By Robert Goldrich

With last month’s release of sci-fi thriller Morgan (Twentieth Century Fox), Luke Scott formally made his feature directorial debut.  Yet Scott in recent years has already made an impact in the theatrical motion picture marketplace, having helmed, for example, the “Peter Weyland 2023 TED Talk,” a high-profile viral which was part of a groundbreaking marketing campaign for Prometheus, the movie directed by his father, Ridley Scott.

“TED Talk” features a stirring monologue performance by Guy Pearce, and went on to win a Silver Arrow at the 2013 British Arrows and a Cannes Bronze Lion, underscoring the value of ambitious original content for feature film promotion. Luke Scott has become a leader in this field, directing branded content for movies such as Ridley Scott’s The Martian and The Counselor.

Luke Scott has also been hands-on involved in feature filmmaking, second unit directing The Martian and prior to that the Ridley Scott epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, shooting in the U.K. Spain and Egypt. Luke Scott at press time was helming second unit for Ridley Scott’s upcoming Alien: Covenant.

Reflecting on Morgan which carries his directorial stamp, Luke Scott said the movie reaffirmed vital dynamic of collaboration, which he knew well from his commercialmaking career which he began in 1993. His directing credits span the U.S. and Europe with campaigns for the likes of Coca-Cola, Nike, Sainsbury’s with celeb chief Jamie Oliver, KFC, Royal London Insurance, the Truth anti-smoking campaign, and California Travel and Tourism highlighted by performances from Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson. Luke Scott continues to make RSA Films his home for commercials and branded content.

“Everything is a lesson when you direct your first feature,” observed Scott. “You need to always be open to learning. People often talk about a director having a singular vision. Of course, that’s true on one hand. But that needs to be balanced by open collaboration. When it’s your own gig as a director, you still have really got to listen to those around you—particularly from folks who have been doing it for many years. You have to strike a balance between being a good listener and at the same time a bit of a pit bull protecting your vision and ideas.”

The title character Morgan is a bioengineered teenage-looking being (portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy), a brilliant piece of artificial intelligence who has performed beyond expectations until one day she attacks her caretaker (Jennifer Jason Leigh), causing serious injury. A investigator from the parent biotech company (played by Kate Mara) visits the secret lab to ascertain whether Morgan’s violent episode is an aberration or if the humanoid creature poses an ongoing danger to those around her. Elements on display in the movie include suspense, inspired fight and action sequences, the creation of a sci-fi vibe grounded in reality, and skillful dramatic interplay. The latter is front and center when Paul Giamatti makes a brief yet thoroughly memorable appearance as a psychiatrist who interviews Morgan to diagnose her and ultimately determine if she should continue to live or be destroyed.

Collaborative spirit
Key for Luke Scott was selecting his closest collaborators on Morgan, two prime examples being one he had a track record with—DP Mark Patten—and the other whom the director worked with for the first time, editor Laura Jennings. Scott initially got to know Patten personally as a cycling buddy; the two participated in bike-riding fundraisers for a cancer charity. Eventually they began working together, with Patten lensing commercials directed by Scott. “I like Mark’s style, taste, humor and personality,” assessed Scott who then teamed with Patten on viral marketing films for The Martian. Additionally, Scott as second unit director on The Martian teamed with Patten who served as second unit DP. “I was secretly watching Mark, how he handled The Martian, how he adapted and seized the feature opportunity—all the while I had a view to put him forward for Morgan. I liked Mark’s enthusiasm, his creativity and technical expertise, how he dovetailed with [The Martian] cinematographer Darius Wolski.”

As for Jennings, Scott recalled that he had a long list of editors to consider for Morgan. Jennings had made her first major feature splash with the Doug Liman-directed Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. “It was such a good technical edit which retained great storytelling. The degree of difficulty was high because she had to try to make a story out of an oft-repeated narrative, to keep it interesting and engaging. Her edit did just that and was a remarkable job from someone with kind of an effects editor background. I met Laura and found her youthful, hungry and obsessive about doing her job. She really embraced the challenge of Morgan. I’m very happy with what she did on a collaborative level and now she’s on to another big movie.”

Scott said he would like to keep a diverse mix of projects alive directorially—features, commercials, branded content, and his original movie marketing fare. On the cinema promotion front, Scott had at press time wrapped a marketing short for the much anticipated Blade Runner sequel being directed by Denis Villeneuve. Scott is now gearing up for a second original marketing film to create buzz around the new Blade Runner movie. The production company on this marketing content is 3AM, which RSA Films and theatrical advertising agency Wild Card teamed to launch in 2014. The L.A.-based 3AM is geared towards the development of new forms of content and next generation marketing to attract and connect with global audiences.

“It [3AM] kind of functions like an ad agency,” said Scott. “The quality of ideas is unbelievable. I really love working with them; they afford you quite a bit of freedom. They push the envelope to make these little scenes which add up to worthwhile substantive entertainment and marketing content.”

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