Columbus and 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'

• Critics have said that Columbus uses the same traits from his previous film of 'I Love You Beth Cooper', with the camera work being frequently pedestrian, possesses bad acting and hasjokes that continously fall flat.
• However, has improved on the film by not becoming a slave to the book (Unlike the first two Potter films) and was able to put more of his own style into the film and compressed certain events that occur in the book.
• Again, Columbus works in the genre that appeals to children and like 'Harry Potter', 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' is a mythical story relating to the overall theme of magic.
• Uses a similiar set of Hogwarts for the exterior setting of the film.

Sources of information:

• 
  
  http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2783138/columbus_adaption_of_percy_jackson.html
• 
  
  http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2010/02/12/lightning_thief_struggles_in_shadow_of_harry_potter/
• 
  
  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/percy-jackson-the-olympians-the-lightning-1004066873.story

Audience

Columbus's work can be said to be most loved by everyday American men, women and children who stuggle to uphold family traditions. His films are made to be an escape from stuggling society and provide some comedic entertainment and maybe even leave a sense of hope.

Cameo's in Columbus's work

• In the first two Harry Potter films Columbus gave his daughter Elenor the small role of Susan Bones. Columbus's nephew also appeared in the second Potter film as the 'Boy in the Study Hall'.
• Columbus's other two children, Brendan and Violet appeared as unnamed characters in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'.
• Elenor Columbus also was in 'Home Alone' as ababy with her mother, and also appearred in 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York with Chris Columbus'.
• Violet played a small role in 'I Love You, Beth Cooper' by singing the graduation song at the beginning.

What can we learn from these Cameos?

With Columbus assigning small roles to his family in his works, we can presume that in his personal life he is a real family man, and where he may like to show his children the industry he works in and help them learn more about the film world.

Source of information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Columbus_(filmmaker)

Style of directing...

• Columbus focuses on the family genre, where majority of his films are appropriate for all ages. His 1990 film 'Home Alone' set this trend, where it was one of Columbus's early noticable movies. Therefore  Hollywood began to identify him with the family genre.
• When Columbus was assigned to direct the first Harry Potter movie this furthermore showed that Hollywood appreciated him directing family genre films.
• We are able to see that Columbus is able to work well with children through his work
• By having directed 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' and now 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief" it shows that Chris Columbus has some creativity isn creating fantasy worlds, that allow for the audience to escape from their ordinary lives.
• Columbus had the big mission of directing the hit Broadway show 'Rent', but critics did find that it brought to the big screen the vibrance of the live show even though Columbus used a vast majority of actors from the original Broadway show

Sources of information:

• http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012955/bio
• http://www.screenrush.co.uk/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne=13170.html

Filmograpahy- Director

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif (2010)
• NFL Dad (2007)
• Will Sebastian (2007)
• Slanted and Enchanted (2006)
• Rent (2005)
• 3-D Rocks (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
• Bicentennial Man (1999)
• Stepmom (1998)
• Nine Months (1995)
• Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
• Only the Lonely (1991)
• Home Alone (1990)
• Heartbreak Hotel (1988)
• Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Source of information: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001060/

Chris Columbus & Harry Potter

• Columbus used a lot of cutting techniques in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). This was due to the actors (Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe) not being able to shoot a whole scene without looking into the camera or the lights.
• Columbus stated that he wasn't fully satisfied with the special effects in his first Harry Potter movie.
• This website provides much informtion surrounding Harry Potter 1 and behind the scenes involvement...  http://www.mugglenet.com/movies/movie1/trailer.shtml
• Some critics said that Columbus didn't imprint his own style of directing into the first Potter movie and had instead stuck to the image of the book too much, however Potter fans enjoyed how Columbus had approached the directing style.
• When Columbus went to direct 'Harry Potter Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' he had adapted his style to be more bolder and brisker but still kept the same magical elements of the book series.
• In 2001 Columbus was nominated for Best Brittish film for 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'.

Sources of information....

• http://www.hpana.com/news.21001.html
• http://www.examiner.com/x-11613-Books-on-Film-Examiner~y2010m2d11-Chris-Columbus-compares-directing-Harry-Potter-and-Percy-Jackson

Chris Columbus...an intro

-Born 10 September 1958, Spanglar, Pennsylvania

-Of Italian and Czech descent

-Not only is an American film director, but also producer and screenwriter.

-Graduated from Tisch School of Arts

-First directorial debut was the teen comedy Adventures in Babysitting 1987

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Columbus_(filmmaker)