Gone in 60 Seconds - Production Photos

 

Gone in 60 Seconds - Production Notes

Gone in 60 Seconds : Production Notes

 Audiences will no doubt recognize the title "Gone in 60 Seconds" from its '70s predecessor, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer is quick to point out the film is not simply a remake, but a complete rebuild of the popular original. "When we decided to go ahead with this project, it was important to everyone that the spirit of the original film stay intact," he says. "But we've enlarged the scope of the story, and more clearly defined the characters. We also added some characters and reworked the plot while maintaining elements which fans who remember and love in the original will enjoy seeing again."

Writer Scott Rosenberg first learned about the original film four years ago from The Walt Disney Studio's then-chief of production, Michael Linton. "Michael described it in one sentence," says Rosenberg. "'They have to steal 50 cars in one night.' I thought that was the coolest idea in the world. Jerry Bruckheimer and I started discussing it when we were doing 'Con Air (1997)' and agreed that because the hero is no longer a criminal, we had to develop a strong reason for him to be drawn back into the life he's fought so hard to leave."

"This movie is not just for people who love cars," Bruckheimer notes. "It's an exciting drama about a man who wants desperately to do the right and honorable thing in life but gets drawn back into a former existence, one of crime and fear. It's a movie about making choices set against a backdrop of incredible cars."

Actor Nicolas Cage agrees. "The original was the inspiration for this film," he says. "I was surprised how many people had seen it. In the original film there was a 40-minute chase and the film focused on the chase, but this film focuses more on the relationships - there's more motivation - I have to steal 50 cars within a couple of days to save my brother's life."

Bruckheimer never wavered in his desire to see Nicolas Cage portray Memphis Raines. "We chased Nic from the beginning," he says. "Scott had Nic in mind when he wrote the piece. Nic was the first actor we went to and we just chased him until he finally said yes."

A noted car collector, Cage was drawn to the film not only because of the auto appeal, but also because of the dynamic new script. "There is a great group of characters," he explains. "The humanity appealed to me. Jerry understands that big things take time and he was behind us one hundred percent."

"Memphis is a character who was living on the edge for quite a while," Bruckheimer says of the main character. "He had a passion for cars even before he could drive. Jumping into a brand new Corvette made him feel good. Driving out to Palm Springs on a joyride was a blast, but he couldn't afford to buy the car. Eventually these joyrides turned into a business and that business turned bad. He could have gotten killed. He could have spent his life in prison, but he decided to leave. Stealing was a circumstance and not really who he was."

Bruckheimer, Rosenberg and producer Mike Stenson attempted several different scenarios before settling on the idea of using a kid brother as the catalyst for Memphis' change. Even in their initial story meeting, they agreed that the threat to Memphis' brother had to effectuate the rest of the story. On the way home from that meeting Rosenberg began conjuring his cast of unique characters.

"The script was still evolving as we were attempting to cast all the parts," says director Dominic Sena. "We talked many of the actors through it so that they would know where we were going with the story. It was as if we were saying, 'Just sign here and trust us,'" he laughs.

Giovanni Ribisi portrays Memphis' younger brother Kip. "Giovanni was our first choice to play Kip," says Sena. "He's taken on so many challenging roles in his relatively brief career; he's just amazing for someone so young. He had this street punk thing about him; he's a real presence."

The chemistry between the two brothers is intrinsic to the story, so the chemistry between the actors playing those roles was equally important. "Nic and Giovanni initially seem to be very different," says Sena. "But they struck a chord and share a shrewd sense of humor. They found a way to twist the dialogue and were in synch. To me they even look like brothers and share a physical resemblance."

Memphis first discovers Kip is in trouble when a ghost from his past appears; it's his old partner, Atley Jackson. Played by Will Patton, Atley is an all too vivid reminder of Memphis' wilder days. "He's like a shark coming in for the kill," describes Rosenberg. "Or the devil come up from hell. That's how Memphis sees it. Atley's this grim reminder of the past that's come to tell him he has to go back to hell. Will plays the role perfectly; he's definitely got a dark edge."

Patton was cast two days before his initial scenes were shot. "I called him and offered him the role," says Sena. "He freaked out because it was Saturday and we were shooting on Monday. He said, 'Wait a minute, when do I get to become the character? When do I do my homework?' and I said, 'On set, in front of the camera!'" he laughs. "We were so impressed; his performance is just incredible. He's the consummate professional. I would hire him for anything in a nanosecond."

Memphis must assemble his team of experts who had six years earlier hung up their slimjims soon after he left town. Memphis first approaches his mentor, Otto Halliwell, who is happily and quietly running a small auto repair and finishing shop. "Otto is the Yoda of the group," says Mike Stenson. "He is the old salt of the chop shop. He understands the Zen of boosting cars and wonders where the next generation went wrong. He's a source of knowledge and organization for the group."

"It's a father/son kind of thing," says Robert Duvall of Otto's relationship with Memphis. "I reared him, trained him, schooled him in the finer points of cars and then he gave it all up. Now he comes back and puts me on the spot by asking for an intense favor."

Memphis' best friend Donny Astricky is played by Chi McBride. "Donny does not hesitate when Memphis asks him for help," explains McBride. "When Memphis finds him, he's a driver's ed instructor and the victim of a hapless student. Donny's definitely gone straight, but he's miserable in his job. And even after he's met Kip's gang, who don't seem to take anything seriously, he's still on board. We're from the old school, we're cautious and don't have room for slip-ups, because the next thing you know, you're doing a 15-year stretch at Club Fed. But Donny grows to respect Kip's crew when he sees how well versed they are in modern technology and gadgetry. He's reluctant, but he has to admit, they make the job easier."

The Sphinx is Memphis' muscle. Played by British world class footballer Vinnie Jones, the Sphinx exudes an aura of mystery. Writer Rosenberg's original script included a colorful description of Sphinx as a kid in juvenile detention; a wisecracking youth who always had an answer for everything, he finds himself in a violent altercation with other inmates. Sphinx endures the worst and the experience changes him for life. Yet another legend has it that during a big boost, he was in a chase that went horribly wrong. Either way, his character hasn't spoken a word in years. "He doesn't have time for idle chatter or conversation of any kind," says Jones. "He's in his own world. He's a bit of a psychic. Whenever Memphis is in trouble, he seems to appear. But you get the impression that something's not right with this bloke."

Whether out of anxiety or simple fear, Memphis last approaches the love of his life, Sara Wayland, also known as Sway. She wants nothing to do with him. "He's an old lover walking back in after six years," says Academy Award®-winner Angelina Jolie who portrays the Ferrari-loving mechanic. "He's been gone and she thinks she's finally gotten over him and cleaned up her life, and then he walks back in. And even when she discovers why he's there, she's still hesitant to become involved with him again. But she cares about Kip; he's like a little brother to her too, so against her better judgement, she gets back into it."

"I like Sway because she's not a woman who hates men," Jolie says. "She loves them, she's one of them. She's equal to them at their game, but she's also totally female, very sexy, and she's not going to deny that."

"Angelina turns in a stellar performance every time," says Bruckheimer of the multi-award-winning actress. "The number of accolades she has received at such a young age is amazing. She's a relative newcomer yet she has a real point of view. Her character, Sway, is tough and pretty brash at times, but she is also somewhat vulnerable when she wants to be. She works a number of jobs and is an ambitious woman on the rise. I love characters like that."

Now Memphis must confront his brother. He quickly learns Kip has established his own crew of experts, including their childhood neighbor, Tommy Tummel now known as Tumbler. "Kip's friends are younger with an entirely different set of skills from Memphis' group," says Bruckheimer. "They have a great wheel man, an electronics expert, a guy who can hack into insurance files and change VIN numbers - they know all the new tricks, but they lack experience and style. Memphis also teaches them about being cautious and knowing when to walk away from a bad deal when the stakes are too high."

"We're in it for the money," says Scott Caan of Tumbler and the rest of Kip's gang. As Kip's getaway man and the best driver in the group, Tumbler is always ready to put the pedal to the metal. He's a hot head who cannot distinguish danger from excitement. Like Kip, his decisions put the entire group in jeopardy. "Tumbler butts heads with Memphis," Caan says. "And even though we've screwed it up before, he doesn't think Kip needs these old guys. For Tumbler, it's not an art; it's not about finesse. You get a key code and the computer starts the car, there's not as much skill involved."

William Lee Scott plays the youngest of the car thieves. "Toby is a computer whiz, which is pretty ironic because I don't know anything about computers," laughs Scott. "Memphis doesn't want him along for the boost because he's so young, but without his technology, they couldn't get the Cadillacs, Mercedes or BMWs. They have to bypass all their computerized security systems, and that's my character's expertise."

James Duval (no relation to Robert) is Freb. He is in awe of Memphis and his gang and enamored by the history of these guys. According to Chi McBride whose character is paired with Freb, "He is the most in need of St. Jude. He's a lost cause. Memphis, Donny and Otto are legends the proportion of Mickey Mantle or Michael Jordan."

"Freb is the guy with a heart of gold," says Duval. "He's completely loyal in his way and will never let you down. He makes mistakes now and again, and doesn't always do the smartest things, but his heart is in the right place."

First time actor T J Cross is Mirror Man. A comedian from the East Coast, Cross looked for the comedic elements in the story when he first read the script. "I was wondering, where are the jokes? And then I realized there are no jokes. So Dominic and Jerry just let me go with it. At first I thought it would be a lot of sweaty guys stealing cars, but the whole cast is naturally funny, and the situation that we find ourselves in makes for funny moments. Younger people who have energy and are more spontaneous thrown together with older people who have wisdom and experience; it's every day life. When you put someone stone faced, 6'2" like the Sphinx who never talks with someone like my character who's 5'6" and never shuts up, it makes for a great relationship."

"We wanted to bring some humor to the movie," says director Sena. "A tape came in and the guy just cracked us up. It was TJ. We didn't know he didn't have any acting experience, so we brought him out and in five minutes he picked up on it. He's very funny."

Kip and Memphis' common enemy is the nefarious Raymond Calitri. "Calitri is a true villain," says Bruckheimer. "We decided to create this character who came to the States from England. We imagined him as a petty thief and extortionist who expanded his repertoire to became a vicious criminal. He has effectively eliminated all the competition in town and controls whatever he touches. Unfortunately, Kip has entered into a deal with him, and Calitri doesn't really care what it takes to get the job done or that Memphis must risk everyone he loves to boost these cars, he just wants the goods and he's willing to kill Kip in the bargain."

"In a perverse way, Calitri is not too concerned about watching them fail," says British actor Christopher Eccleston. "Calitri is a businessman who is quite detached. He's not particularly interested in what he's selling, it's simply the way he makes his money."

But to make matters worse, while trying to complete the job for Calitri, Memphis must deal with his old rival, Johnny B, who is convinced Memphis is back in town to reestablish his territory. Master P makes a cameo appearance as the gangster who has taken over Memphis' turf.

In addition, while planning their caper and watching their backs from Calitri and his henchmen, they must also keep a close eye out for the law. Detective Roland Castlebeck has been following Memphis' illustrious career for years, often getting close enough to obtain damaging evidence, but never so near as to be able to arrest him. Castlebeck is one of the reasons Memphis left town all those years ago.

"Castlebeck's beef with Memphis is personal, based on what I felt had been their history together," Delroy Lindo says of his character. "It's personal. They're similar in many ways. After speaking with some police officers who do this work day in and day out, I found there's sometimes a mutual appreciation for cars among the officers and the thieves. Between Castlebeck and Memphis, there's a genuine respect because they're both the best at what they do. If it weren't for the fact that they're on opposite sides of the law, they'd probably be good friends."

As Detective Roland Castlebeck, Lindo stars as the best of the Los Angeles' auto theft task force. Bruckheimer has been after the actor to star in one of his pictures for years, but schedule conflicts kept Lindo from accepting various roles. And even though the actor was starring in another film during production of "Gone in 60 Seconds," the filmmakers decided to juggle the shooting schedule to accommodate him.

"Delroy is so distinctive," declares Bruckheimer. "His performances are amazing. He's just one of the best. Everything he does is seemingly effortless, but if you watch him prepare off camera, he is aware of every fine detail. He did as much research as possible and was always taking advantage of the experts we had available on set. He was insistent on wearing the gun, the cuffs, all the accouterment, even if it was uncomfortable or wasn't needed in the shot, he's just that exacting. That makes for a distinct presence on screen."

Even though Castlebeck admires Memphis' expertise, he is first and foremost a cop. He illustrates his case by teaching a novice to the auto theft task force, Detective Drycoff, the ropes. Timothy Olyphant plays Castlebeck's partner.

An actor with a terrific sense of comic timing, Olyphant was a contrast to the more serious Lindo. "My first reaction when I read the script was that there was very little in the way of dialogue for me," says the young actor. "So I started circling some of Delroy's lines that I thought would be good. I tried reasoning with the writer, but it didn't do any good," he jokes.

Bruckheimer is known for his large ensemble casts and goes out of his way to include actors with even the smallest parts to become part of the production family. He encourages everyone to contribute and takes time to listen to every suggestion. "It's part of the process," he says. "That's why I got into this business. It's of no use if you don't foster an air of collaboration. We've always welcomed input from any quarter, good ideas aren't part of some ethereal hierarchy." But Bruckheimer is also quick to point out that Dominic Sena determined the tone for the set. "Dominic has an enormous amount of energy," he says. "And he's always smiling. If the director keeps it light and he's a good guy, then everything will work out fine, even on difficult days. It starts with the director and Dominic was someone everyone wanted to work for because they truly like him."

Bruckheimer has been after Sena to direct a film since 1992. "There's an energy to Dominic's work that's amazing," the producer notes. "It's not just the beautiful lighting, it's the humor and fast pace he brings to whatever he does. The worst thing for me is to sit in a theatre and feel bored by what I see on screen. Dominic's images are intriguing; everything he does adds to the narrative of the story. Dominic is a true artist."

When Sena signed on, Bruckheimer was not aware that the director had actually worked for the original film's director in 1979/1980. "When I first came to L.A., I was hired by Toby Halicki as a camera operator," explains Sena. "He gave me a copy of the original 'Gone in 60 Seconds' and said, 'Kid, here's my first movie. I made it for a million bucks and this one's going to be even better. So I worked with him for about three or four weeks on 'The Junkman' until the stunts became too crazy," he describes. "Toby had a lot of energy and enthusiasm."

According to Sena, the filmmakers' task was to reinvigorate the stunt work as well as the story line. "People knew the movie and the chase scene so we had to raise the bar and pull out all the stops. Lots of hairy close calls without too much catastrophic destruction, and because Nic Cage did the driving, it's very real. If there are any stunt men, it's marginal. Besides, I think he drives as well as the stunt men do; he's an amazing driver - he can do anything they can do."

"Nic set the tone and everyone had a ball," says Bruckheimer. "The studio was seeing the dailies and then they realized Nic was driving the car, driving very fast," he laughs. "And all of a sudden we had visitors on the set to make sure it was safe, so we pulled him back twenty percent." But for Cage, who loves to drive, that was easier said than done.

"I don't really enjoy stunt driving per se," Cage lets on. "I do a lot of it in this film - 360s and 180s, burning rubber and all that. It's what was necessary for the character. I prefer driving fast. Speed on an open road or track is more what appeals to me."

For Sena the difficulty lay in creating something audiences hadn't seen before. He was a vigilant protector of his characters when it came to devising the stunt work (with stunt coordinator Chuck Picerni Jr.,) which often times became a character in itself, serving to move the plot forward. "You don't want to bore the audience with old gags. And for me it was important to keep the humanity, keeping the players involved - the flavor of the relationship Nic has with the car. It's not just all sheet metal."

Rosenberg's script direction said simply: "Look, chase scenes are like love scenes, what makes one man hot leaves another cold. This ain't us shirking responsibility, but the only thing duller than writing chase scenes is reading them & hellip; Suffice it to say, this will be one exciting chase."

"It can be tough for a writer to create these things without having seen different locations," concedes Picerni. "It's tough to envision what the director or the stunt coordinator has in mind. On this film, the process of creating the end chase sequence evolved over the months we were shooting. Dominic and I and Johnny Martin (Picerni's assistant coordinator) reworked the plans many times."

The driving force behind the chase is Memphis' ongoing relationship with one particular car, a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 he calls Eleanor. He and his buddies demonstrate their affection for the cars they take by giving each a girl's name. Designating proper names also operates as a practical code so that the authorities are unaware of which automobile is about to be stolen.

"It's a car he's never been able to obtain in all the years he's been stealing cars," explains Picerni. "He's never been able to capture this prize. Holding on to Eleanor is the culmination of years of frustration, and he decides this is it, this is the one and the heat is on because this is the last time I will have a chance to get this car."

"There are so many great car chases," he continues. "We wanted to make this one different, but we really took care not to go over the top. We added interesting elements and some unique locations to make the stunts and the chase exciting in their own entity rather than going for the crash and bang."

"That's the trickiest thing about this chase scene," says Sena. "You have to be more inventive because you don't have bad guys chasing after good guys firing rounds at them, leaving death and destruction in their wake. It had to be big and spectacular and exciting so that the audience will get caught up in it, but nobody can get hurt. I was adamant about that. This is a car thief with a good heart who's doing what he's doing because he is trying to save his brother's life and there's no other way to do it. So good guys are chasing good guys. In this respect, we went into it with one hand tied behind our back. We couldn't have big crashes or blow anything up or hurt people. Hopefully we found a way to make it exciting without getting anyone's hair mussed!"

The most intricate part of the chase involved shutting down the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which links Long Beach and San Pedro. Luckily for the filmmakers, the city was retrofitting the bridge periodically throughout the year, closing it down on intermittent weekends during the months of filming. Supervising location manager Laura Sode-Matteson worked tirelessly to secure the proper permits, enlisting the aid of The California Film Commission, the California Department of Transportation, the Cities of Long Beach and San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles as well as the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation. Each agency was integral in assisting the production company with pulling off this most complex sequence. No complete closure of the bridge has ever been done before. On two different weekends in October and November, the production team descended, creating an accident scene as a major obstacle in Memphis' escape route. Stunt coordinator Picerni and visual effects supervisor Boyd Sherman worked with Sena to create the fantastic visual of Memphis jumping Eleanor up and over the tangle of cars, fire equipment, ambulances and unsuspecting pedestrians.

Cage, Ribisi and co-star Angelina Jolie prepared for their roles by training at a variety of driving schools as well as with professional mechanics. Ribisi went so far as to build his own car. With the help of a professor from Pasadena City College, he rebuilt a 1967 Camaro using a 502-crate engine from Chevrolet. Robert Duvall whose character Otto Halliwell knows literally everything about cars, inside and out, learned the detailed techniques of pinstriping and custom paint design with a professional in the field watching over him on the set during filming.

Even Christopher Eccleston was encouraged to participate in the adventure. "I don't think Chris knew what he was in for," jokes Sena. "We hadn't written the ending when he signed on, so he didn't know he was going to have to hang three or four stories up in the air from a metal cable and then fall. He actually did it over and over, at least a dozen times."

Rigged to a device called a decelerator, Eccleston earned the kudos of cast and crew alike when on one of his first nights of shooting, he allowed himself to be hoisted high into the air and dropped at a high rate of speed to the ground. The camera, mounted above Eccleston on a crane, was placed to shoot his fall as if from the top of a high rise building. Eccleston wore a harness under his costume, which was clipped to a cable (attached to a paddle system that controls the speed of descent) and then hoisted into the air so that he could freely move his arms and legs as he falls. The stunt crew placed safety catchers (large portable pads) on the ground to break his fall should anything untoward happen with the cable. Picerni and Martin oversaw the actor's inaugural high wire stunt work.

"I had to cling to the crane and then let go and drop," says Eccleston. "And I'm not good with heights. They wanted my face big in the camera. I was supposed to fall backwards, firing all the while. The first time they released me, it wasn't fun, but after that it just became part of the job."

"When we started the shot he was definitely nervous," reports Martin. "But after we dropped him the first time, he couldn't wait to get up again, and when we thought he'd had too much and we'd better quit, Chris told us he wanted to do it again until it was perfect. He ended up pushing us. He was phenomenal."

Production designer Jeff Mann acted as the official car guru throughout the production. An avid car collector, whose father was a highly skilled auto mechanic, Mann has rebuilt and restored many of his own cars from the time he was in high school. "I am a big gear head," admits Mann. "There were carburetors on my dining room table ever since I was a little kid. I grew up being weaned on foreign cars and discovered American cars, hotrods and muscle cars as a teenager."

"I definitely related to the script - to the love and fascination of the car, to putting it above all else, if only symbolically," Mann says. "That emotional core of the script rang true for me and on certain occasions, Dominic would ask me to share that with him to keep him clear about the car lover's point of view."

Mann, along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, designed the look of the hero car, Eleanor, a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500. Mann brought several choice automobiles to the table: the newest from Carroll Shelby, a two-seat roadster Series 1 to a GT 40 made by Ford as a Le Mans car when Bruckheimer decided to take the Shelby Mustang GT 500 to the next level. "Jerry's decision was double edged," says Mann. "You want the car to be as aggressive and sexy as it possibly can be on screen, but you don't want to stray so far from what the car really is that you offend the Shelby purists out there." To make sure they didn't stray too far, Mann called on the services of Steve Stanford who created a rendering of the car with the modifications and specs the filmmakers requested. After several revisions, Bruckheimer okayed the design and selected metallic black and pewter tones for the Mustang's exterior.

According to Mann, Carroll Shelby, who has been involved in the car racing circuit since the 1950s, originally designed the first Shelby Cobra using an AC Bristol. Mann describes it as a two-seat, open car with an aluminum body. Built in England, they were powered by an anemic four-cylinder engine. Shelby had the wherewithal to transplant a small block Ford 260-cubic inch V-8 engine into these cars. With the aluminum chassis and short wheelbase, they were perfect for racing. This car became the Shelby Cobra, also known as the AC Cobra. Shelby began manufacturing the Cobra from 1961 through 1967; they were used both in racing and as street cars.

After entering into a partnership with Ford, Shelby began retrofitting Mustangs, making modifications to the suspension as well as other changes. Shelby sold the cars through the company's many dealerships. These cars were the Shelby Mustangs, the first of which was the 1965 GT 350. In 1966 the demand for these cars was so high that Ford took over manufacturing because Shelby's factory was not equipped to handle this kind of volume. True purists consider 1965 and 1966 cars made in his shop the only true Shelbys. The Ford Company utilized Shelby's designs and with his blessing continued to put out these high performance cars, including the 1967 GT 500. Currently these cars range in price from $20,000 to $80,000 for a low mileage, mint condition original.

For the film, Mann and transportation coordinator Bryce Williams enticed the master of car restoration, Ray Claridge at Cinema Vehicle Services, to build the 11 Shelby replicas needed. Although the 11 have the same sleek exterior, each automobile was designed with a specific purpose in mind and includes different internal components - some go fast in a straight line, some have special braking systems along with rack and pinion steering and heavy duty suspensions in order to perform more spectacular spin outs, lock ups and slides. One was designed as a rear wheel right-hand drive car so that a stuntman could sit next to Cage and control the car during sequences that were too intricate and dangerous for the actor to perform himself. Two others had no engines; one was used as a tow car and the other a process car, which was cut into different pieces so that sections could be easily removed for camera placement. But the majority of the cars were multi-purpose, fitted with after-market suspension systems, heavy-duty rear ends, four-wheel disc brakes and high-performance crate motors. A twelfth car, the first to be built, was a prototype for the overall design concept.

With the help of Williams and picture car coordinator Mike Antunez, the filmmakers researched many vehicles in assembling the list of cars Kip must deliver to Calitri. Initially Bruckheimer, Sena, and Mann pinned photos on the wall and spent a couple of hours brainstorming, picking their favorites. The next step was to whittle down that list to include cars that were not only plausible in terms of the story line, but also available. The list continued to change as the cameras rolled. Williams and Antunez worked incessantly, searching for cars. They looked on the Internet, via word of mouth, at specialty car shows and through private collectors for some of the rarer models.

"We went through hundreds of possibilities," Bruckheimer says. "We wanted to keep the list interesting, yet we had to include some staples in there, like Suburbans and Toyotas. Of course Calitri's clients would also be looking for sexy makes like Lamborghini and Ferrari. One of my favorites was a 1950 Mercury. I think we came up with an even mix."

Keeping up with the mix of cars on Calitri's list of 50 was also important to the technical advisors. The filmmakers counted on three undercover police officers--two from the Orange County Auto Theft Task Force (OCATT) and one from the Taskforce for Regional Auto Theft Prevention (TRAP), multijurisdictional law enforcement agencies in Orange and Los Angeles Counties--as well as a reformed car thief who is one of the many success stories of California's prison rehabilitation program. This young man, only in his early 20s, was a prolific thief specializing in Porsche and Mercedes. Although he cannot claim title to every crime, overall car theft in Orange County decreased nearly 17% when he and his accomplices were arrested and convicted. Coincidentally, he was incarcerated at Folsom Prison when Bruckheimer and Cage visited the facility in preparation for their film "Con Air (1997) ." He contends that newer cars "are that much more difficult to steal" and insists that in only a year or two, anti-theft devices have improved considerably rending many of his skills antiquated but not entirely useless. Accompanied by a law enforcement agent, this deft maestro was always on set during boost sequences.

"Our technical advisors were invaluable," says director Sena. "You can't pick up a book and read how to steal a Testarosa or what's the fastest way into a Porsche. You have to talk to people who did it for a living. They gave us a crash course and were there to advise if we were making it look too easy."

"Having your car stolen is a horrible experience," says Bruckheimer. "Like being robbed it's a serious violation, but it happens somewhere in America every two seconds. No matter how many precautions you take, you simply must be aware that your car is never completely safe. Just like the title says, it could be here one minute, and then gone in 60 seconds."

Con Air Posters

 

Con Air Lobby Cards

 

Con Air - Production Notes

About The Production

 

The original and compelling concept for "Con Air" came to the attention of renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer at a time when the script was still in development.

"When I read Scott Rosenberg's project," recalls Mr. Bruckheimer, "I saw great potential in the script so I immediately began pursuing it for my own company."

As the respected producer notes, "It was certainly great writing, but I instantly surmised that the script needed more heart. It had to be more character-driven, which is a common theme throughout all of my films, no matter what the action content might be.

Bruckheimer also began pursuing Simon West, an award-winning British director whose creative television commercials work caught Bruckheimer's eye. Once West agreed to come on board, he and Bruckheimer collaborated closely with writer Scott Rosenberg on the script, exchanging ideas for a stronger and more emotional story.

"Any good story must have characters who are carefully drawn. It must have people with whom audiences around the world can identify, and with common themes shared by all of us.

"After Scott and I first met," Bruckheimer continues, "he agreed to add more dimension to the characters, and he also agreed to change some other aspects of the script. We also altered some of the original locations."

From the start through the final version of the script, Bruckheimer remained clear about the message in "Con Air." As the producer offers, "This film is a story about redemption. It's a modern-day hero's great odyssey. It's about the larger-than-life trials and life-and-death tribulations he encounters on his journey home to his family."

Echoes Simon West: "This is a story straight out of the legendary Western archetype, rather like 'High Noon' where the importance of man's responsibility to his loved ones leads to a crisis of conscience. The hero of 'Con Air' was once a highly respected person who made one mistake and fell to the bottom of the pile, became the dregs of society. He paid his debt in jail and all he wants to do is go home. Physically he gets the chance-but mentally he cannot. He has to gain his self-respect and the respect of society before he can go back with his head held high."

Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg first learned of the U.S. Marshal's prisoner transport service while scanning a newspaper article. After reading a fascinating account detailing the special program, he visited the outfit's Oklahoma City base to get an eyewitness perspective of the incredible operation-which quickly formed the genesis for "Con Air."

As the writer recalls, "I spent three days on the Con Air plane with the convicts. We flew all over the country. These guys were in a really bad mood. It was just before Christmas, and that didn't help matters.

"But it was great for me to see the tension and the conditions, and to observe these hardened convicts at their worst. It was very unsettling, and a bit terrifying. But I knew the story would make a great film."

The experience of viewing the real-life Con Air transport system remains indelible to the screenwriter. "The machinations of it all are unbelievably efficient," Rosenberg says. "The breach of security that we depict in this movie could never happen-or so they insist. They laughed when I asked if there was a plausible way the cons in this story might be able to take over the plane. They told me the only way was to let my imagination run wild. So I did.

"Nobody frisked me," Rosenberg recalls of the moment he entered the aircraft. "I just walked on with a notebook, pencil and tape recorder. When I asked about contingency plans, in case something went wrong, they didn't have an answer, because there aren't any such plans. They run a very smooth, highly efficient operation. I have great respect for them."

Producer Bruckheimer, West and their ace support team refined the script and pre-production elements before meeting with Nicolas Cage to discuss his acceptance of the star role.

The group held their first "Con Air" production meeting in a small office above a Los Angeles restaurant as the cast and crew of Bruckheimer's recent blockbuster "The Rock"-starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris-were celebrating the completion of production.

That very evening, Cage had won the highly coveted Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in "Leaving Las Vegas." Hollywood odds-makers had already-and correctly-made book that Cage would also win the Best Actor Academy Award®.

To Bruckheimer, Nicolas Cage was clearly the actor to portray the pivotal, lead role of "Con Air" hero Cameron Poe. As the producer says, "Nicolas is the consummate pro who brings everything of himself to each role he plays. He always invests a great deal of time into his character and in the script.

During that first meeting, West spoke at length with Cage about his character's background, his hopes and desires, his life in prison. These early discussions resulted in West adding a prologue that runs over the film's credits depicting Cameron Poe's eight years in prison-and the rituals he used to keep himself emotionally and physically together.

"Nic is always contributing ideas to the films," confirms Bruckheimer. "It was his concept to make Poe a decorated Army Ranger, which adds tremendously to the power of his character and the empathy you feel for him. I love working with Nicolas, because he's totally-and deeply-involved in every aspect of the film and his role. He's an incredible talent and one of the finest actors in our business."

For his part, Nicolas Cage expresses unabashed high praise for the extraordinary producer. "Jerry has an unbelievably strong rapport with actors. He genuinely cares about the balance between action and character development. Ironically, working on an action movie-with this great guiding force of a producer-enables me to do more writing, to be more in on the creative process. 'Con Air' has been a very fulfilling experience."

According to director Simon West, "Nicolas Cage is simply one of the greatest actors around today. I've always been a big fan. You never see the same character twice from him in any performance.

West found himself impressed with the actor's devotion to the role-Cage even journeyed to Alabama to work on his accent-and his passion for ideas.

"In this, he's completely different than anything else he's done before. He's unbelievably hardworking and passionate about acting. I've never seen anyone so inventive and experimental. He's amazing to watch. The work he puts into a role is very impressive. I could not have wished for a more wonderful actor to do my first film with."

Adds producer Bruckheimer, "No matter how much action there is in the picture, the story, characters and themes cannot be overlooked. In 'Con Air, Nicolas Cage's character is truly three-dimensional and interesting.

"The trick in making a good picture," says the producer, "is getting the best people available. We certainly did in this picture. We got a cast and crew that is unequaled."

Director Simon West was intrigued from the beginning both by the project's potential and the opportunity to collaborate with Jerry Bruckheimer. "I saw the potential to put really fascinating characters into this very tense, high-explosive situation and at the same time I really wanted to work with Jerry," the director says. "He is an exceptional man, with a great talent for movie-making, who gives you total freedom. But at the same time, he's always there with guidance and advice. He was of invaluable help as we revised the script into a much more complex and emotional drama."

Adds West: "I certainly didn't sign on to 'Con Air' because I wanted to direct a huge, epic action film-even though that's exactly what I got!"

Commenting on "Con Air" standing as his first major feature film directing task, West says, "I wouldn't have necessarily picked something of this scope to start with. The key is to not look at the magnitude as a whole, but rather to make sure that each individual scene works individually and within the story as a whole."

The director agrees with Bruckheimer that characters were of great importance in the development of this film to its full potential. "One of the things I really wanted to see in the film was a bit of black humor that would really set off these offbeat, vivid characters. I felt that by adding a dash of humor, the violence committed by these men would be rather more palatable."

"After Nicolas Cage came on board, we started looking for other great actors," West says. "We raided the acting world for the freshest, the strongest, the most interesting types of actors around. The script isn't just a pure action movie, because the characters are so good. It wasn't hard to persuade non action-type actors to get involved. In fact, they were jumping at the opportunity. It was the nature of the story and the script which attracted them. As a result, we got an amazing cast."

Steve Buscemi, who portrays serial killer Garland Green says, "I think it's a credit to Scott Rosenberg's writing that this film attracted a cast of such high caliber."

Director West holds "Con Air" as a singular high point in his already illustrious career. "This film has all the excitement of a great roller-coaster ride that you expect from a first-rate action picture, but people will also remember 'Con Air' for the incredible characters placed in a highly unusual story. And, this film has a lot of wit in it as well."

"In this case, 'Con Air' tells of Nicolas' character, a working class hero who, because of certain events in his life ends up in prison, at the bottom of the social pile. He can't believe how he ended up there. This film really is his fight to claim back his self-esteem and take his place in society again.

"He has to make several moral decisions along the way. Helping people-saving comrades-trying to put down the 'bad guys'. It's the classic tale of an honest man's fight against evil. It's very operatic."

Following his impeccable instincts, which have made Jerry Bruckheimer an accomplished leader in motion pictures, he championed for this film to be "more character-oriented than it was initially. Each character is rich in dimension and interesting-although not necessarily on the right side of the law," Bruckheimer says. "This is what ultimately attracted our incredible cast, actors not usually associated with so-called 'action-adventure' films.

"'Con Air,' I believe, transcends the action genre," Bruckheimer says. "I hope it will set a new standard for the action genre of the '90s."

Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg created the roles of Agent Larkin, and Garland Greene, the Marietta Mangler, specifically with his friends John Cusack and Steve Buscemi in mind. To the great satisfaction of Bruckheimer and all concerned, both highly accomplished actors were available-and interested-in "Con Air."
Award-winning actor John Cusack-not usually associated with action/adventure films-immediately warmed to the challenges offered by the demanding "Con Air" script and characterization.

Cusack recalls Bruckheimer convincing him to take on "Con Air." "When Jerry told me about the film, he said he would get the very best actors for it. He positioned it like his 'Crimson Tide'-a great thrill ride, a very smart thriller with really fine actors. I accepted because I admire Jerry's work and his films. 'Crimson Tide' was great entertainment.

"Jerry Bruckheimer is a complete pro in every sense," praises Cusack. "He knows exactly and perfectly how to do these great films. He gets all the right people and treats them right. And he makes the entire experience a complete pleasure.

"It's an action film, yes," says Cusack, "but with a much different tone than any other I've seen-it's smarter, has more dark irony, and a sense of the absurd that makes it really unique and unexpected. It's got great characters and is very well written. It was a great experience, all the way around."

Cusack holds special praise for director Simon West. "He was first-rate. He was on top of every aspect of this truly monstrous production, which was so epic in scope. At one point, he had 10, 15 cameras working for one shot. He retained his composure at all times."

The search, however, for the right actor to play ultra-villain Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom took longer, and was not finalized until mere days before production began.

"John Malkovich is perfect for the part of Cyrus," director West says. "Only John could so brilliantly, and chillingly, show the character's intelligence, which lives inside of a twisted sociopath. Cyrus, you see, has been in institutions since age 15 and in that time has read every book he could get his hands on. He's a self-taught madman. John portrayed that evil dichotomy extraordinarily well. On every level, he was ideal for the role."

Reflecting on his character, Malkovich says, "Even though Cyrus is a criminal, he's an incredibly intelligent person. He's masterminded a plan to hijack the Con Air flight and spring the son-who's also on the flight-of a Columbia drug-dealing family, and escape to South America. They'll be met by a second plane and go off to a country that doesn't have an extradition policy with America. The group on the plane are sort of the dregs de la dregs, but of course it was great fun working with all these actors."

Though the action genre is not Malkovich's usual motion picture milieu, he was attracted to the project based primarily on producer Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement. "He has a great track record," Malkovich says, "and I think with a film you can't always decide to take a role just based on the script or the director or the other actors. This was a hard shoot, but I really trusted Jerry and director Simon West."

Noted actor Ving Rhames was the filmmaker's first choice to play "lifer" Nathan Jones, a.k.a. "Diamond Dog."

"We wanted Ving from the very beginning," says producer Bruckheimer. "He's a great actor, and this is a great character. Like Malkovich's Cyrus character, Diamond Dog is very intelligent. With just one look he can completely unnerve you. Anyone whose reputation is killing more men than cancer has to appear fearsome and imposing. Ving handled it all extraordinarily well."

"I'm always looking to grow as an actor," says Rhames. "Working with this cast was what attracted me to the project. This film is made up of actors, not personalities or karate experts.

"Diamond Dog is distrustful of everyone," notes Rhames of his rather militant character. "He doesn't especially care for white people, but he looks at Cyrus as his last possible choice outside of going back to prison."

Mykelti Williamson portrays Baby-O, Poe's long-time cell-mate and only friend on the Con Air flight. "Baby-O's not a bad guy, he just needs a shot at straightening out," Williamson says, describing his character. "He's really out of his element in prison, but he becomes a little harder after having been incarcerated with these guys. He'll do whatever it takes to stay alive and whatever it takes to keep Poe alive. They're family."

Rachel Ticotin took on the challenging role of U.S. Marshal Guard Sally Bishop, the only female agent on the deadly Con Air flight. According to executive producer Peter Bogart, "Using a female guard was not a fictional device that we dreamed up, although it certainly does heighten the stakes for our hero, played by Nicolas Cage.

"We actually saw many women guards in the California prison system," Bogart continues, "even in all-male facilities. According to the research we did, inmates seem to behave better in the presence of women."

As the actress says of her important role, "I portray the only female guard on the plane. She is one of the reasons why Nicolas Cage's character decides to stay on the plane even though he's been paroled and could go home to his wife and child. He stays because he sees that the convicts have taken over and he doesn't feel it's safe for my character, Sally Bishop, to stay on the plane without somebody protecting her. And he's right."

Ticotin laughs when recalling the very different off-camera friendship which developed among the actors in "Con Air." "They're really wonderful guys, the complete opposites of the horrible convicts they play," Ticotin says. "They're all very gracious and gentlemanly. And very, very funny. They made it a great experience for me."

For a sense of realism and to learn about the real-life counterparts on Con Air flights, producer Bruckheimer, Director West, Nicolas Cage, and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg visited Folsom Prison.

"Michael Mann turned me on to the idea of going to Folsom," Bruckheimer explains. "There are actually two Folsoms: Level three, for those prisoners expected to eventually re-enter society; and Level Four, which is distinctly different. We also had to get special permission from the Governor's Office to visit the institution.

"The men in Level Four are hardened criminals," Bruckheimer continues. "They're called 'predators' in the prison system. That pretty much says it all."

Before the foursome was allowed to enter the yard, they had to sign 'No Hostage' waivers in the event any 'unforeseen problems' arose while they walked among the inmates.

In fact, the team found the atmosphere suitably chilling, with obvious signs of territorial gangs on the prowl. Says West: "The place is so charged that you feel like something could explode at any moment. Imagine 2,000 hardened criminals in a yard. At one point we were hustled out quickly because someone had knifed another guy in the yard."

Having days before won the Academy Award® for Best Actor for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas," Nicolas Cage was still unprepared for the warm reception he received at Folsom. "He was really touched that they even knew who he was," recounts Bruckheimer. "But we were still a little on edge. Your peripheral vision works overtime," he says in reference to being observant at all times.

The visit provided new behavioral insights into Cameron Poe, a process West and Cage continued by interviewing many inmates-ranging from veteran lifers to neophytes just getting used to the system.

Daily workouts for several member of the cast (and even many of the crew) were integral to preparing for the arduous film shoot. Cage spent weeks prior to shooting and several hours each day during production working out and lifting weights with trainer Lee Nichol to build strength and endurance. He also trained with kick boxing champion Benny Urquidez to perfect his fighting technique.

Nichol put Cage on a strict dietary regimen to help him tone and bulk up muscle while reducing his already slim physique to a mere 3% body fat. Not since his role in "Birdy" has Cage looked so sinewy and fit. Urquidez, who takes a rather spiritual approach to training, enticed many members of the crew to join him in his dojo for daily workouts and meditation sessions during lunch.

"I'm really not one of those macho guys, but I also didn't want to spoil the illusion," Cage says. "Whether I wanted to or not, I did most of my own stunts. They wanted to see my face on camera with the explosions five feet from me, and the flaming helicopters dropping behind me, and the ball-bearing bullets flying over my head. So there was a level of intensity -- fear, you might say. To be honest, it was scary," he laughs.

Verisimilitude and authenticity, always of utmost importance in every Bruckheimer production, is apparent in the smallest details including the prisoners' tattoos. Make-up artists Kirs Evans and Fred Blau, and world-famous tattoo artist Freddy Negrete, were responsible for creating, applying and maintaining the many tattoos the "Con Air" prisoners sported.

"Tattoos are more than merely markings for convicts," notes Evans. "They represent gang affiliations, crimes committed, time accrued in prison and time they have left, even personal feelings. We discussed the tattoos with each actor; they all had very specific ideas and requests for their personal designs. Much of the inspiration for the designs came directly from them."

"For example, one of the tattoos reads '13 1/2'," explains Blau. "That means one judge, 12 jurors and a half-assed chance of getting out. Some of them are more straight forward like the swastikas worn by the Aryan Nation cons or Diamond Dog's 'Those Who Kill' tattoos."

Creating the tattoos is done by implementing a process similar to that used in printing T-shirts. Using photo sensitive silk screens and ink, Blau covers the material with an acetate emulsion and then shoots the silk with ultraviolet light. The final step involves washing the screen with high pressure water which etches the design onto the screen. Although the process might sound rather elementary, it is really an intricate process which must be done with great care as the ink spreads easily and once it's on something, it's permanent. Blau and Evans employed a cosmetic ink made specifically for this process which Blau manufactures himself.

"Danny Trejo's tattoos encompass everything we do in the process," says Blau. "Most of the tattoos on his body are his own and we actually had to cover up a few of them, but several are ours. We used airbrushing, painting, and an aging process so that you can't tell which are his and which aren't. That's the trick we really take pride in. Even if the tattoo is a story point, which it is with Danny, you don't want it to stand out as too obvious."

Over 100 tattoos were used on the convicts, requiring several hours in the makeup chair. Each tattoo would last about 4 to 5 days before being completely removed from the skin and printed again.

Real life convict-turned-actor Danny Trejo, portrays rapist Johnny 23. After spending much of his adult life in such maximum security prisons as San Quentin, Folsom and Soledad, Trejo was able to draw from his own experiences to create his character. His stories of life in "the joint" enthralled both the cast and crew; however Trejo is always quick to point out how lucky he feels to have put that life and his addictions behind him. He spends much of his free time between films counseling addicts and alcoholics and helping kids escape gang life.

"I started acting in 1985 and I love it," Trejo says. "For somebody who's used to adrenaline, it's the same rush. Like the rush when you do armed robbery. You have total control. When the director yells 'Action!' it's right there, only the gun's pointed at you this time. It sounds like a strange analogy, but that's the life I came from and that's how I relate to it."

Excitement among cast members wasn't necessarily limited to the potentially risky physical surroundings. As actress Monica Potter, who plays Nicolas Cage's character's wife Tricia, remembers, "I never thought I'd be working with Nicolas Cage. When you hear his name, you think Oscar® winner. I never thought I'd be working with him so soon in my career. I've only been out here a short time, and to act with someone of his caliber is really thrilling. And he was so nice. He's just a great person to work with."

Potter continues her enthusiasm for the filmmaking experience and adds enormous praise for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "Working for Jerry Bruckheimer in this huge action-adventure film is very cool," the young star says. "If it weren't for Jerry I probably wouldn't be working with these people because he really pushed for me. For a man of his stature to see something of value in me is really great."

Rounding out the exceptional cast of "Con Air" are David Chappelle, Colm Meaney, John Roselius, Renoly, M.C. Gainey, Jesse Borrego, Nick Chinlund, Angela Featherstone and Jose Zuniga.

 

About the Locations

 

Principal photography commenced in Salt Lake City on an airport tarmac, which doubled as Oakland Airport and the U.S. Marshal's hangar and service offices. The company then moved on to the local airport in Ogden, Utah to film the exchange of prisoners as the Con Air flight made its first stop in Carson City.

According to the script, the deadly flight changes course and lands on a small landing strip in Lerner Airfield in the middle of Death Valley. The company spent over a month in the tiny town of Wendover on the Utah, Nevada border to film these action sequences.

"Wendover was the location I chose because it looked like the surface of the moon," says director Simon West. "My idea was that it was perfect for the convicts who had been locked up for 10, 20, 30 years in little cells.

"It was an agoraphobic's nightmare," the director explains. "When they get off the plane, the guys are terrified because they see 500 miles of nothing but salt flats in front of them-the complete opposite of prison. Some of the men react by running into the distance, tearing off their clothes and screaming. Others stick close to the plane in dire fear. Some take only two or three steps before adjusting to the idea of freedom."

The temperatures in the middle of the great salt flats soared to 120 degrees, without relief. Cast and crew consumed 300 cases (7,000 bottles) of water per week; 24 to 30 watermelons and about 200 Popsicles each day; during the Wendover stay alone, craft services utilized over 35,000 pounds of ice.

A small gaming town with visitors from around the world, the city of Wendover stretches 1.6 miles across the Utah/Nevada border. It is a desolate, yet beautiful desert location where car races across the salt flats are held each year. It is interesting to note that in 1943, Wendover was the site of the largest military reserve in the world with over 23,000 military and civilian personnel working and living in 668 buildings on land encompassing 3.5 million acres. Here, bombers trained and gunnery systems were tested, among them the most notable being the 509th Composite Group, along with their counterpart the 1st Ordinance Detachment who were responsible for the assembly and modification of the atomic aerial devices used to end World War II. The air base where these two atomic bombardment groups trained was code named "Kingman" and the project itself was called "Project W-47."

Until the 1980s, Wendover's role in this area had been kept a secret. The Wendover Airport has also been used to test other more modern devices such as ballistic missiles, radar guidance missiles, glide bombs, supersonic aircraft, booster rockets and many other devices. Today, little of the original base remains, but a local historical society is doing much to try and preserve those buildings left untouched.

Las Vegas was used for shooting the climactic finale. Once again in the desert, the crew prepared for another bout of warm weather. However, an unusual cold snap hit and the company endured weeks of record-breaking low temperatures while shooting nights on the famed Las Vegas Boulevard Strip and throughout the famed gaming Mecca metropolis.

The Sands Hotel, a Vegas landmark, was the site of a major airplane crash sequence in the film. The filmmakers successfully convinced the hotel developers to postpone planned demolition of the famed hotel until after the "Con Air" location filming wrapped.

Special effects coordinators Chuck Stewart and Paul Lombardi took on the task of creating the explosive crash sequence. "The first step was to gut the plane," says Stewart. "We brought in a real C-123K and gutted it to make it as light as possible. We also built a 250-foot track and created a cable system to pull the plane into the front of the casino.

"We thought the cable system would ultimately give us more speed," he continues. "We originally figured it as a 5 to 1 ratio and pulled the plane with a heavy truck, thinking that for every ten miles an hour we got out of the truck, the plane would go about 5 times that speed. Even when empty, the plane was so heavy that the cable snapped and broke a couple of times. It took us a few tries," the special effects veteran says with a smile, "but the plane finally plowed into the front of the hotel."

As producer Bruckheimer says, "One draft of the script had the plane crashing into the White House. I didn't quite believe that, and I said the guys really would rather crash into Las Vegas. So we took our convicts and brought the plane down to land on Las Vegas Boulevard, about 50 yards from the front of the Sands Hotel. It's really something to see.

"We got very lucky," Bruckheimer says. "The Sands was going to be demolished anyway. They blew up the tower on their own. We arranged to blow up the front of the building. Hollywood helped the process along. Fourteen cameras filmed the stunt. It was a one-take deal-that's why we used so many cameras.

Then the company returned to Los Angeles to begin shooting on sound stages at the Hollywood Center Studios.

Interior scenes in the plane were shot on the studio's Stage #7 using a bubble or air gimbal to simulate movement of the aircraft. Unlike the conventional hydraulic gimbal used in "Crimson Tide," this gimbal worked on an electronic bellows system in which the aircraft rested on a set of airbags. In this way, the special effects crew could change the position of the plane at different rates of speed, creating a violent pitching motion. Although the set was only four feet off the ground, the interior of the plane weighed approximately 40,000 pounds and had to be strategically placed on the gimbal..

The filmmakers chose to use a C-123K military transport plane instead of the more commercial jets employed by the Marshal's Services. "The C-123K is much more interesting visually," explains producer Bruckheimer. "It's got a bulky, weighty feel to it. The cages we built inside the plane and the metal we added makes the action much more dramatic, besides the practical aspect of giving the crew more room to move around."

West had read in the Los Angeles Times that the Sands Hotel was about to close down and, seeing the opportunity at hand, immediately got on the phone to get permission to shoot the crash scene there.

Director Simon West says, "This is a story that has every possible element of fascination-intriguing characters, tension that doesn't quit and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

"So many things are going on within the tight confines of the Con Air plane. There are men who are extremely violent, men who are scary, people lying to each other. There is great suspicion, every kind of emotion coursing through the plane. It's a very charged atmosphere every second. On top of it all, the special effects many literally blow you out of the chair. I think audiences will agree that we have a great story, great actors, great characters, great effects-all in all, a great ride."

 

About The Cast

 

Academy Award®-winner NICOLAS CAGE is parolee Cameron Poe, a decorated Army ranger with a fierce temper, who has spent eight long years in prison for defending his wife from brutal attackers.

One of the most versatile young actors of our time, Cage is equally well known for his poignant portrayals in both drama and comedy. Most recently, he has received rave reviews for his role as the FBI's chemical/biological weapons expert and unlikely hero Stanley Goodspeed, in last summer's Simpson/ Bruckheimer blockbuster "The Rock." He also earned numerous accolades and the Oscar® for his riveting performance opposite Elisabeth Shue in "Leaving Las Vegas," directed by Mike Figgis. That performance also earned him Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor, the New York, Los Angeles and Chicago Film Critics' Awards, as well as the National Board of Review Best Actor Award.

It was his portrayal of a tormented Vietnam vet in "Birdy" that first established Cage as a serious actor. Directed by Alan Parker, "Birdy" won the jury prize at Cannes. Cage then received a Golden Globe Award nomination as Best Actor for his role as Cher's lover in "Moonstruck." He then starred in David Lynch's "Wild At Heart," co-starring Laura Dern, which won the Palm d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Cage received another Golden Globe nomination for his role in the romantic comedy "Honeymoon in Vegas," directed by Andrew Bergman, also starring Sarah Jessica Parker and James Caan.

His other film credits include the thriller "Kiss of Death," directed by Barbet Schroeder; "It Could Happen To You," opposite Bridget Fonda; and "Guarding Tess," co-starring Shirley MacLaine. He also starred in "Red Rock West," "Trapped in Paradise," "Valley Girl," "The Cotton Club," "Racing With the Moon," "The Boy in Blue," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Raising Arizona," "Vampire's Kiss" and "Fire Birds."

Cage was raised in Long Beach, California and lived there until his family moved to San Francisco when he was 12. He began acting at age 15 when he enrolled in San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre where he appeared in the school's production of "Golden Boy." He later moved to Los Angeles, and while still a high school student, landed a role in the television film "The Best of Times." He made his feature film debut in "Rumble Fish."

Cage resides in Los Angeles.


JOHN CUSACK plays U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin. Determined to recapture Grissom and the plane of escaped convicts, he must stay one step ahead of the fleeing felons as well as his overzealous superiors.

Cusack recently made his screenwriting and co-producing debut with "Grosse Pointe Blank" in which he also starred. He also recently starred in "City Hall" with Al Pacino and includes among his other films Woody Allen's acclaimed comedy, "Bullets Over Broadway" and "The Road to Wellville."

He previously earned great critical notice for his portrayal of a clever young con artist in Stephen Frears' "The Grifters" and received accolades for his performances in "Eight Men Out," "Say Anything" and Rob Reiner's "The Sure Thing." Cusack later worked with Reiner in a supporting role in "Stand By Me."

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Cusack made his feature film debut in 1983 in the coming-of-age story, "Class," with Jacqueline Bisset. His subsequent film credits include John Hughes' "Sixteen Candles," "Grandville, U.S.A.," "Better Off Dead," "One Crazy Summer" (for cult director Savage Steve Holland), "The Journey of Natty Gann" and "Tapeheads."

Although Cusack's early career was marked primarily by his work in comic films, his role in John Sayles' exploration of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, "Eight Men Out" provided a dramatic point of departure for his career. He followed the role with performances opposite Paul Newman in Roland Joffe's "Fat Man and Little Boy"; and opposite James Spader in Herbert Ross' "True Colors."

Other film credits include Woody Allen's "Shadows and Fog," Robert Altman's "The Player," and Tim Robbins' "Bob Roberts." Earlier film work also includes "Map of the Human Heart," "Postcards from the Edge" and "Money for Nothing."

In addition to his motion picture credentials, Cusack co-founded New Crime Theatre Company with "Grosse Pointe Blank" co-writers Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis. Cusack has directed several plays for New Crime Theatre Company, including "Amalgazam...After The Dog Years" and "Methusalem," winning him a "Jeff" citation for Best Director at Chicago's noted Joseph Jefferson Awards. He also directed Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."


Mastermind of the hijacking plot, JOHN MALKOVICH as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, leads a band of violent convicts on a desperate bid to freedom.

Malkovich has made an indelible mark on audiences in such films as "Dangerous Liaisons," "The Killing Fields," "The Sheltering Sky," "Places in the Heart" (for which he received an Academy Award® nomination), "Of Mice and Men" and "In the Line of Fire" for which he received another Oscar® nomination. Most recently he appeared in "Mary Reilly," "Mulholland Falls," Jane Campion's "The Portrait of Lady" and Volker Schlondorff's "The Ogre."

Malkovich also appeared on stage in the Steppenwolf production of "The Libertine." He first joined that famed Chicago theatre company after graduating from college. Between 1976 and 1982 he acted in, directed and designed sets for more than 50 Steppenwolf productions. His debut on the New York stage in the Steppenwolf production of Sam Shepard's "True West" earned him an Obie Award. He performed in "Death of a Salesman," "Slip of the Tongue," Sam Shepard's "State of Shock" and Lanford Wilson's "Burn This" among many other notable plays.

Malkovich has directed 16 plays at Steppenwolf including the celebrated "Balm in Gilead," "Arms and the Man" and "Libra," which he adapted from Don DeLillos novel.

Malkovich was born and raised in Benton, Illinois.


STEVE BUSCEMI is serial killer Garland Greene, at one moment seemingly of sound mind and, at the next, quite obviously deranged and frighteningly dangerous.

Buscemi marked his feature film directorial debut with "Trees Lounge" in which he also starred and wrote the screenplay. The film also starred Samuel L. Jackson, Chloe Sevigny and Anthony LaPaglia. He was recently seen in the Coen brothers' "Fargo," which was nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award®, and "Escape From L.A." with Kurt Russell.

He began his film career with a starring role in "Parting Glances" which won the 1986 USA Film Festival's Best Film Award. Buscemi went on to star in Martin Scorsese's portion of "New York Stories," Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (for which he received a Spirit Award nomination), the Coen brothers' "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Miller's Crossing" and "Barton Fink" (which won three major awards at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival) and in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" (for which he won a Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor). His other films include "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead," "Living in Oblivion" and "Kansas City." He is currently filming the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski."

Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Valley Stream, Long Island. He originally set out to become a stand-up comic, but instead studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute for six months, followed by two years under the tutelage of John Strasberg. He began his professional career performing original material he and fellow actor/writer Mark Boone Junior conceived for small clubs on the lower east side of Manhattan which led to work in off-off-Broadway productions. Buscemi appeared in many La MaMa, ETC., and Performing Garage productions.


VING RHAMES portrays convicted murderer Nathan Jones, a.k.a. Diamond Dog.

Rhames currently stars in two feature films, the John Singleton directed "Rosewood," and "Dangerous Ground," opposite Ice Cube and Elizabeth Hurley. First gaining prominence as the shadowy drug dealer Marcellus Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's critically lauded "Pulp Fiction," Rhames subsequently starred in "Mission Impossible" as the computer genius of the team of special agents, and soon thereafter he starred in "Striptease" as the bouncer/confidant to Demi Moore's character.

Born in Harlem, Rhames attended New York's High School of the Performing Arts-the only student from his junior high to be accepted into the prestigious school. He went on to graduate from the Juilliard School of Drama in 1983. His classical training led him to perform many works by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Moliere and Chekhov. He has since appeared on Broadway in "The Boys of Winter," and off-Broadway in "Map of the World," "Short Eyes," "Richard III" and "Ascension Day." He also completed a European tour with Peter Sellers' production of "Ajax."

Rhames' other films include Ivan Reitman's "Dave," starring opposite Kevin Kline; "The Saint of Fort Washington," opposite Danny Glover and Matt Dillon; "Jacob's Ladder"; "Drop Squad," directed by Spike Lee; "Bound By Honor," "The Long Walk Home"; "Flight of the Intruder"; "Patty Hearst"; and "Kiss of Death," in which he co-starred with Nicolas Cage and David Caruso.

On television Rhames stars in the recurring role of Walter, the brother-in-law of Eric LaSalle in NBC's series "ER."


COLM MEANEY is Duncan Malloy, the overzealous D.E.A. agent who will stop at nothing to capture the escaped convicts.

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Meaney left school at age 17 to apprentice as a fisherman, but his great love of acting led him to enroll in drama classes at The Abbey, Dublin's National Theatre. He first came to the United States in 1982 to work in New York and regional theatre and moved to Los Angeles in 1987, where he was quickly cast in his first feature film, "The Dead," by legendary director John Huston.

It was his exuberant performance in "The Commitments" which gained him wider recognition. A string of other film appearances followed, including roles in the other two films of the highly acclaimed Roddy Doyle Barrytown trilogy, "The Snapper" (for which he won a Golden Globe Award nomination) and the upcoming "The Van."

Meaney has proved himself a most versatile actor with roles in such films as "Dick Tracy," "Come See the Paradise," "Die Hard 2," "Far and Away," "Into the West," "Under Siege," "The Road to Wellville," "The Last of the Mohicans," and "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain."

Meaney is perhaps best known on television for his role as Chief Operating Officer Miles O'Brien on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and in the spin-off series "Deep Space Nine." He also starred in the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation miniseries "Scarlett."

His theatre credits include "Breaking the Code" on Broadway and "The Poker Session."

Meaney recently completed filming Lodge Kerrigan's latest film (currently untitled) starring opposite Vincent D'Onofrio and Katrin Cartridge, and this spring will be filming "Owd Bob," a Kingsborough Greenlight Production, directed by Rodney Gibbons, co-starring with James Cromwell ("Babe") on the Isle of Man. Following this, Meaney will start work on Ted Demme's new film, "Noose," co-starring with Dennis Leary, Famke Janssen, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Billy Crudup.


MYKELTI WILLIAMSON is Poe's best friend and cellmate "Baby-O," a diabetic who faces death when every syringe is destroyed during the hijack and he cannot inject his needed insulin.

Williamson received rave reviews for his performance as "Bubba" opposite Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump." He followed with such critical successes as "Waiting to Exhale," "Heat," "How to Make an American Quilt," "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home," and the HBO production of "Baseball in Black and White."

His other films include "Free Willy," "The First Power," "Miracle Mile," "Number One With a Bullet," "Wildcats" and "Streets of Fire."

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Williamson is of Blackfoot Indian descent. His first name means "Spirit" or "Silent Friend" in the Blackfoot language. He grew up in Los Angeles and at age 13 became the youngest dancer with the nationally renowned dance troupe, The Lockers. He later attended UCLA's School of Drama.


RACHEL TICOTIN plays U.S. Marshal Guard Sally Bishop, who is taken hostage during the hijacking and is at the mercy of the crew of escaped cons.

Since making her feature film debut in "Fort Apache: The Bronx" (opposite Paul Newman), she has appeared in such films as "Steal Big, Steal Little" (with Andy Garcia), "Don Juan DeMarco" opposite Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando, "Natural Born Killers" for Oliver Stone, and in Joel Schumacher's "Falling Down" (with Michael Douglas). Among Ticotin's other credits are "One Good Cop," "FX 2," "Total Recall" and "Critical Condition."

She began her career on television as a series regular on "For Love and Honor" and subsequently starred in such telefilms as "Love, Mary," "Rockabye: When the Bough Breaks," "Spies, Lies and Naked Thighs," "Jury of One," "Thicker Than Blood," "Deconstructing Sarah," "Wharf Rat," and "Keep the Change." She also had a recurring role on the ABC series "O'Hara" and starred in a segment of the HBO trilogy, "Doing Time: Women in Prison." She recently completed the HBO movie "First Time Felon."

She danced for six years with the Ballet Hispanico of New York, worked with famed choreographers Tina Ramirez, Alvin Ailey, Donald MacKayle, Anna Sokolow and Geoffrey Holder.


A native of Cleveland, Ohio, MONICA POTTER (Tricia Poe) began theatrical training at age 13. In 1994, Potter settled in Los Angeles launching her feature film career. She makes he motion picture debut with the upcoming Warner Brothers bio pic "Pre" written and directed by Robert Towne and is currently shooting Channel 4 Productions' romantic comedy, "Martha -- Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence," for director Nick Hamm.


DAVE CHAPPELLE plays crazed convict "Pinball" Parker.

Chappelle recently won rave reviews for his comedic role of Reggie Warrington in Eddie Murphy's blockbuster "The Nutty Professor." He made his theatrical debut for director Mel Brooks in the 1993 parody, "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."

Chappelle graduated from the famed Duke Ellington School of the Arts in his hometown of Washington, DC. He began performing stand-up at local comedy clubs at age 14. His mother would chaperone him and keep a watchful eye on her son, making sure he kept his act clean. Four years later, he moved to New York and quickly became a top draw on the local comedy club circuit. During this time, Chappelle began to amass appearances on such programs as "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "The Arsenio Hall Show," as well as programming on MTV. At age 23, Chappelle has already made more than 20 national television appearances.

Other credits include HBO's "1995 Young Comedians Special," hosted by Garry Shandling. Chappelle has performed live with such legendary performers as Aretha Franklin, Richard Pryor and Whoopi Goldberg.

His next feature role will be in the comedy "Woo," being released in November, co-starring Jada Pinkett and Tommy Davidson (New Line Cinema).


M.C. GAINEY portrays "Swamp Thing," the pilot of "The Jailbird" for his convict captain Cyrus Grissom.

Gainey began his career as a folk singer on the New Orleans coffee house circuit. After studying theatre at the University of Southern Mississippi, he worked as an undertaker's apprentice, a gravedigger, a nightclub bouncer, and a bounty hunter before spending two years at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

Gainey has appeared in the films "Citizen Ruth," "Geronimo," "Leap of Faith," "The Mighty Ducks," "An Innocent Man," "Fatal Beauty," "Starman," "Soul Man," "Blind Justice," "Frances," "Time After Time," and "Pennies From Heaven."

On television, Gainey had recurring roles on "Designing Women" and "Against the Law," and also guested on such series as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "L.A. Law," "Hunter," "Cheers" and "The Commish." He is also featured in the telefilms, "Caddie Woodlawn," "The Rape of Richard Beck" and the miniseries "The Blue and the Gray."

Among his extensive stage credits are "Othello," "Two Idiots in Hollywood" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."


JOHN ROSELIUS (Devers) has appeared in a long list of feature films including the recent Michael Jordan hit "Space Jam." His other motion picture credits include the David Lynch-directed "Lost Highway," as well as "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Guarding Tess," "Love Streams," "Final Analysis," "Ruby," "State of Grace," "Let it Ride," "Firesale," "Matilda" and "Mr. Billion."

On television Roselius had a recurring role on "High Incident." He also guest-starred on "JAG," "Quantum Leap," "Hill Street Blues," "The Rockford Files," "Remington Steel" "The A-Team," "Brothers-in-Law," "Norma & Marilyn," "The Contender," and "Serpico," among many others.


RENOLY (Sally Can't Dance) most recently co-starred as Mikey, a crack addict suffering through withdrawals and struggling to survive after the Holland Tunnel explodes, in Sylvester Stallone's "Daylight." He also appeared in Hollywood Pictures' "Dangerous Minds," and in "Hackers."

In theater, Renoly is currently working with Paul Simon on the upcoming Broadway musical "The Capeman." His other theatre credits include numerous musicals and off-Broadway productions such as Elizabeth Swados' "The New Americans"; "Voices From the Front Line," at Carnegie Hall where he was a featured soloist; "Stand-Up Tragedy"; and "The Me Nobody Knows," for which he created the role of Hector.

As a writer, Renoly's credits include "Bring in the Morning, A Wake-Up Call," which was the first book musical ever produced at the Apollo Theatre. He also co-wrote the Emmy Award nominated pilot episode of the ABC and Henson Productions' series "City Kids." Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Renoly currently resides in New York.


DANNY TREJO is "Johnny 23," a serial rapist who plans to add Guard Bishop to his list of victims.

A former boxing champion, Trejo first began working in films in 1984 while visiting a friend on the set of "Runaway Train." Approached by screenwriter Eddie Buckner to train the film's star, Eric Roberts, and to choreograph fight sequences, he subsequently won a feature role in the film.

Trejo went on to appear in such films as "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Heat," "Desperado," "Bound By Honor," "Angel of Desire," "Doppelganger," "Victor 1: The George Aguliar Story" and "Concrete War." He also appeared in "Marked For Death," "Death Wish IV," "Lock Up" and "Penitentiary III."

He is also featured in George Huang's "Anaconda" and makes a cameo appearance in "The Trojan War" directed by Luis Llosa. In addition, he recently completed shooting "Los Locos" with Mario Van Peebles, and will begin shooting "Replacement Killers" opposite Mira Sorvino and Chow Yung-Pat.

Trejo has appeared in numerous television programs, including "Nash Bridges," "NYPD Blue," "Renegade" "Shannon's Deal," "Baywatch" and "The Young and the Restless." He also co-starred in Showtime's "Attica."

An ardent supporter of several humanitarian organizations, Trejo is dedicated to a number of programs created to help rehabilitate drug-addicted teens, and to enlighten young people about the dangers of drug use and gang involvement.


JESSE BORREGO (Francisco Cindino) is a native of San Antonio, Texas where he studied theatre as a student at the Incarnate Word College, and later returned there to choreograph an adaptation of the ballet "Le Jeune Homme et La Morte." He also studied at the California Institute of the Arts.

Borrego has performed extensively in the theater, in such productions as "Woyzeck," in which he starred in the title role at the Public Theatre. His other stage credits include "Green Card" at the Mark Taper Forum; "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" at Chicago's Goodman Theatre: "Cymbeline" and "American Notes" at The Public Theatre; "Windows" at the Williamstown Theater Festival; and two plays at the Guthrie Theatre: "The Screens" and "Leon, Lena & Lenz." He is a member of the Tribal Players, which performed an ensemble adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

Borrego's feature film credits include roles in "The Maker," "Retroactive," "Follow Me Home," "Lone Star," "I Like It Like That," "Mi Vida Loca," "Bound By Honor," "Welcome Bienvenido" and "New York Stories."

Borrego appeared in a recurring role on ABC's "Under Cover," and guest starred on numerous series, including "Chicago Hope," "China Beach," "Married ... With Children," "Miami Vice" and "Midnight Caller." Early in his career Borrego starred as Jesse Velasquez on the popular series "Fame."


NICK CHINLUND portrays Billy Bedlam, a notorious criminal caught up in the mid-air sky-jacking.

A talented actor with an impressive list of film, television and stage credits, Chinlund will soon be seen starring in the feature "A Brother's Kiss," a role he was directly responsible for creating because he commissioned a playwright to adapt stories of life in the ghetto. The piece became a critically acclaimed theatre production. The film version also stars Rosie Perez, Marisa Tomei, Michael Rapaport and Michael Raynor reprising his role as Chinlund's brother. Chinlund is currently starring in Walt Disney Pictures' live-action version of "Mr. Magoo."

Born and raised in East Harlem, Chinlund left the inner-city of New York to pursue athletics and education. A former basketball player, he was forced to stop playing in his freshman year at Brown University because of an injury. While studying history, he began taking acting classes and realized that he wanted to become an actor.

After graduating from Brown, Chinlund moved to Los Angeles where he starred in a number of critically acclaimed theater productions including "Maps for Drowners," "A View from the Bridge," "Partners" and "Street Scene." From 1988-1989, he worked at the Williamstown Theater Festival, where he performed in numerous productions including "Mother Courage," "The Legend of Oedipus," "The American Clock" and Shakespeare's "Henry IV." Additional theater credits include roles off-Broadway in "Owl's Breath," "Brothers, Mothers, & Others," and "Corner Boys."

Chinlund's motion picture credits include "Lethal Weapon 3," with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and "Eraser," with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He will also be seen co-starring as sculptor/sketch artist Frederick Remington in "Rough Riders," TNT's upcoming film about the Spanish American War. He also made a special guest appearances on "The X-Files" and appeared on "NYPD Blue."

Chinlund lives in New York and Los Angeles.


ANGELA FEATHERSTONE (Ginny) has captivated audiences and impressed critics with her memorable performances in such feature films as "Illtown," "Dark Angel" and "Army of Darkness." She will soon be seen starring with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in "The Wedding Singer" for New Line. In addition, Featherstone recently starred for director Volker Schlondorff in Castle Rock's "Palmetto," as well as director Jake Kasdan's "Zero Effect," starring opposite Ben Stiller with Bill Pullman, also for Castle Rock.

On television the beautiful actress has graced numerous sitcoms, episodics and movies-of-the-week, with recurring roles on "Friends," "New York Undercover" and "Northern Exposure."

Featherstone has also starred in a long list of theatrical productions including "Fool for Love," "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" in which she played Maggie, "Hurlyburly," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" "The Glass Menagerie" as Laura, and as Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet."


JOSE ZUNIGA (Sims) has appeared in a long list of motion pictures as well as stage productions. His feature film credits include "Ransom," "Striptease," "Stonewall," "Blue in the Face," "Smoke," "Fresh," "Crooklyn" and "Alive."

Television audiences are familiar with Zuniga's guest starring roles on a variety of episodic programs including "Prince Street," "Mad About You," "New York Undercover," "The Cosby Mysteries," "NYPD Blue," "The Good Policeman" and "Law & Order."

Zuniga's theatre credits include "Veins & Thumbtacks" and "A Joke Luigi Pirandello" for the Malaparte Theatre Company of which he is a founding member, The Yale Repertory Theatre's production of "Search and Destroy," and the Harold Clurman Theatre production of "Blessed Memory."

 

 

About The Filmmakers

 

SIMON WEST (Director) makes his feature film directorial debut with "Con Air." Born in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, Great Britain, he began his career in 1981 when he joined the BBC in London as an apprentice film editor. He worked on a number of award-winning productions, including the documentary "Strangeways Prison" and the dramatic series "Bleak House"-both productions winning coveted British Academy of Film and Television Awards-during his four years with the network.

In 1985, West began directing when awarded a grant from the British Arts Council to write and direct the 30-minute film, "Dolly Mixtures." He was subsequently signed to Limelight London to direct music videos and commercials. In 1987, he won Best Video at the Montreux Music Festival for Mel and Kim's "Respectable."

West relocated to the United States and continued his association with Limelight London via the company's American headquarters. He then moved to Pilot Pictures, winning the Golden Lion (from the International Advertising Festival in Cannes) for Little Caesar's "Italian Feast" commercial and a Clio for the pizza company's "Airplane" ad spot.

West joined Satellite Films in 1993, adding to his commercial credits award-winning spots for such clients as Sprint, AT&T, MCI, Ford, Miller Beer and Budweiser, his "Ant" spot for the latter brewery company winning a Bronze in Cannes in 1995. That same year, West began directing for Propaganda Films.

Among West's numerous awards for commercial work are the TNE New York Festival's 1993 International TV Advertising Award, the AICP for Direction of Humor, an ADDYS for Best of Show Broadcast, an ANDYS for Humor, Clios for Best Direction, the Golden Lions from Cannes, and the MOMA.


SCOTT ROSENBERG's (Written by) first feature film to go before cameras was the independent movie "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead," which he also associate produced. His second feature, "Beautiful Girls," was directed by Ted Demme and starred Uma Thurman and Matt Dillon.

Born and raised in Boston, he began writing at a young age, intending on becoming a novelist. Uncertain of how to make a living after graduating from Boston University in 1985, he chanced fate and came to Los Angeles with a friend. He landed a job as a production assistant and began writing scripts. He applied and was accepted to the University of California at Los Angeles' film school, and as a result of winning a screenwriting contest, signed with his first agent. His big break came when producer Joel Silver bought one of his projects, "Love Lies Bleeding." Rosenberg then sold another screenplay, "Disturbing Behavior," completed a book adaptation, "The Black Ice," for Paramount Pictures and wrote two "Tales from the Crypt" episodes, "Forever Ambergris" and "Seance."

Rosenberg's upcoming projects include "Down and Under" and "Gone in 60 Seconds" for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, "Hi Fidelity" for Mike Newell and "Bad Moon Rising" for Miramax.


As one of the most highly regarded creative forces in the entertainment industry, JERRY BRUCKHEIMER (Producer) along with his late partner Don Simpson, established one of the most successful producing careers in recent motion picture history with such critically acclaimed and commercially successful hits as "Flashdance," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Top Gun," "Days of Thunder," "Bad Boys," "Dangerous Minds," "Crimson Tide" and "The Rock," resulting in worldwide box office ticket, video and record sales of more than $3 billion. The films of Mr. Bruckheimer have continually topped the list of box office winners, resulting in worldwide number one pictures an unprecedented three years in a row.

Based at the Walt Disney Studios and working out of a newly renovated Santa Monica loft, Mr. Bruckheimer continues to make tremendous contributions to the entertainment industry. In 1995, Simpson-Bruckheimer produced the number one box office hits "Bad Boys" starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence; and "Crimson Tide" starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman; and "Dangerous Minds" starring Michelle Pfeiffer. "Bad Boys" became Columbia Pictures' highest grossing film for 1995, while "Crimson Tide" and "Dangerous Minds" were two of Hollywood Pictures' most successful for the year, with "Crimson Tide" receiving Academy Award® nominations for film editing and sound, as well as being named one of the "Top Three Favorite Films" of the year by The People's Choice Awards. "Crimson Tide" received an Eddie Award nomination for Artistic Achievement in Film Editing by the American Cinema Editors and received Golden Reel Awards from the Motion Picture Sound Editors for Feature Film Sound Editing and Feature Film ADR Editing. Between them, "Bad Boys," "Crimson Tide" and "Dangerous Minds" garnered a total of six 1996 MTV Movie Award nominations for Best Movie ("Dangerous Minds"), Best Male Performance (Denzel Washington, "Crimson Tide"), Best Female Performance (Michelle Pfeiffer, "Dangerous Minds"), Best Song from a Movie (Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," "Dangerous Minds"), Best On-Screen Duo (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, "Bad Boys"), and Best Action Sequence ("Bad Boys"). Both "Gangsta's Paradise" and the score for "Crimson Tide" received Grammy Awards in the categories Best Rap Solo (Coolio) and Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture of Television (Hans Zimmer), respectively.

In 1996, Mr. Bruckheimer produced "The Rock" starring Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. "The Rock" grossed $335 million worldwide at the box office and set the video rental record as the most ordered film with 830,000 copies being purchased by video retailers. Recently Mr. Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay accepted awards at the annual ShoWest Convention where the film was named 1996's Favorite Movie of the Year. "The Rock" also received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Achievement in Sound.

Pre-production has just begun on Mr. Bruckheimer's current projects "Armageddon" starring Bruce Willis and directed by Michael Bay, and "Enemy of the State" to be directed by long time collaborator and friend Tony Scott. He is also working on the television adaptation of "Dangerous Minds" starring Annie Potts in the LouAnne Johnson role for ABC Television, and the syndicated series "Soldier of Fortune" starring Brad Johnson for Rysher Entertainment.

In addition, Mr. Bruckheimer is developing "Rogue Warrior," the exciting action story of a Navy S.E.A.L., based on the best-selling hardcover novel by Dick Marcinko (which reached #1 on the New York Times Paperback Bestsellers List, where it maintained the top position for 17 weeks); "Witness To the Truth" based on the fascinating true-life account of FBI agent Paul Lindsay which is being adapted by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Robert Towne; and "Zone of Silence," a contemporary suspense thriller based on an original story by his late partner, Don Simpson, which John Dunne and Joan Didion have adapted.

Also in development at the production company are "The Veronica Guerrin Story" about the heroic life of an Irish investigative journalist who was gunned down last summer by Dublin crime lords; an as yet untitled feature about the true story of journalism professor David Protess, who along with three of his female students, helped to exonerate four African-American men on death row unjustly convicted of a double murder/rape in 1978; "ESAU," based on the book by Philip Kerr about a mountain climber who leads an expedition to find his missing brother and subsequently discovers Yeti in an unascended mountain peak in the Himalayas; and for television, "Soldier of Fortune," the story of an ex-Delta Force major recruited by a U.S. Intelligence mole to put together an elite team designed to undertake missions to which the U.S. government cannot admit to being involved.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Bruckheimer grew up in a working class environment, the son of German immigrants. With an early fascination for film, Bruckheimer pursued still photography from an early age, and developed into a talented and accomplished photographer, winning the prestigious National Scholastic Award and a special Kodak Award at age 14. He subsequently earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Arizona, before beginning his professional career, first in the mailroom at a large advertising agency where he rose through the ranks to become an art director/producer. Additionally, he produced television commercials that were honored with numerous Clio Awards and Silver Lions from the Cannes International Television/Cinema Commercials Festival.

Prior to his official partnership with Simpson, Bruckheimer's credits as a producer already included "American Gigolo," "Cat People," "Thief," "Young Doctors in Love" and "Farewell My Lovely" (the latter of which earned a Best Actress Oscar® nomination for Sylvia Miles).

Since his initial teaming with Mr. Simpson as producers on the 1983 blockbuster "Flashdance," the two have been honored with an impressive 12 Academy Award® nominations, two Best Song Oscars®, three Golden Globe Awards, MTV's Best Picture of the Decade Award, and two People's Choice Best Picture Awards. Their hit film "Top Gun" has the distinction of being one of the most profitable motion pictures in Paramount's history.

For Bruckheimer and Simpson, it wasn't long before they were hailed as the quintessential producers of the '80s, and were named Producers of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners at the ShoWest Conventions in 1985 and 1988. The Publicists Guild of America also named the team 1988 Motion Picture Showmen of the Year. Breaking new ground as they progressed from one hit to another, they turned their movies into gold mines. Investment analyst and respected business columnist Paul Kagan ranked Bruckheimer the #1 producer (based on average domestic box office, per film) on his list of top 100 producers for 1985-1993 in his book 1994 Box Office Champions.

The Oscar®-winning songs Mr. Bruckheimer's films have produced are "What a Feeling" from "Flashdance" and "Take My Breath Away" from "Top Gun," as well as for Best Instrumental Composition for "Crimson Tide." The "Flashdance" soundtrack won Grammys for Pop Vocal -- Female, Instrumental Composition, and Original Score. The "Top Gun" them by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens was awarded a 1986 Grammy as Best Pop Instrumental.

The soundtrack albums of their four highest grossing films have been honored with 18 Grammy nominations in all. Three of the soundtracks were #1 albums, ten singles have achieved Top Ten status, including four #1 singles. Many of these hits were performed by such popular artists as Irene Cara, Harold Faltermeyer, Glenn Frey, The Pointer Sisters, Patti LaBelle, Berlin, Kenny Loggins and George Michael. In addition, "Days of Thunder" produced an international hit single.

In 1995, the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack reached triple platinum status, making it the highest-selling soundtrack that year. Hit recording artist Coolio's single, "Gangsta's Paradise," was also the year's top seller and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, Best Record and Best Rap Solo Performance for which Coolio won the award. Billboard Magazine listed the soundtrack as the #1 selling album for four weeks running, and as one of their top five albums of 10 weeks. "Gangsta's Paradise" remained the #1 single on the pop charts for three weeks and the song's video was #1 on MTV for eight weeks.

Jerry Bruckheimer is married to writer and magazine editor, Linda Bruckheimer. They reside in Los Angeles.


CHAD OMAN (Executive Producer) is the executive vice president of Jerry Bruckheimer Films, where he oversees all aspects of film and television development and production.

Mr. Oman is currently executive producing "Armageddon" starring Bruce Willis with Michael Bay directing. He is also serving as executive producer on Tony Scott's next film, "Enemy of the State," starring Will Smith. He serves as co-executive producer on Bruckheimer's television series "Soldier of Fortune."

Prior to joining the company in 1995, Oman was a founding employee of the Motion Picture Corporation of America. After six years, he left the independent production company as senior vice president of production.

His credits include associate producer on "Dumb and Dumber"; executive producer on Touchstone Pictures' "The War At Home" (starring Emilio Estevez, Kathy Bates and Martin Sheen); and co-producer on "The Desperate Trail" (with Linda Fiorentino and Sam Elliott), as well as on "The Sketch Artist" (with Drew Barrymore and Sean Young).


Screenwriter JONATHAN HENSLEIGH (Executive Producer), a former Manhattan-based corporate lawyer and investor, has been writing for the screen for several years. In addition to the hits "Jumanji," "Die Hard With A Vengeance," "The Rock" (for which Hensleigh did an extensive uncredited rewrite), and "The Saint," his credits include Lucasfilm's "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" and the Disney feature "A Far Off Place." His original script, "Armageddon," starring Bruce Willis and directed by Michael Bay, will be released in summer 1989. Hensleigh's other projects include Warner Bros.' "Captain Blood," "Golf in the Kingdom" and "Hickok and Cody," as well as Lucasfilm's "Red Tails." His first feature script, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" was recently purchased by Phil Collins..


PETER BOGART (Executive Producer/Production Manager) has enjoyed a long association with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, working not only on Simpson/Bruckheimer's Disney-based projects, but on many others throughout the years. Most recently, he worked on the hit films, "The Rock" and "Crimson Tide" as an in-house production executive for Hollywood Pictures, overseeing all aspects of production and post-production on both films.

Prior to joining the company, Bogart served as unit production manager on "Dangerous Minds." He was the first assistant director on "Beverly Hills Cop," "Beverly Hills Cop II" and "American Gigolo" and Bruckheimer's early project, "Thief." He was also the co-producer and unit production manager on the features "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Return to The Blue Lagoon," and served as unit production manager/first assistant director on the original "The Blue Lagoon."

For television, Bogart was co-producer and unit production manager on the series "Studio 5B" and earned the title of producer/unit production manager for Lifetime's telefilm, "The Last Prostitute." He was also associate producer of the ABC movie-of-the-week "Bluffing It," and worked as unit production manager and assistant director on "Swashbuckler."


JIM KOUF (Executive Producer) previously co-produced "Silent Fall" and executive produced "Kalifornia." He also wrote Walt Disney Pictures' live-action hit "Operation Dumbo Drop," and wrote and produced "Stakeout" and "Another Stakeout." In addition, he co-produced his screenplay for "Secret Admirer."

As a writer/director, Kouf's credits include "Disorganized Crime" and "Miracles," and he wrote the screenplay for "American Dreamer," "Class," and "Up the Creek." His latest film that he wrote and directed is called "Criminal Intent" starring James Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Dennis Quaid and Lela Rochon, and will be released in September 1997.


LYNN BIGELOW (Executive Producer) previously served as producer on the Jim Kouf-written action/comedy "Another Stakeout." She also served as associate producer on "Secret Admirer" and "Miracles."

Bigelow and Kouf established a partnership and since 1985 have been associated with The Walt Disney Studios, where their first production as a team was "Disorganized Crime." Bigelow also executive produced "Kalifornia" for Propaganda Films, starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. In addition she produced the Disney Sunday Movie "Save the Dog!" Their latest film, "Criminal Intent" starring James Belushi, Tupak Shakur, Dennis Quaid and Lela Rochon will be released in September 1997.


DAVID TATTERSALL (Director of Photography) most recently lensed "Moll Flanders," as well as "The Bridge," "Radioland Murders," and the upcoming "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."

Tattersall earned an Emmy Award nomination and an American Society of Cinematographers Award nomination for his work on the television series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." He also worked on the British television series "Yellow Thread Street."

Early in his career Tattersall worked on "Kings Christmas," which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Film Short in 1987. He subsequently worked on the short film "Caprice" and "Metropolis Apocalypse," which were screened at a number of prestigious international film festivals, including those at Cannes, Venice, Edinburgh and Milan.

Prior to beginning his film career, Tattersall made his name as one of the commercial industry's most sought-after cinematographers. He worked on hundreds of commercials in England and throughout Europe.


DEBORAH EVANS makes her major motion picture debut as Production Designer on "Con Air." Having worked with Simon West on countless commercial campaigns, the director encouraged her to design the interior of the transport plane. Evans' exciting concepts landed her the job.

Evans emigrated to Los Angeles from London in 1981 with an ambition to design for motion pictures. While studying architecture and interior design at the University of California at Los Angeles, she had the opportunity to work in the art department (where part of her job entailed throwing doves in the air) on a music video for Prince's hit song "When Doves Cry." She next landed a job with Limelight Films as a set decorator on a short picture shooting in Mexico. She continued decorating for music videos and independent films and later made the transition to production designer working on videos for such artists as Don Henley, Guns 'N' Roses and Rod Stewart and expanded her work to Afterschool Specials for television for the likes of director Diane Keaton as well as to commercials for directors Michael Bay, Howard Deutch, Ed Zwick and "Con Air" director Simon West.


EDWARD T. McAVOY (Art Director) began his industry career as a set painter and scenic artist working on numerous feature films including Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno" and Steven Spielberg's "Always."

Moving up to assistant art director McAvoy's credits include "The Last Action Hero," "The Distinguished Gentleman," "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid," "The Rocketeer" and "Arachnophobia." More recently, he served as supervising art director on "Airheads," and art director on "Outbreak" and "The Rock."

A graduate of Uesper George School of Art in Boston with a degree in graphic design, McAvoy also studied painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.


CHRIS LEBENZON (Editor) most recently edited Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" Also for Burton, Lebenzon served as editor on "Ed Wood" and "Batman Returns." He was consulting editor on "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas."

An Academy Award® nominee for his work as editor on "Crimson Tide" and as co-editor on "Top Gun," Lebenzon's other credits include "Josh and S.A.M." "Hudson Hawk," "Days of Thunder," "Revenge," "Midnight Run," "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Weeds," "Death of an Angel," "Weird Science," "A Breed Apart," and "Wolfen."

Born in Redwood City and raised in Palo Alto, California, Lebenzon graduated from Stanford University before entering the motion picture industry.


STEVE MIRKOVICH, A.C.E. (Editor) previously served on the editing team for "The Ghost and the Darkness," "Broken Arrow," "Necessary Roughness," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II," "Flight of the Intruder" and "Big Trouble in Little China."

Among Mirkovich's feature film credits as sole editor are "Lassie," "A Gift From Heaven," "Fire in the Sky," "Cool World" and "Spellbinder."


GLEN SCANTLEBURY (Editor) was born and raised in Annadale, Virginia, and attended Virginia Commonwealth University. A pioneer in the art of editing feature films on video, in 1987 he cut the Tom Waites concert film "Big Time" on video. He subsequently served at Zoetrope Studios for five years where he edited "The Spirit of '76." During this time he was also an additional editor on "The Godfather: Part III," and was among the credited co-editors on "Dracula." He most recently provided additional editing on "The Rock."

In addition to feature films, Scantlebury has edited numerous music videos and documentaries, including Neil Young's upcoming "Muddy Tracks." Scantlebury is also an independent filmmaker teamed with his wife Lucy Phillips. The pair recently completed the independent feature "Steel America." They live in San Francisco.


DAVID GOLDBERG (Visual Effects Supervisor) studied theater arts and architecture at San Diego State University and received a bachelor of arts degree in scenic design. Skills learned in college led to work as an architectural modelmaker, but it was not long before Goldberg's love of science fiction and fantasy turned his talents to art direction and visual effects modelmaking.

As Visual Effects Supervisor at Dream Quest, Goldberg implements and oversees all aspects of production, from the production design, art direction and creation of digital/CGI elements to model construction and final post production.

In addition to his work as visual effects supervisor on "Con Air," Goldberg recently served in the same capacity on Walt Disney Pictures' live-action comedy "Jungle 2 Jungle." He also supervised the elaborate miniature and CGI sequences for the interactive CD-ROM "Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland," based on the acclaimed series of children's books by R.L. Stine. The recipient of an Emmy Award for his work on the pilot episode of Amblin Entertainment's television series "Earth 2," Goldberg has also supervised the miniature design and construction for many of Dream Quest's feature projects including "Crimson Tide," "The Abyss," "Defending Your Life" and "Grand Canyon."

He has served as both Art Director and Model Shop Supervisor on four motion simulator ride films: "Batman Adventure" for Warner Movie World in Australia, "StarQuest Adventure" for the Samsung World's Fair Pavilion, "Asteroid Adventure" for Phantasialand in Germany, and "Space Shuttle America" for Six Flags Great America. Goldberg also supervised the building of the ancient Egyptian pyramids featured in the interactive CD-ROM "Pyramid: The Pharaoh's Dream."


BOBBIE READ (Costume Designer) previously worked for producer Bruckheimer on his hit films with the late Don Simpson: "The Rock," "Dangerous Minds," "Bad Boys," "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Top Gun" and "Flashdance."

Read began her career as a designer and pattern cutter for a manufacturing company in London. In 1971 she moved to the United States and landed her first job as a stylist on a Levi's commercial for director Adrian Lyne. She continued to work with Lyne and other top commercial directors such as Tony Scott and Joe Pytka on commercials such as Coca Cola, Jovan and Nestea.

Her work as a designer began with the television shows "Miami Vice" and "Max Headroom" and on such telefilms as "Bed of Lies" and "The Resurrector."

Read has designed costumes for the feature films "Eye for an Eye," "Major League II," "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective," "Indecent Proposal," "Raising Cain," "Sweethearts Dance" and "9 1/2 Weeks."


MARK MANCINA (Music by) has written music for numerous feature films and television programs. Among his most prominent motion picture credits are "Twister," "Moll Flanders," "Money Train," "Assassins," "Bad Boys" and "Speed." He also composed the score for the upcoming "Speed II." In addition, Mancina worked on Walt Disney Pictures' animated classic "The Lion King," for which he arranged, produced and provided vocal arrangements for several of the songs, and Walt Disney Pictures' live-action comedy "Man of the House," for which he composed the film score. Mancina's other motion picture credits include "Monkey Trouble," "True Romance" (co-scored with Hans Zimmer), "Sniper" and "Space Mutiny."

He also wrote the scores for the PBS series "Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World." His made-for-television movies include "Space Rangers," "Lifepod," and "Future Force."

Mancina also composed the Disney Records album Rhythm of the Pridelands. His other recordings include Miracle of Life for the group Yes, on Arista Records; Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Black Moon for PolyGram Records; and Seal's Crazy, for ZTT Records, which was a #1 single in the United Kingdom in 1991. In 1994 Mancina received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album For Children for The Lion King. That same year he won the American Music Award for Best Pop Album, also for The Lion King. He is currently writing and producing music for Disney's "Lion King on Broadway."


TREVOR RABIN (Music by) was born and raised in South Africa. His multiple musical talents eventually led him to become a member of the internationally acclaimed progressive art/rock group Yes. With that renowned band he served as guitarist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter, producer and recording engineer. He also composed the group's #1 hit single "Owner of a Lonely Heart" on their multi-platinum album 90125. With Yes he also served in many creative and technical capacities to create the popular Big Generator and Talk albums.

As a motion picture composer, Rabin co-wrote music for director Joel Silver's film "Fair Game" starring Billy Baldwin and Cindy Crawford. Most recently he scored the movie soundtrack for Steven Segal's "Glimmer Man."


A native of Southern California, KENNY BATES (Associate Producer/2nd Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator) previously worked for producer Jerry Bruckheimer on his action paced hits "The Rock" and "Bad Boys."

Bates is the only stuntman to be honored with a special Academy Award® for Scientific and Technical Achievement, presented to him in 1993 for his outstanding work in creating and developing the Bates Decelerator System. An extraordinary piece of safety equipment, the Bates Decelerator is a device which allows the stunt person to free fall for hundreds of feet before slowing to an immediate stop inches from the ground, without the use of an airbag. The Bates Decelerator System was recently used in a death-defying jump of 230 feet from a moving helicopter in "Demolition Man."

A stuntman for over 19 years, Bates has taken record-breaking falls on dozens of films including "In the Line of Fire," "Physical Evidence," "The Last Boy Scout," "Die Hard," "Marked for Death," "Another 48 HRS.," "Ford Fairlane," "Cool World," and "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

Producers worldwide have sought his talents to create illusions for such successful motion pictures as "True Romance," "The Crow," "Hook," "The Good Son," "The Mask," "No Escape," "A Low Down Dirty Shame" and "On Deadly Ground."
He has worked as the second unit director/stunt coordinator on the films "Bad Boys," and included as associate producer on "The Rock" and "Con Air."

Bates began his career taking falls in wild West shows and parades. He has doubled such actors as Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, William Shatner and Alan Rickman. Bates prefers to think of himself simply as an illusionist. He has been called "The Hollywood Houdini" of major action movies, treating audiences to the most entertaining action sequences ever filmed (i.e. "The Rock" car chase bears his signature).

Bates' production company, Alternative Innovations, caters to commercial clients such as Coca Cola, Nike, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Kodak, American Express, AT&T, Pepsi, General Motors and hundreds of others worldwide.


CRAIG HOSKING (Aerial Coordinator) previously served as aerial unit director and/or aerial coordinator on such films as "Executive Decision," "Clear and Present Danger," "Alaska" and TNT's "Amelia Earhart." His impressive list of credits also includes work as the aerial coordinator and pilot on such films as "Mars Attacks!" "Michael," "Waterworld," "The American President," "Drop Zone," "The Specialist," "Terminal Velocity," "Speed," "In the Line of Fire," "Freefall," "Sliver," "Falling Down," "Patriot Games," "City Slickers," "The Rocketeer," "Point Break," "L.A. Story," "Another 48 HRS." "Tango & Cash," "Darkman," "Internal Affairs," "Lethal Weapon II" and the soon to be released "Speed 2," to name a few.

On television, Hosking has flown for such series as "Mantis," "Candid Camera," "Stunt Masters," "The Father Dowling Mysteries," "Columbo," "Murder, She Wrote," "Super Dave" and "Falcon Crest." He has also performed for the telefilms and miniseries "A Woman Scorned," "War & Remembrance," "Earthquake," "Shattered Vows," "The Gambler IV" and "Flight #847."

His work appears in a variety of specialty projects like the Imax film "Magic Carpet," on MCA's Universal Studio's Tour and Back to the Future ride, as well as in Stargate's CD game "Apache Attack." Hosking has also done short films for the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy as well as commercials for such recognizable clients as Bank of America, General Motors, Pepsi, Jack in the Box, AT&T, Pizza Hut and Miller Brewing.

Hosking first flew a plane at the tender age of 8 and mastered helicopters at age 12. On his 16th birthday, he soloed and received his pilot's license. Each subsequent year he earned his next set of wings with his passenger's license on his 17th birthday and his commercial license on his 18th birthday. Hosking flew professionally for his father's charter company in Utah, working on motion pictures, television shows and commercials when they came to town. In 1987 he moved to L.A. and established himself as one of the premiere pilots and aerial coordinators working today.


Last July Aerial Coordinator J. DAVID JONES was honored by the Society of Operating Cameramen with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions to motion pictures and television. He began his professional flying career as a pilot in the United States Marine Corps. in the mid 1950s, and began working in motion pictures in 1963. In 1966 he formed his own company, J. David Jones Aviation, specializing in aerial photography, stunt flying, as well as aerial coordinating and directing.

A pioneer in helicopter aerial photography and stunt flying, Jones is acknowledged as one of the preeminent pilot/directors in the motion picture industry. He has directed and produced over 200 second unit action shows and has been the aerial coordinator on literally hundreds of feature films, television episodes and commercials. In 1985 he received the Hollywood Stuntman Award for the best aerial stunt for his work on the television series "Airwolf."

Among his film credits are "Twister," "Water World," "The Net," "The River Wild," "Speed," "Boyz on the Side," "Free Willy II," "The Firm," "Wyatt Earp," "It Could Happen to You," "City Slickers II," "Field of Dreams" and "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid."

Over the years, Jones has worked as a consultant and technical advisor in the development, writing, direction and editing of numerous projects which demand intricate flying sequences. Working in conjunction with the makers of miniature aircraft and special effects craftsmen, Jones has produced many complicated scenes involving crashes, dog fights and overall flying stunts which add to the drama and realism of each film. Those films include such classics as "Apocalypse Now," "Catch 22," "Tora! Tora! Tora!" "The Blues Brothers," "Capricorn One," "American Graffiti," "King Kong," "Tobruk," "The Graduate," "Funny Girl," "Bonnie & Clyde," "Planet of the Apes" and many more.

Jones has also been instrumental in creating specialized aircraft designed exclusively for film and television productions. The series "Airwolf" and "Magnum P.I." utilized many modified aircraft. His television work also includes "Quantum Leap," "Tales of the Gold Monkey," "The 'A' Team," "Fantasy Island," "Dragnet," "Mission Impossible," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "The Mod Squad," "The Fugitive," "Batman & Robin" and many more.

Jones was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida and graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville prior to joining the Marine Corps. Before beginning his prolific career in the entertainment industry, he spent time as a crop duster and pilot for hire, running supplies and gold shipments for miners on the California coast in the 1960s.


DIRK VAHLE (Aerial Coordinator) started flying as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army in 1971. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, with ratings in helicopters, single and multi-engine airplanes and seaplanes.

In 1985 Vahle began flying for the entertainment industry on the television series "Airwolf." He subsequently coordinated for "J.A.G.," "Tour of Duty," "Drug Wars: The Kiki Carmarena Story," "Jake and the Fat Man," as well as the miniseries "They Are Among Us."

Vahle's feature film credits as aerial coordinator include "Courage Under Fire," "Clear and Present Danger," "The Client," "Mars Attacks!" "Casino," "Get Shorty" and "Flatliners.

He also has contributed his skills to numerous television commercials including spots for Disneyland, Jeep Grand Cherokee, MCI, AT&T, Accura, Sprint and Nike, to name a few.