Mary Burke | Canning & Sherman | Roman Coppola | Gilbert & Horowitz | Mario Gianani | Darlene Caamano Loquet | Felts & Berfield | Rob Paris | Quad | David Guy Levy
Rob Paris is a writer’s producer.
After spending nearly a decade as a literary agent, Paris realized his calling wasn’t in getting deals for writers, but rather working with them to get their scripts made. He officially jumped the agency ship in 2003.
“I remember thinking, ‘If I can package movies for other people, I can definitely do it for myself,’ ” he says.
After spending two years at the now-defunct shingle Mission Entertainment, Paris struck out on his own and landed his first producer credit on last year’s “The Maiden Heist,” with Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy. That was followed by writer/director Abe Sylvia’s “Dirty Girl,” a coming-of-age comedy that premiered in Toronto in September and is slated for theatrical release in 2011 via the Weinstein Co.
But when it comes to picking a project to attach his name to, Paris is looking for just one thing: a great story written by a talented writer.
“We’re agnostic when it comes to genre,” he explains. “What’s important is how exquisitely the story is rendered on the page.”
With the help of partner Adam Ripp, Paris launched the shingle Crime Scene Pictures earlier this year. The company provides full financing for pics, of which Paris says four to six will be released in the next three years. “Shoulder Pads,” a musical follow-up to “Dirty Girl,” is among them.
VITAL STATS
Age: 40
Provenance: Sacramento
Inspired by: John Hughes. Paris’ “addiction” began as a child when he began pirating films off HBO with his parents’ Betamax. “My gateway drug was John Hughes. Watching ‘Sixteen Candles’ and ‘The Breakfast Club’ over and over again, just marveling at the dialogue, the characters, and the performances he got out of those casts. I loved the grounded reality of how those films felt.”
Web: crimescenepictures.net
