Video:Flash of Genius - Marc Abraham and Aaron Zigman Interviews
with Rebecca MurrayProducer Marc Abraham made the leap to director with "Flash of Genius," a dramatic film based on true events. In a real David vs Goliath story, "Flash of Genius" chronicles one man's journey to protect his rights against a major corporation.
Transcript:Flash of Genius - Marc Abraham and Aaron Zigman Interviews
Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the Los Angeles Industry Screening of Flash of Genius.
Director Marc Abraham
This seems like a very strange story to bring to the screen. Why were you so interested in it?
Marc Abraham: "I just fell in love with the story because it really isn't about the intermittent windshield wiper, it's about someone who has a dream, like many of us do, and just decided he wasn't going to take it when somebody stole his dream from him. And so what I was attracted to was, I thought it was kind of funny that it was about a windshield wiper, but I thought really the principle was what the story was about and that people could really understand that. So for me, that's what I was drawn to. It's a classic American tale and I think when you sit there and watch the movie, it opens up to that. You get way past the idea what the invention was and really get to the core of what the film is."
Did you always know you were going to direct this one?
Marc Abraham: "I did. I know that sounds arrogant but when I bought the rights to it I kind of said, 'I really want to direct it. I understand it and I want to direct this movie.' So I just felt that way about it."
And you've been with it for a long time. This project's been around.
Marc Abraham: "For 10 years, yeah."
What made you stick with it?
Marc Abraham: "I just always felt like I could tell the story the right way and I was the right person for it, so I just stuck to that. I don't know. You know you never sometimes know why you do certain things and why you're in the job so long. Why someone is your best friend for all those years when they make you crazy. But this was a movie that I just never could let go of."
And was directing it exactly what you thought it would be?
Marc Abraham: "Well it was a little bit different than what I thought it would be, but I really enjoyed it. I love the experience of directing it completely. I had great support – my producers, everybody. It was a kind of story that just pulled people together and they really did. So I'd like to say it was just gruesome - I mean I did have an appendectomy in the middle of it - but outside of that, it was really enjoyable and challenging. Yeah, I loved the experience."
And I imagine it's one you couldn't have done with the Kearns family.
Marc Abraham: "No, no. The Kearns family was awesome. They really gave me their support. They really were great by me. I couldn't have done it without them."
What did they think of the finished film?
Marc Abraham: "They loved it. It was a very emotional experience. I mean, they've been great to me. They were so, so good."
Composer Aaron Zigman
Aaron Zigman: "There's not a huge amount of music in this movie – a substantial amount though. And it's period so it takes place in the early '60s on up to kind of the present. It's a very emotional, gripping story that hinges on a lot of stuff. It's despair and hope, some things I know a little bit about."
Was it easy for you to score?
Aaron Zigman: "It wasn't that it was easy. It was purposeful for me. I took to it. I grabbed on this one. The minute I saw the first cut in Marc Abraham's cutting room, the director, the tone of it and the whole thing just grabbed me. And so this is a kind of score that I'm so fortunate to have because many of us composers die to compose music for movies like this."
Marc Abraham is a first time feature film director. Is it different for you working with a first time director?
Aaron Zigman: "No, not necessarily. Marc's a seasoned pro. He's produced a lot of great films as well, and he's worked with the best of the best. So I think all that was to his advantage. It seemed a very natural… He's a really good storyteller. He didn't feel like a first-timer. He felt like a seasoned pro."
How long did it take you to do this one?
Aaron Zigman: "This one took me about two months from start to finish. They all vary. It can go from two to three months, six months, two and a half weeks, with your hair on fire. They all range differently. But this was a great ride."