owner of Stull & Lee Incorporated Architect & Planning in Boston, MA. The elder Mr. Lee is also adjunct professor at the Harvard Graduate School of DesignHarvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
.
Lee moved with his family to Philadelphia, then to Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
, before settling in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
. As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Scooter." In Brookline, Lee attended Pierce Elementary School and Brookline High School
Brookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
. Lee enrolled in the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
where he graduated in three years with a B.A. degree in Filmmaking, Japanese and Advertising. At the age of 21, Lee enrolled in Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...
, but left after one semester . He then 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...
where he worked for Love Connection
Love Connection
Love Connection is an American television game show, hosted by Chuck Woolery, in which singles attempted to connect with a compatible partner of the opposite gender. The show debuted in syndication on September 19, 1983 and ended on July 1, 1994, after more than 2,000 shows. Reruns continued to air...
as a production assistant and Larry Flynt Publications
Larry Flynt Publications
Larry Flynt Publications, or LFP, Inc., runs the adult entertainment empire founded by Larry Flynt. Founded in 1976, two years after Flynt began publishing Hustler magazine, LFP was originally to serve as the parent company of this magazine....
in the research department.
In 1988, Lee returned to Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, Arcata, California
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
, and worked for KREQ television, now KAEF as a salesman, and eventually as production manager. It was in this capacity he won a Telly Award for a 1989 commercial entitled “In the Mood.” In 1990 Lee moved to Santa Maria, CA, and worked KCOY television, first as a promotions producer and then as weekend sports anchor—in addition to producing commercials and promotions. In 1991 Lee won his second Telly Award for a promotional spot called “Safe and Sound.” He also wrote, directed and starred in a short film, My Law/ Your Order in 1991. That same year, Lee moved to Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, to work for KDOC
KDOC-TV
KDOC-TV is an independent television station based in Orange County, California . The station's transmitter is located on Mount Wilson, California...
. He started as a promotional producer and fill -in sports anchor then became the promotional director. During his time at KDOC, Lee shot a film featuring Regan Burns
Regan Burns
Regan Burns is an American comedian. He is known for various small roles in TV commercials and programs...
entitled Black and White Makes: Grey.
In 1993, Lee moved to San Jose, CA, and became the weekend sports anchor at KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
. He was promoted three years later to Sports Director and stayed in that position until December 1998. While at KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
, Lee made six films, including two features, 1-900 and 3 Days… 3 Hours… 3 Minutes… 3 Seconds….
Lee then taught drama and radio at Leland High School in San Jose. In 2001, he co-directed with Johnny DePalma and produced Enamored for Picture Show Productions in Los Gatos, CA.
The following year, Lee moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, to serve as sports director at WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its studios and transmitter are located in Memphis.-Under RKO General:...
Fox-13. In Memphis, Lee made two films, Dog Me: Potluck and Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!
Dog Me: Potluck followed the Dogme95 Principals laid out by Lars Von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
and Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production....
. In his one violation of those rules, Lee used music by such artists as Sofia Sunseri and Aron Ford Lee of House of Echo.
With Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast! Lee used a modified version of the Dogme95 principals. Lee’s company, Triple Sticks Productions, currently is distributing the completed film, with extras. In 2008, "Slow Down... You're Dating Too Fast" screened at the Washougal International Film Festival.
Personal life
Married once and divorced, Lee has one daughter. His brother, Aron Ford Lee is a musician currently in the band, House of Echo and can be heard in two of his brother’s films, Dog Me: Potluck and Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!”Honors, awards and nominations
1998 Telly Award, In The Mood1991 Telly Award, Safe and Sound
1991 Santa Maria Arts Council Award for best film, My Law/ Your Order
2004 Dog Me: Potluck, was selected as the “2004 Bare Bones Script-2-Screen Independent Film Festival” Best Feature Film. In addition to the Grand Jury selection as the festivals top film, Lee was presented with the "Oscar Micheaux Spirit Award" for his work on Dog Me: Potluck. The Oscar Micheaux Spirit Award is not given annually, but only when the Grand Jury identifies and chooses to honor an exceptional filmmaker.
2009 "Dog Me: Potluck", was included in a collection of dogma films at the Department of Film and Media Studies at University of Copenhagen
Filmography
This is a table of films that Lee has been involved in.| 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... |
Writer 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:... |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
DP Cinematographer A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image... |
|||
| 1991 | My Law/ Your Order (1991 film), short | ||||||
| 1993 | Black and White: Make Grey, (1993), Feature Rough-Cut | ||||||
| 1994 | Jessica Knows, (1994), Short | ||||||
| 1994 | Behind the Lens... The Making of Jessica Knows, (1994), Documentary | ||||||
| 1997 | 1-900, (1994), Feature | ||||||
| 1997 | "1-900: Between The Lines, (1997), Documentary | ||||||
| 1999 | 3 Days… 3 Hours… 3 Minutes… 3 Seconds…, (1999), Feature | ||||||
| 1999 | “3 Days… 3 Hours… 3 Minutes… 3 Seconds…: The Story Behind the Film,", (1999), Documentary | ||||||
| 2001 | “Enamored", (2001), Feature Rough-Cut | ||||||
| 2003 | Dog Me: Potluck, (2003), Feature | ||||||
| 2003 | The Making of Dog Me: Potluck, (2003), Featurette | ||||||
| 2006 | Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!, (2006), Feature | ||||||
| 2008 | The Making of Slow Down… You’re Dating Too Fast!, (2008), Featurette |
Articles
- Memphis Magazine, "Keeping It Reel"
- Memphis Flyer, "The Soul of Southern Film"
- Michigan Daily Story of "3 Days..."
- Film Threat review of "3 Days..."
- Jackass Critics interview of M. David Lee III
- Side Show Interview M. David Lee III
- "1-900" review by Matt Fuerst
- b-independent.com Oct. 2004
- Commercial Appeal Cassandra Kimberly "Making movies is his destiny"
- GoMemphis.com John Beifuss, "Making films 'feeds my soul'"
- Alternative Cinema, "3 To The Fourth Power"
- Emma Lester, "Just Because"
