Zack Snyder

Infobox Actor

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caption= Zack Snyder at ComicCon 2007. Photo [http://www.flickr.com/people/9650079@N04 Comiquero.com]
name = Zack Snyder
birthdate = birth date and age|1966|3|1
location = flagicon|USA Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
birthname =
spouse = Deborah Snyder (September 25, 2004 – present)
yearsactive = 1990 - present
academyawards =
goldenglobeawards =
baftaawards =
emmyawards =

Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, writer and producer.

tyle

Director Zack Snyder was featured in British Communication Arts magazine as one of the country’s most talented commercial directors. Best known for his cinematic wide screen shooting style, Zack has been compared to a young David Lean to which he remarked, “the similarities are inevitable.”

Zack attributes his distinctive style in part to his early artistic training in London, where he studied painting at the Heatherlies School. His style was further developed following a period spent at world-renowned Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Zack generally accomplishes his 'big screen look' with a small crew, explaining they work together “like a well-oiled machine.”

Works

As both director and DP, Zack has traveled the world to shoot campaigns for car companies such as Audi, BMW, and Nissan, among others.

Snyder also frequently shoots sports work. Sports icons such as Michael Jordan, Martina Navratilova, and Troy Aikman have been featured in his commercials for brands which include Nike, Reebok, and sport-drink manufacturer Gatorade.

Awards

Snyder's body of work has earned him a number of awards, including two Clios and a Gold Lion award for his Jeep “Frisbee” spot. He also claimed an award for his humorous spot “General’s Party”, filmed on location in Poland.

Feature films

"Dawn of the Dead"

Snyder made the transition to feature films with the 2004 film "Dawn of the Dead", which was a remake of George Romero's famous zombie film "Dawn of the Dead". Despite mixed response from both critics and fans of the original film, it was commercially successful and became one of the top-grossing zombie films of all time.

"300"

His next film was an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel "300" and was released in March 2007. Reviews of the film were mixed with some critics praising its action and visual style and others deriding it. According to the New York Times, critics were divided on the merits of Mr. Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s graphic novel about the Spartans’ stand against the Persians at Thermopylae, which A.O. Scott’s review described as “about as violent as "Apocalypto" and twice as stupid.” (An admiring Richard Roeper, of the Chicago Sun-Times, called it “gorgeous to behold.”) The film has generated controversy with some accusing it of racism, especially in Europe. Its portrayal of Persians angered Iranians, with official condemnation from the government of Iran. The film grossed more than $70 million in its opening weekend in the US (March 9-11, 2007), and set an all-time record for a film released in the month of March. It also became the third largest opening for a film with an "R" rating behind only "The Passion of the Christ" ($83.8 million) and "The Matrix Reloaded" ($91.8 million).

"Watchmen"

Snyder is following "300" up with the big screen adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel "Watchmen" for Warner Bros. Production began in Summer 2007 and is stated to be released March 6th, 2009. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/]

"Guardians of Ga'Hoole"

In April, 2008, it was announced that Snyder would be directing a computer animated version of the children's book series "Guardians of Ga'Hoole". [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23548773-29277,00.html]

Filmography

* "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)
* "300" (2007)
* "Watchmen" (2009)
* "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" (2010)
* "The Last Photograph" (2010)
* "Untitled 300 project" (2010)
* "Sucker Punch" [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/watchmen/news/1679327/zack_snyder_developing_the_last_photograph] (Unknown yet)

External links

*
* [http://www.zack-snyder.com Zack Snyder Dot Com]
* [http://www.believemedia.com/pdf/snyder_believe.pdf Zack Snyder] at [http://www.believemedia.com Believe Media]
* [http://www.culture-cafe.net/archive/2006/06/23/ Culture Café (French)]
* [http://www.tribute.ca/people/Zack+Snyder/11426 Zack Snyder Biography] at [http://www.tribute.ca Tribute.ca]

Persondata
NAME = Snyder, Zack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American film director
DATE OF BIRTH = March 1, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH = Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =