top of page
David R. Ellis was an American director and screenwriter known for his work on successful action films. His dynamic career, spanning genres from thrillers to horror, earned him widespread recognition. Ellis' keen eye for storytelling and his mastery of suspense influenced many aspiring filmmakers. His legacy serves as an inspiration for future directors to trust their creative instincts, take risks, and leave their unique mark on the cinematic world. Ellis' work continues to motivate filmmakers to push the boundaries of storytelling.
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Fourth Law of Thermodynamics: If the probability of success is not almost one, then it is damn near zero."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"No, in Lethal Weapon I was a taxi cab driver that Mel jumps in front of the taxi and pulls me out of the car and steals the taxi. Then I did some other indie driving for some of the car sequences."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"It's just about going out and getting the shot, so I have a great understanding of how to execute it, so that really helps me, and also having a good understanding of all the action that I'm shooting, it helps me in determining how I'm going to capture it."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"They do think it is a big summer movie and that's why they want to give it a great chance, but they don't want to go up against Spider-Man 2 or some of the other big movies, the $100 million films that are coming up."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"We're talking to New Line. They've got a couple projects they're interested in me doing and I'm having meetings at MGM. There's a lot of available projects."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"You don't get a chance to take a breath but when you do, you have some really good comedy moments that ease up on the tension that the movie is centered around which is Kim being kidnapped and her son and husband being kidnapped and the jeopardy that they're in."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"You have to understand the tone of the movie, because if it's supposed to be funny, it can be funny violent like the Home Alone stuff, but you have to really understand the tone of what you're doing and make the action work for that and for the character."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Unless you go out and say what you stand for, other people will do it for you."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"So then I started doing a lot of episodic TV, just car chases or helicopter chases or whatever."

Car,
Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"No, we always had something to do because I did all the wave runners and jet skis and boats approaching the atolls and stuff like that, so you could do that without showing the actual atoll or the set that you're going towards, but detailing all those guys racing towards it."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"They had some really cool rigged cars and things that were different that they would tow behind the camera car that were actually on these trailers that manipulated side to side and stuff like they were getting hit, and actually put the actor right in the middle of the chase."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Its pretty rare for companies to have a snooping policy, although it is getting more common."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"I mean, you have a general tone of it but it's pretty much you get to come in and you're going to flip this car and it's going to blow up and you're going to come out on fire and you go oh, that's cool, and then you get paid a lot of money."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Chris Columbus was really interesting to watch how he works with children."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Waterworld was the best time of my life. It was physically demanding, but it was fun. I mean, you're in Hawaii for nine months shooting on the water every day."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Comedy. I think that's something I'd really like to do."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Yeah, getting the company that would help advertise and cross promote the movie on the release was an important factor for New Line, so we went out to a lot of different companies."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"I felt that if there wasn't going to be a good opportunity, then I would just go back to second units which I love, keep working with great directors, keep learning and knowing that the opportunity would come when the time was right."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"Well, I think on second units it's all about execution. Because you come in there, you don't have to worry so much about the studio and all the other actors and all that."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
GettyImages-1390397976_b_edited.jpg
Quote_1.png

"I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew."

Share on Facebook_Black.png
Share on X_edited.png
Painting Icon
bottom of page