Not one to dally, Steve Chase got a Hollywood right of passage out of the way early when, convinced his work was being compromised, he walked away from his first feature project.

About a week before beginning to shoot New Line’s Money Talks, Chase realized that the scope of power given to lead actor Chris Tucker by New Line was making it difficult to execute the film in what Chase believed to be the most effective way. ‘I simply refused to compromise,’ he summarizes.

The film was set to shoot in l.a. with Charlie Sheen and Paul Sorvino also starring. Tucker, an actor/comedian who has high recognition among the black community in the u.s. and in standup circles, was given liberties by the studio, which included script approval and an executive producer’s title.

Chase had been developing the script for about six months and says Tucker came to him late in the game with manifold script and character changes. Chase says the proposed changes, while not heinous in themselves, weren’t relevant to the existing story, and either significant time would have had to have been taken to redevelop the script or it would have had to go forward unchanged. He was forced to confront the star against his better judgment after the studio refused to do so and threatened a lawsuit if Chase left the film.

After the confrontation, the anticipated acrimony from Tucker prompted the director to go back to New Line and ask to be removed from the project. ‘The star wasn’t happy with the script and I would have had to fight with him every day,’ says Chase. ‘It would have been detrimental to what ended up on the screen. It wasn’t worth it for anyone.’

While the studio ultimately offered to rein in Tucker, Chase says it was not enough. ‘I had to hear from him that he was behind what we were doing and `Let’s go out and make a good movie,’ and I never heard that.’

Chase was officially replaced on June 18 with a young director with a music video background – a friend of Tucker’s.

But in a suitable Hollywood ending, rather than making himself a pariah on his first outing, Chase says when word of his move made the rounds he was fairly flooded with scripts, including a couple from New Line. ‘I’ve had meetings with TriStar, Disney and Columbia and they’ve all agreed I did the right thing,’ he says. ‘Somehow I became a bigger commodity than if I had caved in.’

Chase says he is in no hurry to leap into another movie project immediately and is ready for more commercial scripts.

Film fest group hug

Elements of the Toronto production community came together with a show of judiciously apportioned goodwill to produce a pair of Toronto International Film Festival promo spots featuring Avion Films’ Martin Granger in his film debut.

The spots, a 15-second teaser to run this summer and a 30-second trailer to run during the festival from Sept. 5 to 14, were shot in early June at Showline Studios and were assembled sans budget, with resources kicked in for a couple of hot meals.

Echo Advertising and Marketing, agency-of-record for the festival, created the spot, with Echo vp Barry Avrich acting as executive producer and Echo’s Mark Bulloch as creative director. The spot was produced through Hoodoo Films, with Michael Rosen producing, Hoodoo’s John Fawcett directing and James Gardner shooting.

Avrich says the production had the proportions of a deMille epic, with over 100 extras, 125 crew and time shifts from art deco to Blade Runner featuring characters from depression-era hacks to cyber babes.

Principal cast was comprised of model/actress Alana Fletcher and Granger, who was cast at the suggestion of Fawcett and who was apparently stellar in his role.

Command Post came through with extensive post work and Dominoed the spots into cinema shape.

Agency producers were Mike Reid and Margaret Callaghan. Music was provided by Chris Stone.

Avrich says the spot is designed to capture the glamour and accessibility of the fest.

Hey, you’re going the wrong way!

Jungle Music’s Roger Harris will be returning to the dark side this summer, joining BBDO Toronto as director of broadcast production.

Prior to cofounding Jungle in 1984, Harris was an agency producer at Vickers and Benson, and he says some observers have looked askance at the move back to the agency side from his own successful venture.

Harris says he looks forward to rejoining an agency. ‘I’ve always liked being a part of the advertising process. This allows me to get closer to the creative process.’

Harris joins bbdo at the behest of creative director Larry Tolpin and will take over from Marie Robertson, who is set to leave the agency to pursue a freelance career.

Announcements are forthcoming from Jungle regarding a newly appointed producer and a new facility.

Prouk’s principles

It’s all in the hands of lawyers now, says former chairman of Toronto agency Lowe sms, Gary Prouk. According to Prouk, a conflict of principles precipitated his ouster in the wake of the Roche Macaulay & Partners/Lowe sms merger.

‘I’ve had a total disagreement of principles with the people who own the agency, Frank Lowe and Marvin Sloves,’ says Prouk, who calls his departure a firing. ‘I refused to conduct my life the way they wished me to. I’ve stood for principles all my life; I refuse to change now.’

In terms of next moves, Prouk says the ‘legalities of proposals and contracts’ prevent him from discussing his future career, but asserts that it does indeed include advertising. ‘It’s one of those odd things where circumstances move you into areas you may never have moved into,’ he says.

Prouk expresses great dismay over the handling of his story in the press and says he is investigating what kind of legal ‘comeback’ is available.

Cuppa runneth over

Cuppa Coffee walked away with a fistful of ProMax International Gold Medallion Awards at the ProMax/bda show held June 19-22. Cuppa captured a gold award for its work on ‘Fine Print’ for Bell Canada, a silver for ‘Slam Seats’ for Shoppers Drug Mart and five bronze awards, including two for General Motors Geo spots, for its show reel and for MuchMusic bumpers.

Sparks

Sparks Productions has assumed representation of director Jean Michel Ravon for English Canada.