Supplemental Post 3: Stars behind the scenes - Benjamin Noble

          Last night, I attended an event about Glenn Weiss, a successful director in live television, responsible for directing the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, Superbowl Half-Time Show, etc. He talked about his career, highlighting the incredible beginnings he made at CNN, Fox, and America's Most Wanted, as well as his innovations with live television, experimenting with camera movement and establishing more unique and intimate moments for the audiences at home. His anecdotes were so funny and captivating, highlighting his incredible journey and the opportunities he took advantage of.
          Attending this event made me think of how we often glamorize the stars that we see on the big screen, and not as often the ones that work behind the scenes. Weiss has had an incredible career, helping to create the moments that become mainstream and popular online. He was the director of the past oscars, and yes, he did address the envelope/Best Picture issue, which was a cool way of hearing about what had happened behind the scenes (he was also very happy to answer any audience questions about what was happening). He was also responsible for directing the opening number for 2013 Tony Awards, where Neil Patrick Harris performed "Make It Bigger", accompanied by over 400 performers in one of the most incredible performances (there is a video on youtube that shows Weiss directing and calling cuts during the finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbCQxtK545o).
          Why don't the names of directors or producers come to mind first when we see events like this? It is clear that some people do focus on the creative talent behind the camera, but it feels like this number does not match with the amount of people who focus on a star host, like Neil Patrick Harris, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, etc. Is it because we can see the star that we develop more of an attachment, even when we might not share any similar talents/looks with them? On the other hand, is it not possible to form a star attachment to those who work behind the camera? Of course this is possible, thinking of Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, etc., but it doesn't feel like there is as much of an obsession with the personal lives of these directors, as compared to the focus on the stars personal lives. So, maybe, directors, producers, and other creative talent behind the scenes do enjoy the prospect of stardom, without having a magnifying glass focused on their personal lives and enjoying a certain anonymity.