Books and TV series have kept me sane during the past few years. Two series that pop into mind are The Durrells in Corfu and, more recently, Around the World in 80 Days. As the credits rolled by, I smiled when I saw Steve Barron's name pop up as episode director multiple times.
My mind drifted back to the 80s when I’d been lucky enough to work on a few music videos Steve directed out of Limelight Production in Los Angeles. Steve was one of the good guys, a gentleman who didn’t scream or pout, and due to his background in the camera department, he understood and appreciated film crews.
Steve Barron started in films as a camera assistant on epic productions such as Richard Donner's Superman, Richard Attenborough's A Bridge Too Far and Ridley Scott's The Duellists. He began directing what were known in the UK as promotional videos in the early eighties for bands such as The Jam, Human League, and Adam & the Ants.
In 1982 he conceived and directed the award-winning Billie-Jean music video, the first single from Michael Jackson's incredible Thriller album. More seminal videos followed, and at the 1986 MTV Awards, Steve’s work was acknowledged when Dire Straits' Money for Nothing won Best Video, and A-Ha's Take On Me was awarded Best Director.
Steve’s cult classic film Electric Dreams was released in 1984. His second film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1986), stunned the industry by becoming the first independent feature to break the $100 million theatrical mark. Steve directed other features, including Coneheads, Rat, Mike Bassett: England Manager, and TV network mega-series Merlin, Arabian Nights, Dreamkeeper, and Treasure Island, all garnering him a slew of awards, including 27 Emmy nominations, 5 Gold Globe nominations, and a DGA nod.
Oh, and he’s also a hemp farmer!
Steve Barron IMDB
EGG N CHIPS & BILLIE JEAN
Around the World in 80 Days
The Durrells in Corfu