J.J. Abrams: biography
A distinctive feature of the style of the eminent director, J. J. Abrams, is the intensity of emotions from the very beginning of the movie. An opening scene that establishes the atmosphere for further narration plays a key role in all his films. Viewers get into the thick of things, and the director draws their attention to what is happening on the screen.
The director achieves the plot dynamics using film transitions, editing the contrast between sound and image. While using traditional editing techniques, Abrams likes to violate the classic three-act structure (pre-climax, climax, denouement), dividing it into stages. If other directors who neglect the rules doom the work to failure, then the creator of the series Lost can afford such deviations.
Childhood and youth
Jeffrey was born on June 27, 1966, to television producer Gerald and his wife, Carol. The family lived in New York City, the city with the most skyscrapers in the United States. The atmosphere of the all-consuming "creative anarchy" reigned in the Abrams family. The parents did not impose their opinion and gave their beloved child a free hand. Jeffrey could have different hobbies, including drawing, composing music, developing acting skills, and his mother and father have always accepted their son's choice. Despite such permissiveness, it is hard to imagine that the child of such creatively gifted parents was more interested in mathematical sciences.
It is worth mentioning that the grandparents also supported Jeffrey in any of his endeavors. The director repeatedly told media representatives that at the age of 10, he already shot amateur videos with a professional camera. His grandfather gave this camera to Jay. The man did not immediately buy the young movie fan expensive equipment. For a few months, the boy assured his relative that this purchase would be an excellent investment in the future of his grandson, whom he only wished the best. Although Abrams was engaged in editing day and night, Jeffrey did not forget about his studies.
It is also known that Abrams graduated from one of the most expensive colleges in New York City. Sarah Lawrence College is famous for high academic standards and low student-to-faculty ratio. Few people know that Abrams's first movie experience was writing music for Don Dohler's horror movie Nightbeast (1982). At the time of the release of the film, Jeffrey was only 16 years old.
As a senior student, Abrams teamed with Jill Mazursky to create a script that later was purchased by film distribution label of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and became the basis for the comedy Taking Care of Business (1990). After that, the films Regarding Henry and Forever Young, starring Mel Gibson, were released.
Movies
In 1998, a few episodes of the popular television series Felicity (1998-2002) was based on the script by Jeffrey. Then Abrams worked as a director and screenwriter of another equally popular series Alias (2001–2006). The project was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.
After Alias, the director was one of the creators of the fantasy television series Lost (2004–2010), which was incredibly successful both in the USA and abroad. This movie earned him the Emmy Award in 2005. Abrams won the Writers Guild of America Award and the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – Pilot.
The first full-length film of the director was Mission: Impossible III (2006), starring inimitable Tom Cruise. In 2008, Jeffrey produced the film Cloverfield with Jessica Lucas in the title role. In 2009, Abrams cast little-known actors and released the action movie Star Trek, which grossed $400 million worldwide. 2011 was marked by the release of the thriller Super 8 and the action movie Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
On January 16, 2012, the first episode of the TV series Alcatraz was released. The film, which tells about the return of missing guards and prisoners, attracted 10 million viewers. However, by the end of the season, they were reduced by half, and the series was closed.
The same year, the filmmaker received an offer to become a director of the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Jeffrey initially refused to cooperate, but in January 2013 he changed his mind. Abrams was appointed by franchise creator George Lucas. The movie was released in 2015 and was a resounding success globally.
In 2016, Abrams's filmography included the movies 10 Cloverfield Lane and Star Trek Beyond. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi was released on December 14, 2017, two years after the premiere of The Force Awakens and one year after the spin-off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the movie, Jeffrey once again assumed the position of an executive producer.
Personal life
It is reliably known that Jeffrey has been married for many years. The producer's wife, Katie McGrath, has nothing to do with the film industry and is not a public figure. The wife of the visual effects master is the head of a public relations company. The woman has always been understanding about the fact that her husband has not appeared at home for days, plunging headlong into work on the set.
Katie trusts her husband, and therefore, news that have been published in tabloids about Abrams's love affairs with this or that actress only make the woman laugh. The wife of the filmmaker gave birth to two sons, August and Henry, as well as daughter Gracie. Three children do not affect the social activity of the spouses. Katie and Jeffrey go to presentations, attend film shows and, of course, participate in charity events.
J. J. Abrams now
In February 2017, viewers around the world saw the teaser trailer of the new American series Castle Rock, based on the novels by Stephen King ("It," "Dreamcatcher," "Night Shift," "The Green Mile," "Misery," "The Shining"). Abrams became a screenwriter and executive producer of the film, alongside Dustin Thomason and Sam Shaw. The cast has not been announced yet. The beginning of production is scheduled for August 2017.
At the beginning of 2018, moviegoers will watch Julius Onah's scary horror film The Cloverfield Paradox, in which Jeffrey also took part. It is a sequel to the movies Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane. At the end of July 2018, fans of the action series will also be delighted. The release of the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series directed by Christopher McQuarrie has been announced. Tom Cruise landed the leading role in the film, which is a continuation of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
Jeffrey will also be the producer of the films The Gateway, Half-Life, The Invisible Woman, and Little Darlings, which they began to shoot in 2018. It is reliably known that the eminent producer does not have Twitter and Instagram pages. Fans can find out the latest news about the life of the director in interviews that are periodically published both on news portals and in print media.
J. J. Abrams has a net worth of $120 million.
Filmography
- 1991 - Regarding Henry
- 1998 - Armageddon
- 2001-2006 - Alias
- 2004-2010 – Lost
- 2006 - Mission: Impossible III
- 2008 - Cloverfield
- 2009 - Star Trek
- 2011 - Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
- 2013 - Star Trek Into Darkness
- 2015 - Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
- 2015 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- 2016 - 10 Cloverfield Lane
- 2017 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
