Fall Master Class series kicks off with veteran producer Jeremy Thomas
Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (left) visited Chapman’s Digital Media Arts Center to discuss his career and to provide insight and advice to students. He is known for his work on “The Last Emperor,” “Naked Lunch” and “Crash.” Photos courtesy of Gustavo V
Marked by incredible highs, Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas has achieved historic feats as a producer across the landscape of cinema over the last five decades. He’s contributed to cult classics like Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast” and avante-garde horror flicks like David Cronenberg’s “Crash.” He has also achieved Academy Award success with Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor.” With such a wide array of credits, the veteran producer has developed his keys to success.
To Thomas, it’s important to maintain a comfortable work environment for the cast and crew and maintain positivity amidst the chaos. According to the Oscar-winner, sometimes the most impactful thing you can do as a producer lies in the menial acts — like having a hot breakfast ready to start everyone’s mornings.
“Be there when (the cast and crew) arrives. Be on the set with a nice breakfast,” Thomas said at the event. “Be the public face of the production. Take the abuse with a smile on your face.”
On Sept. 25, the producer sat down with associate professor Russell Schwartz and Chapman students in the university’s Digital Media Arts Center to discuss his career and provide insight into his producing process. This was the first Master Class of the fall semester.
His visit followed a screening of Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” — a film that won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture for Thomas, at the 1988 ceremony. The film follows the life of Puyi (John Lone), the last emperor of China who initially took the throne as a toddler and later found himself in a world of political turmoil.
The beginning of Thomas’ discussion focused on the production of “The Last Emperor.” He discussed, in length, the crew’s ability to film extensively in China, including scenes in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Because of the wide access he was granted, Thomas noted that the crew filmed every day for a duration of six months.
Some in attendance, and Thomas himself, discussed the film’s photography of Chinese architecture and its use of large ensembles of extras. When doing so, the producer frequently lauded the production crew, calling them “experts” and saying that being in good company on a film set is important when crafting a piece. Specifically, he advised students to hire good location managers as, in his eyes, location opportunities can prove to be one of the most vital pieces of the puzzle.
Prior to Thomas’ visit, students had the opportunity to watch a film that won Thomas Best Picture at the 1988 Academy Awards, Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor.”
“You have to like the people you work with to make good work,” Thomas said.
Thomas’ advice, though, didn’t just apply to the production of a film. There’s a plethora of work that goes on when choosing a project long before actors and crew members arrive on set. The producer discussed how he validates scripts and directors, advising students to be knowledgeable of cinema history.
“It’s really important to have knowledge deep inside you,” Thomas said. “Filmmaking’s important to me…we’re very privileged to be serving the art.”
By knowing the styles of past acclaimed directors, producers can recognize styles contemporary directors are attempting to emulate. According to Thomas, a producer should be able to connect a director’s style to a script they present. Doing so will allow a producer to determine whether a project can and should be taken on.
“I see a film through ‘Who’s gonna direct this film?’” Thomas said. “A producer should know what a director’s doing.”
Thomas also explained to the audience that he had never fired a director. In fact, the producer shared small anecdotes explaining the spectrum of working with different industry titans. Regarding aspects of “The Last Emperor,” the Oscar winner said that the complicated Bertolucci wanted mania and chaos around his camera, while the horror trailblazer Cronenberg was incredibly relaxed in between set-ups.
A production that provided Thomas with advice of his own was that of Takeshi Kitano’s “Brother,” released in 2000. Thomas explained to the audience that, in one instance, Kitano shot a scene of the film completely differently from what had been rehearsed before promptly moving on to the next scene. When Thomas confusedly asked the director about his actions, Kitano explained that it was okay to make mistakes and to be content with spontaneous scenes - the producer later realized that, in doing so, a production can save a lot of time.
This story stuck with first-year graduate film production student Anthony Harsch, who spoke with The Panther after the event about his favorite moments.
“A piece of advice I really liked was where he was talking about liking the mistakes that happen on set and just kind of going with what happens… that those kind of random moments can make films feel more organic and natural, and obviously save time and money. That was really cool to hear,” Harsch said.
“A piece of advice I really liked was where he was talking about liking the mistakes that happen on set and just kind of going with what happens… that those kind of random moments can make films feel more organic and natural, and obviously save time and money. That was really cool to hear.”
The producer’s attitude and advice was not lost on another attendee, first-year graduate film studies student Duran Aziz.
“I thought it was amazing to get this guy who has been working with so many incredible directors,” Aziz told The Panther. “(I enjoyed listening to) how a producer can elevate a film in service of the director because there’s so many instances throughout film history where we hear about producers taking away films or meddling with them, and it’s really great to hear a story of a guy who truly cares about the art form and wants to see it elevated.”
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Master Classes are available to all Chapman students and alumni. Seats are available either on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery system, depending on the Master Class. Dates, times, upcoming guests and additional information can be found in the lobby of Marion Knott Studios or on the Dodge College instagram account.
“I thought it was amazing to get this guy who has been working with so many incredible directors. (I enjoyed listening to) how a producer can elevate a film in service of the director because there’s so many instances throughout film history where we hear about producers taking away films or meddling with them, and it’s really great to hear a story of a guy who truly cares about the art form and wants to see it elevated.”