Director Case Study: James Wan

James Wan

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Date of Birth: 27 February 1977 (36 years old)

Nationality: Australian

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Biography

Born in Kuching, Malaysia, the Malaysian Australian director, wanted to pursue filmmaking at a very young age. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, having made short films and music videos, where he met Leigh Whannell (fellow aspiring filmmaker) and came up with a horror movie idea. Whannell wrote the screenplay while Wan directed an eight-minute sample on DVD. Producers from Evolution (American film company) saw the DVD and asked them to make the short film into a full-length feature. Both Wan and Whannell flew to America to cast and shoot the notable film, Saw (2004). The two collaborated on yet two more screenplays: Dead Silence (2007) and Insidious (2011). Wan's latest directed film are The Conjuring and Insidious: Chapter 2.

Filmography

Year- Film

2000- Stygian (Director/Writer)

2004- Saw (Producer)

2005- Saw II (Producer)

2006- Saw III (Producer/Writer)

2007- Dead Silence (Director/Writer)

-Death Silence (Director)

-Saw IV (Producer)

2008- Saw V (Producer)

2009- Saw VI (Producer)

2010- Saw 3D (Producer)

2011- Insidious (Director/ Editor)

2013- The Conjuring (Director)

-Insidious: Chapter 2 (Director/Writer)

2014- Fast& Furious 7 (Director)

Awards

San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival

2004- Best Feature- Saw (2004) WON

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Brussels International Festival of Fantasy FIlm

2005- Saw (2004) WON

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Fantasporto

2005- Best Film- Saw (2004) Nominated
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Gerardmer Film Festival
2005- Special Jury Prize- Saw (2004) WON
-Youth Jury Grand Prize- Saw (2004) WON
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Neuchatel International Fantasy Film Festival
2011- Titra Film Award- Insidious (2010)WON
-Best Feature Film- Insidious (2010) Nominated
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Hollywood Film Festival
2013- The Conjuring (2013) Nominated

The Conjuring (2013)

A supernatural horror directed by James Wan based on a real-life story of a family moving in to a farmhouse that had various of paranormal disturbance occurred  in Rhode Island on 1971. American paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren were associated conspicuous cases of haunting, with reports centered around Amityville Horror. It was critically acclaimed to be a success and grossed over $312 million worldwide from it's $20 million budget. 

The development of the film began 20 years ago when Ed Warren's interview with Carolyn Perron was played for Tony DeRosa-Grund (producer). Warner Bros. confirmed on 2011 that a film loosely based on the real life events on Ed and Lorraine Warren will be directed by Wan. 

Critics and Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes

7.2/10

"Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares."

Empire

"A strong cast and an atmosphere of real dread mean that despite a catalogue of immediately recognisable ghost devices, The Conjuring amounts to more than the sum of its scary parts. If it’s Wan’s farewell to horror — Insidious: Chapter 2 notwithstanding — it’s a darkly powerful final word. "

I think that the film's cinematography is very well shown. Simplistic yet effective. Also the concept of including children's games such as hide and seek and dolls is very useful for what I plan to incorporate within my film production. The innocence of children could potentially branch out to a much more deeper and creepier storyline. It encapsulates an older time period which is complemented by the use of mise-en-scene with the atmosphere of the location as well as the costumes. The idea that the film is based on a real life situation also adds on to the fear factor, making it more realistic and appealing to more demographics.