“Visionary”. That is the word that keeps coming up when talking to the cast and crew of the upcoming “300” about director Zack Snyder. Snyder was born in Wisconsin and studied painting at the Heatherlies School in London and then filmmaking at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Prior to his feature film work, Snyder was best known for directing music videos for Morrissey and his commercial work. In fact, Snyder’s commercial work has earned him two Clio awards, the equivalent to an Oscar for advertising and design.
Snyder made the transition to feature films in 2004 with a remake (or in his words, a “re-envisioned”) “Dawn of the Dead”. Fans of the original film were leery at first; not sure Snyder was up for the task of remaking what had become a cult classic. However, with Snyder’s unique style, and of course his vision, “Dawn of the Dead” became a commercial and critical success.
View the ‘300’ photo gallery [b]Click on the link above[/b]
It would seem Snyder is drawn to projects that have a built in fan base. With “300”, as with “Dawn of the Dead”, there is a lot of pressure from the legion of devoted Frank Miller fans and many are skeptical that he can pull off the adaptation. “He has his own interpretation and it’s a magical quality. Zack ignited his own sense of pop culture to create this amazing two hour visual painting,” says Mark Canton who is one of the Producers of “300”.
Gianni Nunnari who was the Producer who got the ball rolling on “300” feels that Snyder’s vision is what ultimately got the film made. “It was Zack’s vision. Zack was clear from moment one. When a director has that strong of a vision you would do anything to support that vision.”
Frank Miller was also incredibly supportive of Snyder, “Zack really wanted to make this movie. He’s really charming and was so completely focused on this project that it was very difficult to say no…so I didn’t.” With full support from the Producers and Frank Miller, Snyder was able to launch into the creative process.
Snyder’s skills as a painter were put to good use as he storyboarded every shot prior to principle photography. The next step was to conduct test shoots. The test shoots were used as a model to help sell it to Warner Brothers, who picked up the project. A year and a half later Snyder’s vision was fully realized.
Hopes are high that Zack Snyder’s vision of Miller’s “300” will equate to a high box office return. Snyder is currently in pre-production on “Watchmen”, the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and the budget for that film is yet to be determined. The success of “300” could have an impact on how big “Watchmen” could get. Snyder is extremely passionate about “300” and thinks it is unlike many films that are being released. Those that are not fans of Miller’s may be prompted to check out “300” because, “Maybe people will want to see something else.” For the time being this visionary, along with the rest of the world will have to wait to see how successful “300” becomes until it opens on March 9th.