STEVEN D. KATZ | Writing A Classic, Teaching Michael Jackson, & More
Steve Katz has possibly the most eclectic background and resume of anyone I’ve ever spoken to. His early influences in the 1960s, like Ray Harryhausen and Famous Monsters magazine, mixed with watching rehearsals at the nearby Westport Country Playhouse with visiting directors like Woody Allen to the influence and support of his parents to propel him into an artistic life from the very beginning. That led him to, among other things: learning film cameras via a cousin in New York who worked on TV shows like “Car 54, Where Are You?”; putting together psychedelic light shows in NYC at places like the Fillmore East and working with bands like The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Byrds, and Sly & The Family Stone starting at age 19; playing bluegrass banjo; working on John McTiernan’s first film; befriending “Saturday Night Live” writing legend Michael O’Donoghue and seeing a legendary short film he directed, “The Clams”, go on to open a season of “SNL” and catch a big break as a TV writer; he continued to work and grow and eventually established himself as a writer-director-producer in Hollywood; created the first digital previz on the feature Clear and Present Danger; and eventually, all his experience brought him to - yes - China, where he has been involved in many projects big and small. But of all the references I just name-checked, the one that originally cemented Steve’s name in my mind back in the day was that he wrote a truly legendary cinema book called Film Directing: Shot by Shot, published by the then-upstart Michael Weise Productions. It was released in 1992, which is when I was in film school, and it instantly became required reading in my Film Production courses! It’s familiar blue cover was updated a few years ago to announce the new, 25th anniversary edition, which was freshly and thoroughly revised for the digital age. It’s easily the film book I have gifted to more people than any other, and it was a real treat to get to hear some of Steve’s stories in-depth. Among the crazy but true tales already mentioned, we scratch the surface on Steve’s several engagements as Michael Jackson’s personal filmmaking tutor - a story he has NEVER told before! Steve was resident at the Neverland Ranch for months at a time, was flown into luxury hotels to work with the star, sometimes just watching movies late at night. He also saw things in his time around MJ that will likely merit another show entirely, but we will have much more on that topic another day. We even overlap on his interest in the intersection between art and neuroscience, among many other wonky and highly specific topics. To top it off, he’s also a good friend of one of my best friends, Kevin Geiger, so the “small world” meter is off the charts with this one for me. More on all that later. For now, though, you can visit the blog post at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources for links, contact information, and I hope you enjoy this epic conversation with Steven Katz!
STEVEN KATZ links:
BOOK - Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen by Steven D. Katz: https://mwp.com/product/film-directing-shot-shot-25th-anniversary-edition-visualizing-concept-screen/
WEB - https://www.shotbyshotbook.com
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR LISTEN here - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
GREGORY JOSEPH ALLEN: Acting on Stage & Screen in China
This week’s guest is stage and screen actor Gregory Joseph Allen. Greg brought a lifetime’s worth of acting training and experience with him when he moved here some years ago from California, and in addition to his own work he now uses his skills and background to teach young actors in Beijing.
Some guests had a very specific goal in mind when they made their first foray to the Middle Kingdom, but Greg talks about moving to China on more of an exploratory impulse and finding his new calling here. I’ve noticed that if you’re lucky, and stick with it through the rough spots, China can do that to you, or maybe I should say, allow you to change yourself in unexpected ways. Good times.
Greg took me back to an upbringing not too unlike parts of my own. We both have fond memories of the now-extinct practice of all the kids in high school (and a few older kids) ”parking” in a big supermarket lot somewhere after a football game or other big school event, and in plain site of everyone, openly drinking beers and being rowdy (but not seriously violent) as they hung out. It was a different world and time, but fun to reminisce about.
We talk about the differences between city versus country upbringings in the US, and how our mix of experiences informed who we are today and how we relate to China. Having seen enormous growth myself in my lifelong journey first across the US, then to Europe and Africa, and now finally to the Far East, I can relate to things here with a much different lens than if I had been either raised here OR never traveled as I did starting from way back home. Greg’s experience is his (of course) but there are a lot of syncs and parallels between us, which really helped me relate to his story even though it’s not exactly my own.
I really appreciated hearing about Greg’s approach to teaching, namely: how he doesn’t just give out gold ribbons for participation, but actually expects students to make the effort to EXCEL, and he rewards excellent work with appropriate recognition while still encouraging those struggling to find their footing. There is an art to doing this that I tried to find when teaching as well, and I still remember today the teachers I had who succeeded at it with me, so I know what a positive difference that makes.
We talk candidly about our thoughts regarding the norms and changing landscapes here as well as back home - economic, political, societal and cultural, etc - and we also get politically specific, in a new twist for the show. Overall I’d say that it gets pretty damn real, and I beeped a few choice words to keep our “Clean” rating, but I left it alone as much as possible in order to own what I think and to allow Greg the same courtesy. You don’t have to agree with either of us to appreciate the show, but let me know what you think regardless.
On a technical note: I used a slightly looser hand with this edit wherever I could, letting it breath a little more naturally, mostly because I thought Greg’s dramatic or thoughtful pauses added to the honesty of his story. He is a trained storyteller, after all, so I think it flows well but doesn’t feel too long (again, in my opinion). As I keep developing the show, I will keep tweaking my approach. Again - let me know, and I hope you enjoy.
Greg’s reel:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjgwMTc2ODc4NA==.html?spm=a2h3j.8428770.3416059.1
The Queen show at Live Aid that Greg referenced:
https://youtu.be/A22oy8dFjqc
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-live-aid/
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