ROB MARSHAL

L

ROB MARSHALL-AN AUTEURTo me its helpful when its a surreal space

or a slightly altered space so the audiences can digest the singing.

“There is something he does that combines choreography with costume, light characters ...he’s so great at piecing those things together.” Kate Hudson (American Fashion Designer in Nine)

NINE, CHICAGO & MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

Memoirs of a Geisha

ABOUT MARSHALL Born October 1960, Madison. As young children him and his sister would

make home movies. Soon became a talented dancer but this

career was cut short due to a back injury.

DIRECTING Annie was his first small screen film. Directing was the further thing from his mind.

“ film was the further thing from my mind, and the first time I was supposed to call the word action I couldn’t even do it because it felt so unnatural…so I just mumbled OK go.”

CHICAGO

OPENING SEQUENCE

“ I’ve always imagined when I’m choreographing a number, or directing a number, what would it be

on film first. That’s my normal process for theatre. I’ve always done it via film and then I’ll create that for the stage. So now I don’t have to

do that!”

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Close up of Roxie’s eyes

Extreme close up

Screen fills with ‘CHICAGO’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh6xbhsbC8I

LIGHTING

EDITING

Fade In

SOUND “ There is an energy and a pacing, and the

pacing exists in the scenes as well as the musical numbers.”

“He understands how to seamlessly integrate the elements of music, dance, storytelling, character, design and that’s part of what makes him so effective a director of musicals because he has that sense of when to really heighten something and when to pull it back in.”

OPENING SEQUENCEVelma Kelly Roxie Hart• She slaps her thigh.• Pulls in a man by his

shirt• Climbs Steps• Hands above head • Hands grab mans

arms

The police appear at the back of the room.

• Fred Casely slaps Roxie’s bum.

• Pulls in Fred by his tie.• Climbs stairs.• Hands above head on

door.• Hands grab bed frame

Skips time, start of downfall.

A year earlier Moulin Rouge was released and had a box office worldwide gross of $179,213,434 (Worldwide).

Chicago was helped by converted audiences which created an overall box office of $306,776,732 (Worldwide) (2004).

NINE Here is a sequence from Nine where the

protagonist, Guido, performs his first musical number. The main elements that I thought

created a sense of place and character were;

Sound Lighting Cinematography•Movie reel coming to a stop.•Diegetic

•Blue stage lights•Low key •Artificial

•Extreme long shot

CHARACTERS

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA“Transitions to me are very important in films because otherwise you feel the stop and starts of scenes and its important for me to at least try and attempt to find seamless ways of moving in and out of scenes.”

Marshall has shot through beads to create a sense of mystery.

Hand held camera.

“The word Geisha means artist”

CONCLUSION