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Step up
He's a defiant rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore's tracks. She's a privileged
dancer from an elite performing arts school. Their worlds couldn't be more different but
when their fates collide, the sparks between them fly, igniting an exhilarating
hip-hop-fuelled fairy tale about making your one shot at an improbable dream come
true. Featuring an exciting cast of multi-talented young newcomers, STEP UP is a gritty
story of transcendence driven by music and dance.
Tyler Gage (CHANNING TATUM) has grown up all his life on the rough streets of
the city and he knows he's unlikely to ever make it out of there. But after a brush with
the law lands Tyler with a community service gig at the city's Maryland School of the
Arts, everything changes. That's when he meets Nora (JENNA DEWAN), the school's
prima ballerina, an alluring diva who is desperately searching for someone to replace
her injured partner before the school's all-important Senior Showcase. Spying Tyler's
moves, Nora can't help but notice he's got a raw but natural gift. She decides to take a
chance on Tyler, but as they begin to train, the tension between them, and their polar
opposite backgrounds, skyrockets. The only thing standing between Tyler and the void
are his dreams of making it off the streets - and the only thing standing in the way of
Nora's obviously brilliant future is the Senior Showcase. Now, with everything on the
line, Tyler will have just one performance to prove to Nora, and to himself, that he can
step up to a life for larger than he ever imagined.
Touchstone Pictures and Summit Entertainment present STEP UP, featuring the
directorial debut of acclaimed choreographer Anne Fletcher, who came to the fore with
the run away teen hit "Bring It On." The film stars newcomers Channing Tatum and
Jenna Dewan, as well as R&B superstar Mario who appears as an aspiring musician
and Academy Award-nominee and Golden Globe winner Rachel Griffiths. Also featured
in the cast is rap legend "Heavy D," as well as Damaine Radcliff, Drew Sidora and
De'Shawn Washington. Written by Duane Adler ("Save the Last Dance") and Melissa
Rosenberg ("The OC"), the film is produced by Patrick Wachsberger ("Mr & Mrs Smith")
and Erik Feig ("Mr & Mrs Smith") for Summit Entertainment, and Adam Shankman and
Jennifer Gibgot for Offspring Entertainment. The executive producer is John H Starke.
The behind-the-scenes talent includes Michael Seresin ("Fame," "Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban") as director of photography, Nancy Richardson as editor,
Shepherd Frankel as production designer and Alix Hester as costume designer.
A FRESH, GRITTY TAKE ON THE DANCE-FUELED DRAMA: THE STORY OF
STEP UP
On the heels of executive producing "Mr And Mrs Smith," STEP UP producer
Erik Feig wanted to make the kind of classic, music-driven, character-focused movie
that he and his friends had found so mesmerizing while growing up. Having been
inspired by such entertainments as "Saturday Night Fever," "Fame" and "Dirty Dancing"
- and moved by recent films that ventured realistically into the hip-hop world such as "8
Mile" and "Save The Last Dance" - Feig felt it was time to bring back the genre with a
fresh, gritty take inspired by today's youth issues and styles.
"This is an idea that I'd been thinking about for many years," says Feig. "I
remember that era when great music-oriented movies were not just aimed at girls but
had a guy's point of view, too, and that really interested me. There's something so
universal in the love of music, and I wanted to make a movie that would appeal to
everyone, as much to men as to women. That's why I liked the idea of setting STEP UP
around a scrappy underdog who finds an unlikely dream and gives it his all to make it
happen." It was from a true-life, pivotal moment that the character of Tyler Gage - who
gets his one shot at a different future and an unlikely romance when he is forced to do
community service at a performing arts school - was born.
Along with his Summit Entertainment producing partner Patrick Wachsberger,
Feig began to search for a director. It was then that Feig had a stroke of luck - running
into renowned choreographer, director and producer Adam Shankman at his local gym.
"Erik ran up to me and actually said these words: 'Who's that next you?'" recalls
Shankman. "Why, I wondered, have I passed on? Am I done? But I came to realize that
he was asking who was going to be the next great choreographer who wanted to
breakout as a director, and if I knew that person."
It turns out that Shankman definitely did. He immediately had in mind Anne
Fletcher, one of the contemporary film world's leading choreographers who made her
debut with the hit "Bring It On" and has gone of to choreograph key sequences for some
two dozen film and television projects. "I've worked with Anne since 1990 and we were
dancers together for Paula Abdul on the Oscars. She has been one of my best friends
and was my assistant when I was still a choreographer," explains Shankman. "When I
started directing movies, she sort of took over my choreography career. Then, she
absolutely exploded artistically."
He continues: "When Erik told me about STEP UP, I knew it would be perfect for
Anne because it she has always been incredibly strong with actors, she's deeply
passionate and most of all, she's a really good storyteller."
Fletcher met with the producers and they were instantly won over by her rapidly
flowing ideas and enthusiasm. Eager to work with his protégé in a whole new capacity,
Shankman also came on board as a producer, bringing with him his producing partner
and sister, Jennifer Gibgot.
Gibgot, who has danced all her life, fell in love with the story's mix of music,
romance and explosive cultural tension - and made a catalytic suggestion: to turn the
story, then focused on a young musician, into a dance film. The final decision to do so
was made in part because she felt it was important to draw upon Fletcher's incredible
knowledge of and enthusiasm for the world of dance. "I think love and dance will always
be a winning combination," she observes. "But this story also has a really modern, raw
feel. It's a morality tale, a movie about a kid versus the streets, about a kid who has only
one chance at a long-shot dream. I think it's a story that appeals to both young and old
because it's about having hope and finding the strength to dig yourself out from the hole
that you're in."
The filmmakers began to work with screenwriter Duane Adler, who earlier made
his debut with the teen hit "Save The Last Dance" starring Julia Stiles. Also brought on
board was co-writer Melissa Rosenberg, who the filmmakers sought out because of the
hip, current style she had honed on the extremely popular TV series, "The OC" - only to
discover she was also an accomplished dancer herself.
Adler added his turbulent experiences growing up as an outsider to the mix. "My
family moved a lot when I was a kid and I personally attended six different high schools
as a teenager," he explains. "While I wasn't a foster child like Tyler, I certainly felt
misplaced and it was my discovery of the arts as a junior in high school that in many
ways changed my life."
He related intensely to Tyler's struggles to make it. Adler continues: "I always
saw Tyler as someone who is very gifted but faces an uphill battle. The new world of
Maryland School of the Arts school becomes his salvation, but first he has to prove
himself and he also has to wrestle with his feelings of loyalty to his old friends and his
old way of life, while realizing at any moment he could lose it all. That's what makes him
such a moving character to me."
Meanwhile, Rosenberg, who majored in dance in college and danced with a
small troupe before becoming a writer, brought a true dancer's POV to the storyline.
"This film was an amazing experience," she says. "It was finally a chance to dance
again, on the page if not on the floor."
Adler and Rosenberg chose stark, urban Baltimore as the story's location
because both were familiar with it and it seemed to suit the edgier tone of the story. "It
has a very rugged, blue-collar vibe, and lots of history with the old row-houses and
neighbourhoods," Adler notes. "But it also has a very artistic and beautiful side. The
story really contrasts those two worlds as we watch Tyler go from home to school and
back again."
To bring out the rhythms and pulse of today's most talented high school teens,
Adler also spent nearly six weeks observing at a local performing arts high school. "I
went to classes with the students, sat in on rehearsals and lunch breaks, and watched
them prepare for their spring finale performance," he says. "The idea was always to
bring as much authenticity to this story as possible."
When Anne Fletcher read the script, she knew STEP UP would be a tremendous
opportunity for her directorial debut. "I knew I could do it because I really understand the
world of dance and young artists because that's the world I grew up in," she says. "I
loved the script and I felt that it was a chance to tell a very truthful story. But I also knew
that the first priority was to hire really good people, because a director is only ever as
good as her team."
A STREETSMART REBEL AND A PRIMA BALLERINA IN SEARCH OF THE
PERFECT PARTNER: CASTING CHANNING TATUM AND JENNA DEWAN
From the minute she came on board, director Anne Fletcher found herself facing
a major search for a cast who could bring realism, excitement and raw talent to STEP
UP. She set out on a quest for a group of young actors so gifted they could not only
embody the film's characters but also do all their own dancing and singing. To make
sure the film felt utterly alive and real, she absolutely refused to use doubles or
voice-overs for even a single shot. It wasn't easy, but through a combination of luck,
timing and little miracles, an extraordinary ensemble was pulled together.
"We were so lucky because I think there is an astonishing amount of talent on
display in STEP UP," comments Fletcher. "These kids are the real deal and there's no
smoke and mirrors. It's what I always aimed for. Everyone does their own dancing and
singing - so the characters feel very real and you never have to cut away from what's
happening emotionally to switch to a double. I'm excited that I succeeded in that.
Finding Channing Tatum was our biggest coup, followed by finding Jenna, who is an
unbelievable dancer as well as being gorgeous. Most of all, there is real magic and
chemistry between them that makes the story work."
The hunt for a young man to play Tyler began with trepidation. "That character is
so complex on the page," says Erik Feig, "we knew it would be a challenge to find
someone with all those qualities. We needed someone who would be charismatic yet
troubled; tough but likeable; hard-edged but romantic; and an untrained yet amazing
dancer. It was a lot to hope for."
Then Channing Tatum, who grew up in a tiny town in Alabama and emerged as a
new face to watch in an edgy 2002 Mountain Dew commercial, walked in for an
audition. It was a moment that changed the entire film. "As soon as we saw Channing,
we knew he was Tyler," Feig recalls. "And then we saw him dance and he moved like
water. There's no other way I can explain it. He is just so fluid and exciting to watch. It
was just a thrill to find him. "
Adds Adam Shankman: "Trying to force someone into the Tyler character would
have been disastrous. We needed someone who you feel has too much passion, too
much electricity to control, and that is who Channing is. He's also quite possibly one of
the best natural street dancers I've ever seen in my life. He just has so much texture in
his being."
Tatum instantly related to Tyler on a deep level. "I felt I could not have written
myself any better that what Tyler is in the script," says the young actor. "He's a carefree
kid who loves to dance and have fun, but he also has a self-destructive side. I think all
boys at that age are kind of crazy and destructive in their own ways. That's what being a
teenager is. You mess up in order to learn."
He continues: "I also remember what it felt like not to know what you want in life
and that's a big moment to get through. Luckily for Tyler, when he gets put in a situation
where he's around all these kids who really want something in their lives, it awakens
something in him. Then he really starts to fall for Nora and a whole new world opens up
to him."
Although he's been a freestyle street dancer for years, like his character, Tatum
had no formal training - which meant he had to "hit the boards" in intensive sessions
with hip-hop choreographer Jamal Sims. The process was a lot tougher than anything
he had expected. " I could always dance and move, but learning a structured routine
was hard for me because there's so much going on and it's entirely different than just
dancing on gut instinct," he observes. "I don't know if I would have been able to do it
without Jamal there. He has the patience of a Zen master. He's one of the most
creative, talented people that I've ever met. It was because he had so much confidence
in me that it gave me the confidence to try it."
Tatum also credits Anne Fletcher for bringing out the best in him. "I learned so
much from her. She's so free-spirited and wild, I just wanted to be around her all the
time," he says of the first-time director. "She's a ball of energy and a finely tuned
instrument for knowing reality."
With Tatum cast as Tyler, the next crux of the production was finding a young
actress with extensive enough ballet experience as well as the personality to pull off
Nora. "Once we cast Channing and realized what an amazing dancer he was, the bar
became extremely high for whoever would play Nora," notes Feig. "We had to search
that much harder."
After a lengthy series of auditions, the filmmakers came across Jenna Dewan,
another newcomer who has been dancing since the age of 5, has been seen in dozens
of music videos and toured with P. Diddy and Janet Jackson as a dancer before
breaking out into films. "When we saw Jenna, it was another great discovery," says
Feig. "We knew she had to be the kind of person that if you're Tyler Gage walking into
school with a major chip on your shoulder and wanting to hate everyone, you'd stop in
your tracks as soon as you saw a glimpse of her - and would want to do everything to
impress her and try to win her over. Jenna had that ineffable quality."
Like Tatum, Dewan was attracted to the story of STEP UP. "I like that it's about
two worlds coming together, and how Tyler and Nora really wind up teaching each other
lessons," she says. "I also loved that Tyler and Nora don't come together in a cliché
way. Tyler's had such a hard life and he doesn't know how to want something because
every time he wants something, he feels like it goes away. But when he meets Nora,
that's all she knows how to do - to fight for something that she wants. I think that ignites
a fire in him and inspires him to find out what truly matters to him. On the flipside, he
shows Nora how to let go and live more and not be so rigid. He shows her what real
love is. Both of their lives are changed by the other."
Also like Tatum, Dewan felt that role had been tailor-made for her. "I was so
drawn to Nora because it really couldn't be written any more like me as a 15-year-old. I
was Nora," she says. "I was a true diehard about dancing. That was all I ever really
wanted to do. I had that same passion - and I really didn't know what would happen if I
couldn't go and pursue it."
Things really clicked when Dewan encountered Tatum for the first time at an
early reading together. "The second we met, it felt completely natural," she recalls, "and
by the time we started rehearsals it was as if we'd known each other for years.
Channing's very open and generous, plus he's an amazing dancer so just watching him
develop was an inspiration to me."
It also felt natural for Dewan to work in Baltimore - a city where she lived for
several years when she was in elementary school. "I started to dance in Baltimore, and
it's where I first started doing some acting. It couldn't have been a more exciting setting
for this story."
AT SCHOOL AND ON THE STREETS: FINDING THE SUPPPORTING CAST OF
STEP UP
Surrounding Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan in STEP UP is an accomplished
cast of both young newcomers and award-winning stars. The adult side of the cast is
headed up by Academy Award nominee Rachel Griffiths, who plays the key role of the
performing arts school's Principal Gordon. Fresh off her critically acclaimed and long
running role on HBO's dark drama "Six Feet Under," Griffiths was looking to break out
into something completely different. When she read STEP UP, she knew this was it.
"I was drawn to the film because I thought it would be great to be in such a
youthful, vibrant, hopeful environment," says the actress. "Plus I was a huge 'Fame' fan.
There's something so wonderful about people at the beginning of their lives. It's not that
there isn't pain or struggle but there's also this beautiful, sexy optimism and I wanted to
be around that."
Griffiths was also intrigued by the effect her character has on Tyler, an outsider
to the school but someone in deep need of inspiration and direction. "I see Director
Gordon as someone who is really tough but really fair," says Griffiths. "She knows when
kids are putting it on the line and she always wants to bring out the best in them. So
that's why she challenges Tyler to find in himself the kind of fight to pursue the positive.
She really throws down the gauntlet and he responds. It's a great moment because
nobody's ever asked that of Tyler - but she believes he can rise to the occasion."
Anne Fletcher was thrilled to have an actress of Griffiths calibre take on such a
key role. "We talked about who the character was and where we wanted to go with her and then Rachel went off and created something fantastic," she remarks. "As such a
skilled actress, she was very exciting to work with."
Another focus of casting became finding the ensemble of talented teens at the
school, as well as Tyler's fun-loving friends back in the neighbourhood. One of the first
young stars to be cast was Mario, the Baltimore-based, platinum-selling R&B artist who
broke out when he himself was only 15 but has yet to make his mark in film. He read for
the role of Miles, who helps to guide Tyler through the world of Maryland School of the
Arts. "As soon as the doors shut after Mario left the reading, we all said "We have to
hire him". "He is so special " says Anne Fletcher.
Mario was drawn to the realistic portrait of Miles. "He's a very cool character and
he seemed very authentic to me," he says "He came from the hood" and then to this
school to make his life better. I like that the whole idea of the film is that you've got to
persevere if you want to attain your dreams, which is true no matter where you come
from."
He also sees Miles as key to Tyler's transformation: "Miles is real valuable to
Tyler because he's the one who can set him straight," says Mario. "In the beginning,
they're kind of standoffish with each other because they're both from real bad places.
But I think Miles understands that Tyler's emotional issues comes from that fact that he
really doesn't know how to trust anyone yet - and he knows that can change."
Starring as Nora's best friend Lucy is newcomer Drew Sidora, a Chicago-born
actress, dancer and singer who, without even an agent to rep her, sent a tape to the
casting department at Disney hoping someone would give her a chance. "On the tape,
Drew was just sitting in her living room reading lines, and it felt so natural and vibrant.
Then she sang, a cappella, this beautiful song - and when we saw that, we just had to
cast her," says Feig.
Sidora says she wanted to be part of what she calls, "a love story told through
dance." She continues, "Lucy is Nora's best friend, and is a really fun character who has
her own transformation. She starts off as someone who goes after men who are not
particularly good for her. But when she notices Miles, they connect and she realizes that
love can be something really positive."
Rounding out the cast as Tyler's shocked and dismayed friends from the old
neighbourhood are Damaine Radcliff, the six foot six actor who last played a basketball
player in "Glory Road," as Tyler's best friend Mac; and De'Shawn Washington who
plays Mac's younger brother, Skinny, and celebrated his 16th birthday on the set.
Ironically, both Radcliff and Washington are skilled dancers but neither one gets a
chance to make a move in the film. Instead, their roles are more about the changes and
rough roads that friendships go through.
Says Radcliff: "My character starts out tight with Tyler Gage, the best of buddies,
sidekicks side by side. Then Mac becomes suspicious of who Tyler is becoming with all
the dancing and everything kind of falls apart. We don't hang out anymore. We aren't
hustling together anymore. And it takes awhile for Mac to realize it's time for him to try to
do something with his life, too."
Also featured in the rousing finale of STEP UP are teenage brothers Damien and
Tourie Escobar, a musical duo known as Nuttin But Stringz. Born and raised in the
Southside Jamaica neighbourhood of Queens, New York, the brothers took up the
violin, a dicey pursuit in that particular neighbourhood. Both studied at Juilliard and the
Bloomingdale School of Music, and then started playing in subway stations, attracting
crowds with their distinctive sound, a unique blend of classical, jazz, rhythm & blues,
and hip-hop. They have performed at the Apollo Theatre, and on "The Jay Leno Show,"
where Anne Fletcher first saw them, and immediately wanted them to be part of STEP
UP.
"I already knew what I wanted for the finale of the movie, which was hip-hop
meets an orchestra. So when I heard them, I got on the phone as fast as I could with
our music supervisor Buck Damon to get them in the movie. We have them in our
opening shot playing Vivaldi, and then in the finale. I was so excited to be able to
include them."
In addition to the main cast, several crew members can be seen on screen in
STEP UP - director Anne Fletcher is Miss Stephanie, the dance teacher; director of
photography Michael Seresin dons overalls to play the part of the Custodian; producer
Erik Feig can be seen in the background as the Art Teacher; and additional 2nd
assistant director Bill Hardy is the Music Teacher.
SET TO THE BEAT: THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF STEP UP
With the cast assembled, Fletcher began to focus on two key components of
STEP UP that go right to heart of the film's experience: driving music and street-style
dancing. To bring to life her choreographic vision of merging the grace of classical
dance with the grit of urban moves as a foundation of the film's original style, she
collaborated closely with assistant choreographer Zach Woodlee and Jamal Sims and
Rosero McCoy, the hip-hop choreographers, both of whom Fletcher's worked with
before on other film projects.
"It was a great process working with Anne to come up with a natural blend of
dance styles," says Jamal Sims. "We would do a move and then Anne would add a
classical interpretation to it to create something truly unique."
It was Sims who worked most closely with Channing Tatum, developing his
innate abilities, which turned out to be pure joy. "The minute we started rehearsals,
Channing was so positive and he wanted to do it all so badly," says Sims. "It was
amazing because Channing had never had a dance class in his life, and that's exactly
where Tyler comes from, too. Sometimes being self-taught can be an advantage
because since you don't have any training, you're just going for it. You're listening to the
music and you just start doing what comes naturally. And Channing had that perfect
instinctual approach."
But professional dance can't all be instinct. Tatum had to learn to count beats
and dance in sync with an ensemble - skills that can take years to learn but that he had
to pick up on the fly, much as his character does. Says Sims, "I think ultimately his
dance performance really comes across as very authentic. It doesn't feel
choreographed or like somebody gave him those steps. We wanted it to feel like it's all
coming from within Tyler and Channing really was able to do that."
Sims also enjoyed working with Jenna Dewan. "She was a dancer for Toni
Braxton and we worked together for a while back then, so I knew her. She's amazing,"
he says. "I would show her what I wanted and in five minutes it was done. And she's
really beautiful, so that adds even more to her grace."
Dewan was thrilled to work with Sims but especially enjoyed her close
relationship on set with Anne Fletcher. "Anne so much insight into a dancer's needs and
creativity and she had such a strong vision for each move in this movie," says Dewan. "I
felt completely confident with Anne because I knew in advance that dancing was going
to look flawless."
As the dance sequences came to life everyone was impressed by their natural
immediacy and they way they were so strongly interwoven into the film's drama. Says
executive producer John Starke: "What's amazing is that in the beginning there were
just words on the page, and somehow Anne Fletcher and the choreographers created
these great dances that deepened the story, the dancers learned them and the final
result is something really exciting and fun."
Every beat and every move in STEP UP builds up to the climactic performance at
Nora's "Senior Showcase," in a number that retells the story of the film through music
and dance. The scene is the culmination of all the steps seen throughout the film. Sums
up producer Feig, "Throughout STEP UP, what you see are worlds colliding and in the
end you have all the music and dance styles - everything from classical to modern, jazz,
and hip-hop - coming together into one."
THE SOUNDS OF STEP UP: COMPILING AN ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FROM
TODAY'S HOTTEST URBAN ARTISTS
The dance and drama of STEP UP could only be set into motion by equally
irresistible music - which is why Anne Fletcher immediately brought in sought-after
music supervisor Buck Damon, whose work on such films as "Garden State" and "Mean
Girls" established his reputation for tapping into the sounds of the moment. Damon in
turn rounded up a roster of today's most exciting hip-hop producers including Kwame,
Alias and Neff-U, who worked closely with the filmmaking team to develop original
songs based upon the script, concepts and choreography before shooting even began.
Says Anne Fletcher, "Buck did such a great job that the music of STEP UP is
truly one of the biggest stars of the movie." The album will be available on Jive Records.
Taking his inspiration from the script, Damon quickly envisioned a soundtrack
that would match the film's exuberant and authentic sense of youth style. "We wanted
the music to be like another character in the film," says Damon. "So we created a lot of
originals for the film - building a soundtrack that is street credible yet also has a real
symphonic richness to it. Anne and I really wanted to create something that would stand
the test of time, something where if you listen to the album ten years from now it might
sound like 2006 but it's still a hot soundtrack."
Damon continues: "I started by going shopping - I looked through all the current
hip-hop albums that I found interesting, put together a kind of Who's Who listing of all
the hottest urban music producers and then asked them each for demos. What came
back was a treasure chest of riches - it was really cool and brought us to a lot of great
artists."
One of the first artists to come aboard was Wyclef Jean, the former Fugee's lead
rapper and among the hip-hop world's most eclectic and innovative talents. "Once
you've snagged one big fish, the competition starts to bring more in," notes Damon.
Soon the likes of renowned Philly hip-hop producer Scott Storch,
classically-trained hip-hop writer/producer Rich Harrison and New York-based DJ
turned producer Mark Ronson were joining the mix. They in turn helped to bring in a
host of artists who could relate strongly to the film's themes and dance scenes including
Ciara, Sean Paul, Keyshia Cole, Chris Brown, Petey Pablo, Mario, Samantha Jade,
Gina Rene, Jamie Scott, Drew Sidora, Novel, Youngbloods, Anthony Hamilton and
Yung Juc.
Four music videos from the soundtrack, some featuring the STEP UP cast, will
include "Give It Up to Me" from Jamaican dancehall DJ Sean Paul with 21-year-old
Oakland-based songstress Keyshia Cole; "Say Goodbye" from 16-year-old R&B prodigy
Chris Brown; "For the Love" from Grammy nominee Mario and STEP UP cast member
Drew Sidora; and "Get Up" from R&B superstar Ciara - a video that will also feature an
unknown amateur talent to be chosen from audition tapes submitted to the filmmakers
in a special on-line contest on myspace.com.
"This has been an incredible year and a half long process of finding the best
producers, putting together original songs and recording some phenomenal artists - it's
been challenging but it's also been incredibly fun and definitely worth it," sums up Buck
Damon. "Everything has come full circle back to our original vision of creating an
inspired urban soundtrack."
REEL DANCE: THE VISUAL DESIGN OF STEP UP
From the beginning, Anne Fletcher liked the fact that STEP UP is set in
Baltimore, an industrial North-eastern city full of rawness and vitality - and definitely not
a typical performing arts centre like New York or Los Angeles. The visceral urban
realism of Baltimore became a key factor in developing the film's contemporary style. To
further forge the look she envisioned for the film, Fletcher worked closely with a team
that included director of photography Michael Seresin, production designer Shepherd
Frankel and costume designer Alix Hester.
Fletcher went after Seresin because he had shot the dance-driven classic,
"Fame," and went on to such diverse films as "Angel Heart," "Angela's Ashes" and
"Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban." "I went to Michael because 'Fame' was so
tremendously gorgeous and dimensional and yet real and touchable," says Fletcher.
"He has an exceptional eye. Some of his scenes in our film are so rich, I feel like you
could eat them right off the screen."
Seresin was equally drawn to working with Fletcher. "Choreographers
traditionally make great directors because they have such a good sense of movement
and Anne's brilliant that way," he says. "This film is also really different from 'Fame.' It's
more a real story of redemption."
The cinematographer also had his own distinctive vision for the film. "I wanted
the look to be very counter to what you usually think of as hip-hop style," he notes. "I
wanted the lighting to be very naturalistic, so you always feel like the scene is being
illuminated by daylight or moonlight or streetlights. To me, hip-hop has a very hypnotic,
authentic feeling that I wanted to capture."
To keep a melodic fluidity to his work, Seresin often listened to the scene's music
while working. "The music is so important to the drama and it can also suggest camera
moves," he explains. "I often use visual beats on the beat. It's pretty subtle stuff but it's
useful to create a strong atmosphere."
Equally focused on forging the film's atmosphere was production designer
Shepherd Frankel, who was faced with the task of creating a fully fleshed-out
performing arts high school. Frankel wound up using three Baltimore locations to get the
look he was going after: the exterior is a historic local middle school, the school's
auditorium is located at a nearby college, while the centrepiece is the interior of the
school, which was built from scratch at the City Pier in Fell's Point, where the TV series
"Homicide: Life On The Streets" was filmed.
In building the school, Frankel had a lot of personal inspiration. "I went to the
LaGuardia School of the Arts in New York City," he says, "so the first thing I did was
bring in my yearbooks and Anne and I started talking about them. We really wanted to
make the school feel real, to have a very comfortable and lived in feeling where there's
constantly activity and things going on everywhere."
Frankel came up with designs that were authentic right down to the tiniest details,
from the wooden locker boxes for musical instruments to display areas for student
artwork. But it was a daunting challenge to create it all at City Pier. "At the time we
started shooting, no one had set foot in there for years," explains John Starke. "The
paint was peeling and it had become an informal homeless shelter. It was pretty rough.
And yet Shepherd really turned it into something great."
Among the sets Frankel created at City Pier were classrooms for costume
design, digital art, music, a set shop and Director Gordon's office. He also built a fully
functional recording studio and the piece de resistance: the dance studio, which he
created so as to be visible from all the other sets, replete with majestic windows that
saturate every scene with light.
Moving out into the city, some of Frankel's favourite locations included the iconic
Baltimore row houses seen during the early sequence at Omar's Party; the Night Club
scene, where Tyler and Nora meet, which Frankel notes was created to "be a total
fantasy world"; and of course, the auditorium set for the final performance.
"Anne wanted the finale to be the story, more or less abstracted, of Tyler and
Nora's entire journey together," recalls Frankel. "So the arches in the set mimic the
windows in the ballet studio and beyond that window is an urban graffiti wall which
works to merge the two worlds in one space."
A third element of the visual style came from costume designer Alix Hester, who
worked with both Seresin and Frankel to come up with an original colour palette. "We
always wanted a lot of colour, but nothing cartoonish, more muted colours like mustards
and rusts," she explains. "I incorporated many of the same colours Shepherd uses in his
sets, so it all looks as one."
Hester's primary focus was putting the characters into cool, real-world clothing
that also reflects who they are. "Anne wanted to create a very real dance world, so I felt
the clothing had to be very eclectic, with lots of patterns going on. We didn't want it to be
simple and basic. We wanted it to have tons of texture," she says.
Hester really had fun with the wardrobe for Jenna Dewan's character, Nora. "We
wanted a really interesting and different look for Nora that isn't quite what you would
expect," she says. "We used great designer pieces and vintage pieces, anything that
was different from what normal dancewear would be, and then mixed it with real
dancewear to create Nora's own sense of style."
One of the designers Hester used extensively was LA-based Rachel Palley.
"Rachel was a dancer, so several of Nora's skirts are this amazing drape-y jersey fabric
that Rachel designed," Hester notes. "We also used classic dance wear. Meanwhile,
Nora's street wardrobe includes fashion forward pieces but without falling victim to
trends. We always wanted to keep the look timeless."
Fuelled as it is by dance, STEP UP was also a great chance for Hester to put her
focus on a fashion area not usually emphasized in film: shoes. "The great thing about
doing a dance movie is that it shows a lot of feet, so I got to do a lot of great shoes, like
boots and even bare feet with interesting socks," says Hester.
For the men's wardrobe, Hester concentrated on revealing the stark contrasts
between Tyler's street world and the more rarefied fashion world of the art school - but
without succumbing to clichéd looks. "We really didn't want to get stuck in stereotypes
or doing anything that would be cartoonish," she notes. "Luckily, we found some hip-hop
designers who are doing great new things and were able to use their work to really
bridge the two worlds."
Music, dance, fashion and drama all come together to bring Tyler and Nora's
worlds into connection and for producer Adam Shankman it's the perfect mix. "I think
audiences can expect a rocking good time from this movie with an authentic location,
great style, unbelievable music and some of the best dancing I've seen on film in a
decade," he sums up, "along with a really life-affirming message about finding your
dream and living it."
ABOUT THE CAST
CHANNING TATUM (Tyler) is a talented young actor who is sure to establish
himself as a breakout star in 2006 with exceptional roles in two highly anticipated films.
In addition to STEP UP, Tatum recently received critical praise in Sundance for his
powerful role in the independent film, "Guide to Recognizing Your Saints." The film won
the Special Jury Prize for best ensemble performance as well as the dramatic directing
award for Dito Montiel at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. In an article recapping the
Sundance Film Festival, Rolling Stone stated, "keep your eyes on newcomer Channing
Tatum as Dito's loose-cannon friend Antonio. Shirtless and oozing physical and sexual
threat, Tatum stalks his turf like Brando in 'Streetcar.'"
Tatum was also recently seen starring opposite Amanda Bynes in the
DreamWorks film, "She's the Man," directed by Andy Fickman and produced by Lauren
Shuler Donner. Again, Tatum drew exceptional reviews including Daily Variety referring
to the film as having a "bright and enthusiastic cast, centred on the swarthy and
magnetic Channing Tatum as Duke."
Channing Tatum was born in Alabama and grew up in Florida. At age 23, he
starred in an international Pepsi commercial with director Tarsem and two highly
popular national Mountain Dew commercials directed by Kinka Usher. His natural
charisma and athleticism in these commercials brought him to the attention of both
extreme sports fans and Hollywood industry executives. He was then signed by a talent
agency and started taking acting classes with Harold Guskin and at the Dena Levy
Acting Studio.
In 2004, he had his first guest appearance on a television show with a role on an
episode of "CSI: Miami." In 2005, he starred in "Havoc" opposite Anne Hathaway and
Joseph Gordon Levitt and then in "Coach Carter" with Sam Jackson. That same year,
he starred as motor-cross superstar Rowdy Sparks in the film "Supercross" and also
shot the lead role in the WB pilot, "The Prince" for director Gavin O'Connor.
JENNA DEWAN (Nora), a versatile young talent on the rise has quickly become
one of Hollywood's most sought after young actresses.
Dewan can also be seen in "The Grudge 2," opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and
Amber Tamblyn. The film, produced by Sam Raimi, will be released from Columbia
Pictures in October 2006.
Dewan recently starred in Liz Friedlander's debut film "Take the Lead" opposite
Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard.
Dewan started in entertainment by dancing in countless music videos as well as
touring with Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs and Janet Jackson. Dewan's first acting role was as
a guest star on Fox's sitcom "Quintuplets" followed by a guest starring role on NBC's
comedic series "Joey."
Dewan's other film credits include Ben Rekhi's "Waterborne" and Jeremy Haft's
"Tamara."
Dewan was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in Dallas. She studied at
the University of Southern California and currently resides in Los Angeles.
R&B superstar MARIO (Miles) makes his feature film debut in STEP UP. Born
Mario Barrett, he was raised in Baltimore, and began singing at the age of four, when
his mother caught him in the living room with a microphone in his hand trying to tune it
in with the radio. By the time he was in elementary school, he had started to compose
melodies and develop harmonies on a piano his mother had bought him, and began to
enter talent contests. Taking inspiration from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Usher and
Brian McKnight, he honed his talent singing along with a karaoke machine. Before he
turned 15, he signed with Clive Davis's 3rd St/J Records and immediately began work
on his debut "Mario," which was released in June, 2002 and showcased label-mate
Alicia Keys. His first big single, a reworking of Biz Markie's 1980s hit "Just A Friend
2002," hit the Top 10. He toured with Bow Wow, and was part of the Scream 3 Tour,
which also featured B2K, Nick Cannon, and Marques Houston. His second album
"Turning Point," was released in 2005. The platinum-selling CD contains the hit single
"Let Me Love You" which was number one in the country for five weeks. He has been
nominated twice for Grammy Awards.
DREW SIDORA (Lucy) is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter, dancer, actress
and community leader, providing outreach programs and resources for young people
interested in careers in the entertainment industry. Sidora has studied music and
theatre since the age of two, trained in the Suzuki Method of classical piano for six
years, and trained for the stage at the Organic Theatre in Chicago. Dancing since she
was four, she studied modern dance with Tony Dyer of Dyer Studios.
Before she was a teenager, Sidora had already completed numerous national
voice-overs, television commercials and print ads, and her television career was well
established with her motion picture debut at the age of nine in Thomas Carter's "Divas."
When she was 13, she became the lead singer for the Chicago R&B group Mo'Tempo,
was spotted by a scout and encouraged to go solo. She maintained honour roll status
throughout high school, graduated early and moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after she
arrived she was signed to Babyface Entertainment, and started writing music for
Edmonds Publishing. She has had songs placed on numerous artist albums as well as
soundtracks and film scoring. Recently, she had the number one single on the radio in
Chicago and was coined "Chi-Town" Princess by the Number 1 radio Station; WGCI
and opened for numerous recording artists in Chicago, performing as the headliner
there and in several states. She is currently working on her debut album. She was a
series regular on the WB's "The O'Keefes," had a recurring role on the TV series "That's
So Raven" and appeared on "Without a Trace," "What I Like About You" and
"Girlfriends." Her film credits include, "Never Die Alone" and "White Chicks." and the
upcoming Touchstone Pictures' release "Wild Hogs."
HEAVY D (Omar) was born Dwight Myers in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved
with his family to Mt. Vernon, New York while he was a small child. At the age of eight
he began rapping and by his early teens had become a local hip-hop hero. Now
considered an enduring icon of the rap and hip-hop world, the three-time Grammy
nominee has sold over four million albums. Expanding his artistic world, Heavy D has
appeared in the Oscar-nominated feature "The Cider House Rules," and in "Life,"
"Who's The Man?," "Big Trouble" and "New Jersey Drive." He had a recurring role in the
television series "Bones," and "Boston Public," was a regular on "The Tracy Morgan
Show" and appeared in "Roc," "Living Single" and HBO's "Tale from the Crypt." He was
nominated for the prestigious Drama Desk Award for his leading role in "Riff Raff," a
one-act play written, directed by and starring Laurence Fishburne. In June, 2005, he
completed a limited LA run of Tom Cole's play "Medal of Honour Rag" directed by
Delroy Lindo, for which he received the NAACP Spirit Award. The reviews of the play
were so positive and requests for tickets so numerous, the play re-opened for another
run in October-November. He will soon appear in the film adaptation of the Broadway
smash "Dreamgirls," slated for release in 2006.
DAMAINE RADCLIFF (Mac) made his motion picture debut in Walt Disney
Pictures' "Glory Road." When the Bronx-born Radcliff heard there was an open casting
call for basketball players in New York City, he was the first in line when the doors
opened. Having played basketball in his neighbourhood playgrounds since he was three
years old, he wasn't the least bit intimidated when, first thing, he was asked to
demonstrate his slam dunk. STEP UP is his second feature.
De'SHAWN WASHINGTON (Skinny) makes his motion picture debut in STEP
UP. Turning 16 during the last week of principal photography, Washington is already a
triple threat, adding film roles to his leads in stage plays and work as a stand-up comic.
The Chicago native grew up around talent. His father, Shawn, is a successful
actor, his mother, Renee is a model, and both he and his younger brother Isaiah (who
plays Tyler's young foster brother in STEP UP) are actors who frequently work together.
De'Shawn started acting at age 11 when he landed the lead roles of Bill and Lane in the
Chicago stage play "Go Ask Alice." At the same time he began doing local and
international commercials, his first being an ad for the Chicago Bulls co-starring with
Bulls star Kirk Hinrich. At age 14 he started writing his own stand-up act and started
performing, debuting his acts at the world famous Improv in Los Angeles.
De'Shawn was an active volunteer for Project Share in Chicago where he served
food to the economically disadvantaged in his community. He is currently on his
school's honour roll and holds academic awards. He resides in Los Angeles, California.
JOSH HENDERSON (Brett) recently came to the fore in the lead role of injured
soldier Bo Rider in the critically acclaimed Iraq War television series "Over There." After
growing up in Tulsa and becoming a high school basketball star, Henderson first rose to
fame when he was chosen from among thousands of auditioning singers to become
part of the pop band Scene 23 in the WB reality series "Pop Stars 2." He went on to
take a role in the UPN show "One on One," appear on the hit sitcom "8 Simple Rules
For Dating My Teenage Daughter" and star in the popular teen romantic comedy, "Girl
Next Door." Most recently he was seen starring with Dennis Quaid in "Yours, Mine &
Ours" and will next appear in "Broken Bridges" with Toby Keith and the thriller
"Fingerprints" - while continuing to work on his music.
DEIRDRE LOVEJOY (Kathleen) is an accomplished star of film, television and
theatre, who appears on HBO's critically lauded, Baltimore-set crime series "The Wire"
as Asst. State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman. Season four of the drama is set to premiere
in September. Currently shooting an episode of The Closer, to air in August, she has
also been seen on "Nip/Tuck," "The West Wing," "NYPD Blue," "Without a Trace,"
"Judging Amy," "Kingpin," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law and Order: SVU,"
among many other hit television series. Her feature film credits include "The Talented
Mr Ripley," "Random Hearts," "Sour Grapes," and "Thirteen Conversations About One
Thing." On the stage, Lovejoy has been seen on Broadway in "The Gathering," "Getting
and Spending" and "Six Degrees of Separation." Lovejoy spent last summer at the Old
Globe Theatre in San Diego playing Lady Macbeth, and Adrianna in Comedy of Errors,
She returns to the Globe this month to appear in Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters
Rosensweig." Lovejoy was born in Abilene, Texas, grew up in Indiana, and began
acting as a child in local productions. She graduated with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts
from the NYU's Graduate acting program.
ALYSON STONER (Camille) was born in Toledo, Ohio but her relocation to the
Los Angeles area brought about a whole new world of opportunities in acting and
dancing. After honing her techniques in ballet, tap and jazz in her hometown, Alyson
went on to train in hip-hop dance with such well-known choreographers as Wade
Robson, Fatima and Hi Hat. So it came as no surprise when she auditioned and was
cast to dance in the Missy Elliott videos "Work It" and "Gossip Folks." With the
popularity of the videos, Alyson was soon in demand, appearing on "Extra," "The Maury
Povich Show," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and more. She also performed on "The
Jay Leno Show" and with Missy Elliott at The 2003 American Music Awards. As an
actress, Alyson kicked off her career starring in "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "Cheaper
By The Dozen 2." She is the long-time co-host of the Disney Channel's "Mike's Super
Short Show" and also has been seen as Max in the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of
Zack & Cody." She has also appeared on numerous skits for "The Tonight Show with
Jay Leno," and her scope of acting also includes commercials, voice-overs and theatre.
Australian actress RACHEL GRIFFITHS (Principal Gordon) is perhaps most
widely known to American audiences through her role as Brenda Chenowith on the
HBO hit series "Six Feet Under." The role garnered her two Emmy nominations and a
Golden Globe win. Griffiths' breakthrough role, as the brilliantly crafted Rhonda in
"Muriel's Wedding," won her both the Australian Film Critics Award and the Australian
Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated for an Academy
Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Hilary DuPré in "Hilary and Jackie."
Other feature credits include "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Among Giants," "Blow," Very
Annie Mary," "Me Myself I," "The Rookie" and "Ned Kelley." She also starred in the
made-for-television film "Plainsong."
A native of Melbourne, Griffiths graduated from Victoria College with a Bachelors
of Education degree in drama and dance. She worked in the theatre in Melbourne with
Australia's acclaimed theatre company for young people, Woolly Jumpers Inc. She
continued over the next six years working with the Melbourne and Sydney Theatre
Companies starring in "Sylvia," "The Sisters Rosensweig," "The Grapes of Wrath" and
"The Doll House." In 2002, Griffiths starred in David Auburn's stage play "Proof" for the
Melbourne Theatre Company and took home the Green Room Award for Best Actress
in a Leading Role.
Griffiths directed her first short film, "Tulip," in 1999, which went on to win Best
Short Film at the Toronto and Palm Springs Film Festivals. She completed her second
short, "Roundabout," in 2002 to great acclaim. The film won two Best Short Film
awards: one from the Australian Film Critics Circle and the other at the Melbourne Film
Festival.
Griffiths' will next be seen in the ABC ensemble family series "Brothers and
sisters" opposite Calista Flockhart , Ron Rifkin and Balthazar Getty. She will be featured
in the HBO indie movie "Angel" directed by Jim Mckay in October, and is currently in
Santa Fe filming Larry McMurtry's mini-series "Comanche Moon" for CBS/Paramount.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
ANNE FLETCHER (Director) was one of the film industry's most sought-after
choreographers when she was tapped to direct STEP UP. She recently completed work
on two films for Disney, "Ice Princess" and "The Pacifier," and she worked most recently
as choreographer on "The 40 Year Old Virgin." She currently is in pre-production as the
associate choreographer on "Hairspray," a new film for New Line slated to open in 2007
starring John Travolta. She also created the physicality of Catwoman for "Catwoman,"
and provided choreography for "Along Came Polly," and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters
Unleashed." Her work can be seen in Peter Segal's new version of "The Longest Yard,"
and she was choreographer on "Bringing Down The House," "Down With Love," "Like
Mike," "Orange County" "and "Bring It On." Among her television credits are "Return to
the Bat cave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt," "Maybe It's Me," "Six Feet Under,"
"Judging Amy," and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," in addition to the TV specials "The
MTV Movie Awards," Comedy Central's "Last Laugh '04" and "Last Laugh '05," and "TV
Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV." As assistant choreographer, Fletcher
worked on "Blast From the Past," "Dudley Do-Right," "The Out-of-Towners," "She's All
That," "Antz," "Boogie Nights" and "A Life Less Ordinary."
As an actor, Fletcher can be seen in "The Pacifier," "Bringing Down the House,"
"A Walk to Remember," "Monkeybone, " "Bring It On," "Boogie Nights," and "George of
the Jungle," among others. She also served as associate producer on "The Wedding
Planner" directed by Adam Shankman.
Born in Detroit, Fletcher began dancing at age 12, was teaching at 13, and
dancing professionally at 15. She moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue a career in
dance after graduating from high school. She subsequently travelled all over the world,
dancing in industrials and appeared on such television shows as "The Tracy Ullman
Show," "The Smothers Brothers" and the mini-series "War and Remembrance." After
making a music video with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks for "Dragnet," she began
dancing in film, making her debut in "The Mask," which was followed by "The
Flintstones," the first two features of many as a dancer and then as assistant
choreographer to Adam Shankman.
DUANE ADLER (Writer) was born in Asheville, North Carolina, grew up all over
the Carolinas, and then mid-way through his teenage years, moved to the Washington
DC area, and eventually into the Maryland suburbs. After attending 18 schools from first
grade through high school, he graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
with a degree in what he calls, "Diverse Extremes of Life." The experience of moving
from a small, suburban town to an urban environment became the seed for the hit film,
"Save the Last Dance," for which Adler wrote the story and shared screenplay credit
with Cheryl Edwards. His other screenwriting credits include VH1's highest rated original
telefilm "The Way She Moves." He has written projects for Universal, Revolution,
Miramax, Focus and several other production companies.
While continuing to write, Adler has segued into directing and producing. In 2003,
he produced and directed the film festival short, "The Reluctant Dominatrix," and in
2005 completed his feature directorial debut, "God's Waiting List," written by Nian Aster.
"God's Waiting List" made its festival debut at the prestigious American Black Film
Festival in Miami in July, 2005, and has played worldwide, including stops in New
Orleans, Minneapolis, Oakland, Switzerland and Los Angeles, among others, and was
released on DVD May 2006.
MELISSA ROSENBERG (Writer) began her career as a dancer/choreographer,
obtaining her undergraduate degree in dance from Bennington College in Vermont, and
working with a small avant-garde dance-theatre company that performed in and around
New York. After making her way to Los Angeles and earning an MFA from USC's Peter
Stark Producing Program, she won a writing assignment from Paramount Pictures for a
feature film that took place in the world of dance. Though that film was never produced,
it was her entry into the Writer's Guild, and kicked off a highly successful career writing
and producing hour-long television drama. Some of Rosenberg's many television credits
include "The OC" (Co-Executive Producer), "Boston Public" (Consulting Producer),
"Party of Five" (Supervising Producer), "The Agency" (Consulting Producer) and "Love
Monkey" (Co-Executive Producer).
Rosenberg was approached by the producers of STEP UP after the first season
of "The OC" - despite the fact that they had no idea she was a former dancer. When she
found out the nature of the project, and that it was being directing by talented
choreographer Anne Fletcher, she was thrilled.
Rosenberg is currently a Consulting Producer on the Showtime series "Dexter"
starring Michael C. Hall, which will premiere in the fall.
PATRICK WACHSBERGER (Producer) is President and CEO of Summit
Entertainment, a position he has held since he and his partners Robert Hayward and
David Garrett bought out the prior Summit Entertainment Group shareholders in
November 1993. With over 30 years experience in the production, distribution and
exhibition business, Wachsberger has crafted summit into one of the world's most
successful foreign sales and distribution companies.
Wachsberger produced the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie blockbuster "Mr & Mrs
Smith" and "Lies and Alibis" starring Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn. Currently in
development, is the Alexandre Aja project "P2." His executive producer credits include
"Wrong Turn," "Vanilla Sky," "The Loss of Sexual Innocence" and "Bad Lieutenant."
Prior to running Summit Entertainment, Wachsberger served as President and
CEO of Odyssey Entertainment and Odyssey Distributors, Ltd., a company he created
in 1988. During his six-year tenure at Odyssey, he acquired, co-produced and
distributed his first acquisition "Pelle The Conqueror," which won the Oscar for best
foreign language film and the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and "Time of the Gypsies." With
Regency Enterprises he executive produced and distributed Sydney Lumet's "Q&A,"
and Blake Edwards' "Switch." He also distributed Ridley Scott's "1492."
Before joining Odyssey, Wachsberger was President of J & M Entertainment,
one of the leading foreign sales companies. He began his career as an Assistant
Director and Production Manager, working on over twenty films in Italy and France.
After directing short films, he moved to the United States where he produced several
films with his father, Nat Wachsberger. These included "The Killer Force" with Telly
Savalas and Peter Fonda; and an animated feature film of "The Three Musketeers,"
directed by John Halas.
ERIK FEIG (Producer) is the President of Production and Acquisitions at Summit
Entertainment. In that capacity, he oversees all productions, co-productions, and
acquisitions for the world's leading independent foreign sales and film financing
company. While at Summit, Feig has shepherded and produced such projects as last
summer's box office smash "Mr And Mrs Smith," starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,
directed by Doug Liman; the independent film "Lies and Alibis," starring Rebecca
Romijn, Steve Coogan and Selma Blair, set to be released by Sony and the teen horror
cult hit "Wrong Turn" for Fox. Next up for Feig is the Alexandre Aja-produced thriller,
"P2," currently in pre-production; "Countdown" from Scott Derrickson, writer/director of
"The Exorcism of Emily Rose"; and teen horror/thriller "Nite," with Mischa Barton ("The
OC") attached.
In addition, Feig supervises Summit's involvement with films of its client
companies, including Alcon Entertainment, Beacon Pictures, Mandalay Entertainment,
Constantin Film and Walden Media. In that capacity, recent films overseen on a sales
agency basis include last year's Cannes entry "Down in the Valley" starring Edward
Norton and Evan Rachel Wood, Tony Scott's "Domino" and the recently completed
Alejandro González Iñárritu film, "Babel," starring Brad Pitt. And continuing the franchise
that began his producing career, Feig has just completed "I'll Always Know What You
Did Last Summer," the follow-up to the teen hits "I Know What You Did Last Summer"
and "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer."
Following the successes of those films, Feig produced the teen comedy
"Slackers" for Sony. During the late 1990s, he continued to develop projects for many of
the major studios and networks, while operating under an overall producing deal with
Artisan Entertainment, a then-client of Summit Entertainment. In 2001, Feig was
approached by Summit's CEO Patrick Wachsberger to take the reins of Summit's newly
established production division and jump-start the company's own production efforts.
Feig received a BA in English, with honours, from Columbia University, in 1992.
ADAM SHANKMAN (Producer) is one of the film industry's top directors working
today. 2001 marked his directorial debut with the hit feature "The Wedding Planner." His
subsequent string of successes includes "A Walk To Remember," "Bringing Down The
House," "The Pacifier," and "Cheaper By The Dozen 2." He has also directed for the hit
television series "Monk." He will next direct the film version of the musical of the film
"Hairspray."
Shankman and his sister, STEP UP producer Jennifer Gibgot, formed Offspring
Entertainment in 2003, with an overall deal which they recently renewed at Disney.
They have several high-profile comedies in development including a retelling of
"Topper" starring Steve Martin with Mandeville Films with Shankman attached to direct,
"The Other Guy," "The Fiancé" and "Overparenting."
In the world of television, Shankman and Gibgot have sold "The Assistants" to
NBC through Twentieth Century Television. Brian Fuller ("Wonderfalls") will write the
project and executive produce along with Shankman and Gibgot.
Prior to directing, Shankman was one of the entertainment world's premiere
dance and physical comedy choreographers, putting his creative stamp on many
well-known comedies, dramas, thrillers, and animated films. His projects include "The
Addams Family," "Casper," "Inspector Gadget," "Anastasia," "George of the Jungle," "
Boogie Nights," "Miami Rhapsody" and "The Flintstones," for which he was nominated
for a Bob Fosse Award. Shankman won the Bob Fosse award for his work with Simon
West.
At age 24, Shankman teamed up with influential video director Julian Temple as
a music video choreographer. One of the first videos as choreographer was Whitney
Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight." He has also choreographed videos for The B-52's,
Barry White, Aaron Neville, Chic and Stevie Wonder.
A native of Los Angeles, where he currently resides, Shankman developed a love
for the theatre at an early age. After high school, he moved to New York and attended
Juilliard in the dance program for two years. After five years of work as an actor and
dancer in New York and regional theatre, he moved back to Los Angeles and began
dancing in music videos, including videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. He also
performed at the 1990 Academy Awards, where he first met Anne Fletcher.
JENNIFER GIBGOT (Producer) began her career as a producer running
Tapestry Films in 1995. Over the course of her eight years at Tapestry, she set up
numerous projects and produced successful films such as "She's All That" and "The
Wedding Planner." Gibgot hired her brother, Adam Shankman, already an established
choreographer, to helm "The Wedding Planner," which ultimately launched his directing
career.
In 2003, Shankman and Gibgot formed Offspring Entertainment and signed a
first-look deal at Disney, where they have set up and are developing several projects as
noted above. Since forming Offspring, Shankman and Gibgot have made "The Pacifier"
for Disney and the sequel to "Cheaper By The Dozen" for Fox in addition to producing
STEP UP.
BOB HAYWARD (Executive Producer) has been Chief Operating Officer and
partner in Summit Entertainment since it was founded in 1993. Hayward has enjoyed a
career in international film distribution, film financing and film production since 1982. His
recent executive producer credits include: the Steve Coogan-Rebecca Romijn
caper-comedy, "The Alibi"; the Gael Garcia Bernal thriller, "Dot The I" and Alexandre
Aja's "P2" which is currently in pre-production.
DAVID GARRETT (Executive Producer) is the Senior Executive VP of Summit
Entertainment, a leading foreign sales and film financing company headquartered in
Santa Monica, with offices in London. Garrett has been the head of London operations
since he and his partners took over Summit Entertainment Group in November 1993.
From that time, he has served as European Supervisor over Summit-produced,
co-produced and acquired titles including "American Pie," "Memento," "Keeping Mum,"
"Mr & Mrs Smith" and the 2006 Cannes official selection "Babel." Next up for Garrett is
the Alexandre Aja project, "P2."
Garrett began his career in the industry in 1981 by producing and marketing
documentary films. He was a pioneer in of early UK cable and satellite TV development
and launched several channels, finally serving as Head of Acquisitions for The Movie
Channel on BSB.
He was born and educated in England where he graduated in Philosophy and
Modern Languages (Spanish) from Magdalene College, Oxford. Garrett is married with
two boys, 17 and 16. He enjoys travelling the world, playing tennis, backgammon and
chess, reading and going to the cinema.
JOHN H STARKE (Executive Producer) has had a distinguished career as a
producer and production manager. He was producer on "I'm Not Rappaport," executive
producer on "Punisher" and "Made," co-producer on "Just The Ticket" and "Night Falls
on Manhattan," and associate producer on "Immediate Family," "Orphans," "Highlander"
and "Winter Kills." Among Starke's credits as production manager are "Bad Boys II,"
"Entrapment," "A Stranger Among Us," "Q&A," "Legal Eagles," "The World According to
Garp" and "One Trick Pony." Starke was nominated for an Emmy in 1994 as one of the
producers of "Tracy Takes on New York."
MICHAEL SERESIN (Director of Photography) most recently shot the third
instalment of the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Inspired by filmmakers such as Truffaut and Fellini, Seresin left his job left his job as a
camera assistant at Pacific Films in his native New Zealand in 1966 to pursue a film
career in Europe. After a year in Rome he arrived in London and within two years
established himself as one of the country's most sought after commercial
cinematographers, a reputation he continued to enjoy in his movie career. Seresin's
many feature credits include nine films for director Alan Parker, including "Midnight
Express," "Bugsy Malone," "Shoot The Moon," "Birdy," "Angel Heart," "Come See The
Paradise," "Fame," "Angela's Ashes," and "The Life Of David Gale." Other key films
include four films for Harold Becker, "The Ragman's Daughter," "City Hall," "Mercury
Rising," and "Domestic Disturbance," as well as Roger Donaldson's "Sleeping Dogs"
and Adrian Lyne's "Foxes." In tandem with his film career Seresin has continued to
combine a career as a director and cinematographer for commercials. He directed the
feature "Homeboy," written by and starring Mickey Rourke.
In addition to his stellar career in films, Seresin is a serious vintner. In 1992 he
founded the Seresin Estate on the lush Wairau Plains of Marlborough, New Zealand, at
the top of South Island. His wines and olive oils have won awards world wide.
SHEPHERD FRANKEL (Production Designer) had an immediate and emotional
connection to STEP UP, having attended the LaGuardia School of the Arts in New York,
the school on which "Fame" was based. Born and raised in New York City, he was
accepted into LaGuardia after a promising start as an amateur tagger and child actor.
There he studied painting and sculpting before going on to get his undergraduate
degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and a Masters in
Architecture from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA. Almost
immediately after receiving his graduate degree, he jumped into commercials and film.
Frankel's most recent projects as Supervising Art Director include "Fantastic
Four," "Catwoman," "Scooby Doo 2," and "Sweet Home Alabama," and his other credits
as Assistant Art Director include "Terminator 3," "Magnolia," "Stuart Little 1" and "Stuart
Little 2." STEP UP is his first feature film credit as Production Designer.
NANCY RICHARDSON ACE (Editor) cut the features "Lords of Dogtown,"
"Thirteen," "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "The Annihilation of Fish," "Down In The Delta,"
"Selena," "White Man's Burden," "My Family," "To Sleep With Anger" and "Stand and
Deliver." Among her television credits are "Gotta Kick It Up!," "When Billie Beat Bobby"
and "Hendrix."
ALIX HESTER (Costume Designer) began her career in the mid-1990s in the
wardrobe department of "Dead Man Walking." She served as costume designer on
"Mysterious Skin," "The Brightness You Keep," "Attraction" and "Love in the Ruins." Her
credits as costumer include work on "The Wedding Crashers," "Bewitched," "The
Terminal," "The Whole Ten Yards," "The Lady-killers," "Intolerable Cruelty," "Catch Me If
You Can," "One Hour Photo," "Shallow Hal," "American Beauty," "Cradle Will Rock" and
"Blast From the Past." She designed for the stage for about six years prior to starting
her film career. In the early 1990s, she worked all over Europe with avant garde theatre
director Reza Abdoh, and then did his only film, "The Blind Owl." For six years Hester
was resident costume designer with Tim Robbins' LA theatre company, The Actors
Gang. She also has credits with the Geffen, Taper New Works, and Lincoln Centre
Director's Lab theatres.
AARON ZIGMAN (Composer) most recently composed the music for "ATL,"
"Take The Lead" starring Antonio Banderas, the critically praised indie drama "Akeelah
and the Bee," Nick Cassavetes' crime drama "Alpha Dog" and Bobby Moresco's "10th
and "Wolf." Zigman is no stranger to the urban music scene. The composer made a
name for himself producing and arranging for artists such as Aretha Franklin, Tina
Turner, Patti LaBelle, Nona Gaye, the Pointer Sisters and Christina Aguilera. Known for
his command of rhythm and different styles, he developed his knack for melody into his
current scoring career. Zigman has also worked on "The Notebook," "The Wendell
Baker Story," and "John Q." His forthcoming films include "Flicka" with Alison Lohman
and Tim McGraw and "Bridge to Terabithia."
BUCK DAMON (Music Supervisor) won a 2004 Grammy Award, along with Zach
Braff and Amanda Scheer Demme, for creating the influential platinum hit soundtrack
for "Garden State." One of film's most sought-after music supervisors, Damon's recent
credits include "Mean Girls," "House of D," "The Last Shot," and "Cheaper By The
Dozen 2." Among his additional films as music supervisor are "Blow" and "Knockaround
Guys." He also served as music consultant on "The Rundown," "Erin Brockovich," "The
Limey," "She's All That," "Hurly-burly," "Out of Sight," "Rounders," and "Life." He has
also worked as a music supervisor for television's "Freaks and Geeks," and as a music
consultant on "The PJs" and "Felicity."