Occupation Filmmaker Role Filmmaker Years active 1990–present Spouse Deborah Snyder (m. 2004) | Partner(s) Kirsten Elin Children Eli Snyder Name Zack Snyder | |
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Full Name Zachary Edward Snyder Born March 1, 1966 (age 58) ( 1966-03-01 ) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. Books Sucker Punch: The Art of the Movie Upcoming movies Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League: Part One, Justice League: Part Two Movies Batman v Superman: Dawn of J, Man of Steel, Watchmen, 300, Sucker Punch Similar People Henry Cavill, Christopher Nolan, Deborah Snyder, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot Profiles | ||
The career of director zack snyder from 300 to superman
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker, best known for his action, superhero, and science fiction films. Snyder made his feature film debut with the 2004 remake of the horror film Dawn of the Dead. Since then, he has done a number of comic book and superhero films, including 300 (2007) and Watchmen (2009), as well as the Superman film that started the DC Extended Universe, Man of Steel (2013) and its follow-ups, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). He also co-wrote the screenplays for 300, Sucker Punch and 300: Rise of an Empire.
Contents
- The career of director zack snyder from 300 to superman
- How to make a zack snyder film
- Early life
- Career
- Style
- Personal life
- Crew
- Reception
- Awards and nominations
- References
Snyder is the co-founder of Cruel and Unusual Films, a production company he established in 2004, alongside his wife Deborah Snyder and producing partner Wesley Coller.
How to make a zack snyder film
Early life
Snyder was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and raised in Riverside, Connecticut. His mother, Marsha Manley (née Reeves), was a painter and a photography teacher at Daycroft School, which Snyder later attended. His father, Charles Edward "Ed" Snyder, worked as an executive recruiter. He has an elder sister, Audrey (Davis). He was raised as a Christian Scientist. Snyder attended Camp Owatonna in Harrison, Maine, during the summer months as a child. Snyder's mother inspired him to study painting a year after high school at Heatherley School of Fine Art in England, although he had already begun filmmaking. Afterward, Snyder attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Career
Snyder went on to shoot, as a director and as a cinematographer, television commercials for such clients as the automobile companies Audi, BMW, Subaru and Nissan, amongst others. Other commercial work has been for clients including Nike, Reebok, and Gatorade.
Snyder made his feature film debut with the remake of the horror film Dawn of the Dead (2004), and scored a box office hit with the fantasy war film 300 (2007), adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name. His Warner Bros. film Watchmen was released on March 6, 2009 and grossed $185 million worldwide. His follow-up project/animation debut titled Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole was released on September 24, 2010. Snyder produced, co-wrote, and directed Sucker Punch, which was released on March 25, 2011. The film, based on a script written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya, was about a young woman in a mental hospital who fantasizes of escape with her fellow inmates.
He directed 2013's Man of Steel for Warner Bros., a reboot of the Superman franchise. He will direct a yet-to-be-produced remake of the 1969 film The Illustrated Man, and produced the prequel/sequel to 300, 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). He also wants to direct a segment for an upcoming Heavy Metal 3, and plans to write and direct a sequel to Legend of the Guardians.
During Comic Con 2013, Snyder announced that Batman and Superman would share the screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released in 2016. Cavill reprised his role as Superman, and Ben Affleck played Batman. In April 2014, Snyder was announced by Warner Bros. to direct the Justice League film after finishing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As of March 2016, Snyder is working on The Last Photograph, a drama about a war photographer in Afghanistan. He is also working on an adaptation of the 1943 novel The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
Style
Snyder often uses slow motion in and out of the fight scenes in his films, which Amy Nicholson of BoxOffice magazine remarked separates the director from other filmmakers who make multiple cuts and close-ups during a fight. A minute-long shot from 300 shows King Leonidas slaughtering his enemies, the camera zooming in and out to emphasize each kill and move Leonidas makes.
Personal life
Snyder lives in Pasadena with his second wife, producer Deborah Johnson. The couple first met in 1996, started dating in 2002, and married on September 25, 2004 at the St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, New York.
Snyder has eight children. The four eldest, Olivia, Willow, Autumn, and Eli, are from his first marriage to Denise Weber. Willow and Autumn were adopted from China. Two younger sons, Ezekiel and Jett Elin, are from his relationship with Kirsten Elin, who was his line producer on commercials for a while. Snyder and his current wife Deborah adopted two children during the course of making Man of Steel.
On March 12, 2017, Snyder's daughter, Autumn, committed suicide, causing him to step away from post-production work on Justice League in May 2017 to be with his family. Joss Whedon was brought in to finish reshoots as well as oversee the remainder of the film's post-production. Before her death, Autumn started a fundraiser on CrowdRise to support Elizabeth House charity. Snyder felt proud of her work.
Crew
Reception
While Variety has praised Snyder's visual direction, it has also criticized him for subpar storytelling and excessive iconography. Critical, public and commercial reception to films Zack Snyder has directed as of April 26, 2016:
Awards and nominations
Snyder's body of work has earned him a number of awards, including two Clio Awards and a Gold Lion Award for his Jeep "Frisbee" commercial. He also won an award for his humorous commercial "General's Party".