Roland Emmerich
Writer, Director, Producer
Date of Birth:
Nov 10, 1955
Country:
Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Gender:
Male
Height:
5' 11" (1.8 m)
Biography
Roland Emmerich is a German film director and producer of blockbuster films like The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Godzilla (1998), Independence Day (1996) and The Patriot (2000). Before fame, he originally wanted to be a production designer, but decided to be a director, after watching the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Emmerich began his career in his native Germany. In his youth, he pursued painting and sculpting. While enrolled in the director's program at film school in Munich, his student film Das Arche Noah Prinzip (1984) went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. The feature became a huge success and was sold to more than 20 countries. In an amazing trivia, he directed his first feature, Das Arche Noah Prinzip (1984), in 1984. He is openly gay and a campaigner for the LGBT community.
A director/writer/producer with a flair for special effects-driven action, German Roland Emmerich made himself at home in blockbuster-hungry 1990s Hollywood. Born and educated in West Germany, Emmerich studied production design as well as direction at the Munich Film and Television School. After his student film, The Noah's Ark Principle, debuted at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival, Emmerich formed his production company Centropolis and directed supernatural fantasies Making Contact (1986) and Ghost Chase (1987), and the straight-to-video action film Moon 44 (1990). On the latter, he met actor Dean Devlin who subsequently switched jobs to become Emmerich's writing and producing partner once Emmerich set up shop in Hollywood.
After making his solo Hollywood debut directing Jean-Claude Van Damme in the cyborg action fest Universal Soldier (1992), Emmerich and Devlin revealed a talent for conjuring A-level action spectacles out of B-movie scenarios with their first film together, Stargate (1994). A space odyssey mixing ancient Egyptiana and high-tech wizardry, Stargate became an unexpected hit. Emmerich hit his blockbuster stride with his next film, Independence Day (1996). With its eye-popping destruction of major cities and climactic annihilation of a spacecraft via portable computer, Independence Day blew away its summer movie competition on the strength of its visual flash. Geared to repeat with the endlessly- and creatively-hyped version of Godzilla (1998), Emmerich instead faced the conundrum of directing a $100 million grossing film that did not live up to box office expectations. Emmerich and Devlin next turned their epic visions to the decidedly lower-tech (but still CGI-enhanced) action of the American Revolution in the Mel Gibson summer vehicle The Patriot (2000).
Souce:- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Trade Mark (13)
- Often features an object crashing into the camera (Independence Day (1996))
- Often features an insert or close-up shot of a villain's eyes widening just before the villain dies (Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Patriot (2000)).
- Several of his major films have featured a silhouetted couple kissing in front of a luminous background.
- Often features the number "44" somewhere in his films in reference to his movie Moon 44 (1990).
- Movies frequently feature a scene with rain
- Large-scale disaster films (Independence Day (1996), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 2012 (2009)).
- Often uses a shot of a teacup and saucer rattling wildly to demonstrate a strong vibration.
- Often uses extreme telephoto lenses with very deep focus in his shots so that all elements are in sharp focus.
- Often uses father / son themes in movies
- His films often feature a destroyed New York City (Independence Day (1996), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and _Godzilla (I) (1998)_.
- Several characters in his films are seen using a spray bottle to water small plants
- [reflections] In The Day After Tomorrow (2004), when the L.A. weather forecaster looks out the window of the forecast center you can see the reflection of the tornado approaching. This same technique is also visible in _2012 (2009)_ when the pyroclastic cloud is seen in the reflection of the glass door as it approaches the airport in Las Vegas.
- [helicopters] Often features a flight of three helicopters that is destroyed in quick succession
Trivia (21)
- His movie Das Arche Noah Prinzip (1984) has been the most high budgeted film-school examination film (DEM 1,000,000) in Germany (1984).
- He lists The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974) and Earthquake (1974) (disaster movies) as his favourites.
- Brother of Ute Emmerich
- Frequently casts members of a particular group of actors in minor roles in his movies. This group includes John Storey, David Pressman, Erick Avari, Leon Rippy, Christopher John Fields, Derek Webster, Jack Moore and Steve Giannelli, among others. All of these actors appeared in at least three films directed by Emmerich, including Universal Soldier (1992), Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), and The Patriot (2000). All of these films were produced by Centropolis Entertainment, the company co-founded by Emmerich.
- President of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival in 2005.
- Emmerich was interested into doing Transformers (2007), but Dreamworks wanted Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay over him.
- Turned down the offer to direct Die Another Day (2002).
- Was originally considered to direct Spider-Man (2002).
- Attended the School of Television and Film in Munich from 1977 to 1981.
- Along with other celebrities, he raised money for women's rights in the developing world.
- Supported Hillary Clinton's 2008 electoral campaign.
- Since directing The Day After Tomorrow (2004), he has tried to focus the public's attention on the issue of global warming.
- Donated $150,000 to the Outfest's Legacy Project, which is dedicated to the gay and lesbian film preservation, the largest gift in the festival's history (2006).
- Lives in Beverly Hills, California.
- His nickname of "Das Spielbergle aus Sindelfingen" (translated as "lil' Spielberg of Sindelfingen") sounds flattering, but it was actually bestowed upon him in the 1980s by the German media as an insult. Emmerich made his films in English and in the style of the latter part of the "New Hollywood" era. This did not sit well with German movie critics who still preferred the conventional styles that were influenced by the French New Wave and the New German Cinema..
- Credits Sylvester Stallone with giving him his big break. Stallone was impressed with Moon 44 (1990) and began recommending Emmerich to producers all around Hollywood.
- Produced The Visitor (1997), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), and 2012 (2009), each of which features a major character who hosts his own radio show dealing with the paranormal and conspiracy theories. Each character also broadcasts from their camper.
- Emmerich is best-known for his action disaster films and most identifiable with his trademarks, which include blowing up national landmarks, destroying cities, and focusing heavily on extravagant special effects. Emmerich joked that White House Down (2013) actually was a step down from his previous more over-the-top action films. Emmerich directed Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 10,000 BC (2008), 2012 (2009), White House Down (2013). He is a great fan of disaster movies and is attracted to tearing down cities. If you see a disaster film, then you know it's him.
- Is one of the few openly gay directors in Hollywood. Although he claims to have encountered a certain degree of homophobia from studios, he nevertheless feels that as a director, coming out has not harmed his career in the way that it did for some high-profile actors (who had difficulties finding work afterwards). By his own admission, he can still do the movies that he wants to make.
- His five favorite films are Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Cinema Paradiso (1988), The Godfather (1972) and Citizen Kane (1941).
- Graduated from the Hochschule Fur Film & Fernsehen.
Personal Quotes (4)
- I'm making movies for the masses.
- I came to film school in 1977 when directors like Fassbinder and Wenders were everybody's heroes. But it was also the time that Star Wars and Close Encounters came out, and these were the seminal movies for me. Everybody is always so careful about these things. I mean, I'm good friends with Wim Wenders, but it doesn't mean I have to like his movies. Some of them, I like. Most of them, I find boring. And I would tell him that to his face.
- When you're not loved by the critics, it's very hard for anyone to say anything good about your movie. For me, it's more important that the audience enjoys it and embraces it, anyway. You get something that does well, but is criticized. So you say, 'OK, they just didn't get it. There's 1% or 2% who didn't like it. But there's 98% who did.
- ... all my movies are created because I'm fascinated by a subject. Sometimes I think there's just a certain obsession about it all - when you want to do something just for the sake of it. A lot of directors are like that. I'm just very fortunate that most of my movies get made.
Salary (2)
- Independence Day (1996) $7,500,000
- 2012 (2009) $70,000,000
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